Ed Sheeran discusses how Eminem has impacted him to strike a work-life balance

Following the birth of his daughter Lyra with wife Cherry Seaborn, Ed Sheeran has opened up on keeping a healthy work-life balance. Sheeran shared some behind-the-scenes details about his brand new album ‘=’ while speaking with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, including how ‘rap God’ Eminem inspired him to find the appropriate balance between business and personal life.

Work-life balance

“I primarily thought the hip-hop sessions were nighttime,” Sheeran said. “That’s how I first really started off, was going to the studio at, like, 6:00 p.m., having a bit of food, having a chat, about 9:00 p.m., you get in the booth, and then by, like, 6:00 a.m., you’re going home, and that was just the norm.” Sheeran, who has worked with Eminem on a number of projects, claimed that the Godzilla rapper taught him the value of viewing their work as a 9-5 job so that they can spend time with their families and friends in the evening.

Sheeran recounted learning about Eminem’s hard work when working with him in Detroit, and how he only works until the evening and then spends time with his children. “I remember going to work with Eminem in Detroit and he was like, “No, man, I get in at 9:00 a.m. and leave at 5:00 p.m., I can go out to dinner and hang out with my kids,” said Sheeran.

While agreeing with Eminem’s approach, the Shape of You singer also stated that he modified his work habits to achieve a better work-life balance, which has shown to be beneficial to his songwriting. “Since then, the time between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. inspires me the most, that’s when your brain is really, really functioning, so I find all the best stuff gets written in the morning, and then you wind down during the day, and by the end of the day you’re kind of done,” Sheeran explained.

Equals, or ‘=,’ by Ed Sheeran, will be available for streaming on October 29.