Indian stars lend their talents to the EP from the singer-songwriter

Ed Sheeran holds the original version of “Sapphire”—co-written by Hindi film music icon Arijit Singh, who also provides backing vocals—in high regard. “Arijit is their version of me for the UK in terms of love songs, singer-songwriter,” Sheeran told Apple Music when Play first released. “It’s definitely the most important song on the record, and I do think that it will stand the test of time in terms of fusing Western pop culture with Indian [culture] in a respectful way.”

So naturally, Singh joined for his own feature on the remix of the joyful Bollywood-esque cut that appears on Sheeran’s four-track EP Play (The Remixes). The singer-songwriter also tapped various artists from across India’s vast musical plane—Punjabi star Karan Aujla (“Symmetry”), rapper Hanumankind (“Don’t Look Down”) and more—for the project that adds a depth to Sheeran’s appreciation for Eastern music. “I’m just exploring completely new different world and cultures, and there are superstars in the same country with different languages, and that’s super exciting as well.”