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Dave and Central Cee’s “Sprinter” has another race on its hands.
The hit U.K. hip-hop single has the edge at the halfway stage in the chart week, though two singles from the Barbie soundtrack are trailing close behind.
If “Sprinter” (via Live Yours/Neighbourhood) does keep its momentum, it’ll secure a 10th consecutive week at No. 1, extending its lead as the longest-reigning homegrown hip-hop single ever in the U.K. and drawing level with Miley Cyrus’ run with “Flowers” for the market’s longest-ruling single this year.
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Dua Lipa or Billie Eilish could have a say in that.
Lipa’s Barbie cut “Dance The Night” (Warner Records) trailed “Sprinter” by about 1,000 combined units after the first 48 hour of the chart cycle, the Official Charts Company reports, and holds at No. 3 on the midweek chart.
Eilish’s “What Was Made I For?” (Interscope), also from Barbie The Album, and the best-seller on Australia’s latest ARIA Chart, is at No. 2 on the chart blast.
Meanwhile, Nathan Dawe, Joel Corry and Ella Henderson could return to the top 10 with “0800 Heaven” (Atlantic), up 11-8 on the Official Singles Chart Update, while Becky Hill and Chase & Status’s “Disconnect” (up 15-9 via Polydor) and Gunna’s “Fukumean” (up 13-10 via 300 Entertainment) are gaining on the chart blast.
Just outside the top 10 is Calvin Harris and Sam Smith’s latest collaboration “Desire” (Columbia), up 17-11 for what would be a new chart peak. If it heads further north, it would be Harris’ 30th top 10 single and Smith’s 13th.
Also looking up is Anne-Marie and Shania Twain’s “Unhealthy” (Atlantic/Asylum/EMI), which could bounce 22-17 for a new peak. “Unhealthy” is the title track to Anne-Marie’s third studio LP, which bowed at No. 2 on the national albums chart.
Finally, Doja Cat is looking to pounce on the chart with “Paint The Town Red” (Kemosabe/RCA). Doja’s latest tune, which is expected to appear on her as-yet untitled fourth studio album, is set to start at No. 20 in the U.K. for the week’s top debut.
All will be revealed when the Official Charts are published late Friday, Aug. 11.
“Sprinter” remains unbeaten in U.K. chart races as Dave and Central Cee’s hit clocks nine consecutive weeks at No. 1.
With that feat, “Sprinter” (via Live Yours/Neighbourhood) becomes the longest-reigning U.K. rap single in U.K. chart history. It’s the second time Dave has entered the record books following the surprise release of “Starlight” in 2022, which logged four weeks at the summit, a new benchmark for a solo U.K. rap No. 1.
If “Sprinter” can cross the line first when the next chart is published on Friday, Aug. 11, it would draw level with Miley Cyrus’ 10-week reign with “Flowers,” for the longest-running leader this year.
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Central Cee, the London rapper and songwriter, also appears further down the list with “On The Radar Freestyle” (Columbia/OVO Sound), his collaboration with Drake. It’s new at No. 26 for Central Cee’s 19 U.K. top 40 appearance, and Drake’s 82nd.
Barbie retains a firm grip on the Official Charts, as four songs from the hit film’s soundtrack impact the top ten, led by Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For” (Interscope) up 3-2 for a new peak. Eilish’s low-key number is currently No. 1 in Australia.
Barbie: The Album cuts “Dance The Night” by Dua Lipa (up 4-3); “Barbie World” by Ice Spice, Nicki Minaj and Aqua (up 5-4) and “Speed Drive” Charli XCX (19-9) motor to new chart peaks. With its steep climb on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Aug. 4, “Speed Drive” becomes Charli’s sixth U.K. top 10 single and her first in eight years as a lead artist, dating back to 2015’s “Doing It” featuring Rita Ora.
Close behind is Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken,” up 25-14, and Lizzo’s “Pink” up 39-27.
