EXCLUSIVE: How ‘Cut-Throat Music Business Rivalry’ Has ‘Driven Taylor Swift Apart’ From Her ‘Second Brother’ and Ex-Collaborator Ed Sheeran
Oct. 17 2025, Published 6:59 p.m. ET Taylor Swift has fallen out with close friend and longtime collaborator Ed Sheeran due to their chart rivalry and clashing release schedules that sources tell RadarOnline.com have “seriously strained” one of pop’s most enduring friendships. The pair, who once described each other as being like “brother and sister,” are said to be on frosty terms after Swift, 35, dropped her latest record, The Life of a Showgirl, just weeks after 34-year-old Sheeran’s eighth studio album Play hit streaming platforms – a move industry insiders tell us “blindsided” the British star and left his team “scrambling” over a new promotional plan for his material’s release. Shock Release That Left Ed ‘Blindsided’ Sheeran announced Play back in May, carefully setting a September 12 release date to avoid the usual autumn rush of major music drops. But in August, Swift unveiled The Life of a Showgirl with just six weeks’ notice – and a release date of October 3, placing her album directly in competition with Sheeran’s promotional campaign. A senior music industry insider said: “Ed is meticulous about timing – it’s a big part of why he’s been so successful. When Taylor revealed her album was coming just a couple of weeks after his, it completely disrupted his rollout. His team had to scramble to adjust their plans and bring things forward. He was definitely upset, and it’s created real tension between them. From his perspective, she didn’t have to overshadow his release – but she chose to anyway.” The source added: “Taylor’s done this sort of thing before – she’s incredibly competitive, and when she’s focused on an album rollout, nothing else really takes priority. Ed didn’t see it coming and felt completely blindsided. The music industry is ruthless, but even by those standards, this one really hurt.” Chart Battle Turns Friendship Frosty While Sheeran’s Play debuted at No 1 in the UK, it quickly slipped down the charts after Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl stormed to the top spot the following week. The episode mirrors previous controversies surrounding Swift’s aggressive chart strategies – including last year’s “chart blocking” incidents involving Charli XCX’s Brat and Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft, where Swift’s release of multiple album variants helped maintain her dominance. “She’s a marketing powerhouse,” said a source close to Sheeran’s team. “When she puts out multiple versions of an album with bonus songs and exclusive editions, it’s impossible for anyone to compete. Ed’s always admired her talent, but lately he feels like she’s operating on a completely different level – one that’s more about building a brand than just making music.” Sheeran has previously spoken about how carefully he times his releases to avoid clashes. In 2017, he said: “Everyone I was scared of releasing albums around me released them all last year – people like Beyoncé and The Weeknd and Bruno Mars. Taylor isn’t going to be releasing until probably the end of this year – Christmas is the smartest time to release because that’s when everyone buys records.” From Studio Buddies to Distant Acquaintances Sheeran and Swift forged their friendship more than a decade ago after collaborating on the 2012 track Everything Has Changed and later touring together. They both spent months living in Nashville, with Sheeran once recalling: “We literally spent almost every single day with her for about six months.” The pair was last seen together at Selena Gomez’s California wedding on September 27, where both gave speeches but avoided discussing work. Another insider said: “There was definitely tension – they were friendly on the surface but kept their distance. It’s a shame because they used to be so close. Now it feels like the business side of things has come between them.” Adding to the growing sense of disconnect, Swift recently admitted she “forgot to call Ed” to tell him about her engagement to American footballer Travis Kelce, 36, before sharing the news with her 282 million Instagram followers. She said: “This is one of my absolute favorite people on the planet and then when the news came out I was like, ‘Oh my god! We forgot to call Ed!'”
https://radaronline.com/p/taylor-swift-ed-sheeran-rivalry-cut-throat-music-business-feud/
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