Ed Sheeran has just been named as the best-selling artist of 2017 around the world by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry or IFPI.
The singer-songwriter released his third studio album, Divide (÷), in March last year and, since then, has never left the music charts around the world. The album has reached multi-platinum status, which means that it has sold over a million copies in 36 countries across the world.
Ed Sheeran Rules The World
The album's lead single, "Shape of You," also collected multi-platinum certificates in 32 countries. It has become the world's best-selling single in 2017.
"Being crowned the biggest star in the world, with the biggest song and biggest album, is the result of years of ambition, creativity, and hard work on a global scale," said Warner Music Group CEO Max Lousada. "Ed is truly an incredible songwriter, vocalist and performer, whose ability to tell stories and make people feel is what stands him out from the crowd. He's always had a totally authentic connection with his fans, something he places over everything else."
The IFPI also said that this is the first time that one artist has achieved both the best-selling album and best-selling single globally in the same year. He is the fifth artist to be handed the honor of becoming the IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year. Previous awardees include One Direction (2013), Taylor Swift (2014), Adele (2015), and Drake (2016).
Following Sheeran on the top of the IFPI's list is hip-hop superstar Drake who released his new mixtape, More Life, last year. He was the second best-selling artist in the world in 2017. At the third spot is Sheeran's celebrity BFF, pop singer Taylor Swift, whose new album Reputation was released in November. Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Bruno Mars, The Weeknd, Imagine Dragons, Linkin Park, and The Chainsmokers complete the Top 10.
Moving Forward
The 27-year-old will be busy for the next couple of months. He will go back on tour across North America and in several major cities around the world this year.
In addition, the "Castle on the Hill" singer will star in an upcoming movie. He told fans at the Berlin Film Festival, where a documentary about him titled Songwriter was screened, that he is set to appear in a movie, and he will not play as himself.
"I'm going to make one movie in my lifetime," he told the press. "Well, I'll aim to make one and if it's good, then I'll make another one. If it's s***..."
He did not reveal too many details, but said that he is working with a "great director" and that the soundtrack has already been written. He also shared that the plot of the movie will revolve around the album he has written, but failed to clarify if it was a new album or an album that he has already released.
Sheeran is also set to wed his childhood friend Cherry Seaborn.