With Travis Scott‘s Utopia lording over the albums survey, hip-hop is the undisputed king of the U.K.’s charts this week. Scott also nabs the highest new entry this week on the singles survey with “Meltdown” (Epic). Featuring vocals from Drake, it’s new at No. 10 for Scott’s fifth U.K. top 10 appearance.
Meanwhile, Calvin Harris and Sam Smith’s latest collaboration, “Desire” (Columbia), starts at No. 18, while Post Malone’s “Chemical” enjoys a boost following the release of the U.S. singer and rapper’s fifth studio album, Austin. “Chemical” roars 83- 24, as Austin bows at No. 3 on the albums tally.
Finally, Sinead O’Connor makes a posthumous return to the top 40 with her signature song, “Nothing Compares 2 U” (Chrysalis), reentering at No. 30 on a 60% gain in combined sales, the Official Charts Company reports.
“Nothing Compares 2 U” logged four weeks at No. 1 following its initial release in 1990. The Irish singer and songwriter died July 26, at the age of 56.
Travis Scott is living his best life on the U.K. albums chart as Utopia (via Epic) bows at No. 1.
The U.S. hip-hop star’s fourth studio album debuts at the summit of the Official Chart, published Aug. 4, eclipsing the No. 3 best for his previous album, 2018’s Astroworld.
Utopia, a digital-only release, finishes the week in a flurry. Anne-Marie’s Unhealthy (Atlantic) was the leader at the halfway point, with an advantage of about 200 combined sales. When the chart proper was published last Friday, Unhealthy had dipped to No. 2, some 1,500 chart units behind Utopia.
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Unhealthy is the English artist’s third U.K. top 5 album, following 2018’s Speak Your Mind (No. 3) and 2021’s Therapy (No. 2). Despite missing out on the title, Unhealthy becomes the fastest-selling album of 2023 for a U.K. solo female, according to the Official Charts Company, which reports that physical sales account for 84% of its first-week tally.
Utopia, meanwhile, bags the biggest streaming week for any LP so far this year.
Completing an all-new top three is Post Malone’s Austin (Island). That’s the U.S. rapper’s fifth U.K. top 10 album to date after 2016’s Stoney (No. 10), 2018’s Beerbongs & Bentleys (No. 1), 2019’s Hollywood’s Bleeding (No. 1) and 2022’s Twelve Carat Toothache (No. 3).
Further down the list, veteran Birmingham, England band Dexys (formerly Dexys Midnight Runners) sprint to their highest-charting LP in over 30 years with The Feminine Divine (100 Percent Records). Their sixth studio set starts at No. 6 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart.
You’d have to wind the clock back to 1982 to find a higher chart position for Dexys, when their sophomore effort Too-Rye-Ay, which featured the enduring hit “Come On Eileen,” peaked at No. 2. Kevin Rowland and Co. last landed in the U.K. top 10 with 2016’s Let the Record Show: Dexys Do Irish and Country Soul, which peaked at No. 10.
As Barbiemania sweeps the nation, Billie Eilish’s lowkey Barbie cut “What Was I Made For?” (via Interscope) is challenging for the U.K.’s chart crown.
Eilish’s latest hit sits at No. 2 on the midweek chart, having trailed the leader, Dave and Central Cee’s “Sprinter” (Live Yours/Neighbourhood), by just 1,500 combined units with the publication of this week’s earliest chart blast.
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“Sprinter” has been unbeatable in its chart run, clocking eight consecutive weeks at No. 1.
Travis Scott could be living his best life with Utopia (via Epic), which is well placed in the national albums chart race. The followup to 2018’s Astroworld, Utopia could yield three top 10 singles, led on the midweek chart by “Meltdown” (No. 7), “Fein” (No. 9) and “Hyaena” (No. 10). Scott has already notched four top 10 appearances.
Further down the list is Calvin Harris and Sam Smith’s latest collaboration “Desire” (Columbia), poised for a No. 17 bow. If it holds its position, it would mark Harris’ 41st top 40 single and Smith’s 22nd. The pair previously teamed up on 2018’s “Promises,” which led the national chart for six weeks.
