Ed Sheeran will sign a record deal with Interscope, sources have confirmed with Billboard. The news comes after Sheeran announced in May that he had left his longtime label home, Warner Music Group (WMG).
Sheeran signed with Asylum/Atlantic U.K. A&R Ed Howard in 2011. Shortly after that, he rose to fame with the release of his 2011 debut album, +, which was certified three-times platinum by the RIAA. His sophomore set, x, was an even bigger seller thanks to the success of singles like “Thinking Out Loud,” “Don’t” and “Photograph,” all of which hit the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. He continued a string of chart successes with subsequent releases, scoring a total of eight top five albums on the Billboard 200, including four No. 1s. He’s also scored a total of nine top 10 singles on the Hot 100, including two No. 1s: “Shape of You” and “Perfect,” both released in 2017.
“I’ve decided to leave Asylum/Warner last month. I leave the company with SO much love and gratitude for everything we have achieved together,” Sheeran said in announcing his exit from WMG. “This isn’t a ‘disgruntled artist leaves record label’ type situation. This is a boy who started as a teenager on the company with different priorities, to the father of 2 man who exists now, who feels like he needs a shift and change in the way he does things professionally.”
WMG will hold onto Sheeran’s catalog of hits and has long-term licenses for his two most recent albums, Autumn Variations and Play, both of which were jointly released on Sheeran’s own label, Gingerbread Man, and Atlantic.
Interscope did not immediately respond to Billboard‘s request for comment. The Hollywood Reporter was first to report the news.
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