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Feb 17

Charts – 15 February 2019

Posted on Sunday, February 17, 2019 by Paul in Music

Ariana Grande has an album out, and we all know what that means.

1.  Ariana Grande – “Break Up With Your Girlfriend I’m Bored”
2.  Ariana Grande – “7 Rings”
8.  Ariana Grande – “Needy”

It’s only been about six months since Ariana Grande’s last album “Sweetener”, but already we have a complete new album, giving her a third number one album.  The single “Break Up…” pushes her own “7 Rings” down to number 2, making her fifth number one single – three of which have come within the last 100 days (the other one being the title track).  This is pretty exceptional even in the streaming era, where we’ve had individual songs stick around at the top for ages, but it’s still rare for somebody to have a string of number one hits in a short period.  The only other modern artist to do it is Justin Bieber; going further back, Elvis Presley did it in 1961, and John Lennon did it when he died.

The title sounds like it should speak for itself, though it turns out not to have much to do with the rest of the lyrics; it feels like it’s wandered in from a different and more sociopathic song.  Somewhat randomly, the bridge is interpolated from “It Makes Me Ill”, a 2000 album track by ‘N Sync.  “Needy” is the other album track that gets heavy individual streaming, but the whole album would have placed in the top 22 were it not for the post-Sheeran rule that limits each artist to three tracks on the singles chart.  It’s not a particularly obvious single, so i suspect it just happened to be top of the pack.

3.  Lewis Capaldi – “Someone You Loved”

Climbing from 9, but  it has a video now, featuring cousin Peter.  The video is intended to promote an organ donation charity, Live Life Give Life.  Meanwhile, Capaldi’s previous single “Grace” rebounds from 40-26, as he seems to be making a rapid transition from “who?” to prominence.

Number 13 is “Going Bad” by Meek Mill featuring Drake, climbing from 18.

16.  Khalid & Disclosure – “Talk”

Credited just to Khalid in some countries, but in Britain producers Disclosure get co-billing – though it’s been a good six years since their biggest hits.  It’s the lead single from Khalid’s next album (which is officially his third, because last year’s “Sun City” was apparently an EP).

“Psych Out” by AJ Tracey, which reached 27 three weeks ago, re-enters at 18 on the back of the release of his album.  The album reaches number 3, beating his previous peak of 13. Dua Lipa’s “Swan Song” climbs to 24 after spending its first two weeks at 25, so it’s really taking its time getting going.  “Swervin” by A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie featuring 6ix9ine climbs into the top 30 at 27, and “A Lot” by 21 Savage joins it at 36.

30.  Tom Walker – “Just You And I”

Tom Walker finally lands a follow-up to last year’s top 10 debut “Leave A Light On”.  The video’s not bad but the song is forgettable.

33.  Lauv & Troye Sivan – “I’m So Tired”

Climbing from 39, but it’s got a video now, so here it is.  And now, here’s one for the inexplicable collaborations file:

34.  The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds of Summer – “Who Do You Love”

The Chainsmokers’ turn to emo last year didn’t exactly reap commercial rewards – “Sick Boy” only got to number 35 – but it does make it slightly more explicable that they’d make a record with 5 Seconds of Summer, the Australian power pop / boy band outfit who had an unexpected comeback hit last year with “Youngblood”.  The result sounds like a 5 Seconds single lightly remixed by the Chainsmokers, and it’s alright.

“Advice” by Cadet & Deno Driz re-enters at 36, following Cadet’s death in a car crash last weekend.  The single was hanging around the lower end of the chart for three months or so, peaking at 27, and only dropped out of the top 40 last week.

37.  CamelPhat x Cristoph featuring Jem Cooke – “Breathe”

CamelPhat are a production duo; this is their third hit, following “Cola” in 2017 and “Panic Room” last year.  Cristoph is a DJ, Jem Cooke’s the singer – both are getting their first hits. It’s the sort of club music that doesn’t actually make the singles chart that often these days.

40.  Blueface – “Thotiana”

One of those viral American rap hits that spills over marginally to the UK, basically.  There’s a remix version which is actually the one currently being promoted.  They’re both terrible.

Over on the album chart, “Thank U Next” by Ariana Grande is the new number 1, but we’ve covered that.  “AJ Tracey” by AJ Tracey enters at 3, and we’ve covered that too.

8.  Ward Thomas – “Restless Minds”

They’re a British country act, though on a fairly broad interpretation of “country” (think early Taylor Swift).  They had a number 1 in 2016 with “Cartwheels”, but no such luck this time round.  And in a very quiet week for new albums, we finish off with…

32.  Mercury Rev – “Bobbie Gentry’s Delta Sweete Revisited”

Their fifth top 40 album (out of a total of nine, ten if you count the 1995 side project Harmony Rockets).  It’s a cover version of the entirety of Bobbie Gentry’s 1968 album “Delta Sweete”, which wasn’t a hit in this country.  She’s best known for her 1969 number 1 single “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again”, but “Delta Sweete” was rather less saccharine than that – here’s the original of the track above.

Bring on the comments

  1. mark coale says:

    Maybe not in the UK, but I think in the US, Bobbie Gentry is/was best known for Ode to Billy Joe.

  2. Joe S. Walker says:

    Yes, “Ode To Billie Joe” was her big hit. But as the recent CD box set has shown, she did a lot of other good stuff as well. People should listen to that instead of anyone’s “tribute”.

  3. mark coale says:

    I listened to the Lucinda Williams version of Ode and while not a bad version, didnt like it as much as the original.

    Its interesting that her UK number 1 did not even place in the US chart.

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