In terms of unexpected pairings that actually work really well, the Russ and Ed Sheeran one feels like it hits the sweet spot on the axis chart. Titled “Are You Entertained,” their collaboration finds the two ostensible underdogs (who are both actually ridiculously successful) feeling themselves and letting you know it. In the video for the new song, Russ hops off a private jet in the UK, where Ed picks him up for a night on the town. They hit a pub, a fancy restaurant, and a nightclub, soaking in their success.
It’s always fun when Ed Sheeran gets some bars off, as he’s wont to do every now and again, but alongside Russ, who usually brings out the best in his collaborators — see Chomp and Chomp 2 — Ed sounds … well… swaggy in a way we rarely hear from him. It’s pretty cool because he doesn’t force it, he just lets his natural charisma — and some smooth falsetto ad-libs — shine through.
Russ seems to be enjoying his travels lately, making his jet-setting the focus of both this video and his last one, “Yes Sir.” I suppose international travel does tend to boost one’s confidence — especially when it’s via private jet with celebrity concierges like Ed Sheeran in many of your stops. As for Ed, he continues to branch out musically, recently appearing alongside Burna Boy in his “For My Hand” video from Love, Damini, and with J Balvin in “Sigue.”
Watch Russ and Ed’s “Are You Entertained” video above.