Ed Sheeran pens track for British act The Shires in a bid to conquer the country charts
ED SHEERAN is proving why he’s one of the most versatile performers in music by having a crack at the country charts.
I can reveal the superstar singer has joined forces with British country act THE SHIRES, who are fast becoming a major force in Nashville.
Ed’s given the duo — BEN EARLE and CRISSIE RHODES, a song from his epic vault, and the track, called Stay The Night, will take on country heavyweights including KEITH URBAN and CARRIE UNDERWOOD in the charts later this year.
In classic Ed style, the song handover was sealed after a heavy night out in Nashville, Tennessee, last October.
In an exclusive chat, Ben said: “Crissie and I went along to an after-party Ed was hosting after his concert at Nashville but she wasn’t feeling great.
“He told us he was familiar with our music and we were like, ‘Woah, that’s incredible’.
“A few hours later I was about to leave and I saw Ed and his mates playing a drinking game with a girl who was downing beer out of a keg while doing a handstand.
“Everyone there was cheering, it was pretty mental.
“Then I did a double take and it was Crissie.
“Afterwards we said it would be great if we could work together in the future, and a few days later he sent us his track Stay The Night.”
Crissie added: “So basically my drinking ability got us an Ed Sheeran song.”
The Shires, whose new album Accidentally On Purpose is released on April 20, are the latest act to use an Ed song to bolster their career.
RITA ORA kick-started her music comeback last year with Ed’s track Your Song and LIAM PAYNE’s single Strip That Down was another from the Suffolk singer’s collection.
Ed has also written huge tracks for TAYLOR SWIFT, ONE DIRECTION, JESSIE WARE, THE WEEKND, CAMILA CABELLO and, most memorably, JUSTIN BIEBER with his global hit Love Yourself.
The Shires are in good company.
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Baby sees wed at Mel B
EMMA BUNTON says she will be having words with bandmate MEL B for hinting on live telly that the SPICE GIRLS had been invited to PRINCE HARRY and MEGHAN MARKLE’s wedding.
At the Global Awards bash in London on Thursday, Baby Spice said of Mel: “She is hilarious. I’m going to have to speak to her, that’s all I can say.”
When Emma was asked if she herself had received an invitation to the wedding on May 19, she hesitated before adding: “I don’t think so – unless I’m missing something.
"But I think they need a bit of Spice, definitely.”
Her uncertain response comes just two days after Mel said she and the band would be at the wedding – something she was meant to keep quiet about after I revealed the group’s reunion plans last month.
During an appearance on the US talk show The Real, Mel quietly mouthed: “Yeah, I’m going. I don’t know if I should have said that.
“Well, us five Spice Girls . . . why am I so honest? I’m going to be fired.”
It wouldn’t be a reunion without her.
Dua heads for a naughty step up
NAUGHTY BOY has another huge collaboration up his sleeve with double-Brits winner DUA LIPA.
In an exclusive interview, he said: “I’ve done a song with Dua which is on my album and is out in the next few months.
“We’ve called it Better Than Me. We wrote it with Emily Warren – who wrote Dua’s hit New Rules.”
And Naughty Boy teased that it could be about Dua’s relationship with PAUL KLEIN – who I revealed she split with in January.
He added: “The song is about being in a relationship and maybe knowing that person could be better off with someone else.”
Naughty Boy’s also been busy in the studio with CHERYL. Speaking about her new music, he said: “She is making a real album that is about her life and her emotions.”
Hopefully Naughty can make it interesting.
Glory nights
TRIPLE-winners LITTLE MIX must have been downing doubles at the first ever Global Awards on Thursday.
The group made rockers KASABIAN look like angels after they turned up smashed on a rare night out without their fellas.
When asked if their boyfriends should be worried about their mission to party, all replied no – except JESY NELSON who said: “We don’t give a s***”, before giving a cheeky twerk.
JADE THIRLWALL, was delighted with their success as she left clutching one of the gongs.
Later, PERRIE EDWARDS’ fella, Liverpool ace ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN shared an Insta story of him watching the awards on telly.
I’m sure he’d agree the girls deserved to paint the town red after their success.
bizbit
JEREMY VINE is swapping his Radio 2 mic for drumsticks when he takes to the stage at the Camden Assembly Hall on Sunday night.
The DJ is playing the drums for rap outfit Y.O.U.N.G. after they performed on his radio show.
Keeping their distance
ROCKERS KASABIAN confessed they were reduced to tears by ANDREA BOCELLI’s spine-tingling performance at the Global Awards.
But the band’s SERGE PIZZORNO and TOM MEIGHAN were anything but turned on by RITA ORA and LIAM PAYNE’s Fifty Shades duet which saw the two reunite on stage for the first time since their timid Brits gig.
The pair kept even more distance between them, despite previous raunchy performances of the tune, including a few weeks ago on The Tonight Show starring JIMMY FALLON.
Serge said: “Did you see Andrea Bocelli? He was f***ing unbelievable. It was f***ing like the world stood still.
“We were looking at each other going, f*** we’re going to go in a minute. You’re trying to be cool but when it just gets you, all control goes.”
On the contrast with Rita and Liam, he added: “That’s razzmatazz. That’s cardboard.”
In Rita’s defence, it has been claimed she soldiered on despite being secretly ill.
Magic gaffe
STORMZY turned the Global bash frosty when he accidentally gave a shout out to a rival radio station in his winner’s speech.
The grime star bagged Best R&B, Hip-Hop or Grime artist before he offended the radio group’s bosses by thanking Magic Radio – which isn’t a Global brand.
He said: “I’m begging up Capital. Actually, I’m begging up Magic. Magic are my Gs."
Jack's taken for a ride
JACK WHITEHALL has done a LIAM GALLAGHER by getting mocked by kids on a viral video.
The Brits host is ribbed by two “vehicle experts” for his inability to drive while checking out the new Jaguar I-Pace.
They also reveal his unusual middle name – Benedict. Given how much he teased stars at the Brits last week, Jack’s due a taste of his own medicine.
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The new Sheeran?
RISING star HRVY is the latest celeb to step into my studio at Bizarre HQ for a Dan Wootton Session.
He put a new spin on ED SHEERAN’s Shape Of You before performing his single, Personal, the video for which has already chalked up more than 75million views on YouTube.
Not bad for a 19-year-old.
Watch the full performance now at.