Chase & Status and Stormzy Hold Strong at No. 1 on U.K. Chart with ‘BACKBONE’

Chase & Status and Stormzy continue their reign atop the U.K. Official Singles Chart for a second consecutive week with their collaboration “BACKBONE.”

The track, which pairs Chase & Status’s high-energy drum and bass production with Stormzy’s commanding lyrical delivery, remains the most-streamed song in the U.K. this week, boasting an impressive 5.5 million streams.

Following the single’s debut at No. 1 in the U.K. last week, Chase & Status, comprised of Saul Milton and Will Kennard, said of the collaboration with Stormzy, “We knew that connecting with Stormzy was going to create something special, but we didn’t expect a KO reaction like this.”

“To see him running out at our show at The Milton Keynes Bowl in his best man’s suit, straight from a wedding and in front of 45,000 people, was insane!” they added. “One of the greatest British MCs to ever do it, spitting over DnB. And for it to go straight in at Number 1? It couldn’t get any better for us.”

This week’s highest new entry belongs to the powerhouse duo of Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. Their track “Die with a Smile” debuts at No. 7, marking Gaga’s 15th and Mars’s 11th Top 10 singles in the U.K. The track fuses Gaga’s distinctive flair for dramatic pop with Mars’s smooth, R&B-infused vocals, creating a unique blend that has quickly propelled the track into the Top 10.

Meanwhile, BL3SS, CamrinWatsin, and bbyclose celebrate their first-ever Top 5 single as their summer dance hit “Kisses” climbs to a new peak at No. 5.

Belfast’s rising star Jordan Adetunji also continues his ascent, with his catchy track “KEHLANI” moving up to No. 8, marking another career milestone.

Elsewhere on the chart, Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!” breaks into the Top 10, reaching No. 10 after 14 weeks on the chart, thanks in part to a surprise performance with Olivia Rodrigo in Los Angeles. Indian rapper Hanumankind and producer Kalmi make their mark on the U.K. charts as well, with their track “Big Dawgs” jumping six spots to land at No. 15.

In other notable movements, Sonny Fodera, Jazzy, and D.O.D’s “Somedays” continues to climb, now at No. 16, while Taylor Swift’s “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” rises to No. 21 following the release of its Eras Tour-filmed music video.

Finally, Gigi Perez’s “Sailor Song” makes its first appearance in the Top 40, climbing to No. 35, and Gracie Abrams’ “I Love You, I’m Sorry” gains a new peak at No. 37.

Listen to “BACKBONE” by Chase & Status and Stormzy below.

Jessica Lynch

Billboard