[5] The album was supported by five singles: "Bad Habits", "Shivers", "Overpass Graffiti", "The Joker and the Queen", and "2step".

Upon release, = received generally mixed reviews from music critics, who appreciated Sheeran's emerging sonic experimentation while criticising its production.

[10] On 19 August, he announced the album and its release date of 29 October on his social media accounts.

[12] To him, the album was a "really personal record and one that means a lot to me", citing changes in his life, including marriage, the birth of his daughter and experienced losses.

[14] In an interview with Capital FM on 27 June 2021, Sheeran also stated that he would like to see the songs he made for the film Yesterday appear on a repackaged version of the album before he goes on tour for the record.

Sheeran performed the song for NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series on 26 October.

[22] A remix of "The Joker and the Queen" featuring Taylor Swift was released as the album's fourth single on 11 February 2022.

[24] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that "Sheeran's melodies are soft yet insistent, and the production glistens with fair borrowed from younger, hipper artists who mine a similar blend of retro new wave and modern R&B, but he knows how to turn this stylish sound into something cozy and reassuring, which therefore "is the surest sign that Ed Sheeran has indeed grown up: he's not chasing trends, he's making music for people who have aged out of the clubs but have yet to wallow in nostalgia".

[26] David Smyth from Evening Standard wrote that "although there are a few quiet songs among the 14 here, and more than a few lyrics about the humble joy of staying home with his wife Cherry and their one-year-old daughter Lyra, this is no Taylor Swift-style slice of lockdown restraint".