Sade Olutola Reveals How Ed Sheeran Sparked Her ‘Arrow Heart’ EP at Reading 2026

Sade Olutola revealed how Ed Sheeran influenced her debut EP, ‘Arrow Heart’, in a backstage interview at Reading 2026.

The up‑and‑coming south London pop act made her inaugural festival appearance at the event on August 29, taking to the Canopy stage.

She later sat down with NME backstage to talk about her first EP, released in February. The idea for ‘Arrow Heart’ originated from a concept she conceived at age 11 during her ‘Ed Sheeran phase’ – a memory that made her laugh when it was brought up.

“When I was 11, I discovered Ed Sheeran – my friend Ella put me on,” Olutola said. “When he toured, he would draw the icon of what he was trying to do – like a plus sign on his guitar or a divide or multiply. Then he would also name his guitar. So I did the same thing, but I was like, ‘I need to come up with my own cool version.’

So I drew an arrow heart on my guitar, and I called her Mexi, and I wrote a tracklist – it was at the top of my songwriting book, and it was called ‘Arrow Heart’. [Now], I thought, ‘Oh, I’m releasing my first EP now and I want to pay homage to her’. That was the first time I had been ambitious to want to put out a project, even though it didn’t happen [at the time].”

Olutola also shared the story behind the EP’s opening track, ‘2099’, which lyrically jumps from 1625 to 2099. “That song makes no sense,” she laughed before explaining the story behind it. “When I’m writing songs, I translate my emotions into pictures and imagery. Right in that moment, I had just found out that my partner had been unfaithful to me, so I was feeling very angry.

“I associated that anger with fire, and then I was like, ‘Oh, if it was the 1600s, they would burn me like a witch because I’m so mad that I want to kill everyone.’ It’s so dramatic; I don’t know why I did that. Anyway, I wrote that verse, and then I was like, ‘Hmm, we’ve gone in the past; let’s go to the future now.’ And then it was like, if it was 2099, I would still be really mad.”

Beyond her debut Reading slot, Olutola has enjoyed a hectic summer on stage. Reflecting on the festival run, she noted: “It’s surprising how much preparation goes into a 20‑to‑30‑minute set, and then it’s over in an instant. It’s a lot of stress beforehand, but I’ve come to appreciate my team far more.”

The rising artist also supported Lexa Gates at KOKO and Fousheé during Harry Styles’ Meltdown this summer. “I’m the biggest Lexa Gates fan,” she said. “My producer and I bonded over our shared admiration for her.” She added, “I love Fousheé, and I’m simply thrilled—feeling like a child living out my dream. My inner child is overjoyed.”

Olutola played her first headline show at London’s The Grace in June—a moment she described as “meaning the world” to her. “Those tickets were hard to get,” she said, “and I knew everyone there had come specifically for me. I was incredibly grateful, and honestly shocked when it sold out. I didn’t expect that. There were tears, but they were happy ones.”

She also emphasised that she approaches every audience the same way, whether headlining, supporting another act, or playing a festival set. “I always treat each crowd as if they’ve never heard of me,” she explained. “That mindset pushes me to think about the most engaging performance possible—incorporating crowd interaction and energy—traits I carry into my own shows.”

Reading 2026 continues today with sets from Dave, Raye, Gunna, Viagra Boys, Sombr, Jade, Radio Free Alice and more.

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