J Hus, Taylor Swift and Rita Ora Battle For U.K. Albums Chart Title

It’s tight at the top of the midweek U.K. albums chart, as J Hus’s Beautiful and Brutal Yard (Black Butter) takes the lead.

Beautiful and Brutal Yard leads Official Chart Update and, if it holds its spot, would give the Stratford, England rapper his second leader following 2020’s Big Conspiracy. J Hus enjoyed a critical and commercial breakthrough with his 2017 debut Common Sense, which peaked at No. 6 on the national survey and was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize.

Close behind is Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI), last week’s leader which dips to No. 2 on the chart blast.

Coming in at No. 3 on the midweek survey is Rita Ora’s long-awaited third studio album You & I (BMG), which could give the British pop star a second top 10, after her debut Ora from 2012 which went all the way to No. 1. You & I is the followup to 2018’s Phoenix, which peaked at No. 11 on the weekly list.

According to the Official Charts Company, fewer than 2,000 chart units currently separate the top three albums.

Meanwhile, Glasgow, Scotland singer-songwriter Gerry Cinnamon is set to arrive at No. 4 with Live At Hampden Park (Little Runaway); American alt-pop artist Pvris who could bag a second top 10 with Evergreen (Hopeless), poised to debut at No. 5; Lauren Spencer Smith’s debut full-length album Mirror (Island) could bow at No. 6; and Mahalia’s second record IRL (Atlantic) is on course for No. 9, for what would be the British R&B artist’s first top 10 entry.

Finally, U.S. rapper Lil Tjay could snag a third top 40 with 222 (Columbia), new at No. 24 on the chart blast, while Joel Corry’s singles collection Another Friday Night (Atlantic) is at No. 28, and could give the British DJ and producer his first appearance on the Official Albums Chart.

All will be revealed when the national survey is published this Friday, July 22.