Mariah Carey Set to Challenge Wham! for U.K. Christmas No. 1

Mariah Carey has overtaken Tom Grennan in the race for the U.K.’s Christmas No. 1 Single, as per a new report from the Official Charts Company published Tuesday (Dec. 17).

Moving to No. 2 in the midweek charts, Carey’s festive classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is now in pole position to challenge last week’s chart-topper, Wham!’s “Last Christmas.” This year’s Christmas No. 1 will be announced via BBC Radio 1 on Friday (Dec. 20), with sales and streams counting up until 11.59 p.m. GMT the evening prior.

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The hit single played the long game to reach the summit on the U.K. chart, eventually hitting the top spot for the first time in 2020 after a 26-year journey. In the process, the song set a new chart record, according to the Official Charts Company: No other song had spent more weeks in the top 40 before eventually reaching No. 1 in U.K. chart history.

Grennan, meanwhile, has been steadfast in his campaign for No. 1 this week. Despite Carey overtaking him Tuesday morning – with little over 200 chart units currently separating the pair – the Bedford singer’s “It Can’t Be Christmas” remains at No. 3. One of Amazon Music’s new festive releases for 2024, the track first entered the top 40 two weeks ago at No. 25, before climbing 19 places on last Friday’s chart (Dec. 13).

Posting to Instagram earlier this week, Grennan shared that he had got a tattoo in honour of this year’s chart battle. “I thought I’d make it interesting,” he said in a clip of him getting “Christmas No. 1 2024 is…” inked on his right thigh. “Stream it, buy the vinyl,” he instructed his audience. “We’ll see what happens. You lot, do not let this flop.”

The 29-year-old is the latest in a string of British acts who have recorded Yuletide-inspired tracks for Amazon Music U.K. In 2023, Eurovision runner-up Sam Ryder rode all the way to No. 2 with “You’re Christmas to Me,” while Jorja Smith peaked at No. 16 that year with her cover of East 17’s “Stay Another Day.”