Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” made him the first British solo male artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song entered the chart at No. 1 in January 2017, the same week Sheeran placed “Castle on the Hill” at No. 6. That dual appearance made him the first artist to debut two songs in the top 10 simultaneously.
“Shape of You” was released as one of the opening singles from Sheeran’s album ÷, pronounced “Divide.” Its dancehall-influenced rhythm and pop production marked a change from the acoustic ballad style associated with much of his earlier work.
The song ultimately spent 12 weeks at No. 1 and became one of the decade’s biggest global hits. Sheeran later reached No. 1 with “Perfect,” but that song rose to the summit after charting rather than debuting there.