Ed Sheeran’s New Single Misses In America — Here’s Why

Ed Sheeran’s “A Little More” debuts on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. and Billboard Global 200, but misses the Hot 100 — at least so far. NAPA, CALIFORNIA – MAY 26: Ed Sheeran performs on day 3 of BottleRock Napa Valley at Napa Valley Expo on May 26, 2024 in Napa, California. (Photo by Dana Jacobs/FilmMagic)

FilmMagic

Ed Sheeran is barreling toward the release of his upcoming album Play, which is set to drop September 12. The singer-songwriter has been releasing singles from the project throughout much of 2025, and his latest, “A Little More,” gets off to something of a disappointing start on the Billboard charts — but that doesn’t mean it’s not destined for greatness.

“A Little More” Debuts on Billboard’s Global Charts

“A Little More” arrives on a trio of Billboard tallies this week. The song opens at No. 73 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. and at No. 75 on the Billboard Global 200 – two worldwide rankings that combine streams and sales to show what the human race is listening to.

Sheeran has scored 40 wins on the list that removes all consumption from America and 39 on the Billboard Global 200.

Ed Sheeran’s New Song Misses the Hot 100

Somewhat surprisingly, even as “A Little More” becomes a worldwide hit, it misses the Hot 100 in America entirely. That tally looks at the most consumed songs in the U.S.

“A Little More” does make it to the Bubbling Under Hot 100, which operates as a 25-spot extension of the main roster, but only for tunes that haven’t yet made it to the Hot 100. “A Little More” opens at No. 7 on that list.

“A Little More” Could Soon Gain Everywhere

Sheeran remains one of the most famous names in the global music industry, and he can be counted on to make it to the Hot 100 pretty much whenever he delivers new singles. So why then did “A Little More” reach Billboard’s global lists but not the Hot 100?

Sheeran dropped “A Little More” off-cycle, on Thursday, August 7. The new tracking week begins on Friday, so if songs and albums want a full seven days in which to rack up sales and streams and impact the Billboard charts, they need to become commercially available on Friday.

Sheeran decided to buck that tradition and make “A Little More” available hours before a new frame began. That means his latest Play single becomes a worldwide hit and almost reaches the Hot 100 off of just a few hours of activity.

Next week, when Billboard refreshes its rankings, it’s likely that “A Little More” will make it to not only the Hot 100, but perhaps several other rankings, including the Digital Song Sales, Radio Songs, and Streaming Songs charts. It could also become another pop radio favorite.

“Azizam,” “Old Phone” and “Sapphire”

Three singles preceded “A Little More,” and all of the Play cuts made it to the Hot 100, though none of them have climbed to the same heights of many of Sheeran’s past smashes. “Azizam” is the biggest of the bunch, and it peaked at No. 28. “Old Phone” and “Sapphire” stalled in the lower rungs of the roster, only lifting to Nos. 89 and 74, respectively.