A spy's eye view of Russia: Never-seen-before pictures of Stalin-era USSR taken by a US Army Major deported for espionage
Trump welcomes his first Oval Office foreign leader as British prime minister Theresa May gets the VIP treatment - including posing beside bust of Winston Churchill
Trump doubles down on claim '3 million votes were illegal' as Pence promises Republican lawmakers 'a full evaluation'
The women behind Theresa May: PM will show Donald Trump exactly how important woman are with her female entourage in White House meeting
Staff at Mar-a-Lago are being inundated with angry callers venting their rage against Trump
EXCLUSIVE: Good Morning America host Lara Spencer heats things up in primetime as she breaks for multiple makeout sessions during three-hour dinner date in NYC
North Carolina mother-of-three, 32, is charged after her two-year-old daughter tests positive for cocaine
Child welfare agency driver is fired after he dropped foster care girl, 4, at the WRONG house where she watched TV and ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the stranger's living room
'Whisper in her ear that it's okay to go': Carl Reiner reveals what he told actress Mary Tyler Moore's husband the day before she died
Sex offender 'dismembered his girlfriend then forced a sanitation worker to help him dispose of her remaining body parts after he stashed her head and feet in his freezer'
California lawmakers propose bill to add 'non-binary' gender option on identification documents
'It's a wonderful thing to have closure': Uma Thurman wins primary custody of her daughter after a bitter legal battle with financier ex Arpad Busson
Ft. Lauderdale airport shooter faces the death penalty after being indicted on 22 counts
'Columbine-style' mass shooting is foiled at a Florida school as two teenage boys are arrested over plot to kill their classmates
EXCLUSIVE: Pedophile Jeffrey Epstein is accused of luring an underage girl into his elaborate sex trafficking enterprise under the guise of using his wealth and connections to get her into a prestige NYC college
'I think my dad is dead': Heartbreaking 911 call of 8-year-old boy whose father overdosed on heroin in car alongside his three children
Florida teenager, 18, 'stabbed his roommate in the face during a fight over a Minute Maid fruit juice box'
Can YOU solve this McDonald's maths puzzle? Brainteaser that has left the internet baffled is harder than it looks
Black widow killer who persuaded her lesbian lover to shoot her millionaire husband when he cut off her $35,000 a month allowance STILL claims to be innocent
Married high school dance teacher, 27, was 'caught on video having sex with a student, 17, at her home after plying him with vodka and beer'
First ladies first? Trump didn't wait for Melania at their car when they arrived at the White House to meet the Obamas... unlike Barack, George and Bill did with their wives
HOLY GUACOMOLE! Mexican minister stokes fears that Donald Trump will drive up the price of avocados and Corona beer after presidents suggests 20 percent import tax
Trump will tell Mad Dog Mattis to produce plans to smash ISIS - and U.S. artillery and attack helicopters could pound their capital Raqqa
Donald Trump will publish a weekly list of crimes committed by illegal immigrants and will hire 10,000 additional immigration officers

'We weren't the popular kids at school': Ed Sheeran reveals what drives him and BFF Taylor Swift to chart-conquering success

Published: 19:08 EST, 26 January 2017 | Updated: 03:14 EST, 27 January 2017

e-mail

View
comments

His first two albums have conquered the charts around the globe since he burst onto the music scene in 2011.

And with his third studio offering dropping in just a matter of weeks, Ed Sheeran has revealed that his unpopularity at school has been a major motivation in his career.

Speaking to GQ, the 25-year-old Lego House hit-maker explained that his and BFF Taylor Swift are driven to succeed musically as they weren't 'popular' at school.

Scroll down for video

It's not popularity contest: With his third studio offering dropping in just a matter of weeks, Ed Sheeran has revealed that his unpopularity at school has been a major motivation in his career

Sitting down for a candid interview with the iconic men's lifestyle bible, the star admitted his formative years were something that galvanized his desire to succeed in one of the hardest industries.

'There’s an underdog element to it,' said Ed when asked about his drive. 'Taylor [Swift] was never the popular kid in school. I was never the popular kid in school.

'Then you get to the point when you become the most popular kid in school – and we both take it a bit too far. She wants to be the biggest female artist in the world and I want to be the biggest male artist in the world.'

'I was never popular': He told GQ his and his BFF Taylor Swift's drive came from their year's at school'Taylor [Swift] was never the popular kid in school. I was never the popular kid in school'

He explained there was a certain element of payback in reaching the lofty heights of his career, adding:

'It also comes from always being told that you can’t do something and being like, ‘F*** you. I can.’

But it seems that Ed - who is about to drop third album, Divide, in March - is also keen to demolish any and all of his competition.

It's about being the best: He explained: 'She wants to be the biggest female artist in the world and I want to be the biggest male artist in the world'

Taking on the competition? It seems that Ed - who is about to drop third album, Divide, in March - is also keen to demolish any and all of his competition

Singling out Adele, he said that he'd love to be able to shift more albums that the London-born star.

'Adele is the one person who’s sold more records than me in the past ten years,' he said.

'She’s the only person I need to sell more records than. That’s a big f***ing feat because her last album sold 20 million. But if I don’t set her as the benchmark then I’m selling myself short.'

'She’s the only person I need to sell more records than': While he was quick to downplay any real competition, he said that he'd love to sell more records than the London-born singer

Though he was quick to stress he wasn't in direct competition with the Hello hit-maker, Ed said there was a 'race to the finish line' when it came to the charts.

Read it all: The full interview will hit shelves on Thursday 2 February

And Divide could be just the ticket he's been waiting for, as the album is already a must-have for 2017.

The Yorkshire-born star's third LP will give his fans an insight into the global superstar's past relationships, family life and musical career; as well as his one-year hiatus which saw him travel the world.

Fans can expect a mix of emotive ballads, hip-hop beats, and Ed's trademark acoustic guitar sound.

The hotly-anticipated record has been co-produced by Benny Blanco (Rihanna, The Weeknd) and Ed, with help from Snow Patrol's Johnny McDaid, Mike Elizondo and Steve Mac.

It was recorded between Los Angeles, London, Suffolk and the RMS Queen Mary 2 cruise ship.

See the full shoot in the March issue of GQ, available on digital download now or on newsstands Thursday 2 February.

Ready to make it another number one: His third album Divide could be just the ticket he's been waiting for, as the album is already a must-have for 2017