U.K. MIDWEEKS: GRACIE ABRAMS GUNNING FOR FIRST #1

Gracie Abrams is heading towards #1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart with her sophomore album, The Secret of Us (Interscope). Over on the singles tally, Sabrina Carpenter is battling herself for the top spot.

The Secret of Us has doubled the sales of its closest competition so far, and that competition is Taylor Swift’s THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT (EMI), which sits at #2. Abrams (pictured) is on track to better the #3 peak achieved last year by her debut, Good Riddance.

The timing is especially fortuitous for both artists as Abrams joined Swift last night (6/23) at London's Wembley Stadium for a surprise duet of their song "us." Swift has seven albums in the Top 40 at the moment, with Lover at #6; 1989 (Taylor’s Version) at #9; reputation at #14; Midnights at #15; folklore at #19; and Red (Taylor’s Version) at #36.

The Mysterines are eyeing a #3 debut with their second set, Afraid of Tomorrows (Fiction), while BRAT (Atlantic) by Charli xcx is on track to log a third week in the Top 5, at #5.

Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (KRA/Island) could reach another new peak on Friday at #8. Outside the Top 10, Avril Lavigne’s Greatest Hits (Sony) is at #12 and Ed Sheeran’s X (Atlantic) could re-enter the chart at #13 thanks to a 10th anniversary reissue.

On the U.K.’s Official Singles midweeks, Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” (Island) and “Espresso” are neck and neck at #1 and #2, respectively, while Roan is heading for her first U.K. Top 10 single, with “Good Luck, Babe!” rising four spots to #9.

The lead single from Coldplay’s forthcoming 10th album, “feelslikeimfallinginlove” (Parlophone), which was produced by Max Martin, could debut at #19. And Charli xcx is on her way to a third Top 40 single from BRAT, with “girl, so confusing” fixing for a #25 debut following the release of its remix with Lorde.