NEAR TRUTHS: REALIGNMENT AND RECOGNITION
Underscoring the year's biggest stories (11/19a)
NEAR TRUTHS: THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
Nervous time in the music biz and beyond. (11/16a)
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NOW WHAT?
We have no fucking idea.
COUNTRY'S NEWEST DISRUPTOR
Three chords and some truth you may not be ready for.
AI IS ALREADY EATING YOUR LUNCH
The kids can tell the difference... for now.
WHO'S BUYING THE DRINKS?
That's what we'd like to know.
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The race for the U.K.’s Official Christmas #1 single is a battle between Ava Max, Ariana Grande… and a novelty song by YouTube personality LadBaby. Over on albums, Bruce Springsteen has the highest new midweek entry at #2.
Max is currently leading the way on singles with “Sweet But Psycho” (Atlantic) ahead by just 978 combined sales. At #2 is LadBaby—a dad of two from Nottingham who has built up a sizeable following on YouTube with his videos documenting parenthood. His track is a northern version of Starship’s “We Built This City,” but dedicated to sausage rolls instead of rock & roll, naturally. It’s all in the name of charity with proceeds going to food bank network The Trussell Trust.
Ariana Grande is just 508 combined sales behind at #3 with “thank u, next” (Island) and she's also new at #4 with “Imagine.” While LadBaby is #1 on iTunes, the track is nowhere to be seen on Spotify’s U.K. Top 50 where Mariah Carey is top with “All I Want for Christmas is You” (Columbia), which is #5 on Monday’s Official Chart update.