Update: According to Hits Daily Double, Ed Sheeran’s “x” is pacing to win the weekly album sales race with an estimated opening week tally of 175-200,000. Regardless of where it falls on that range, the final total will represent a significant lift from the 42,000 moved by predecessor “+.”
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While the music world awaits final opening week sales numbers for Lana Del Rey’s “Ultraviolence,” Sam Smith’s “In the Lonely Hour” and Linkin Park’s “The Hunting Party,” attention is already turning to next week’s chart, which will feature Ed Sheeran’s “x” as the primary attraction.
In conjunction with Monday’s worldwide release, the album, which is pronounced “multiply,” quickly surged to the #1 spot on the iTunes Album Sales chart in the US.
Fueled by high-profile promotion, an aggressive iTunes instant gratification pre-sales campaign and a solid single in “Sing,” the album will move significantly more than the 42,000 pushed by predecessor “+” in its debut week.
G-Eazy’s “These Things Happen” is currently #2 on the chart, while Sam Smith’s “In the Lonely Hour” holds on at #3. Lana’s “Ultraviolence” and Linkin Park’s “The Hunting Party” complete the top five.
