Ed Sheeran "would not be opposed" to maybe writing some metal one day. So I think that's a pretty firm commitment that his sixth album will be a full on riff-fest. He already dressed up as a vampire in his latest video. It's a slippery slope.
"I was really into death metal as a kid", Sheeran tells The Sun. "I listened to Cradle Of Filth and Slipknot and all that stuff. I'm not saying I could ever step into that world. I learnt all those riffs on guitar as a kid. That's something I've never thought about doing – but something I would not be opposed to creating".
Aside from listing two bands that don't play death metal and him saying that he's not sure he could "step into that world", his credentials are pretty much rock solid. The move already has Cradle Of Filth frontman Dani Filth's seal of approval.
"I'll believe it when I see it", wrote Filth on Instagram. "Fellow Suffolk lad could come good in the end. 'Dracula's Castle On The Hill' anyone?"
Of course, because everything exists on the internet, there are a whole load of metal covers of 'Castle On The Hill' out there already. So, here's an idea of what Sheeran's future direction will sound like: