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Ed Sheeran's record-breaking week

Posted at 8:34 PM, Mar 09, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-09 20:39:58-05
(CNN) -- Ed Sheeran's new album "÷" is multiplying the singer's good fortune.
 
In just a few days since the album's debut, the British crooner is breaking more records than hearts.
 
Spotify is the latest to brag about stats: Since its release on March 3, Sheeran's album, pronounced "Divide," has surpassed the previous record for most first week of streams.
 
"Divide" has been streamed 273 million times as of the end of Tuesday, the company said.
 
The Weeknd previously held the record after "Starboy" wracked up 223 million streams in seven days following its November release.
 
"Shape of You" is currently leading Spotify's global chart, and all 16 songs on his new album are in the top 50, Spotify said.
 
This good news comes just days after YouTube announced the singer's album has already wracked up more than one billion views.
 
This figure accounts for the two lyric videos Sheeran put out before his album's official release ("Castle on the Hill" and his first Hot 100 Number One single, "Shape of You").
 
Sheeran has also put out individual audio tracks on YouTube for the remaining songs.
 
The album may have divided critics -- pun intended. (The Guardian gave his album a mere two stars, while The New York Times gave a largely positive review.) But any questions about Sheeran's now officially completed transformation from unthreatening songster to an everyone-knows-your-name megastar were answered by his first "Rolling Stone" cover.
 
To top it all off, he also announced a concert tour on Wednesday.
 
Sheeran's last three albums have been named after mathematical symbols. The ones titled "+" and "x" came before "÷." And there's certainly some math to be done about Sheeran's last seven days: new album + buzz = best week ever.
 
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