Meanwhile, Sinead O’Connor’s tragic death on July 26, aged 56, is fueling interest in the Irish singer’s biggest hit, “Nothing Compares 2 U” (Chrysalis). The Prince-penned classic from the early ‘90s bounces to No. 19 on the Official Singles Chart Update, dipping from No. 12 on the First Look chart, which ranks tracks based on sales and streaming activity from the first 48 hours. Powered by its emotionally-charged music video, the single led the chart for four weeks following its release in 1990.
Finally, the legendary leftfield electronic music producer Aphex Twin is tuning-up for his highest-ever peak in the U.K. with “Blackbox Life Recorder 21F” (Warp). It’s new at No. 29 on the midweek chart, and could mark the artist’s (real name: Richard David James) first appearance on the singles chart since 1999’s “Windowlicker,” which achieved his career-best peak of No. 16.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published late Friday, Aug. 4.
It’s tight at the top of the midweek U.K. chart, as Anne-Marie and Travis Scott tussle for the crown.
Based on data published by the Official Charts Company, Anne-Marie’s third studio album Unhealthy (via Atlantic) has the edge – a wafer-thin one, of less than 100 chart units.
If it stays on target, Unhealthy will give the English artist her third top 10, and first leader. Anne-Marie’s previous albums both impacted the top 3 — 2018’s Speak Your Mind (No. 3) and 2021’s Therapy (No. 2).
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Meanwhile, Scott’s Utopia opens at No. 2 on the Official Chart Update, with three tracks from it (the maximum allowed under the U.K.’s chart criteria) are on track to appear in the singles chart top 10. Utopia is the followup to Scott’s Astroworld (Epic), which peaked at No. 3 on the national survey in 2018. Like Anne-Marie, the Houston, TX rapper has never landed a U.K. No. 1.
Completing an all-new podium on the chart blast is Austin (Island), the fifth studio album from Post Malone. Austin is set to start at No. 3, for Posty’s fifth top 10, a career collection that includes two No. 1s.
Meanwhile, veteran English pop-rock group Dexys (formerly Dexys Midnight Runners) are on track for their highest-charting LP since 1982 with The Feminine Divine (100 Percent Records), their sixth studio album. It’s new No. 4 on the midweek tally. The last time Kevin Rowland and Co. soared in the top 5 on the U.K. chart was back in 1982, with sophomore effort Too-Rye-Ay, which featured the enduring No. 1 hit “Come On Eileen.” Too-Rye-Ay peakedat No. 2 and enjoyed a 40-year anniversary reissue in 2022.
Last week’s leader, Blur’s The Ballad of Darren (Parlophone), looks set to tumble 1-5.
Finally, folk legend Joni Mitchell could bag her highest chart appearance since the ‘70s with At Newport (Rhino). Recorded in 2022 during a surprise performance at Newport Folk Festival, her first major outing since suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015, Mitchell’s latest release sits at No. 11 on the midweek survey and appears set to become her highest charting U.K. LP since 1976’s Hejira, which also peaked at No. 11.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Friday, Aug. 4.
It’s official: Barbie is slaying at the box office, and she’s also smashing the music charts.
Barbie: The Album (via Atlantic) leads the U.K.’s compilations chart and three tracks from it climb into the national singles chart top 5 — Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For” (up 10-3 on a 71% week-on-week gain in chart sales, via Interscope), Dua Lipa’s “Dance The Night” (up 15-4 on a 86% lift in chart sales, via Warner Records) and Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and Aqua‘s “Barbie World” (up 20-5 with a 115% boost in chart sales, via Atlantic/Capitol/Republic).
Until now, no film soundtrack has simultaneously landed three top 5 singles in the U.K.
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The first film soundtrack to bag three simultaneous U.K. top 10s was 1978’s Saturday Night Fever (“Night Fever,” “If I Can’t Have You,” “More Than A Woman”), and the Grease soundtrack from the same year launched three top 10 hits (“Summer Nights,” “Grease,” “Hopelessly Devoted To You”).
