Ed Sheeran has released a remix of ‘2step’ featuring Ukrainian band Antytila to raise funds for Music Saves UA.
The 31-year-old megastar has joined forces with the band who have become soldiers fighting for their country amid Russia’s invasion, after they reached out to ask to collaborate with the Grammy winner on social media.
The new remix of the track from Ed’s fifth studio album, ‘=’, comes with a visualiser featuring Antytila, who also directed and produced it.
Over the next 12 months, worldwide record royalties from YouTube streams of the official visualiser, and Warner Music’s proceeds from such streams, will be donated to the non-profit, Music Saves UA, the fundraising project created to provide immediate humanitarian help to Ukrainians caught up in the conflict.
After exchanging messages on social media, it was decided that Antytila would add their own poignant verse, a message of hope, in Ukrainian.
Ed filmed the official video for ‘2step’ featuring Lil Baby in Kyiv, Ukraine last year.
He said upon its launch: “I filmed the video for ‘2step’ in the city of Kyiv, Ukraine before the devastating acts of violence started to take place. It was my first time visiting the country and I felt so welcomed during my stay there – everyone from the production crew to the many people I met across my days off. Ukraine is a proud and resilient country and I’m grateful to have had the chance to film my video there. I stand with Ukraine and will be donating my record royalties from YouTube streams of the video to the DEC’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal x.”
The ‘Bad Habits’ hitmaker is not done with ‘2step’ yet, as he is planning more remixes with a host of artists in the coming weeks.
Stream ‘2step’ featuring Antytila on all major streaming services now.