Ed Sheeran Scores A New No. 1 After Waiting Patiently At No. 2

Ed Sheeran has a new album coming this fall, one that he has been promoting for months with several hit tunes. Play is expected in September, and the project has already produced a trio of proper singles. Almost a month after “Sapphire,” the most recent of the bunch, was released, it reaches No. 1 on multiple rankings in the U.K., including one very important tally for the first time.

“Sapphire” Hits No. 1

“Sapphire” grows from No. 2 to No. 1 on the Official Singles Sales chart, officially becoming the bestselling tune in the U.K. Sheeran launched the track on the list three weeks ago, and since then, it has been stuck in the runner-up space — but no longer.

Ed Sheeran Was Blocked By J-Hope and Sabrina Carpenter

When “Sapphire” first arrived on the Official Singles Sales chart, it was blocked from becoming another leader for Sheeran by “Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter’s latest tune. The following frame, Sheeran was able to keep his hold on the No. 2 position while “Killin’ It Girl,” a collaboration between BTS star J-Hope and rapper GloRilla, forced him to stay put.

Several Recent Bestsellers

Sheeran has now collected 19 No. 1 hits on the Official Singles Sales chart throughout his career. Two of the three tracks from Play have led the charge, as “Azizam,” the first track pushed from the full-length, spent two stays at No. 1. “Old Phone,” the second, only rose as high as No. 4.

“Sapphire” Leads Multiple Charts

“Sapphire” also leads the Official Singles Downloads ranking, but not for the first time. Sheeran jumps from No. 2 to No. 1, which means that two of the four weeks that “Sapphire” has spent on the list of the most downloaded cuts in the nation have been at No. 1.

“Azizam” and “Drive” Remain Chart Hits

While “Old Phone” is completely missing from the U.K. charts, “Azizam” can be found on five rankings, and it still lives inside the top 10 on almost half of them. As two of his three Play tracks remain hits in the U.K., Sheeran manages to score yet another win, as “Drive,” the tune he composed for the F1 movie and its accompanying soundtrack launches on a trio of tallies in the country. This week, it reaches the top 40 on two sales lists and opens at No. 49 on the Official Singles chart.