U.K. MIDWEEKS: ED'S BACK AT #1

Ed Sheeran’s = (Atlantic) is heading for a third week at #1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart, while labelmate Gayle could score her first top-charting track with “abcdefu.”

Sheeran looks set to rule the first chart week of 2022 with =, which scored the final #1 spot of 2021 last week. Adele is down to #2 with 30 (Columbia) at the halfway point, followed by ABBA’s Voyage (Polar/UMG) at #3.

At #8, ABBA’s Gold is one of a few greatest-hits collections in today’s midweek Top 10; Little Mix’s Between Us (RCA) is up one to #4, Elton John’s Diamonds (Virgin EMI) is #6 and Fleetwood Mac’s 50 Years—Don’t Stop (Warner Records) is eyeing a jump of five places to #10.

On the U.K.’s Official Singles midweeks, with Christmas songs vacating the charts, Gayle is heading for the top thanks in part to success on TikTok.

DJ Acraze could score his first Top 10, with “Do It to It” f/Cherish (Thrive Music) up 41 places to #2, while ArrDee’s “Flowers (Say My Name)” (Island) and Sam Fender’s “Seventeen Going Under” (Polydor) could claim new peaks; they’re on track for #3 and #4, respectively.

Sheeran currently has three songs in the Top 10: “Shivers” is #5, “Bad Habits” checks in at #7 and new track “Peru” f/Fireboy DML is up 18 to a new apex of #10.

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” a track from Disney’s Encanto that’s gone viral, could be this week’s biggest climber, projected to ascend 54 places to #12.