Ed Sheeran has returned to pop, but has pop Sheeran returned? ‘Azizam’, his new single, has not given the British the best debut of his career, for the moment. ‘Azizam’, which is supposed to be the Commercial Comeback of Sheeran, has entered the 27 of Spotify’s global table and then collapsed 53 positions until it goes down to 80. In the United Kingdom, the main market of Ed Sheeran, ‘Azizam’ has entered directly to 7, but then has fallen to 24, lowering 17 positions. The fall is considered normal on the weekend, but the debut of ‘Azizam’ probably does not fit expectations.
Ed Sheeran’s imperial era seems finished, at least, since 2023 or before: Sheeran’s commercial success has been such a magnitude that a theme with stratospheric streamings such as ‘Eyes Closed’ -400 million in Spotify- is considered a failure in the context of her career. Of his last really global success, ‘Bad Habs’, four years ago.
It is a strange scenario for Ed Sheeran, as a series of artists in their own style are achieving great commercial results. ‘Ordinary’ by Alex Warren – who is American, specifically from California – is the current single number 1 in the islands and ‘Beautiful Things’ by Benson Boone continues strong in fourth place. ‘Ordinary’, in addition, has broken into the Global Spotify Top 5.
‘Ordinary’ follows the pop-rock style dyed blues, country and gospel of other current hitmakers such as Teddy Swims, Noah Kahan or the aforementioned Benson Boone. None of these artists have invented the wheel, but they have good voices and if they succeed, it is certainly because there is an audience that demands its type of sound.
The Guardian examines the phenomenon of the decreasing popularity of Sheeran comparing their case with that of these newly arrived artists arguing that the market increasingly rewards authentic and personal brands such as Charli XCX or Chappell Roan. Charli XCX already said in an interview with Apple Music when he explained that the success of ‘Brat’ was due to the fact that “the market rewards the niche more than ever.” And Ed Sheeran takes too long with us so that we know that the massive success of his greatest successes – that exceeds one billion streamings and that they are not ‘eyes closed’ – is measured from the first second to the last, to pass through dozens of different hands.
Or it may simply market saturation does not allow digestion of so much new music at the same time, for a weekend. Nor does the new single from another pop totem, Miley Cyrus, ‘End of the World’, is caught the lists at the moment. And it would be foolish accusing Ed Sheeran of making mass pop when Bruno Mars does exactly the same thing – and does it wonderfully – and neither Charli nor Chappell work alone, although their brand is extremely personal.
It is too early to guess the commercial performance of ‘Azizam’ in the long term, but not to affirm that an entry into more effusive lists was expected. Surely Warner will activate all her machinery to try to make her a success by sending Sheeran to speak in different podcasts or eat chicken wings. And, at least, thanks to its tribute to Iranian folklore, the song offers something more or less distinctive. Well or bad, that the public decides.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8dh4ckga6s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_48vyhwls4
