Ed Sheeran has revealed his hit song Shape Of You could have been a collaboration, but the person he reached out to gave it a “respectful pass”.
The song, which was released in 2017, topped charts around the globe and has gone on to become one of the most-streamed songs of all time on Spotify.
It also earned the 32-year-old singer-songwriter a Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance.
So who could have possibly said no to that? The answer is none other than rap superstar Jay-Z, 53.
Sheeran made the surprising revelation during his new cover interview with Rolling Stone, which hit newsstands on Tuesday.
Setting the scene, the Shivers hit-maker explained that he had originally tried to enlist Jay-Z — real name Sean Carter — to record a verse on the song, but he said no.
There appear to have been no hard feelings however, with Sheeran conceding that the husband of Beyoncé had probably been right.
He told the publication: “We were in touch. I sent [Jay-Z] the song, and he said, ‘I don’t think the song needs a rap verse’. He was probably right. He’s got a very, very good ear.”
“[Jay-Z] usually gets things right,” Sheeran added. “It was a very natural, respectful pass.”
Sheeran meanwhile is currently gearing up for the release of his fifth studio album entitled Subtract on May 5.
