Ed Sheeran’s grip on the top of the album charts may be under threat from the likes of Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron with the soundtrack of their latest film.
The Hollywood stars both perform on The Greatest Showman soundtrack, which is edging up the album chart, according to the Official Charts Company.
The film’s music success could stop Sheeran from claiming another double chart victory this week.
The singer once again has both his latest single and album as favourites to top their respective charts if they can fend off the competition.
Sheeran’s album Divide and single Perfect are in the running to bring the total number of times he’s had a double chart victory to 10.
His popularity on the singles chart has also been given an extra boost from American rapper Eminem, as their collaboration – the single River – sits comfortably in second position.
He now also ties with Canadian pop star Justin Bieber for the most weeks spent in first and second chart single positions over 13 non-consecutive weeks, the charts company said.
This week’s highest new entry on the singles chart looks set to be Liam Payne and Rita Ora’s song For You, from the Fifty Shades Freed film.
Early predictions have the single charting in fourth position while Ora’s Anywhere could claim third position on the singles chart.
Sheeran’s Perfect claimed the Christmas number one for 2017, and last week he claimed the first number ones of the year after topping both the albums and singles charts.
In this week’s albums chart, The Greatest Showman is currently in second position, but with just 800 combined sales between it and Divide, a surge in popularity could see it clinch the top spot.
One of the film’s songs, titled This Is Me, was named the best original song at the Golden Globes ceremony.
The rest of the top five album rankings are occupied by Sam Smith (third position), Rag’n’Bone Man (fourth) and Eminem (fifth position), the charts company says.
In the run-up to the two-year anniversary of David Bowie’s death on January 10, his album Legacy may also return to the Top 40 charts.
