Ed Sheeran breaks the record for most Spotify streams in 24 hours

Ed Sheeran dropped the new songs with very little warning after an extended hiatus. Photo/AP

Ed Sheeran has made history with both his comeback singles reaching over 13 million streams in 24 hours.

The 25-year-old singer has beaten One Direction with his new tracks, Shape of You and Castle on the Hill, which have been streamed globally 6,868, 642 and 6,168, 395 times respectively, smashing Spotify's Day 1 UK and global streaming record, the Daily Mail reports.

With his success, the Thinking Out Loud hit-maker has knocked One Direction - who achieved 4,759,698 streams with Drag Me Down in August 2015 - off the top spot.

Sheeran has previously worked with One Direction, and wrote their hits Little Things and Moments.

Sheeran also revealed that he originally wrote Shape of You with Rihanna in mind but decided to keep the song for himself in the end as he didn't think the pop starlet would want to sing those lyrics.

He said: "I was singing some of the lyrics and was like 'Rihanna is not going to sing these words' so kept it to myself."

The singer also said that he wrote Castle on the Hill is "a love song for Suffolk because I don't think anyone has ever done that.

"I've shot the music video actually in Suffolk and the cast of it are people from my high school. The main guy who looks just like me is weirdly from my sixth form."

The flame-haired star had originally planned to release his new music in September and confessed to playing some of his new tracks for strangers he met in the pub.

He added: "The funny thing is while I have music waiting to be released I usually end up playing it to random people.

"Normally when I've been out drinking I'll be like, 'Hey mate do you want to hear my new song?' that happens a lot."

Sheeran's singles were released this week after his year-long hiatus from the music industry.