= (Equals) was released in 2021 as Ed Sheeran's fourth studio album, following ÷ (Divide) from 2017. The album included the single "Bad Habits", which became a worldwide hit and reached number one in the UK charts. Sheeran wrote the album over a period of several years during which he became a father and got married. Thematically, = dealt with love, loss, resilience and fatherhood. Alongside pop, the album also featured dance elements, as heard on "Bad Habits" and "Overpass Graffiti". With =, Sheeran continued his series of albums titled after mathematical symbols.