It’ll take something special to topple Ed Sheeran from the U.K. singles chart summit. Dave might just be the man to do it.
In the early stage of the U.K. chart week, Sheeran’s “Bad Habits” opens up a lead of more than 7,000 combined sales over the rest of the competition, the OCC reports.
“Bad Habits” leads the First Look chart, which ranks singles based on sales and streaming activity from the first 48 hours, and is on track for a fifth straight week at No. 1.
The competition is Dave, who makes an almighty splash on the chart blast with three entries inside the Top 5.
The London rapper’s collaboration with Stormzy, “Clash,” lifts 8-2 and is on track for a new peak.
Close behind is “Verdansk” at No. 3, and “In The Fire” starts at No. 4, potentially taking the homegrown hip-hop artist’s career total of Top 10 songs into double figures (10).
The Dave takeover follows the release of his new album, We’re All Alone In This Together.
Also shaping for a Top 20 debut is Anne-Marie and Little Mix’s new collaboration, “Kiss My (Uh Oh).” Lifted from Anne-Marie’s latest album Therapy, “Kiss My (Uh Oh)” is at No. 14 on the First Look survey.
Finally, Lil Nas X and fellow U.S. rapper Jack Harlow’s new release “Industry Baby” opens at No. 16 on the chart blast, thanks in part to its controversial music video which dropped last Friday. If it holds its ground when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published this Friday, it’ll give Lil Nas X his fifth Top 40 appearance and Harlow his second following 2020’s “What’s Poppin”.