Ed Sheeran‘s “Drive” has arrived ahead of the opening of F1: The Movie.
The F1: The Album song, produced by John Mayer and Blake Slatkin, is available on music streaming services now.
Mayer backs Sheeran on guitar on the anthemic new rock track, which also has Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl on drums, Pino Palladino on bass, Rami Jaffee on keyboards, and Slatkin on additional keyboards and drum programming to round out a notable ensemble of musicians.
Sheeran previously shared that “Drive” came together quickly in the studio with Mayer and Slatkin, recalling that “the song fell out of us” after he’d seen some of F1. Mayer “just whacked an octave pedal on and went wild” to come up with the song’s riff, he said.
“Movies are my hobby and probably the only thing other than sport that I get, like, starstruck to be part of. Not just directors or actors or whatever, but being a part of the journey of a movie is so exciting for me,” added Sheeran, who’s set to release his next studio album, Play, in September.
The full F1: The Album will be officially released by Atlantic Records on June 27, when F1: The Movie theaters.
Besides Sheeran, the F1 soundtrack, led by Don Toliver feat. Doja Cat’s “Lose My Mind,” also boasts a lineup that includes Rosé, Chris Stapleton, Roddy Rich, Myke Towers, Tate McRae, Burna Boy, RAYE and more. Kevin Weaver, Atlantic’s president of the West Coast and a two-time Grammy winner (most recently for Barbie: The Album), oversaw and produced F1: The Album with Atlantic executive vp/co-head of pop/rock A&R Brandon Davis and senior vp of A&R and marketing Joseph Khoury.
Listen to Sheeran’s new song “Drive” below.
