U.K. MIDWEEKS: ANOTHER STAR RISES AT UMG

Island’s singer/songwriter Dermot Kennedy is heading toward #1 on the U.K.'s Official Albums Chart with his debut, Without Fear. Should he hold onto his lead, Universal will claim its third #1 album with a debut act this year.

Kennedy has the first of three new entries in the Top 5 midweek charts today, ahead of Easter is Cancelled (Cooking Vinyl) by The Darkness at #3 and Live in the City of Angels (BMG) by Simple Minds at #4. Further down, the debut album by Summer Walker, Over It (Polydor), starts at #10.

British rock band The Wildhearts are at #12 with their new EP, Diagnosis (Graphite) and The Sherlocks’ second album, Under Your Sky (BMG), opens at #13.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ self-released 17th studio album, Ghosteen, is at #14, and Wilco are in line for a seventh U.K. Top 40 record with Ode To Joy (dBpm) at #16.

Over on the U.K.'s Official Singles midweeks, "Dance Monkey" (Parlophone) by Tones & I is set to hold on to #1 for a second week.

Travis Scott’s "Highest in the Room" (RCA) is the highest new entry today at #2, followed by Justin Bieber’s new collaboration with Dan & Shay, "10,000 hours" (Warner/Virgin EMI), at #19.

Kennedy’s "Outnumbered" is on track to climb into this week’s Top 10, so far up four places to #10 following the release of his debut.