Disney’s Encanto from 2022 became the first animated film soundtrack to claim three simultaneous top 10s (“We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” “Surface Pressure” and “The Family Madrigal”).
It’s a good week for Aqua, with not one but two top 40 appearances. Powered by the popular Margot Robbie-starring film, “Barbie World,” which interpolates Aqua’s one-time U.K. No. 1 “Barbie Girl,” gives the Norwegian pop outfit their first U.K. top 5 spot in 25 years, since 1998’s “Turn Back Time,” the Official Charts Company reports. It’s Aqua’s sixth U.K. top 10 appearance, Minaj’s 15th and Ice Spice’s first.
“Barbie Girl,” meanwhile, reenters the top 40 for the first time in 25 years, at No. 40, with a 91% week-on-week uplift in combined sales, according to the OCC. The kitsch classic from 1997 is a member of the U.K.’s million-seller club, coming in at No. 16 on the all-time list.
Barbie playtime doesn’t end there; a total of six entries from the soundtrack appear in the U.K. top 40, published Friday, July 28, including cuts by Charli XCX, “Ken” actor Ryan Gosling, and Lizzo.
Barbie: The Album is the current No. 1 in Australia, where it becomes the first soundtrack since Encanto to lead the ARIA Chart.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Greta Gerwig-directed Barbie movie has raked in $774.5 million at the global box office in just 12 days.
At the top of the singles chart mountain in the U.K. is Dave and Central Cee’s “Sprinter” (Live Yours/Neighbourhood), which wins the chart race for an eighth consecutive week, ahead of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” (Geffen), which holds at No. 2.
Listeners are feeling the rush! Troye Sivan’s newest single debuts across a wide spread of July 29-dated Billboard charts, spanning genres and geographical borders.
“Rush” is new on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 77. That marks Sivan’s first entry on the list since 2021’s “You” with Regard and Tate McRae, and first solo appearance since “My My My!” in 2018. The new track scored 6.1 million on-demand streams and sold 2,000 copies in the week ending July 20, according to Luminate.
Sivan adds eighth career Hot 100 hit, having hit a No. 23 high with “Youth” in 2016.
Sivan released “Rush” on Thursday, July 19, spurring enough activity to debut on last week’s HotDance/Electronic Songs at No. 30 from one day of consumption. This week, it blasts to No. 3. It’s his first solo hit on the chart; he spent eight weeks at No. 1 with “You” in June-August 2021.
“Rush” also hits No. 1 on Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs and Dance/Electronic Song Sales.
The song’s success extends beyond these U.S.-based charts, debuting on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. survey at No. 29 and the Billboard Global 200 at No. 34. Worldwide, “Rush” drew 23.4 million streams and sold 4,000 downloads in the tracking week. It’s Sivan’s first time in the top 100 of the Global 200, much less his first in the top 40.
The immediate success for “Rush” builds upon the slow-burn rise of Sivan’s “Angel Baby.” Released in September 2021, “Angel Baby” first appeared on Global Excl. U.S. seven months later, on the April 16, 2022-dated chart. It ultimately rose to No. 75, and No. 156 on the Global 200, largely backed by consumption from Asian countries. It topped Billboard’s Hits of the World charts in Malaysia and the Philippines and hit No. 2 in Indonesia and Singapore.
“Rush,” on the other hand, opens at Nos. 13 and 14, respectively, on Australia Songs and Ireland Songs, while hitting No. 40 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. While traditional ballads like “Angel Baby” are welcomed Asia (Justin Bieber’s similarly paced “Ghost” was the lone other English-language track in the top 10 in Malaysia at the time), these primarily English-language markets, particularly in Europe and Sivan’s native Australia, tend to be riper for a pop-dance track like “Rush.”
As Barbie blows up box-offices around the globe, the official soundtrack struts its way to No. 1 in Australia.
