Although you may not realize it on the surface, pop music and opera have a few qualities in common. While these genres are sung in different styles, both genres emphasize the voice and vocal sounds to make beautiful music. Also both tend to prioritize the beauty of the sounds rather than the storytelling of the lyrics. And, you may not know this, but many pop singers do have some opera training too.

With all that in mind, it makes sense why Ed Sheeran, an icon of folksy-pop, asked Andrea Bocelli, one of the most renowned opera singers in the world, to sing with him.

They collaborated on Sheeran’s song “Perfect”; the hit that first became popular in 2017.

In addition to this version, Ed Sheeran has also duetted on this song with Beyoncé — it’s a good song for duets!

But this version with Andrea Bocelli feels especially powerful because of the surprise touch of collaborating with opera singing styles. And the video makes everything look especially familiar and homey because they recorded it at Bocelli’s home in Tuscany.

The video even gives some insight into their recording process, starting with Sheeran’s entrance onto the estate.

Before the music starts you can hear chatter and friendly greetings, which really sets the stage for this meeting of the minds. The first person to start singing over the sound of swelling string instruments is Ed himself. His voice is as lovely as ever, but the setting really alters the emotion he sings with.

After a few verses, Bocelli steps in, and we are floored.

In a tasteful update, Bocelli mostly sings in his native Italian. This change emphasizes the layer of opera flourishes that are present in this collaboration.

Bocelli — who beat a lot of odds, including congenital glaucoma and becoming completely blind at age 12 — is an internationally beloved opera tenor. His amazing voice and equally astounding backstory has been dazzling global audiences since 1994.

In the final verses of the song, Bocelli and Sheeran harmonize together in Italian.

It sounds angelic. For all their differences in style, their voices sound ethereal together. This rendition of the well-known song really adds another layer of emotion and it’s interesting to see such a popular song get reworked in such a unique way. And, Ed Sheeran’s Italian sounds pretty good!

This beautiful collaboration is due to the fact that both Bocelli and Sheeran have been longtime fans of each other.

They are both fans of each other’s voices — I mean, how could they not be? Bocelli had this to say about Ed:

“He has an incredible voice and he’s also an exquisite person so it was a great pleasure for me to sing with him”

Everyone in the audience seemed transfixed by what they were hearing, and viewers on the internet agree.

The video has earned over 342 million views and 2.7 million likes on YouTube. Everyone seems to agree that these singers sound beautiful together. Maybe one day they will collaborate again?

Watch the video below to hear the beautiful song yourself.

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Source: Classic FM, Ed Sheeran – Perfect Duet, Ed Sheeran – Perfect Symphony