Ed Sheeran's new single: What does Azizam mean? Persian term and origin explained

Ed's latest uber-pop single derives its title from a Persian phrase.

Ed Sheeran has always been the master of creating a pop moment with the launch of each new era.

His latest single, Azizam, is no exception. The perky tune is set to be released as the lead single of Ed's forthcoming eighth studio album, an LP he's teased that will be much more pop-focused than 2023's double releases Subtract and Autumn Variations, both of which debuted at Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart.

The most eye-catching thing about the new song, of course, is its title. What does it mean? Well, we here at Official Charts are always here to help.

How do you pronounce Ed Sheeran's Azizam?

Azizam, pronounced as it's sung by Ed in the song; ah-zee-zam.

What does Ed Sheeran's Azizam song mean?

Azizam is a Persian term, derived from the word Aziz (or 'beloved'). The suffix '-am' is a possessive term in the Persian dialect, so the term literally translates into 'my beloved' or 'my dear.'

The Persian influence of the track, we guess, is down to the track's producer, ILYA (Ilya Salmanzadeh) a mega-producer and member of Max Martin's WolfCousins cohort who has worked closely with the likes of Ariana Grande (Into You, yes, and?), Ellie Goulding (Love Me Like You Do) and Sam Smith (Unholy) in the past.

ILYA was born in Iran (the land that was formerly known as Persia) before moving to Sweden aged 11, so the track's title and its meaning derive explicitly from his heritage.

Ed Sheeran's Azizam lyrics

The full lyrics of Azizam have yet to be shared, but Ed did reveal the song's chorus in a recent video.

Azizam
Meet me on the floor tonight
Show me how to move like the water
In between the dark tonight
Be minе, be mine
Azizam
Azizam

LISTEN to a snippet of Azizam by Ed Sheeran below

Ed Sheeran teases new single “Azizam” from the studio with music producer ILYA:

“Album done. Single soon. I’m very excited as you can tell” pic.twitter.com/uh6DDzNsXQ
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) March 19, 2025

Who is ILYA?

ILYA (Ilya Salmanzadeh) is a Swedish-Iranian music producer, closely associated with Max Martin's WolfCousins production house - responsible for some of the biggest (and best) pop music of the 21st century.

According to Genius, ILYA is credited as a songwriter and producer on Azizam, alongside Ed himself, Johnny McDaid and Savan Kotecha.

This will be the first time ILYA and Ed have collaborated, although Ed did famously work with Max Martin and Shellback on the UK Number 1 singles Eyes Closed and Take Me Back To London with Stormzy.