I'm pretty sure Ed Sheran has Payola to help sell his new album. That song is terrible and he's not even a major known artist. Getting 5 mil updates put of nowhere is unheard of
I kissed a girl says hi. Of course radio formats were different in 2008 compared to now. But IKAG just smashed hard right from the get go. Z100 added almost immediately and since then it had the largest bullet in the format till it entered top 3
KATY PERRY California Gurls f/Snoop Dogg: 2.337
KATY PERRY Teenage Dream: 3.925
KATY PERRY Firework: 3.825
KATY PERRY E.T.: 1.629
KATY PERRY Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.): 1.885
KATY PERRY The One That Got Away: 3.558
KATY PERRY Part Of Me: 3.014
KATY PERRY Wide Awake: 5.867
KATY PERRY California Gurls f/Snoop Dogg: 2.337
KATY PERRY Teenage Dream: 3.925
KATY PERRY Firework: 3.825
KATY PERRY E.T.: 1.629
KATY PERRY Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.): 1.885
KATY PERRY The One That Got Away: 3.558
KATY PERRY Part Of Me: 3.014
KATY PERRY Wide Awake: 5.867
KATY PERRY California Gurls f/Snoop Dogg: 2.337
KATY PERRY Teenage Dream: 3.925
KATY PERRY Firework: 3.825
KATY PERRY E.T.: 1.629
KATY PERRY Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.): 1.885
KATY PERRY The One That Got Away: 3.558
KATY PERRY Part Of Me: 3.014
KATY PERRY Wide Awake: 5.867
I think Ed's spins are warranted, even if they do have some other incentives. He gained a lot of momentum with +, and from being on Taylor's tour. Plus whether you like the song or not, it's fresh for Top 40 right now which is extremely dull with its lingering on last Q4's releases. Not to mention its iTunes performance, which people always want to align with radio performance anyways.