Ed Sheeran’s hiatus from the music scene definitely made fans’ hearts grow fonder in his absence, with his return single “Shape of You” rocketing up the Billboard charts to deliver the ginger-haired troubador’s very first #1 single.
Even more impressive: Sheeran’s second single (he released two simultaneously in advance of his upcoming album, “÷”), “Castle on the Hill”, landed at #6, marking the first time in Billboard history a single artist has debuted two singles in the 10 at the same time.
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“It feels amazing to debut a No. 1 in the U.S. especially after being away for so long,” Sheeran said in a statement. “Topping the Hot 100 for the first time AND to have ‘Castle On the Hill’ also debut in the top 10… I’m speechless. I really wanted to come back with those two songs to show the different sides of my music and what people can expect on ‘÷’. The response to both songs has been absolutely incredible. I can’t wait to share the rest of the album.”
Sheeran’s return, in fact, was so anticipated by fans that the singles’ debut on Spotify broke all existing records on the music streaming service, racking up a combined 88 million streams during their first week of release.
