Edward Christopher Sheeran was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk. He has sold 200 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists. His debut album, + ("Plus"), was released in September 2011 and topped the UK Albums Chart. His second album, × ("Multiply"), topped charts around the world upon its release in June 2014. By March 2017, he had accumulated ten top-10 singles from his third album, ÷ ("Divide") He was named the Global Recording Artist of the Year. His fifth album, = ("Equals"), topped the charts in most major markets in 2021.