Songfacts®:

• "Cross Me" is a protective and slinky song in which Ed Sheeran, Chance the Rapper and PnB Rock address important women in their life, warning that these ladies aren't to be toyed with.
• PnB Rock kicks things off with the threat that the song is built around:
  
  Anything she needs, she can call me
  Don't worry 'bout her, that's my seed, yup, that's all me
  Just know, if you cross her, then you cross me
  Cross me, cross me, if you, if you, if you, if you
  
  Rock's use of the phrase "my seed" indicates that he singing about his daughter, Milan Allen.
• Both Ed Sheeran and Chance the Rapper were newly married when they recorded this song. Here they address their wives, explaining why it's the wrong idea to even think of crossing them.
  
  Sheeran married former high school classmate Cherry Seaborn in 2018; he begins his verse by stating she "ain't messin' with no other man." He makes it clear that "she ain't the one to play with."
  
  Chance the Rapper married long-term girlfriend Kirsten Corley in March 2019. While Chance is protective of his woman, it seems she can also look after herself.
  
  But you don't know that my girl been doin' CrossFit
  Pew, kung pow, hit your ass with a cross kick
  Pulling hair out, wear you out, you exhausted.
  
  Kirsten is a tough girl and anyone who messes with her is messing with the wrong person.
• Ed Sheeran has worked with hip-hop artists from across the pond before. Previous collaborations with US rap heavyweights include the Enimem track "River" with Eminem, the Lupe Fiasco cut "Old School Love" and the Taylor Swift hook-up "End Game," which also featured Future.
• Ed Sheeran, Chance the Rapper and PnB Rock wrote the song alongside Fred Gibson. The English producer also worked on Sheeran's previous release, "I Don't Care" with Justin Bieber.
• Sheeran called on Ryan Staake to direct the song's official video. The American director has also filmed clips for Alt-J ("Left Hand Free") and Charli XCX ("1999").
  
  Shot in a motion capture studio with a contemporary dancer, the clip features 3D animations of Ed Sheeran, Chance the Rapper and PnB Rock twisting in and out of multiple virtual realities.
• Sheeran and producer Fred Again sampled PnB Rock's vocals from his 2017 XXL Freshman freestyle. The freestyle served as a preview for his Catch These Vibes track, "Pressure."
• "Cross Me" was a worldwide hit, especially in Belgium where it topped both the Flanders and Wallonia charts.