Greg WilliamsEd Sheeran, who’s quick to note that he’s made the “Worst-Dressed List” of British GQ more than once, graces the cover of the magazine’s current issue. Inside, he talks about his drive to succeed, which he says he and his pal Taylor Swift have in common…to a fault.
“There’s an underdog element to it,” he says of his and Taylor’s determination to be on top. “Taylor 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,” he adds. “It also comes from always being told that you can’t do something and being like, ‘F*** you. I can.’”
Ed also says that he doesn’t care how many people “copy every single thing I’ve done,” as long as he’s #1.
“In a 100m sprint to get a #1 album, I just know I’m going to win,” he declares. “I don’t care who’s doing what. I just know I’m going to win. I’m going to make sure I come first.”
In fact, Ed feels that he’s only got one competitor in today’s music landscape: a certain British female Oscar and Grammy winner.
“Adele is the one person who’s sold more records than me in the past ten years. She’s the only person I need to sell more records than,” Ed states. “That’s a big…feat because her last album sold 20 million. But if I don’t set her as the benchmark then I’m selling myself short.”
Referencing the fact that British GQ has repeatedly criticized him for dressing so casually, Ed, in tweeting about his cover appearance, added, “I am wearing a hoodie as I type this.”
Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
