Ed Sheeran thinks all musicians put on a front to fit in, claiming even Jay Z and Beyoncé prefer "dive bars" when they aren't working.
The British singer-songwriter has won the world over thanks to his catchy tracks such as Lego House, Sing and Don't, and his star is still on the rise. With his fame comes a host of A-list pals including Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, and Ed has been surprised by how unaffected by fame most of the stars he meets are.
"At award shows I never really feel like I fit in, but I think most artists feel the same way," he told Rolling Stone Australia. "We all put on a front to sit there. But, I mean, I went to Taylor's 4th of July party and it was just her and her mates and it was perfectly chilled, there was no real glitz or glamour to it, so I feel like she's the same way. Even Jay Z and Beyoncé, when we went out in Brooklyn we went to a really quiet pizza place and then went to a dive bar. Even they have that normal side. Everyone does."
It's become normal for Ed to get stopped in the street by fans for photos and autographs. The flame-haired musician doesn't mind posing for selfies as people are usually "very polite and respectful", so he has no reason to complain. This is why he can't understand why some artists begrudge the attention, as he believes giving too much focus to the negative aspects of being a celebrity would hold him back.
Ed relentlessly busked on the streets for years before being signed to Universal Records in 2009, and with two hit albums now under his belt, the star is glad his hard work paid off.
"The Beatles got turned down, the Rolling Stones got turned down, Taylor Swift got turned down... every big act has been knocked back by some record label: that's just how life is," he shrugged. "I was turned down by every label... I got turned down by the label I'm on now! I guess I wasn't a good proposition. But the moment things start going well you don't ever really need to do a two-fingered 'F**k you!' to anyone, because it's self-explanatory."
