Ed Sheeran has admitted he makes music for himself rather than his fans.

The 'Shape of You' hitmaker - who dropped new single 'Bad Habits' today (25.06.21) - has opened up about his outlook on songwriting, and how he strives to create music he "wants to listen to".

Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, he said: "I've always tried to make records that I want to listen to.

"But people always say, 'Do you make music for your fan base?' And I go, 'No.' If I made music for my fan base, I wouldn't be happy. I'd be making music to appease someone else.

"The reason I create music and play music is essentially to make myself happy. I feel like that's why anyone creates."

The 39-year-old star urged artists to "do you" and explained how that outlook has inspired his latest track and upcoming fifth studio album.

He added: "If you're like, what's the quote, 'There's no key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone.'

"So just do you. And so for me, I was like, 'What do I want to hear in the summer?'

"And this is exactly... I want to go to Ocean Beach in Ibiza and stand on the table and pour vodka over myself.

"Not as a... I'd have to ask my mum to look after [my daughter] Lyra, but… We'll just wheel her in. Just have her there."

Meanwhile, Ed noted how much having a break from music for 18 months has helped him rediscover the excitement of his early years.

He added: "I feel like I'm a new artist starting again. And I feel like hearing a record on the radio is going to give me such joy, rather than be like expected.

"It was getting to a point where I'd get in a car in London and turn on the radio. It would be a song. I'd be like 'psh, of course'.

"And I never want to be like that again because that is not where you're at when you start off music."

Tune in to hear the conversation in full today (Friday, June 25) at 5pm on New Music Daily at apple.co/nmdb1.