24 January 2019
Marco Gandolfi
Ed Sheeran has made pop history in America after his hit song Shape of You was certified diamond.
The British superstar released the track in January, 2017, and it has dominated airwaves and streaming playlists ever since, topping charts around the world and earning Ed the Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance last year (18).
Now officials at the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) have certified the tune platinum, having surpassed 10 million in sales and equivalent streams.
It's his second big RIAA achievement following the success of 2014 track Thinking Out Loud, which reached the milestone in 2017, and makes him only the fourth artist to have racked up multiple diamond-certified singles since RIAA bosses introduced the ranking 20 years ago. Katy Perry and Eminem are among the rare few to have also achieved the feat.
Celebrating the news on Instagram Ed writes, "My song Shape Of You is now diamond in the US! Thanks to everyone whos downloaded or streamed it x".
The RIAA milestone gives Ed another reason to smile after launching his own acoustic guitar line in a collaboration with craftsmen at Irish firm Lowden Guitars.
Called Sheeran by Lowden, the range of musical instruments was unveiled at the 2019 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show in Anaheim, California on Wednesday, when the singer/songwriter delivered a surprise performance at a private launch event and shared the inspiration behind the new venture.
"There are fewer guitar bands and fewer artists using guitars now, and not as many kids picking up guitars," he said, according to Press Association. "That is something I would like to change by getting these great quality guitars, made in Ireland, into kids' hands and encouraging them to learn and progress.
"To be able to work in tandem with a guitar company like Lowden to create a whole different concept has been a really cool experience."
Since breaking into the music industry with track The A Team in 2011, Ed has become one of the most successful names in the business - writing hit after hit for himself and other stars.
And as well as his knack for writing chart-topping songs, Ed has become known worldwide for his ginger hair - and is thrilled he's had input in changing the stigma surrounding redheads.
"Parents with children with ginger hair come up to me and go, 'It's cool to have ginger hair,'" he laughed. "I was ribbed about it at school, it was the thing that got me noticed. Now everyone loves (Prince) Harry and (Harry Potter star) Rupert Grint. Ladies love Grint."
