Taylor Swift’s ‘Anti-Hero’ On Track For Fifth Week Atop U.K. Chart
Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” (EMI) looks set to extend its reign in the U.K. for a fifth week.
The first track on Swift’s new album Midnights has dominated the Official U.K. Singles Chart since its release, Oct. 21, and is by some distance her longest-ruling No. 1 in that territory (her previous best was a two-week run in 2017 with “Look What You Made Me Do”).
Based on midweek sales and streaming data captured by the Official Charts Company, “Anti-Hero” should hold on for another week, making it five in a row.
Just four other releases this year have notched more than a month at No. 1 in the U.K.: “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (7 weeks) by the cast of Encanto, “As It Was” (10 weeks) by Harry Styles and “Afraid To Feel” (8 weeks) by LF SYSTEM.
Meanwhile, Meghan Trainor appears to be moving on up with her doo-wop number, “Made You Look” (Epic), lifting 4-3 on the midweek survey, for what would be a peak position.
The highest new entry on the Official Chart Update belongs to London rapper Clavish, who’s on the verge of his first top 10 with “Rocket Science” (Polydor) featuring D-Block Europe. It’s set to debut at No. 9.
Irish singer and songwriter Dermot Kennedy is on track for his second albums chart crown with Sonder, which leads at the midweek point. He’s on the rise on the U.K. singles survey, as “Kiss Me” (Island) improves 19-12, for what would be a new peak in its 12th week on the survey.
Grime star Stormzy is on fire with his latest, the ballad “Firebabe” (0207/Merky). It lights up 21-19 in its second week on the survey.
Christmas has come early on the U.K. singles chart, with Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (Columbia) making an earlier-than-usual annual return to top 40 on latest chart, published Nov. 18.
Carey’s evergreen number is only going in one direction — up. The record-breaking tune lifts 36-20 on the chart blast, and holds a slim lead over another holiday classic, Wham’s “Last Christmas” (RCA), up 45-22 on the chart blast.
It may be too early to confirm, but Ed Sheeran and Elton John’s “Merry Christmas” (Atlantic) might be here to stay, at least in the annual lead-up to Dec. 25. After hitting No. 1 last December, the duet is poised to return to the survey, at No. 33.
All will be revealed when the Official Chart is published Friday (Nov. 25).
Lars Brandle
Billboard