Chart Check: Ed Sheeran’s ‘Play’ Enters the Billboard 200 with His Lowest First-Week Sales to Date

Ed Sheeran‘s Billboard 200 top 5 streak may still be in tact thanks to the lukewarm opening of his latest album, the September 12-released ‘Play,’ but the project’s debut marks a career low for the 4-time GRAMMY winner.

Details inside.

Ed Sheeran’s ‘Play’

First-Week Sales (SPS): 71,000 units

First-Week Sales (Pure): 51,000 units

Billboard 200 Debut: #5

‘Play’ premiered on the updated Billboard 200 in the #5 slot to total first-week sales of 71,000, the lowest Stateside opening figures of his career.

The sum was aided by its availability across a deluxe CD boxed set containing a T-shirt and a signed CD, a standard streaming and digital download album, more than 10 vinyl variants, four standard CD variants, two deluxe CD editions, and a deluxe streaming and digital download album with five bonus tracks.

Despite the valiant effort, the LP’s premiere position still comes as his lowest arrival since his inaugural album ‘Plus‘ debuted and peaked at #5 in 2011.

Led to Billboard battle by singles ‘Camera,’ ‘A Little More,’ ‘Sapphire,’ ‘Old Phone,’ and ‘Azizam,’ the September 12-released project also comes as his first without a Hot 100 top 20 hit preceding its release.

Look below to see who joins him in the top 10 of this week’s Billboard 200.

Billboard 200 This Week

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See the full chart here.