Barbie The Album (via Atlantic/Warner) opens at No. 1 on the ARIA Chart, published July 28, while several tracks from it climb the singles survey. The big gainers include Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” up 8-2; “Barbie World” by Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and Aqua soaring 23-3; and “Dance The Night” by Dua Lipa shimmying 27-6.
Barbie, which features “Journey to the Real Word” by Tame Impala, and “Forever & Again” by The Kid Laroi, both artists from the land Down Under, is the first soundtrack to lead the national tally since Disney’s Encanto completed an 11-week climb to the top in March 2022, ARIA reports.
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Starring Aussie actor Margot Robbie in the titular role, Barbie raked in a “dazzling global debut of $356.3 million,” according to The Hollywood Reporter, a sum that includes a biggest opening ever for a Warner Bros. title in Australia ($14.6 million).
Jack is back on the albums chart. John Farnham, the legendary, ARIA Hall of Fame-inducted singer, has four albums in the top 100, powered by the July 24 TV debut of the documentary John Farnham: Finding The Voice.
Leading the charge is his Greatest Hits (Sony), vaulting 169-9 for a new peak position. Farnham, who has battled health issues in recent months, boasts the highest-selling album ever in Australia by a domestic artist, 1986’s Whispering Jack. The album spent 25 weeks at No. 1 following its release, en route to shifting more than one million copies. Whispering Jack reenters the ARIA Chart at No. 41.
Also debuting on the latest tally is Blood Red (Sony) from Australian folk-rock duo Busby Marou, new at No. 14; and River Runs Dry (Universal) by Cold Chisel’s Ian Moss, new at No. 18.
Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, “Sprinter” (Virgin/Universal) by Dave and Central Cee outraces the pack for a seventh non-consecutive week at No. 1.
The top debut this week belongs to Travis Scott, Bad Bunny and The Weeknd, whose collaborative single “K-Pop” (Epic/Sony) is new at No. 27. “K-Pop” is lifted from Scott’s new album Utopia, which dropped Friday.
There’s some K-pop in the top 20, specifically, cuts from NewJeans’ second EP Get Up (ING/Universal). All six tracks from the EP impact the top 100, including “Super Shy,” up 26-14 for a new peak position, while “ETA” bows at No. 34, “Cool With You” starts at No. 40, “ASAP” is at No. 64 and the title track appears at No. 82. The girl group has an Aussie connection: Danielle Marsh is born-and-raised in Newcastle, Australia, and Hanni Pham is a Melbourne native, who featured on The Voice Kids Australia back in 2014.
Arctic Monkeys’ The Car was named one of the 12 albums of the year by the 2023 Mercury Awards on Thursday (July 27). It’s the band’s fifth album to be shortlisted for the honor, which puts them in a tie with Radiohead for the most shortlisted albums since the award was introduced in 1992.
Arctic Monkeys won the award in 2006 with Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not and were finalists with Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007), AM (2013), Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (2018) and now The Car. Radiohead was shortlisted with OK Computer (1997), Amnesiac (2001), Hail to the Thief (2003), In Rainbows (2008) and A Moon Shaped Pool (2016). Radiohead has yet to win the award.
Should Arctic Monkeys win again, they will join PJ Harvey as the only two-time winners of the award. Harvey won in 2001 with Stories form the City, Stories from the Sea and in 2011 with Let England Shake.
Two of the shortlisted albums — The Car and Fred Again..’s, Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022) appeared on Billboard’s list of The 50 Best Albums of 2022: Staff List.
The Mercury Prize — officially known as The Mercury Prize with FREENOW — celebrates the best of British and Irish music across a range of contemporary music genres.
The 2023 awards show will take place on Thursday, Sept. 7, at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, London. The event will feature live performances from many of the shortlisted artists and the evening will culminate in the announcement of the overall winner.
The shortlist was revealed at a launch event. It was also announced live on BBC Radio 6 Music by Tom Ravenscroft as part of a Mercury Prize special. BBC Music, The Mercury Prize’s broadcast partner, will provide coverage of the event across BBC TV, radio, online and social media.
