Ed Sheeran Celebrates New Album 'x' With Whirlwind Schedule of Events

Atlantic recording artist Ed Sheeran is celebrating the highly anticipated arrival of his second album "x" (pronounced multiply), with a series of whirlwind international events dubbed "Multiply Days." "x" arrives on June 23rd.

The "Multiply Days" activities see Sheeran filling an entire day with exclusive live performances, playing to increasingly larger audiences with each consecutive appearance. Set for this Friday, June 13th, the American installment of "Multiply Day" gets underway with a performance on the season finale of VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live with just 10 lucky contest winners in attendance, followed by an intimate radio session sponsored by 95.5 PLJ to be held at a secret New York City location for an audience of only 20 contest winners. From there, Sheeran will head off to an as-yet-unannounced venue for another live set, this time presented by Sirius Satellite Radio. "Multiply Day" will then come to a spectacular finish with "Ed On Ellis," a full-length concert on Ellis Island National Monument presented by CBS Radio to a live audience of contest winners from across the country. Additionally, Sheeran has a special concert appearance, sponsored by Z100, slated for Saturday, June 14th at Hammerstein Ballroom.

To herald this latest "Multiply Day," Sheeran is releasing album track "Don't," which shot to #1 on the US iTunes Overall Singles chart upon release, as an instant download for any pre-order of "x." Sheeran unveiled "Don't" as part of his nationally televised appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live, and the track is currently featured in the just-released ad campaign for Beats by Dre's "Beats Solo 2" headphones. The commercial has already drawn close to 3 million individual views at the official Beats by Dre YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wZKyrq4jBM. What's more, Sheeran also announced that 5 new songs will also be released each day in the week leading up to the release of "x," via instant download when pre-ordering the album. MTV/VH1 will release an exclusive track a day from June 19th to 22nd through the Twitter Amplify campaign.

Sheeran's non-stop schedule continues with a feature performance on the 2014 MuchMusic Video Awards, simulcast live across Canada on both MuchMusic and CTV. The tireless British superstar will then head to Los Angeles for a pair of radio-sponsored concerts: 104.3 MYfm's MY Big Night Out 2014, slated for Monday, June 16th at the world famous Hollywood Bowl; and Clear Channel Media and Entertainment's "Pepsi Presents The iHeartRadio Album Release Party with Ed Sheeran," set for Tuesday, June 17th at the iHeartRadio Theater Los Angeles. The latter concert hosted by TV personality Mario Lopez will then be broadcast on Monday, June 23rd as a 30-minute special across Clear Channel Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR) and Hot AC stations, with a 60-minute version streaming online across station websites and www.iHeartRadio.com. What's more, Sheeran has be unveiled the first announced performer at the 4th annual iHeartRadio Music Festival & Village, returning to Las Vegas' MGM Grand on September 19th and 20th.

That appearance is but one of the many highlights of Sheeran's upcoming tour schedule the 3x GRAMMY Award-nominated star's first-ever North American headlining arena trek. The tour officially begins at Seattle's WaMu Theater on August 21st and then travels through mid-September (see itinerary below). Additional tour dates will be announced soon for up-to-the-minute ticket information and tour updates, please visit www.edsheeran.com.

Furthermore, MTV has set the debut of 9 Days and Nights of Ed Sheeran: Deluxe Edition, a extended 90-minute version of the acclaimed new documentary film. Hailed by The Hollywood Reporter as "an incredibly personal look at (Sheeran's) quick ascent," the film has been expanded to include additional behind-the-scenes footage. MTV's 9 Days and Nights of Ed Sheeran: Deluxe Edition premieres Saturday, June 14th at 11am ET/PT. For additional information, please log on to www.mtv.com/shows/nine-days-and-nights-of-ed-sheeran.

Sheeran will return to New York City for a special Independence Day edition of NBC's TODAY Toyota Concert Series, to be broadcast live from New York City's Rockefeller Center on July 4th (check local listings). The gifted tunesmith has already trumpeted the arrival of "x" with a number of high-profile TV appearances, including performances on the season finale of NBC's The Voice, the nationally syndicated Ellen DeGeneres Show, NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and NBC's Saturday Night Live which saw Sheeran electrifying millions of viewers with the nationally televised premiere of his exhilarating lead single "Sing."

