Ed Sheeran ‘saves 2017’ with surprise double single release

Sheeran treated fans to Castle On The Hill and Shape Of You at 5am on Friday morning
Ed Sheeran Mathematics Tour
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Emma Powell6 January 2017
The Weekender

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Fans have hailed Ed Sheeran a ‘saviour’ after he dropped two new singles to mark his musical comeback.

Sheeran, 25, released Castle On The Hill and Shape Of You at 5am on Friday morning as he co-hosted the BBC Radio One Breakfast Show with Scott Mills.

The singer – who took a one year hiatus – said the double release was “[Be]Cause I have been away for a bit.”

The tracks come from his upcoming album ÷ Divide – which continues his symbols theme having titled his first album + (Plus), while his second was called x (Multiply).

The hashtag #WelcomeBackEd was soon trending as fans tweeted their excitement at the new music.

A host of famous faces also praised Sheeran with Courteney Cox branding the new songs "beautiful" while James Corden described his return as "epic".

Speaking to Mills about the new music he described Castle on the Hill as a “love song for Suffolk because I don't think anyone has ever done that”.

He said: “I've shot the music video actually in Suffolk and the cast of it are people from my high school.

“The main guy who looks just like me is weirdly from my sixth form.”

Sheeran said he had plans for a collaboration with Rihanna for Shape of You but quickly changed his mind.

Explaining the change of heart he said: “But then I was singing some of the lyrics and was like Rihanna is not going to sing these words so kept it to myself.”

Sheeran - who wrote the 2016 X Factor winner's single When Christmas Comes Around - announced he'd be taking a break from music in December 2015 so he could “travel the world and see everything I missed.”

He announced news of his comeback on January 1 with a video which showed him holding a sign which read: "New music coming Friday!"

In the days leading up to the single releases he teased fans on social media with song lyrics.

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