Billboard 200: Ed Sheeran Debuts Robustly

Ed Sheeran comes up big on the Billboard 200 with his third studio album, ÷. 

Expectedly, Ed Sheeran put up some mad numbers on the Billboard 200. ÷ earned the no. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, thanks to 451,000 units moved.  Of that robust total, approximately 71% of that total were pure sales.  That means, streaming and tracks still played a major factor in the British singer/songwriter’s overall units.  Obviously, topping the charts was simply a formality.

Besides Sheeran, only one other debut lands in the top 10.  R&B newcomer Khalid debuts at no. 9 with American Teen.  The numbers are modest, with Khalid mustering up just 37,000 units.  Of those 37,000 units, only 32% were pure sales! Still, give the teen artist props for earning his first top 10 album.  How many teens can brag about that? Few.

Most of the remainder of the top 10 is what is to be expected, BUT, Metallica shocks the world.  Hardwired…To Self-Destruct returns to top-five – no. 2! Future continues to make his presence known, even as Future and HNDRXX lose ground, but remain in the top-five. Bruno Mars (24K Magic) also remains hot, right behind Sheeran and Metallica at no. 3. Outside of the top five, Migos (Culture), The Weeknd (Starboy), Moana, and Trolls continue to be consistent chart performers.

So, who’s got next? Mighty Ed probably isn’t going anywhere.  The Beauty and the Beast soundtrack should make some noise, but could it unseat ÷? Seems unlikely given the robust numbers this week.

Photo Credit: Atlantic