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Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape Of You’ Most Streamed Ever On Spotify

Ed Sheeran’s dance pop track “Shape of You” has become the most played song ever on Spotify, ending the 11-month reign of Drake’s “One Dance.” … Continue reading Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape Of You’ Most Streamed Ever On Spotify


(FILES) This file photo taken on August 26, 2017 shows Ed Sheeran, winner of Artist of the Year, in the press room during the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Ed Sheeran’s dance pop track “Shape of You” has become the most played song ever on Spotify, ending the 11-month reign of Drake’s “One Dance.” The English songwriter’s easygoing song about looking for love at a bar has been heard 1.318 billion times on the world’s most popular streaming service as of September 22, 2017, a notch above “One Dance.””Shape of You” came out in January as one of the first songs on Sheeran’s chart-topping album “Divide.” / AFP PHOTO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Alberto E. Rodriguez
This file photo taken on August 26, 2017 shows Ed Sheeran, winner of Artist of the Year, in the press room during the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum in Inglewood, California./ AFP PHOTO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Alberto E. Rodriguez

Ed Sheeran’s dance pop track “Shape of You” has become the most played song ever on Spotify, ending the 11-month reign of Drake’s “One Dance.”

The English songwriter’s easy-going song about looking for love at a bar has been heard 1.318 billion times on the world’s most popular streaming service as of Friday, a notch above “One Dance.”

“Shape of You” came out in January as one of the first songs on Sheeran’s chart-topping album “Divide.”

The album was the first by the ginger-haired guitarist since he was propelled to stardom by the ballad “Thinking Out Loud,” which remains Spotify’s sixth most streamed track ever.

“Shape of You” and “One Dance” share subtle similarities both incorporate the rhythms of dancehall, the Jamaican club music of the 1970s that has seen a revival through pop producers.

Sheeran brings in drum machine off-beats of dancehall underneath a minimalist, minor-key synthesized melody.

The dancehall influence is more obvious in “One Dance” as Drake, who came to prominence as a rapper, sings in a Jamaican patois and incorporates Afrobeat, with an appearance by Nigerian pop singer WizKid.

“One Dance” rose to the top of Spotify’s all-time list in October 2016 — despite Drake’s close association with rival streaming service Apple Music.

Two months later, “One Dance” became the first song to hit one billion streams on Spotify, a feat since matched by three other tracks.

AFP