George Ezra on track for first number one single
The singer-songwriter’s latest hit could be about to oust Clean Bandit from the top spot.
Singer-songwriter George Ezra is on course to claim the first chart-topping single of his career with latest hit Shotgun.
Ezra, 25, was denied the honour last week by electronic band Clean Bandit, whose duet with US singer Demi Lovato called Solo climbed one spot to depose Jess Glynne’s I’ll Be There.
Now Ezra looks set to follow in the Cambridgeshire band’s footsteps, with Monday’s Official Chart update showing Shotgun and Solo have swapped around in the top two spots on the singles chart.
Ezra previously got to number two earlier this year with Paradise while his breakthrough hit Budapest peaked at number three.
Late rapper XXXTentacion is set for a dramatic rise up the chart, with his song Sad rising from 31 to number five according to the update.
The American artist, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, was fatally shot in Florida last week at the age of 20.
Fellow rapper Meek Mill paid tribute to him by wearing a hoodie that bore his image during a performance at the BET Awards.
The current top five on the singles chart is completed by Anne-Marie’s 2002 and Glynne’s former number one, which stay at three and four respectively.
On the albums charts The Greatest Showman’s place at the top is under threat from US rock band Panic! At The Disco.
Panic! At The Disco is now a solo-project led by founding member Brendon Urie. The sixth record to be released under the Panic! name, Pray For The Wicked, is currently 5,500 combined chart sales ahead of the musical’s cast which includes Zac Efron and Hugh Jackman.
As a group their highest charting album in the UK was Pretty Odd, which reached number two a decade ago.
TV presenter and singer Jane McDonald has docked at number four with new album Cruising With, named after her Bafta-winning TV show on Channel 5.
If the waters remain smooth for McDonald it would be the entertainer’s highest charting album since her self-titled debut in 1998.
Ezra’s album Staying At Tamara’s has dropped one place to three on the updated chart.
The Beach Boys’ collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has not dropped out of the top five, it is currently fifth place on the albums chart.
The update follows an announcement from the Official Charts Company that streaming and downloading of videos from artists will soon count towards the UK’s only official singles countdown, which is unveiled by BBC Radio 1 every Friday afternoon.
The change will be effective from the chart published on July 6.
