Ed Sheeran’s New Single Is Experiencing An Odd Chart Run

Ed Sheeran typically scores a hit whenever he drops a new single in the United States and promotes it with all his might. The English singer-songwriter remains one of the most successful artists in the pop space over the past decade or two, and his discography is already filled with well-known tunes — more than most musicians manage across an entire career.

Sheeran’s current era is proving to be less successful than his past ones, and his most recent single is struggling on the Billboard rankings.

Ed Sheeran’s Latest Single Struggles

Sheeran recently released “Old Phone” as the second single from his upcoming album Play. The tune dropped in early May and has not earned a stellar reception in the U.S. Last week, it opened on several Billboard tallies, and while it disappears from some this frame, it manages to debut on another — but only barely.

This week, “Old Phone” enters the Digital Song Sales chart, narrowly finding space on the list of the top-selling tunes in the country. It lands at No. 25, in last place. Luminate reports that the track sold just 1,700 copies.

Odd Timing for Ed Sheeran’s Song

Interestingly, “Old Phone” debuts on the Digital Song Sales chart a week after it reached other lists, such as the Hot 100. Typically, a new tune by a pop star starts with what may turn out to be its largest sales sum, as that’s when fans are most excited to head to platforms like iTunes and Amazon to purchase the cut.

“Old Phone” performed better last week in the U.S. than it did during its second frame when it comes to sales, as pure purchases dropped by 3.5%. The tally was busier last time around, which meant there wasn’t room for Sheeran’s latest.

Falling Off the Hot 100

As “Old Phone” arrives on the Digital Song Sales chart, it concurrently falls away from the Hot 100. The single debuted at No. 89 last week, which may turn out to be its peak. After just one stay on the list of the most popular tunes in America, it has vanished.

“Azizam” Remains the Main Hit

“Old Phone” may be gone from the Hot 100, but its predecessor is still present. “Azizam” dips to No. 54 in its sixth frame on the ranking. Radio is largely keeping that tune afloat, as it appears inside the top 10 on two of Billboard’s pop radio lists and approaches that highest tier on another. It can also be found on the all-genre Radio Songs tally, as DJs are usually keen to keep Sheeran’s music in rotation due to the large audience for his work.