Hey, we did a podcast, and it’s one post down! Meanwhile, it’s Dua Lipa Week on the UK top 40.
1. Ed Sheeran – “Shape of You”
Fourth week, and “Castle on the Hill” is still at number 2. Nothing else is particularly close, so this could last a while yet. The album “x” rebounds to number 4, and “+” is back up to 21, because people really really like Ed Sheeran. Maybe he’s an oasis of calm in uncertain times.
5. The Chainsmokers – “Paris”
Up two, making this their third top five hit.
10. Sean Paul featuring Dua Lipa – “No Lie”
Up one. It’s his eighth top ten hit as a lead artist. More to the point, it’s also the first top ten appearance for Dua Lipa, who is having a very good week on the chart, as illustrated by…
11. Dua Lipa – “Be The One”
… which is up ten places, for this week’s highest climber. Remember, this one died on its first release a year ago, despite doing decently well abroad – and they did promote it. (Here she is plugging it on Radio 1 last January, for example.) But 2017 looks to be her year. And it is a good single, which deserved a second shot.
13. Zayn & Taylor Swift – “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)”
From the soundtrack of Fifty Shades Darker. Obviously. Is that still a big thing? The book is five years old, the first movie was two years ago… We’ll find out when the film comes out, I suppose. This has been out for a while, entering at 16 before Christmas and dropping as far as 36 before rebounding as the film promotion takes off. It also has a video now. Still, it’s a Taylor Swift single and it’s reaching a peak of number 13 in its eighth week on chart. That doesn’t sound too great to me.
20. Major Lazer featuring PartyNextDoor & Nicki Minaj – “Run Up”
One of Major Lazer’s more mellow pop tracks, though there’s something marginally interesting going on with the drums. PartyNextDoor is a Canadian rapper, getting his first singles chart credit (though his third album made number 11 last summer). Nicki Minaj is still hanging around the chart as a guest on Ariana Grande’s “Side to Side”, which peaked at number 4 back in October.
23. Martin Garrix & Dua Lipa – “Scared To Be Lonely”
Yes, a third Dua Lipa single. It’s a big push to start the year. Garrix apparently considers this a follow-up to last year’s top ten hit “In the Name Of Love”. It’s his fifth single as lead artist and, as yet, the only one not to make the top ten – though give it time. Mind you, it is competing with “Be The One”, which I’d say was clearly the superior Dua Lipa single…
31. Migos – “Bad & Boujee”
This has now edged up 37-34-31.
34. Tinie Tempah featuring Tinashe – “Text From Your Ex”
Up one place. This is certainly taking its time to get going.
35. Rag’N’Bone Man – “Skin”
Follow-up to “Human”, which is still in the top 10. It’s not immediately in the same league, but then “Human” was an instant classic, so it’s a tough debut to live up to. But the album is out next week, so it needs another little push.
On the album chart:
The La La Land soundtrack album climbs to 1 in its third week, which is unusual to put it mildly. Here’s the “City of Stars” clip.
“All These Countless Nights” by Deaf Havana is the highest new entry at 5. Indie rock. It’s their third album, and beats their previous peak of number 9. Single: “Fever”.
“I Hope You Don’t Mind Me Writing” by Lucy Spraggan at 12. Yes, her from X Factor five years ago. It’s her fourth album to chart, though, so she’s done okay out of it. Single: “Dear You”. (It’s quite good, actually.)
“A Girl A Bottle A Boat” by Train at 13. Their tenth album, and the fifth to chart in the UK – the British bought 2001’s “Drops of Jupiter” and then ignored them until 2010, at which point they started charting again. Single: “Play That Song”.
“Culture” by Migos at 16. Their second album, their first to chart in the UK – we’ve had the single already.
“A Moment of Madness” by Izzy Bizu re-enters at 23, having previously spent a single week at number 28 last September. Not quite sure what’s going on there, I guess it’s being re-promoted. Single: “Talking To You”.
“SweetSexySavage” by Kehlani at 26. Officialy her debut album, but that depends on you classifying two other releases as mixtapes. Single: “Distraction”.