Singer Ed Sheeran's breakup guide for men

Ed Sheeran sure knows how to charm an audience. For his performance at the Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai on Sunday night, Sheeran (full name: Edward Christopher Sheeran) turned up in a long blue kurta and told the screaming crowd how much he loved the "energy and vibe" of the city.
The Grammy-nominated star, who was here as part of the Fly Music Festival, went on to regale the audience for nearly two hours with a set that included his popular tracks 'Sing', 'A Team' and 'I See Fire' which he penned for The Hobbit.

Before the show, Sheeran sat down with ETPanache for a quick interview in which he mused about heartbreak (since some of his music seems inspired by it), Indian food and advice he would give his younger self.

As someone who has experienced breakups,what are your tips to get over it?

It's tough but the best thing you can do is to take your mind off it. Go to work, meet up with friends or watch a movie. Try to keep busy. The second point is, don't go for anyone else for a while. Take a break from — not relationships — just from those experiences because if you're not over someone, you should not get involved with someone else. It just makes you feel worse about yourself. I think these are the two major points.

Breaking someone's heart or having your heart broken — which is worse?

Breaking someone's heart. You can fix your own heart.

Your song 'Thinking Out Loud' is played at many weddings in India. Would you sing at your own wedding?

(Laughs) Yes! My friend actually sent me a video of a wedding in Delhi where it was being played. I think it is amazing. But I would not sing my own wedding song (laughs). I think my wedding song would have to be 'Into the Mystic' by Van Morrison but I also think 'Apache Jump On It' would make quite a good wedding song.

You've been linked to a number of women, including Taylor Swift and Ellie Goulding — which one is true?

(Smiles and stalls) I don't know. I'll let you decide that.

What are you enjoying the most in India?

I am eating a lot of food here. I had curry last night and I am going to have shawarma in a bit. I have been invited to a thing by Shah Rukh Khan which I am really excited about. [Sheeran later partied with Abhishek Bachchan.]

You've come a long way and achieved so much. What was the moment that changed your life?

There have been so many moments. But, I guess there is an EP that I released in 2011. When it released, I didn't realise that it had shot up the charts. I did not have a record deal at the time. That was the moment where everything came together for me and led me to this.

Which artists would you like to collaborate with in the future?

I would love to do something in Bollywood. I watched some movies last night — Shah Rukh Khan movies, in fact. Obviously, I know how massive he and Bollywood is back in the UK. Back home where I live, Bollywood is a huge presence. I want to do more research about it. Internationally, I think Beyoncé is an incredible artist. I had the opportunity to perform with her three weeks ago. I would love to do a fresh track with her — that would be interesting.

Singer or songwriter — if you could only do one thing, what would be it?

I get a huge buzz from writing a good song but I also get a constant buzz from playing shows — if that makes any sense. Whenever I play live, I'm on a high and always give off a good vibe. But when I write a bad song, that's the worst.

What would you tell your 16-year-old self?

Don't worry. Don't worry. In 10 years, you're going to be all right.