Ed Sheeran has topped the Australian music album charts for the 43rd time with his latest record. 

The British singer-songwriter has taken the number one spot on the ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) album charts with his newest album Subtract (-).

He has now taken the number one spot on country’s album charts for the 43rd week. 

The Lego House singer previously topped the charts with five of his previous albums, + in 2012, X in 2014, ÷ in 2017, No.6 Collaborations Project in 2019, and = in 2019.

His newest album Subtract was released in Australia on May 5, and dominated the charts the following week. 

Ed Sheeran has topped the Australian music album charts for the 43rd time with his latest record

The album was inspired by a tough time in Ed’s life, as while he was writing and recording it he experienced the death of his best friend, and his wife Cherry Seaborn was diagnosed with cancer. 

In an Instagram post announcing his new album, the singer wrote: ‘I had been working on Subtract for a decade, trying to sculpt the perfect acoustic album, writing and recording hundreds of songs with a clear vision of what I thought it should be.

‘Then at the start of 2022, a series of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music and art.

The British singer-songwriter has taken the number one spot on the ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) album charts with his newest album Subtract (-)

‘Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings. I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out. And in just over a week I replaced a decade’s worth of work with my deepest darkest thoughts.

‘Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumour, with no route to treatment until after the birth.

‘My best friend Jamal, a brother to me, died suddenly, and I found myself standing in court defending my integrity and career as a songwriter.

‘I was spiralling through fear, depression and anxiety. I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but not being able to break through for air.

‘As an artist I didn’t feel like I could credibly put a body of work into the world that didn’t accurately represent where I am and how I need to express myself at this point in my life.’

Earlier this week, the Shape Of You hitmaker broke down in tears while performing his new album Subtract.

During an intimate show with Apple Music Live at the Eventim Apollo in London on Wednesday, the singer, 32, dedicated two songs to the his late friend Jamal Edwards as he discussed his grief and revealed: ‘I’m still not over it, I don’t want to be.’

In February 2022, Ed was devastated when his close friend Jamal Edwards tragically died after a cardiac arrest brought on by taking cocaine and drinking alcohol

In February 2022, Jamal died after a cardiac arrest brought on by taking cocaine and drinking alcohol. He was 31.

Playing the album in full for the first time for the live concert series, he was joined by a 12-piece band, including Aaron Dessner of The National. 

As he addressed the audience ahead of Eyes Closed and Life Goes On, Ed began: ‘The last time I was in this venue was with my friend Jamal, to see a comedy show, and I’ve not been here since.

‘The first time I ever played this song, I cried when I introduced it, I cried at the start, I cried at the end and… I’m going to cry now.’

Breaking down in tears he wipe his face with a towel and continued: ‘I found this very cathartic to put out.

‘I always say these songs are mine until I put them out there, and then they belong to you guys.

‘It’s been heartbreaking as people share this song to their [Instagram] Stories, and relate to it, but it’s something that everyone goes through.

‘It’s just being an adult and this s*** just happens, everyone goes through it.’

Speaking ahead of Life Goes On, he continued: ‘I sing songs all the time but this is like, real life stuff.

The album was also inspired by Ed’s wife Cherry Seaborn (pictured) cancer diagnosis

‘I felt like when the Jamal passed away that I wanted the world to just stop, like it did when the Queen died.’

Last month, the British singer revealed that his wife Cherry was diagnosed with a tumour during her pregnancy with their second child.

The couple welcomed daughter Jupiter in May 2022 and are also parents to Lyra Antarctica, two.

The singer and his childhood sweetheart kept the pregnancy secret but he has now revealed that the couple were plagued with ‘fear, depression and anxiety’ because Cherry was diagnosed with a tumour that she couldn’t have treated until after she’d given birth.

The singer revealed that the couple were plagued with ‘fear, depression and anxiety’ because Cherry was diagnosed with a tumour that she couldn’t have treated until after she’d given birth