U.K. MIDWEEKS: A FIVE-WAY BATTLE

An all-new Top 5 are battling for the U.K. Official Albums #1 this week with Metallica currently leading the way. Over on singles, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion are in a tight race with Joel Corry and MNEK.

Just over 3,000 chart sales separate the albums in the Top 5 at the halfway point with Metallica’s live album with the San Francisco Symphony, S&M2 (Universal) leading on 2,000 sales.

The most downloaded album so far is Gregory Porter’s All Rise (Blue Note) at #2, followed by London rapper Nines at #3 with Crabs in a Bucket (Warner Records).

Disclosure’s Energy (Island) starts at #4 followed by Katy Perry’s Smile (EMI) at #5. PVRIS’ Use Me (Warner) is #10.

Brighton indie quartet The Magic Gang are on the cusp of a second Top 20 album with Death of the Party (Warner) at #11, ahead of two Record Store Day releases by David Bowie—the live album I’m Only Dancing (The Soul Tour ’74) at #19 (Parlophone) and ChangesNowBowie at #20.

Over on the U.K.’s Official Singles midweeks, Cardi B f/Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” (Atlantic) is leading by just 80 sales over Joel Corry and MNEK’s “Head & Heart” (Atlantic).

Boosted by viral success on TikTok, 24kGoldn is on track to score his first U.K. Top 10 single with “Mood” f/Iann Dior (Black Butter); it’s up six places to #5. BLACKPINK f/Selena Gomez’s “Ice Cream” (Polydor) is currently at #12 and on course to be the group’s highest charting single yet.

A brand new Calvin Harris and The Weeknd collaboration, “Over Now” (Columbia), is also on course for a Top 20 debut, currently at #19.