Shed Seven Surge for Shot at Second U.K. No. 1 Album In One Year

Shed Seven are on the brink of securing their second U.K. No. 1 album of 2024 as their latest release, Liquid Gold, pulls ahead in this week’s fiercely competitive race for the top of the U.K. Official Albums Chart.

The U.K. rockers have widened their lead to 2,700 chart units over Bring Me The Horizon and their album POST HUMAN: NeX GEn, according to the midweek blast from the U.K. Official Charts Company.

Liquid Gold, which marks Shed Seven’s seventh studio album, has been a hit with fans, driving both physical sales and downloads. Their creative promotion, including limited edition CDs styled like retro concert tickets, has helped push them to the top.

Currently the best-selling and most-downloaded album of the week, the band are looking to repeat the chart success they achieved earlier this year with A Matter of Time, which also topped the U.K. Albums Chart. If they hold on, this will be the band’s second No. 1 album in just 10 months.

However, Bring Me The Horizon’s POST HUMAN: NeX GEn isn’t out of the running just yet. Though it trails in physical sales, the Sheffield band is performing exceptionally well on streaming platforms, where they’re outpacing Shed Seven. The album, which is tracking for a new peak at No. 2, initially debuted at No. 5 back in July but has gained significant traction after its release on vinyl and other physical formats this week.

In third place is Nines’ new album Quit While You’re Ahead, making an impressive debut as the rapper looks to land another Top 3 hit after his 2023 release, Crop Circle 2, which peaked at No. 2.

Close behind, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet, a former chart-topper, is sitting comfortably at No. 4 midweek, thanks to her strong streaming numbers, and could move higher as the week progresses.

Further down the chart, Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective are holding firm at No. 6 with their jazz-influenced Dance, No One’s Watching, which is on track to become their first-ever U.K. Top 10 album. Also eyeing a Top 10 debut is Smitten, the latest release from Pale Waves, currently positioned at No. 7.

Elsewhere in the Top 10, Ed Sheeran makes a mark with his newly released + – = ÷ x Tour Collection, entering at No. 5, while Maxïmo Park’s Stream of Life is on course to debut at No. 9.

Shed Seven’s lead remains strong, but with streaming continuing to dominate the charts, the race for No. 1 is far from over. Stay tuned until the final chart positions are confirmed this Friday.

Jessica Lynch

Billboard