The shortlist was chosen by an independent judging panel chaired by Jeff Smith, head of music, 6 Music & Radio 2. Unlike judging panels for the Grammy Awards, where the members’ names are not revealed, the Mercury Prize publishes the names of all of the committee members. In addition to Smith, this year’s committee consisted of: Anna Calvi – musician, songwriter & composer; Danielle Perry – broadcaster & writer; Hannah Peel – musician, songwriter & composer; Jamie Cullum – musician & broadcaster; Jamz Supernova – broadcaster & DJ; Lea Stonhill – music programming consultant; Mistajam – songwriter, DJ & broadcaster; Phil Alexander – creative director, Kerrang!/contributing editor, Mojo; Sian Eleri – broadcaster & DJ, Tshepo Mokoena – music writer & author; Will Hodgkinson – chief rock & pop critic, The Times.
Here’s the complete list of 2023 Mercury Prize albums of the year:
Arctic Monkeys, The Car
Ezra Collective, Where I’m Meant to Be
Fred Again., Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022)
J Hus, Beautiful and Brutal Yard
Jessie Ware, That! Feels Good!
Jockstrap, I Love You Jennifer B
Lankum, False Lankum
Loyle Carner, hugo
Olivia Dean, Messy
RAYE, My 21st Century Blues
Shygirl, Nymph
Young Fathers, Heavy Heavy
MELBOURNE, Australia — Mushroom Group spawns a new live entertainment company, MG Live.
Unveiled Thursday, July 27, the independent music powerhouse consolidates a string of its events and touring businesses under the umbrella of MG Live, including Illusive Presents, Roundhouse Entertainment, Good Life, I OH YOU Touring, and Arena Touring.
The fresh collective will focus on developing branded events and experiences alongside its domestic and international headline touring, and will continue to deliver tours in conjunction with sister company Frontier Touring, the powerhouse concerts specialist.
“Throughout the last eighteen months we have worked to consolidate a number of Mushroom’s live interests outside of our leading touring business Frontier Touring,” comments Mushroom Group chairman and CEO Matt Gudinski, who helms MG Live, along with an experience executive team.
“We looked at how to best move forward with our other specialist touring and leading event companies,” he continues in a statement, “and decided the time was right to combine their strengths and bring them under one banner.”
Matt Gudinski
Brian Purnell
Speaking with Billboard ahead of the announcement, Gudinski says the seeds for MG Live were planted before the COVID-19 pandemic. And as the Melbourne-based company celebrates its 50th anniversary, expect more change and evolution.
“The consolidation that we’re looking at across a number of different areas of the group,” he explains, “you’ll see a number of other things over the next six to 12 months which will really drive greater success, ensure we’re combining our strengths and, really, allow myself and the other leaders of the group to better manage all the different businesses that are part of Mushroom.”
Those businesses number more than two-dozen affiliates active in every conceivable area of the music and entertainment industries, from touring to publishing, merch and marketing services, venues, exhibition and events production, neighboring rights, branding, labels, talent management and more. In recent weeks, Mushroom Group added a new agency, MBA, a partnership with Guven Yilmaz, founder and managing director of Vita Music Group.
Frontier Touring, a partnership with AEG Presents which is unaffected by the new live entertainment company, has teamed with MG Live’s companies which, in the past 12 months, have sold more than 1.3 million tickets combined, according to the business, and produced tours over that time that include Tyler, The Creator, Fatboy Slim, Ed Sheeran, Billy Joel, Richard Marx, Pavement, and more.
The MG Live touring slate for the months ahead includes Robbie Williams and the Chicks performing at a day on the green, plus Fridayz Live and Boiler Room events, as well as tours by 070 Shake, The Teskey Brothers, DMA’S, Valley and Earl Sweatshirt.
As for the brand, is MG Live a reference to Michael Gudinski, the late, legendary founder and chairman of the group, his son Matt, or the broader business itself, Mushroom Group?
“It might be a combination of all of those,” says Matt Gudinski, cryptically. “It just clicked.”