U.K. MIDWEEKS: CHRISTMAS #1s UP FOR GRABS

A mere 2.2k combined chart sales separate Harry Styles, Rod Stewart and Stormzy in the race for the U.K.’s Official Albums #1 on Friday. Over on singles, last year’s Christmas #1, viral dad blogger LadBaby, has taken an early lead with a new charity release.

Styles is new at #1 at the halfway point with Fine Line (Columbia), followed closely by Stewart whose You’re In My Heart (Rhino) is just 60 combined sales behind at #2.

Stormzy’s Heavy is the Head (Atlantic/Merky) is new at #3; it was the most streamed album this weekend.

Robbie Williams’ yuletide collection, The Christmas Present (Columbia), is at #4, and Coldplay’s Everyday Life (Parlophone) is #5.

The only other new entry in this week’s sales flash belongs to Gary Numan, whose live album with the Skaparis Orchestra, When The Sky Came Down (BMG), could net him a 16th Top 40 album. It’s #22.

On the U.K.’s Official Singles midweek update, LadBaby takes an early lead for the Christmas #1 with “I Love Sausage Rolls” (a very British twist on Joan Jett’s classic “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”), which has been released in aid of food bank charity The Trussell Trust.

While LadBaby leads on downloads, he’s nowhere to be seen on Spotify’s U.K. Top 50, where Mariah Carey's classic "All I Want For Christmas is You" (Sony) is currently #1 (#6 on today's Official Chart).

It’s going to be a close race for the Official Singles Christmas #1 too—there’s just 2k combined sales separating the other three contenders, with Stormzy f/Ed Sheeran & Burna Boy’s “Own It” at #2 and Wham!’s “Last Christmas” (Sony) at #3, which sit at #3 and #2 on Spotify's chart respectively, and Ellie Goulding’s version of “River” (Polydor) at #4.

Stormzy has the second highest new entry with “Audacity” f/Headie One at #8, followed by “Lessons” at #13.