U.K. MIDWEEKS: MIGHT KASABIAN BUMP ED FROM #1?

Kasabian’s sixth studio album For Crying Out Loud (Columbia) is more than 20k combined sales ahead of today’s #2, Ed Sheeran’s ÷ (Atlantic). Unless the tables turn, the band will have their fifth consecutive #1 by Friday and Sheeran's nine-week consecutive stint will come to an end.

On the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart, the Justin Bieber-featured version of “Despacito” (Polydor) by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee is heading to #1 in its fourth charting week, while Niall Horan enters at #12 with “Slow Hands” (Virgin EMI).

“Despacito” is currently 1.3k combined sales ahead of last week’s chart-topper, “I’m The One” (Black Butter/Def Jam), by DJ Khaled. Should the former maintain its midweek lead, “Despacito” will be the first foreign language single to hit #1 in Blighty since Psy’s “Gangnam Style” (Island) in 2012.

Lower down, “Symphony” by Clean Bandit f/Zara Larsson (Atlantic) is #3 and Ed Sheeran is #4 with “Shape of You” (Atlantic). Shawn Mendes climbs two places to #5 with “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” (Virgin EMI).

The second highest new entry is Blondie with 11th album Pollinator (BMG) at #4. The last time the band reached Top 10 in the U.K. was in 1999 with seventh album No Exit.

Rag’n’Bone Man is still #3 with Human (Columbia), while Gorillaz are down to #5 with Humanz (Parlophone). Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds best-of collection Lovely Creatures (BMG) is new at #6.