iTunes UK

YE JOLLY OLDE iTUNES U.K. CHARTS: On this Friday in July, heat is radiating off the next generation of charismatic British subjects: Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Sia and 5 Seconds of Summer. You can feel it intensely in the U.S., the U.K. and the British Commonwealth as far away as Australia, the home country of Sia and 5SOS. That’s one big story; another is the unprecedented frequency of the term “featuring” (or “feat.” for short) on both the U.K. and U.S. charts; there are four collabs on the iTunes U.K. Top 10 at the moment, and that’s typical of 2014 as a whole on both sides of the pond. (7/11a)