Topline
Ed Sheeran’s 2017 hit “Shape Of You” is the most streamed song in Spotify’s history, the streaming service announced Wednesday, another feat for one of the streaming service’s most-popular artists.
Ed Sheeran performs onstage during iHeartRadio Z100 Jingle Ball 2021 on December 10, 2021 in New … [+]
Key Facts
“Shape Of You” garnered over 3 billion streams, more than any other song on the platform.
In a video, Sheeran said “Shape Of You” wasn’t intended to be on his album divide because he originally wrote it for another artist.
The singer-songwriter said he was “really chuffed” at the accomplishment, a British term meaning pleased.
Some of the most streamed songs on the platform are The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights,” which has nearly 2.7 billion streams, Tones and I’s “Dance Monkey,” which has roughly 2.4 billion streams, Post Malone and 21 Savage’s “Rockstar,” which has over 2.3 billion streams and Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved,” which has nearly 2.2 billion streams.
Key Background
In 2020, Sheeran, now 30, made $64 million dollars, putting him at No. 23 on Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid celebrities, fueled by the success of his Divide Tour, which grossed $775 million. Sheeran released his first album plus in 2011 and has since released four other studio albums, including equals which he released in October. His other most-streamed tracks on Spotify include “Perfect” and “Thinking Out Loud,” which both have over 1.9 billion streams, “Photograph,” which has over 1.7 billion streams and “Castle On The Hill,” “Galway Girl” and “Happier,” which all have over 1 billion streams each. In 2015, “Thinking Out Loud” became the first song to hit 500 million streams on Spotify.
Tangent
“Shape Of You” is still influencing music four years after its release. In Doja Cat’s “Get Into It (Yuh),” released this year as part of her album Planet Her, she sings “Call him Ed Sheeran/ he in love with my body,” quoting the “Shape of You” chorus.
Further Reading
2020 THE WORLD’S HIGHEST-PAID CELEBRITIES (Forbes)
Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ Is The First Song To Hit 500 Million Plays On Spotify (Forbes)
