Back in 2018, Ed Sheeran and Beyonce performed their duet “Perfect” at Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100, an event that honored Nelson Mandela a century after his birth. While Sheeran wore a simple outfit consisting of jeans and a casual shirt, Beyonce was wearing a flashy violet gown. As Insider noted at the time, this sparked conversations, with some saying the different outfits sent a message about gender standards while others argued that both artists dressed true to their respective styles.
Whatever the case, last night, Sheeran and James Corden joked about the moment on The Late Late Show.
As part of his week-long residency on the program, Sheeran joined the host for a segment called “Side Effects May Include.” The bit parodies medical ads by listing off fake side effects for non-medical things. One of the topics was “being underdressed next to Beyonce” and Sheeran and Corden took turns reading off the side effects, with Corden going first:
- “Everyone being like, ‘Ed, what were you thinking?’”
- “Being like, ‘I thought I looked nice, and then Beyonce shows up.’”
- “Igniting a public debate about our cultural expectations of men and women”
- “Being like, ‘Ugh, did I really look that bad? I mean, the t-shirt was clean!’”
- “Really ticking off the Beyhive with your casual disrespect”
- “Listen, James, if you’ve never stood next to Beyonce, you just can’t understand what you’re up against.”
- “Getting the entire internet’s opinion of your shoes”
- “Knowing that, in my heart of hearts, no matter what I might’ve worn, I am still me standing next to Beyonce.”
Watch the full segment above. Sheeran also performed “Thinking Out Loud” on the show, so check that out below.
Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.