Shine Fading
The race could truly have gone either way this week. Every new midweek sales flash suggested the lead had changed hands or was on the verge of doing so. Even by the time the final public sales flash was released on Wednesday evening the gap between the two leaders was gossamer thin. Only a couple of hundred copies separated positions 1 and 2. Before the official publication of the charts on Friday I genuinely could not have made a confident prediction as to who would emerge victorious.
In the end things were a little more relaxed. However we still came within 3,000 chart units of Golden making modern day history with a fourth spell at No.1. In the end, it was not to be. The Fate Of Ophelia by Taylor Swift clings on to its regained crown for a second consecutive and fifth consecutive at the top of the UK charts. And - regrettably, because this continued to be enormous fun - this is the last we shall hear of this particular battle. Golden by Huntr/X will end its epic run at or near the summit of the charts, one which began lest we forget at the height of midsummer at the very end of July. The ACR axe will finally fall in time for next week's chart.
That presumably means RAYE will take over as TayTay's most immediate challenger. Where Is My Husband is for now holding steady at No.3, but it still continues to grow in appeal with a chart sale of just under 47,000 units. If it edges up still further and Swift continues to slide, then battle may well be joined. But it barely needs saying that the window for contemporary singles to properly enjoy themselves on the singles chart is coming to an end.
Talk To Me
Christmas time has happy memories for Olivia Dean, for it was via her Amazon-sponsored cover of The Christmas Song in 2021 that she first came to public attention. Four years on, and she has true superstar status as she and Ms Swift continue to enjoy three simultaneous Top 10 hits between them. For the first time however it is So Easy To Fall In Love which takes over as her biggest hit of the moment, edging up to a new peak of No.4. Former No.1 Man I Need is a pace behind at No.5 - but it is still important to note that it is an ACR-encumbered No.5. The still overwhelming popularity of the track means that she and her label can count themselves unlucky to have not been able to engineer avoiding ACR all those weeks ago. Man I Need commands enough sales and streams to actually be the de jure No.1 this week, its SCR numbers would be almost 59,000 chart sales - 6,000 more than The Fate Of Ophelia.
Never mind, Olivia Dean's other two hits - because yes, she is at least able to exploit that particular chart rule to have more than is normally allowed - are also still going great guns. Sam Fender duet Rein Me In does something it has not achieved since its chart run first began back in June and spends a second consecutive week in the Top 10, rising to No.7 in what is startlingly its highest chart position since it first peaked at No.6 fully five months ago. Meanwhile rising doggedly and praying it doesn't get blasted out of sight by the festive favourites, A Couple Minutes is now No.13 three weeks in to the belated start of its own chart run.
Who doesn't love Olivia Dean right now, truly?
Spiralling Upwards
Before we finish gushing about hot British female stars, let's take note of Sienna Spiro, now the performer of a Top 10 single as Die On This Hill continues its own chart rise as it shoots to No.9. As I have not yet tired of pointing out (and there will be plenty of unavoidable repetition in the next few weeks), one of the tracks you see on the charts this week is likely to end up being this year's Messy or Stick Season or Escapism. A pre-December chart single that finally comes good and tops the charts for the new year. Mark your cards accordingly.
Rapidly joining the three big-hit club (ie, simultaneous chart hits at the higher end of the table) is EsDeeKid. His tracks continue to grow in popularity: Phantom is up at No.15, Century joining it in the Top 20 at No.16, while the lesser spotted 4 Raws is now also a Top 40 hit as it makes a bow at No.35.
Humbug
But even though we aren't yet in December the drumbeat of festive songs is about to become a thunderous roar. After a quiet start the Yule Log is now at 14 Christmas songs in the Top 100 (down from 17 last year). Three are Top 40 hits already - Last Christmas is 19, All I Want For Christmas Is You is 22, with the American influence of the Spotify playlists once again sending Brenda Lee and Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree to No.38. And a reminder that these are all hits on permanent ACR, so their true position in the list of most popular online streams is not properly reflected. An ACR-free Last Christmas would actually have 26,000 chart sales and already be the No.6 hit of the week. It is almost certainly on its way back to No.1 in a couple of weeks' time. You can almost smell it. Or is that the mulled wine?
Cover Me, Hold Me
Still, there are a few "new" new entries to contemplate. Songs that their backers surely don't really believe will retain anything approaching chart visibility, but will still be in the mix for long enough to assert themselves in January. New at No.26 is Charli XCX with Chains Of Love, a brand new track taken from her forthcoming soundtrack to the new movie adaptation of Wuthering Heights, due for release (both on record and theatrically in February). The single is very her, if you take my meaning. Big on atmosphere and a vibe rather than worrying about essentials like a tune. But if a track doesn't grow on you slowly and yet steadily, it isn't really a proper Charli XCX single. Her first hit since the belated Top 20 success of Party 4U back in June, Brat Summer is long behind her - but get ready, I guess, for Heathcliff Winter.
Dying Here
Lewis Capaldi, do you think you can gatecrash your way to a Christmas time hit? I mean, I wouldn't put it past him, but perhaps his new single The Day That I Die is also being pitched for a new year tilt at the top. It is the fourth of four tracks from his Survive EP to chart. The title track was of course No.1 (briefly) back in July with Something In The Heavens following it into the Top 3 just over a month ago. The third was the little-noticed Almost which crept to No.44 at the start of the month but the set is now complete with this new single arriving at No.27.
Checking In
Finally for this week it could almost be that KPop Demon Hunters has started a trend. Hit Amazon adult cartoon series Hazbin Hotel is rammed with musical numbers, and although the Season 1 soundtrack made few chart waves when unleashed in 2024 (although Loser Baby did creep to No.53 for its voice cast), its Season 2 counterpart appears to have made a huge splash. Hence the arrival at No.29 of Love In A Bottle. As it appears is compulsory these days, the credits for the track list each voice artist in turn - in this case Keith David, Lilli Cooper, Kimiko Glenn, Krystina Alabado, Sam Haft and Andrew Underberg. Which means we kind of have to note for the record that No.41 hit Losin' Streak is from the same source, even though that one credits Haft, Underberg and Blake Roman. But the "soundtrack" is still the primary artist, covering those two hits along with No.72 entry Vox Populi. Credited to a different combination of voice actors and singers.
Santa Baby
The bookmakers have opened their Christmas No.1 markets, but frankly you are on a hiding to nothing to get value out of anything. Not willing to be stung twice, everyone has Wham at odds-on favourite. They seem convinced Kylie Minogue is a good second favourite, her new track XMAS is an Amazon exclusive and forms part of the new tenth anniversary re-release of her Kylie Christmas album. Year in year out the Amazon recordings are indeed up there in the mix, benefiting of course from not being stuck on ACR. Yet they just don't have the legs to outdo the old favourites. I struggle to see this happening this year either. Prove me wrong Britain. We need something new to talk about this time of year, don't we?
