U.K. MIDWEEKS: SWIFT VS. STYLES
Harry Styles and Taylor Swift are battling it out for the U.K.’s Official Albums #1 this week. Little Mix, meanwhile, is leading the midweek singles race with “Sweet Melody” (RCA).
Swift’s evermore (EMI) sits at #1 on the albums chart at the halfway point, followed by Styles’ Fine Line (Columbia), which rises eight places to a new peak of #2 after the arrival of his new single, “Treat People With Kindness.”
Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia (Warner Records) remains at #3, followed by Little Mix at #4 with Confetti (RCA). Queen’s Greatest Hits (EMI) is up three places to #5.
Fresh from his appearance on Jools Holland’s annual Hootenanny, Michael Kiwanuka’s KIWANUKA (Polydor) is on track to re-enter at #16, while Sophie Ellis Bextor’s Songs From the Kitchen Disco (Cooking Vinyl) is the most-downloaded album of the week—it’s #19 following Bextor's Graham Norton Show performance.
On the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart, Little Mix—now a trio following the departure of Jesy Nelson—could claim their first chart-topper in more than four years as “Sweet Melody” rises eight places to #1.
Ed Sheeran’s “Afterglow” (Atlantic), surprise-released during Christmas week, trails in second place, while “Whoopty” (Warner Records) from New York rapper CJ climbs 11 spots to #3.
Irish DJ producer Shane Codd is also heading for a personal best as “Get Out My Head” (Polydor) hits #4, ascending into the Top 10 for the first time in its 10th week on the chart.
Lipa’s “Levitating” is up to #5 from #68, while her Miley Cyrus collaboration “Prisoner” (RCA) rebounds 20 places to #8. The highest new entry of the week so far comes courtesy of Justin Bieber; “Anyone” (EMI) starts its chart journey at #12.
