2017 in Pop: Revenge of the Strummer Boy

When Prince Charles awarded Ed Sheeran membership in the Order of the British Empire last week, it underscored what an extraordinary year the 26-year-old singer has had. His 2017 hit “Shape of You” is the most streamed song ever on Spotify. His album Divide, is the second-best-selling album of the year, certified Double Platinum by the RIAA. His recent duet with Beyoncé just gave her her first No. 1 single since 2008. His face, and flop of red hair, even were granted the rare distinction of making a Game of Thrones cameo.

So Sheeran’s success is pretty singular. But looking back on the year in the pop, it’s also easy to see him as a sign of the times, leading a sudden boom of white male solo singers with hits.

You can tell a few different stories about the Billboard Hot 100 in 2017, or maybe just one story with various ramifications. Much of the year was a wash-out for women, who didn’t land many big smashes until Cardi B, Taylor Swift, and Camila Cabello helped shore up the gender gap in Q4. Which might just be another way of saying it was a historic coup for hip-hop, a largely male-dominated form that enjoyed new commercial power this year. But that analysis is complicated by another notable ingredient in the charts this year: Sheeran and guys skiing in his wake.

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