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Ed Sheeran Wrote — But Doesn’t Sing — 2 of This Week’s Top 10 Songs in the World
Ed Sheeran has cowritten two of the ten biggest songs in the world this week, according to Billboard's Global 200 chart dated 8 August, despite not performing as an artist in the top 10 for over a year. His writing credits bookend the chart: he is one of five cowriters on the chart-topping "Dai Dai (FIFA World Cup Official Song 2026)" by Shakira and Burna Boy, and one of four cowriters on KATSEYE's "Animal", which debuts at number 10. The feat underlines Sheeran's enduring influence as a songwriter for other artists even as his own performing career has cooled on the global charts, echoing a similar milestone in 2021 when he first topped the chart as a cowriter rather than a performer.
"Dai Dai" holds the top spot for a fourth consecutive week, though its worldwide streams dipped 2% to 56.8 million in the week ending 30 July, according to Luminate, marking its first weekly decline since its May release and the first tracking week after the World Cup ended. "Animal" launches with 29.8 million global streams, giving South Korean-American group KATSEYE their first top 10 entry on the chart, surpassing their previous best with "Gabriella". Sheeran previously topped the Global 200 as a cowriter on BTS's "Permission to Dance" in 2021, and his own hits "Perfect" and "Shape of You", both from 2017, remain on the chart to this day, logging over 300 weeks apiece.
In short
- Ed Sheeran cowrote two of this week's global top 10 songs, not performing on either
- Shakira and Burna Boy's World Cup song holds No. 1 for a fourth week
- KATSEYE's "Animal", cowritten by Sheeran, debuts at No. 10
Explained simply
Ed Sheeran is a British singer and songwriter who has written songs both for himself and with other performers. A co-writer helps create a song and receives a writing credit, but does not have to sing on the recording.
The Billboard Global 200 ranks songs by listening activity around the world, including streams and sales. Its chart positions can reflect the work of many writers and performers, so a songwriter may appear in the credits for a hit without appearing as its singer.
Sheeran has previously had a co-writing credit on a Global 200 number one, BTS’s “Permission to Dance”. His long-running hits “Shape of You” and “Perfect” also show how songs can remain popular on the chart for years.