Ed Sheeran says some fellow popstars ‘actively want him to fail’ after fifth chart-topping album

Ed Sheeran got candid about the music industry (Picture: Getty Images for iHeartMedia)

Ed Sheeran has revealed that only a very few of his musician mates congratulated him on his latest album, as he claimed that plenty of popstars ‘actively want him to fail’.

The Bad Habits hitmaker smashed it once again with his new album = (Equals) which has hit the top of the chart.

However, despite the star knowing plenty of people in the music industry, he revealed that only Stormzy, Dave and Sir Elton John congratulated him on his latest achievement.

‘In terms of people that actually root for me and want me to win…I know so many artists who, whenever I win, scoff, and actually actively want me to fail,’ he said.

‘But they would never tell me, I just know. I hang around with people and I hear things.’

The singer added on the Halfcast podcast: ‘Stormzy is the most good-hearted successful person I know that genuinely is overjoyed for my success.’

Ed’s new album is his most personal yet.

Ed gave his ‘brother’ Stormzy a shoutout (Picture: Getty Images)

His fourth studio album Equals features the hit singles Bad Habits and Shivers, both of which spent a combined total of 15 weeks at number one in the UK. That was until he was graciously knocked off the top spot by Sir Elton John, which was something Ed actually campaigned for. 

Equals sees him touch on him taking a hiatus from music in 2019, getting married to wife Cherry and becoming a first-time father to daughter Lyra. 

More: Ed Sheeran

Speaking to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe at his First Listen event, the Shape Of You hitmaker explained: ‘I guess it’s been quite uncomfortable for people that I’ve been with but, like, it’s something that I’ve always done and I do feel like honesty is what I expect from an artist and I don’t want to hear 20% of what you feel. 

‘I listen to something like The Marshall Mathers LP or the Slim Shady LP and it’s pretty f***** heavy but they felt it, and you listen to it and you’re like “Oh my God, I believe you”. But that’s what you want to hear and you want to hear unfiltered artists.’ 

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