Whenever you have an ex, and they're like, 'I hope we can still be friends!' and you weren't friends before you started dating, then what do you go back to, really?

In this quote, Ed Sheeran reflects on the complexities of relationships and the idea of remaining friends with an ex after a breakup. He highlights the irony of such a request, particularly when the relationship was never based on a foundation of friendship to begin with. Sheeran points out that if you weren't friends before dating, it’s hard to know what kind of connection you can realistically return to once the romantic aspect of the relationship has ended.

Sheeran’s statement raises the question of what happens when a romantic relationship doesn’t have the underlying friendship necessary for a smooth transition back to being "just friends." If two people weren't friends before dating, the emotional shift can feel artificial or forced, as there may be no natural foundation to return to. It challenges the idea that exes can simply revert to a platonic relationship after the breakup.

The quote also touches on the idea of closure and the difficulty of navigating the post-relationship dynamic. Sheeran seems to suggest that asking to be friends after a romantic connection has ended can sometimes be a way to maintain some form of connection or avoid the emotional pain of fully letting go. However, without a pre-existing friendship, this can be unrealistic or even awkward.

Ultimately, Ed Sheeran's quote offers a candid observation on the challenges of maintaining a friendship with an ex, questioning whether it is truly possible or authentic when the romantic connection was never rooted in friendship to begin with. It reflects the complexities of relationships and the difficulty of transitioning from one phase to another, especially when the foundation was not initially built for that kind of relationship.