Ed Sheeran thinks Taylor Swift will release new music before the end of 2017.

Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran

The 26-year-old singer/songwriter is a good friend of the 'Blank Space' hitmaker and while Taylor has not yet confirmed when she will release her next album, Ed has predicted it will arrive before the end of the year.

Ed said: "Taylor [Swift] isn't going to be releasing until probably the end of this year."

Expanding on his theory, Ed pointed out that Christmas is the best time for artists to release new material, because consumers are more inclined to buy records over the festive period.

In an interview with the BBC, he said: "Christmas is the smartest time to release because that's when everyone buys records."

Ed is getting ready to release his third LP 'Divide' on Friday (03.03.17) and despite all of the success he has enjoyed over the last few years, he is predicting the next 12 months will prove to be the "high-point" of his career so far.

Asked about the best moments of the last five years, Ed shared: "I think this year is going to be the high point. I have a feeling about it. 17 is my lucky number, and everyone I was scared of releasing of albums around me released them all last year - people like Beyoncé and The Weeknd and Bruno Mars."