Watch Ed Sheeran request a “proper death growl” from BMTH’s Oli Sykes ahead of Bad Habits collab release

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A new studio version of Ed Sheeran/Bring Me The Horizon’s Brit Awards collaboration on Bad Habits is coming on February 18

Ed Sheeran and Oli Sykes onstage art the BRITS
(Image credit: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Ed Sheeran and Bring Me The Horizon are releasing a studio version of their surprise BRIT Awards collaboration on Sheeran’s Bad Habits, and the hugely-successful Suffolk singer/songwriter has requested that BMTH frontman Oli Sykes deliver a “proper death growl” on the recording.

Sheeran and Sykes can be seen discussing the success of their awards ceremony appearance and their new creative partnership in a FaceTime conversation posted on the Yorkshire band’s social media channels.

The newly metallized version of Bad Habits will be available on Friday, February 18.

Sheeran has already stated that he intends working upon new material with Sykes.

Interviewed for the Daily Star’s Wired column, the singer/songwriter described the BRITS collaboration as “a dream” and said “I've been a fan [of BMTH] for a long time.”

"We're going to write a song together,” he told the newspaper.

"I got in touch with [Oil Sykes] and we were going to write together but then the pandemic happened,” Sheeran said. “So we were in touch: I've been a fan for a long time. Oddly enough that's the kind of music I grew up listening to: [I] had a Kerrang! subscription and I listened to it constantly.”

Sheeran’s affection for heavier music seems to be genuine, as he’s previously discussed listening to Slipknot and Cradle of Filth as a teenager.

Last year, Dani Filth revealed to Kerrang! Radio that he’d been in touch with Sheeran after learning that the singer/songwriter was a fan.

Paul Brannigan
Paul Brannigan
Contributing Editor, Louder

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.