Katy Perry’s new album Witness (Virgin) can only manage fifth place on the U.K.’s midweek chart as London Grammar’s latest effort takes a massive lead in the race to the title.
London Grammar’s Truth Is A Beautiful Thing (Ministry of Sound) has accumulated combined chart sales of 31,000 to grab an early advantage on the Official Albums Chart Update, some 18,000 ahead of its nearest rival, Adios (UMC) from Glen Campbell, according to the Official Charts Company.
If Truth retains its lead at week’s end, the British trio will have a first career No. 1 (London Grammar's debut If You Wait peaked out at No. 2 in 2013).
Ed Sheeran’s sales juggernaut Divide (Asylum) slips to No. 3, just one place ahead of Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie (East West/Rhino), the new album from the Fleetwood Mac mainstays which bows at No. 4.
Perry’s fourth album Witness is languishing in 5th place. Sure, it’s early days for Witness, but it’s certainly a soft start for an album whose two predecessors both hit No. 1 (Teenage Dream in 2010 and Prism in 2013).
Also aiming for a big start is Lady Antebellum, whose Heart Break (Decca) is at No. 8 and could give the U.A. country act its fourth top 10, while Chuck Berry’s final album Chuck (Decca), completed shortly before his death in March, could give the legendary rocker his fifth top 10. It’s at No. 10 on the midweek list.
On the singles survey, Justin Bieber’s collaboration with David Guetta on "2U" (Def Jam/Parlophone) is cruising to the week’s strongest start with a No. 3 bow on the Official Singles Chart Update.
"2U" is Bieber’s third collaborative single this year, after DJ Khaled’s “I’m The One” (also with guests Quavo, Chance The Rapper and Lil Wayne), and Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s "Despacito" (Def Jam/RBMG/Republic/UMLE). Both hit the summit of the Official Singles Chart, while EDM star Guetta hasn’t cracked the U.K. top 10 since 2015’s "Hey Mama" featuring Nicki Minaj and Afrojack.
Meanwhile, “Despacito” is on track for a sixth week at the top, while Ariana Grande’s "One Last Time" (Republic) is at No. 2.