U.K. CHARTS: JANET FAILS TO MAKE WAVES IN BLIGHTY
Warner high-energy DJ/producer quartet Rudimental have indeed scored their second #1 on the Official Albums Chart in Blighty as comeback king Justin Bieber is back at #1 on the Singles Chart with “What Do You Mean” (Def Jam). So where’s Janet? Despite topping the HITS Album Sales Chart, Blighty remains relatively nonplussed with Jackson's first studio album in seven years, Unbreakable (BMG/Rhythm Nation), which lands at #11.
Rudimental’s We the Generation doubled the sales of nearest competitor, Atlantic/Asylum’s Ed Sheeran with x. The red-headed crooner returns to the second spot with his second album after being announced as co-host for this year’s MTV EMAs.
Fifth single from We the Generation “Lay It All on Me” feat. Sheeran has had over 3k plays across all U.K. radio this past week. Album promo included an outdoor advertising campaign and today Rudimental launched an app via Disciple Media with a gig ticket giveaway to their date at Alexandra Palace (10k+ cap.) in London next Friday. The group are currently on tour in the U.S., playing The Regency Ballroom in SF Bay Area (1,400 cap.) tonight before continuing in Edinburgh and the rest of Europe on 10/13.
Atlantic breakout singer/songwriter Jess Glynne, who this week has been making waves stateside thanks to a Coca-Cola sync deal and a final tour date at L.A.’s Troubadour, continues her tenure in the Top 5, rising from #5 to #3 with debut I Cry When I Laugh. The LP hit #1 on its release in August on combined sales of just under 60,000, awarding Glynne the second biggest opening week of any debut album in 2015.
Signed to Atlantic in 2013 by Alec Boateng and Briony Turner, who currently A&R her too, Glynne is managed by father-and-son duo Roy and Sam Eldridge of UROK Management.
Also a previous albums chart topper, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour is at #4 with Rattle That Lock (Columbia) this week. Completing the Top 5 is Stafford rockers Editors, who earn their fifth consecutive Top 10 album with In Dream (PIAS Recordings).
Singles wise, Bieber has now counted three different stints at #1 since the release of comeback track "What Do You Mean” (Def Jam) on 8/28. The world saw a little bit more of Bieber than usual this week thanks to the leak of nude photos on Wednesday. Along with making it into the history books of overexposed celebs, Bieber’s chart trifecta adds “What Do You Mean” to the modest list of three other songs in history to achieve the feat. The others being Frankie Laine’s “I Believe” (1953), Guy Mitchell’s “Singing the Blues” (1957) and Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” (2014).
With a spot on the BBC Radio 1 A List, "What Do You Mean?” has had over 4k plays across all U.K. radio this week and is the most streamed track of the week, counting 2.91 million listens over the last seven days.
R. City’s “Locked Away” feat. Adam Levine (Kemosabe/RCA) scores a new Official Chart peak at #2 today, followed by Sam Smith’s new Bond theme song, and the first to reach #1 last week, “Writing’s on the Wall” (Capitol) at #3.
Philip George & Anton Powers nab this week’s highest climber and most downloaded track with “Alone No More” (3 Beat), which ascends a mighty impressive 120 places to #4, trailed by Ellie Goulding’s “On My Mind" (Polydor) at #5.
