POP music superstar Ed Sheeran's Subtract, his sixth album, has become the fastest-selling record of the year after just four days following its release last Friday – selling 56,071 copies by the end of Monday.
For comparison, the rest of the top 25 albums sold a combined total of 54,844 copies in that same timeframe.
The previous fastest-selling album from this year was Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd by Lana Del Rey.
Subtract is the final album in his mathematical symbol series and was written during a challenging time for the 32-year-old singer, with his wife Cherry Seaborn being diagnosed with a tumour while pregnant, the death of his close friend Jamal Edwards and a copyright battle over his 2017 hit Shape Of You.
Sheeran described the songwriting process on the album as his 'therapy' as he worked through some intense emotions.
He’s been in court lately, having recently been cleared of allegations his 2014 hit Thinking Out Loud excessively copied Marvin Gaye's iconic Let's Get it On at a Manhattan federal court.
The case was so onerous to the point that Sheeran threatened to quit the music industry if he was found guilty of ripping off Gaye’s ballad.
He strongly denied the accusation his hit stole fundamental musical elements from Gaye’s classic, facing a £79 million (RM449 million) lawsuit from the heirs of song co-writer, Ed Townsend.
Sheeran was cleared on Thursday after a jury of three men and four women deliberated for less than three hours before reaching their decision.
Speaking to the media after the verdict, he said: “I'm just a guy with a guitar who loves writing music for people to enjoy. I am not and will not allow myself to be a piggy bank.”
He added that he missed his grandmother's funeral because of the trial, and that he “will never get that time back.”
Last year, Sheeran won a UK copyright battle over Shape of You, before decrying what he called a “culture” of baseless lawsuits that force settlements from artists eager to avoid an extensive trial. – The Vibes, May 11, 2023