"Sing" arrived earlier this spring and has rapidly rocketed into the top 5 at Hot AC radio outlets nationwide while also ascending the top 10 at CHR/Pop and the top 15 on the overall Billboard "Hot 100." Produced and co-written by multiple GRAMMY Award-winner Pharrell Williams, the track has proven Sheeran's first ever #1 on the UK Top 40 singles chart following four prior top 10 smashes. In addition, the recently released "Sing" companion video has already drawn close to 7 million views at Ed's official YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlYcUqEPN58.

The follow-up to Sheeran's breakthrough debut album "+," "x" finds the British singer-songwriter collaborating with a stellar list of producers, including multiple GRAMMY Award-winners Rick Rubin and Jeff Bhasker, multiple GRAMMY Award-nominee Benny Blanco, Snow Patrol's Johnny McDaid, and BRIT-Award nominee and "+" collaborator Jake Gosling. "x" recently rocketed to the #1 spot on the iTunes Store's overall "Top Albums" chart, mere hours after becoming available for pre-order at http://smarturl.it/x-itunesdlx.

In other news, Sheeran's new "All Of The Stars" is among the many highlights found on "THE FAULT IN OUR STARS MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE," Atlantic Records' new soundtrack companion to the #1 box office sensation. The song's companion video has earned over 6 million views and counting now at http://youtu.be/nkqVm5aiC28. 20th Century Fox's The Fault In Our Stars based on the #1 bestselling novel by John Green is in theaters now.

Blending soulful vocals with organic folk introspection and irresistible hip-hop hooks, Ed Sheeran is a genuine global phenomenon. The 23-year-old British singer/songwriter's masterful debut album, "+," entered the UK Albums Chart at #1 with the highest opening sales figures for a debut male solo artist ever and is now certified 6x-platinum. Fueled by international hit singles like "The A Team" and "Lego House," "+" has enjoyed multi-platinum, platinum, and gold sales in nine countries around the world.

Here in the US, "The A Team" proved a blockbuster, earning 2x-platinum certification from the RIAA as well as a GRAMMY Award nomination as "Song Of The Year." Sheeran also made a record-breaking chart debut with the stateside release of "+," which entered the SoundScan/Billboard 200 at #5, becoming the highest debut for a U.K. solo artist's first full-length album, since 2009. Along with his three GRAMMY nods including the prestigious "Best New Artist" Sheeran has accrued an array of distinguished international honors, spanning two BRIT Awards ("Best Male Artist," "Best Breakthrough Artist") and the 2012 Ivor Novello Award for "Best Song Musically and Lyrically."

Long acclaimed as a captivating and creative live performer, Sheeran spent much of the past two years traversing North America on back-to-back sold-out headline tours, the latter of which including a stop at the renowned Radio City Music Hall which sold out in a matter of minutes. Following a main support role on Taylor Swift's massively successful "RED Tour," Sheeran returned to New York City for a trio of sold-out headline shows at the legendary Madison Square Garden to close out his incredible 2013.

Sheeran's honest songwriting and incredible live show has also connected with millions through the small screen with countless high profile television appearances including the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards (performing "The A Team" accompanied by Sir Elton John), the closing ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, NBC's The Voice (as one of Team Christina's mentors) and Today (where he pulled in one of last summer's largest audiences into NYC's Rockefeller Plaza for the show's annual outdoor concert series), and, most recently, among the star-studded lineup on CBS' special "The Beatles: The Night That Changed America A GRAMMY Salute."

For additional news and information, please see www.edsheeran.com, www.twitter.com/EdSheeran (@EdSheeran), www.facebook.com/EdSheeranMusic and www.atlanticrecords.com. For press materials, please see http://press.atlanticrecords.com/ed-sheeran.

(TOUR ITINERARY BELOW)

ED SHEERAN
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2014
AUGUST
21	Seattle, WA	WaMu Theater
23	Vancouver, BC	Ambleside Live
29	Las Vegas, NV	The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan
30	Las Vegas, NV	The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan
31	Glendale, AZ	Jobing.com Arena
SEPTEMBER
2	Kansas City, MO	Sprint Center
4	Cleveland, OH	Wolstein Center
8	Philadelphia, PA	Wells Fargo Center
9	Boston, MA	Xfinity Center
11	Charlotte, NC	Time Warner Cable Arena
12	Atlanta, GA	The Arena at Gwinnett Center
13	Nashville, TN	Bridgestone Arena
15	Minneapolis, MN	Target Center
16	Chicago, IL	Allstate Arena
18	Toronto, ON	Air Canada Centre

Additional Dates To Be Announced