Edward Christopher "Ed" Sheeran (born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Born in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he moved to London in 2008 to pursue a musical career. In early 2011, Sheeran released an independent extended play, No. 5 Collaborations Project, which caught the attention of both Elton John and Jamie Foxx. He then signed to Asylum Records. His debut album, +, containing the singles "The A Team" and "Lego House", was certified 6× Platinum in the UK. In 2012, Sheeran won two Brit Awards for Best British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act. "The A Team" won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. In 2014, he was nominated for Best New Artist at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.
Sheeran's popularity abroad began in 2012. In the US he made a guest appearance on Taylor Swift's fourth studio album, Red, and wrote songs for One Direction. "The A Team" was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2013 Grammy Awards and he performed the song in duet with Elton John during the ceremony. He spent much of 2013 touring North America as the opening act for Swift's The Red Tour. In autumn 2013, Sheeran performed three sold out shows at New York's Madison Square Garden as a headline act. His second studio album x (read as "multiply") was released worldwide on 23 June 2014, charting at number one in the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200. In 2015, x won the Brit Award for British Album of the Year, and was nominated for Album of the Year at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. As part of his x world tour, Sheeran will play three concerts at London's Wembley Stadium in July 2015, his biggest solo shows to date.
x (pronounced "multiply") is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released on 20 June 2014 in Australia and New Zealand, and worldwide on 23 June through Asylum Records and Atlantic Records.
The album received positive reviews from music critics. It was an international success in its first week on sale, charting at number one in twelve countries, topping both the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200, and reaching the top 5 in eleven other countries. Five singles were released from the album, "Sing", "Don't", "Thinking Out Loud", "Bloodstream" and "Photograph". "Sing" was a major international success and became Sheeran's first UK number-one single and his second US Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hit (reaching number 13). The second single off the album, "Don't", was also a worldwide success, peaking at number 8 in the UK, and being Sheeran's first ever Hot 100 top 10, peaking at number 9. "Thinking Out Loud" was a slow burner hit, becoming Sheeran's second UK number-one single after 19 weeks in the chart. It also became his highest charting US single to date, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. "Bloodstream" gave Sheeran his fourth consecutive top-ten single from x in New Zealand and Australia, peaking at numbers 2 and 7, respectively. A remix version of "Bloodstream" also reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, also becoming the fourth-consecutive single from x to hit the top 10 in Sheeran's native country.