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Dermot Kennedy opens-up a sizeable lead in the U.K. chart race with Sonder (via Island), his second album.

The Irishman’s LP leads the midweek survey, with an advantage of 12,000 chart sales over Taylor Swift’s Midnights (EMI), the next closest title.

Sonder is the followup to Without Fear, which, in 2019, saw Kennedy became the first Irish act in over years to bow at No. 1 in the U.K. with his debut.

Meanwhile, Queen is all set to make a miracle return to the chart. The legendary rock band returns to the Official Chart Update at No. 3 with The Miracle (Island), following an eight-disc reissue, including six unreleased tracks, four with the late Freddie Mercury on lead vocals.

The Miracle led the weekly chart following its original release in 1989.

Canadian rockers Nickelback are back, and ready to get rolling into the U.K. top 10. The band’s 10^th studio album, Get Rollin’ (BMG) is heading for a No. 5 start. If it holds its position, that would mark Nickelback’s sixth U.K. top 5 appearance, the OCC reports.

David Bowie could score another posthumous hit, this time with the original soundtrack to the Brett Morgan-helmed documentary film, Moonage Daydream (via Parlophone). It’s on track for a No. 7 debut, for what would be the Thin White Duke’s 36^th U.K. top 10.

Close behind is U.S. metal band Disturbed, which could bag a fourth U.K. top 10 appearance with Divisive (Reprise). It’s new at No. 8 on the chart blast.

Mariah Carey made an early foray into the U.K. singles chart top 40 last Friday (Nov. 18) with her holiday classic, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (Columbia). It hasn’t quite triggered an avalanche, though a ripple of Christmas-themed recordings are making a move on the albums chart.

Andre Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra are on track for a No. 4 start on the albums chart with Silver Bells (Decca); Andrea, Matteo and Virginia Bocelli’s A Family Christmas (Decca) is poised to lift 13-12; Kylie Minogue’s Kylie Christmas (Parlophone) is set to reenter at No. 27; and Michael Bublé’s multi-platinum gift that keeps-on giving, Christmas (Reprise), is poised to return at No. 35.

All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Friday.

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 first 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).