Ed Sheeran sees off new entry competition to reclaim top spot in albums chart

Ed Sheeran has seen off challenges from multiple new entries in the album charts to reclaim the top spot with his fifth studio album Equals.

The 31-year-old singer first topped the charts with the hit record in November, and it has since accumulated more than 524,000 UK chart sales to date, according to the Official Charts Company.

This success follows after the recent release of a new remix version of his chart-topping track Bad Habits with metal rockers Bring Me The Horizon, which was debuted at the Brit Awards early this month in a surprise collaborative performance.

Bradford-born bassline collective Bad Boy Chiller Crew are this week’s highest new entry, coming in at number two with their second mixtape Disrespectful.

The trio – consisting of Gareth “GK” Kelly, Kane Welsh and Sam “Clive” Robinson – told OfficialCharts.com: ”We’ve got nothing but love for our fans, thank you. Our dreams are coming true.

“We want the world to party. It can be a dark place, but we just want to provide some feel-good beats.”

Alternative rock band Sea Power, previously known as British Sea Power, are also a new entry this week placing fourth with their eighth studio album Everything Was Forever.

This is the group’s first record since they rebranded in 2021 and it is their highest UK albums chart peak to date.

While the third spot was taken by Adele’s award-winning album 30 after it climbed one place, and Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour has risen two places to take fifth.

Elsewhere in the UK singles chart, the soundtrack from the movie Encanto continues its popularity as the track We Don’t Talk About Bruno settles in for a sixth week at number one, racking up more than 7.8 million UK streams over the past seven days, said the Official Charts Company.

The track, which was written by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, was the first original Disney song to reach the top spot in the singles chart.

The film, about an extraordinary family who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, has won acclaim for its catchy music and for exploring a cultural perspective not often seen in Disney movies.

Two more songs from the Encanto soundtrack also hold on to their place in the Top 10 – Surface Pressure by Jessica Darrow is at number three and The Family Madrigal by Stephanie Beatriz and Olga Merediz holds steady at number eight.

Sheeran also takes the number two spot in the singles chart with his collaboration with Afrobeats singer Fireboy DML on their track Peru.