Spray
Stability returns to the top of the charts at long last. After six consecutive weeks of a different song at No.1 each time (even if only four different tracks were involved) Dior from MK and Chrystal remains comfortably at the top of the Official UK Singles chart with an increase in consumption helping extend its lead over the nearest challenger.
Said challenger is former No.1 hit Manchild which although it remains No.2 continues to sink back, putting an end to any chance it might have of returning to the summit for a third time. Both tracks head up a Top 10 with a slightly fresher look than usual, largely thanks to ACR bringing to an enforced end the Top 10 runs of Ravyn Lenae's Love Me Not (binned off to No.22) and perhaps most notably of all Pink Pony Club from Chappell Roan which dives 5-30 to bring an end to its five month stay in the Top 5. Now let us never speak of it again.
Benefitting from this clearing of the air is Blessings from Calvin Harris and Clementine Douglas which after an extraordinary nine weeks shuttling back and forth between 6, 7 and 8 now rises to a brand new peak of No.3. It is the Scotsman's biggest chart hit in well over two years, his first Top 3 single since Miracle had an extended run at No.1 in spring 2023. It is also now the first Top 3 single for Clementine Douglas, and it seems entirely appropriate she does this now given her debut hit Asking was a track co-produced by and co-credited to a certain Mark "MK" Kinchen.
Baby Baby Oh
Justin Bieber shocked everyone this week with the release of a surprise new album SWAG, one to which the reaction was to say the least muted. It debuts at No.4 on the albums chart this week but spawns three Top 40 hit singles, the biggest of which is the highest new entry of the week. Alt-pop curiosity Daisies is his first Top 10 hit single in what feels like an extraordinarily long time, his first hit to climb this high since Kid Laroi collaboration Stay reached No.2 in summer 2021. It becomes the Canadian star's 28th Top 10 single in this country, although the most notable thing about it is that it is the first Bieber song in a long time that it is very hard to hate. Trust me, if Harry Styles had released this it would be being hailed as the greatest hit record ever.
Also on the move is Ed Sheeran's Sapphire, stranded for a month in the No.9 position but now his second Top 5 hit of the year as it rises to No.5. We get to end a long-running joke though as Azizam (bless you) succumbs to ACR and dives to No.41 after 15 weeks as a Top 20 hit single.
Up Up Up For Joy
Early midweek flashes suggested it was only going to move up a couple of places, but as the week went on Golden from Huntr/x (or at least the women performing as them) gained a second wind. The single is set to be Top 10 in most global charts and pleasingly Britain has not been left behind as the Kpop Demon Hunters smash flies to No.9. All but forcing you to pay attention to it if you have not so far. The two other tracks from the movie are also on the move, albeit more slowly: Your Idol rises to No.23 and How It's Done is at No.29. Despite being credited to two different acts (Huntr/x and Saja Boys) the chart rules see the "artist" as the movie soundtrack meaning these are the only three permitted to chart. That's why we aren't seeing the Saja Boys' Soda Pop which briefly appeared on midweek flashes. But perhaps give it time.
Also new to the Top 10 this week is Nice To Each Other by Olivia Dean, its two place climb to the bottom rung means it replaces her Sam Fender duet Rein Me In which occupied the No.10 position last week but which now falls back four places.
Going up, up, up after a month marooned in mid-table is No Broke Boys from Disco Lines and Tinashe, clearly forming a part of clubland's golden summer on the charts. It rockets 25-16 to finally hand Tinashe her second Top 20 hit, nine and a half years since her role on the Snakehips No.5 hit All My Friends became her first.
Together They Too Are Golden
Enjoyably in the same week a fictional K-Pop girl group lands a breakthrough smash hit, the OG real world one are also back in the charts. Blackpink are presently in the curious position where the solo works from many of their members (most notably Rose) have eclipsed any of their long-running efforts to score an international chart hit. But there is every chance that this notoriety may actually help their collaborative work. Case in point is their new single Jump which is the second highest new entry of the week at No.18. Their tenth Top 75 hit, it becomes their third to reach the Top 20 and lands agonisingly one place short of equalling their best - Lady Gaga collaboration Sour Candy remains their biggest after it reached No.17 in June 2020. Like most Blackpink tracks this new hit isn't the most immediate pop single and the video is to say the least a scary experience. But I repeat: they are the template on which Huntr/x are based, and it might just be that our appetite for the real deal is bigger than it ever has been in the past.
Also on the move is High On Me from Rossi and Jazzy, now No.19 after a fortnight stranded at No.28. Seeing hits emerge from the lower reaches of the chart always remains a joy, even if it cannot take away the pain of seeing PinkPantheress' Illegal drop for the second week running (now at No.26).
I mentioned Bieber's album spawned three hits, and the other two occupy places at the lower end of the Top 40, Yukon at No.33 and All I Can Take at No.34. But let's face it, they are both a bit rubbish. Aren't they?
