• Future's 'Dirty Sprite 2' Leads Billboard 200; Alan Jackson and Jason Isbell Rep

    Future found the secret to moving more albums with his 'Dirty Sprite 2': Don't give people time to think about it. The album topped the Billboard 200 with more than 147,000 equivalent copies sold, just two weeks after the album was announced. It's been a little more than a year since he released Honest, and he more than doubled the sales of that effort. The quick-release method has helped other rappers Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Meek Mill get to the top of the charts as well during 2015.
  • NBC Airing Ed Sheeran's Wembley Stadium Concerts...with One Huge Special Guest

    Ed Sheeran is kind of a big deal in the UK—just look at his streaming numbers from 2015 thus far—so it's no surprise that he can headline a gig at Wembley Stadium. NBC has announced that they'll be airing a special comprised of Sheeran's recent three-date stint at the venue for audiences across the pond.
  • Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and Mark Ronson Drive Huge UK Streaming Numbers

    If you want a primer on how music streaming is taking off around the world, consider the year-to-year numbers from the UK, stretching from 275 million plays last July to 500 million through the tracking period that ended July 16, 2015. That's not exactly the "double" that Billboard's headline claimed (math, guys) but that is a remarkable jump. Residents of the UK have streams more than 11.5 billion songs, an 80 percent increase on the first six months of 2014, thanks to Mark Ronson, Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith.
  • Ed Sheeran Has Totally Pooped His Pants on Stage

    If you've ever wondered whether or not Ed Sheeran has accidentally pooped his pants on stage, wonder no more. The answer is, yes, in fact the "Thinking Out Loud" singer has sharted while performing in front of thousands of adoring fans.
  • Ed Sheeran Mansplains What Taylor Swift Meant About Nicki Minaj After VMAs Tweets

    More people are chiming in on Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift's Twitter exchange about race, body image and the 2015 MTV VMAs. After Minaj called out the network for not nominating her "Anaconda" music video for Video of the Year and Swift took it personally, Ed Sheeran is coming to the defense of his friend and "Bad Blood."
  • Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran "Feud" on Twitter Over VMAs Video of the Year Nominations

    Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift aren't the only pop stars who are getting heated over the nominations for this year's MTV VMAs - Video of the Year nominees Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran are getting into it too, WWF style. After Minaj slammed the award show and (sort of) Swift on Twitter, the two male nominees for the illustrious VOTY award joked about getting into a spat ahead of the Aug. 30 air date.
  • Tyrese Tops Billboard 200 with 'Black Rose,' Beats Meek Mill, Taylor Swift

    Tyrese may be the first musician to both star in a film with a no. 1 soundtrack ('Furious 7') and have a no. 1 album of his own in the same year ('Black Rose'). Although he didn't contribute to the aforementioned soundtrack, his most recent album became his first to top the Billboard 200, moving 86,000 equivalent units.
  • Meek Mill and 'DWMTM' Gets Another Week as Billboard 200 Shifts Dates

    It's an odd span for Nielsen and the Billboard 200, as the international (and official) album release date shifted from Tuesdays to Fridays last week. The next, regular Billboard 200 report should come next Saturday, however Billboard has tried to transition by running a report in the meantime that adds last weeks totals to the four days in-between official release dates. Music Times is trying to run things a little differently, by noting the Top 10 by actual sales during that period. Meek Mill comes out on top again.
  • Beyonce, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Pearl Jam to Play Global Citizen Festival 2015

    The 2015 Global Citizen Festival in Central Park has announced its headliners for this Fall, as Beyoncé, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Pearl Jam will take the stage for one of the year's most celebrated charity concerts. There's no official word on which act will be the main headliner at the end of the night, but Chris Martin—who signed on as creative director for the concert earlier this year—has hinted that Bey will be the big attraction.
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