Beyoncé can make even the most unexpected collaborations sound meant to be, whether it's with Coldplay or Dixie Chicks, and tonight, she added Ed Sheeran to that ever-growing list. The singer hopped on a remix of Sheeran's song, "Perfect," which was included in his album, ÷ (Divide), that released in March this year.
Sheeran announced the remix earlier this morning, much to the surprise of his and Beyoncé's fans.
The confessional, romantic ballad is reminiscent to Sheeran's 2014 hit, "Thinking Out Loud," but he thinks believes it's better. The singer-songwriter told Music Choice in January: "I think the song 'Perfect' is actually better than 'Thinking Out Loud.' I think there was always a scare that 'Thinking Out Loud' would define me and define my career. So I wrote a lot of songs trying to beat it and now I think I have beaten it."
If that's true, adding Beyoncé to the song was definitely a winning move. Bey comes in on the second verse and sings Sheeran's original lyrics, but from her point of view:
Well I found a man, stronger than anyone I knowHe shares my dreams, I hope that someday we'll share a homeI found a love, to carry more than just my secretsTo carry love, to carry children of our ownWe are still kids, but we're so in loveFighting against all oddsI know we'll be alright this timeDarling, just hold my handBe your girl, you'll be your manI see my future in your eyes
Listen to "Perfect Duet" in full below:
Compare that to Sheeran's solo original, below:
This actually isn't the first time he and Bey have joined musical forces. They previously shared the stage—along with Gary Clark Jr.—for a tribute to Stevie Wonder at the 2015 Grammys.
And they performed an acoustic, stripped-down rendition of "Drunk in Love" at the Global Citizen Festival in the same year.
This is the latest of Beyoncé's surprise collaborations this year, following Eminem's "Walk on Water" and J Balvin and Willy William's "Mi Gente." Fingers crossed she releases another one before 2017 is over.
