Artist News

Ed Sheeran says “pop peers actively want me to fail”

By | Published on Monday 15 November 2021

Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran says he’s not accepted by other pop stars. In fact, many want to see him fail. The support he gets from within the music industry, he adds, comes from rappers, rather than peers within his own genre. And Elton John, of course.

Speaking to DJ Chuckie Online on a new episode of the Halfcast Podcast, Sheeran says that many of his “pop peers” not only dislike him but “actively want me to fail”, while a small number of artists, including Stormzy and Dave, are very supportive.

“I know lots of people in the industry and I enjoy hanging out with everyone”, he says. “But … I know so many artists who, whenever I win [they roll their eyes] and, actually, actively want me to fail. People that would never say it to my face, but I know, I just know… I hang around with people and I hear things”.

Other musicians who do actively support him make up a fairly short list, he goes on. “[Stormzy] is the the most good-hearted successful person that I know that genuinely is overjoyed for my success”, he says. “He sent me an email this week about how he felt about the album, which songs he likes. He probably thinks that everyone’s doing that, but no one does that”.

“Everyone just assumes that everyone’s doing that”, he goes on. “So no one actually tells me if a project’s good … And so it’s him, Fraser T Smith, Dave and Elton John, [who] all sent me emails this week, in depth about the album, what they liked”.

“I feel indebted to the [British black music] scene”, he concludes. “I feel accepted. I feel like it’s the only music community that roots for me. I feel like my own section – that I’m meant to be part of – don’t like me. And they don’t rate my music. And it’s quite telling that Dave and Stormzy are both emailing me saying they like my album but none of my pop peers are”.

Watch the full interview here:



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