U.K. CHARTS: TAYLOR ON TOP

Taylor Swift’s Lover (Virgin EMI) shifted 53k combined chart sales to claim her fourth U.K. Official Albums #1, making her the first female artist to land four chart-topping albums this decade in the U.K.

Lover’s sales in Blighty were made up of 27m track streams, 24k physical sales and 11k downloads. The first-week number is down significantly from predecessor Reputation, which shifted 84k across its first seven days, as well as 1989 (90k) and Red (61k). That's at least in part to do with declining album sales overall. For context, Ed Sheeran holds this year’s fastest-selling album title so far with No.6 Collaborations Project, which shifted 125k first week.

Swift is one of only seven acts with four chart-topping albums this decade in the U.K.— Michael Bublé, One Direction, Robbie Williams, Olly Murs, Eminem and Sheeran are the others.

The second highest new entry on today’s chart is London rapper Headie One with his Music X Road mixtape (Relentless) at #5. Outside the Top 10, Brockhampton’s Ginger (RCA) opens at #11, followed by New Model Army’s From Here (Ear Music) at #13.

On the Official Singles list, Sheeran has his eighth #1 and third from No.6 Collaborations Project, “Take Me Back To London” f/Stormzy (Atlantic). It’s Stormzy’s second chart topper. Thanks to a boost from two new remixes with rappers Jaykae and Aitch and grime producer Sir Spyro, “Take Me Back To London” rose 10 places and racked up 67k combined chart sales this week, including 10.6m streams.

Swift has three tracks from Lover in the Top 40: “Lover” is #14, up from #23; “The Man” is #21; and “Cruel Summer” starts at #27.