Looks like 2017 is shaping up to be Ed Sheeran’s year after all.
The singer, who was recently doubting the success of his latest album “Divide” after being snubbed for album of the year during the Grammy nominations, has been revealed as the most-streamed artist of 2017, according to Spotify data.
The subscription-based streaming service released its annual ranking on Tuesday, and it should give Sheeran a bit of an ego boost. “Divide” — with hit tracks “Shape of You” and “Perfect,” recently rereleased with a Beyoncé cameo — racked up 3.1 billion streams this year. The album, released in March, helped him beat out runner-up “More Life” by Drake.
After losing out on the top album Grammy nomination to Bruno Mars (“24K Magic”), Jay-Z (“4:44”), Childish Gambino (“Awaken, My Love!”), Kendrick Lamar (“Damn”) and Lorde (“Melodrama”), the singer appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” Monday to comment on the snub.
“My outlook on it is, some years you have your year and some years you don’t have your year,” he told DeGeneres, adding that he’s still happy his fans were pleased with the album. “That’s where you win. That’s where the validation comes from. You actually see people enjoying the songs. I’d rather have a lifetime of people coming up to me and saying, ‘This song is my wedding song,’ or ‘this song was my first kiss.’ ”
Still, the singer, who won a 2015 Grammy for his song “Thinking Out Loud,” is nominated for best pop vocal album. Plus, having a monthly 47 million fans listening to his music on the streaming service isn’t too bad.
Sheeran beat out Drake, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar and The Chainsmokers for the top artist spot on Spotify’s list this year. A full list of 2017’s top artists, songs and more can be found at spotify.com/2017.
