The midweek charts suggested a fairly quiet week.  As it turns out, there are ten new entries this week – but six of them are between 31 and 40, so the midweeks weren’t entirely wrong.

One of those new entries is at number one – “We R Who We R” by Ke$ha.  This is the lead single from “Cannibal”, a companion EP promoting a re-release of her album “Animal”.  Basically, it’s the old “special edition” schtick, except they’re going to sell the same album packaged alongside the new EP.  Since the new EP is available separately, it’s actually a fairer way of treating the people who bought the album the first time round.  Although as a rule, these days, they can just download the extra tracks if they’re that bothered.

“We R Who We R” is your standard Ke$ha lyric, still doing the drunken party girl schtick.  Musically, though, she gets to do a bit more actual singing in this one, and the production seems to be trying to migrate into Calvin Harris/Lady Gaga territory.  I suspect she’s well aware that the original gimmick has a limited lifespan and that, having made an initial impact, the next step is to try and transition into a broader range.

This is her eighth UK hit, counting guest appearances, and her first solo number one; until now, her biggest hit as the lead artist was “Tik Tok”, which got to number 4 in November 2009.  She also reached number one as the guest vocalist on “Right Round” by Flo Rida in March 2009, her debut hit, and one she chose not to promote for reasons that are a little obscure – most likely because it didn’t really chime with the image she was trying to create with her own records.  The woman in the video is somebody else entirely.  Incidentally, “Right Round” is one of those singles that has a fabulously over-earnest Wikipedia entry, where you can learn about the themes of the song and enjoy a blow by blow recap of the video.  (“Several women are then seen dancing on or around cars while Flo Rida stands in front of them.  A waitress comes in to serve them an unidentified beverage.”)

It won’t be number one next week, but it’ll be up there.  So it’s done its job in terms of keeping her profile up.

Number 5 is “Blind Faith” by Chase & Status featuring Liam Bailey. The actual song starts at 1:11, and yes, this is the official video.  Chase and Status are nostalgic for the days of warehouse raves, evidently; for those too young or too foreign to remember, this sort of thing was a major news story in the early nineties or so, and produced a lot of rather self-important records about the nobility of partying.  For a good example of the genre, try “Breach the Peace” by Spiral Tribe.  Which, to be fair, I bought when it came out.  I have no idea what I was thinking.  I thought they were ridiculous then.

Anyhow.  “Blind Faith” is a great record, though not one I’d have associated with anything you see in the video.  It’s the third and biggest hit for Chase & Status (their previous best was “End Credits”, which reached number 9 in 2009).  Liam Bailey is a soul singer who was signed by Amy Winehouse’s label last year, so he’ll doubtless be back when the album is ready to promote.  For some reason the chart listing doesn’t credit the female guest vocalist; apparently it’s Yolanda Quartey, the lead singer of Phantom Limb.

Number 10 is “Yeah 3x” by Chris Brown, the second single this year to use a riff surprisingly reminiscent of “I’m Not Alone” by Calvin Harris.  It’s the lead single from Brown’s fourth album.  For fairly obvious reasons, the previous album was greeted rather unenthusiastically by UK radio stations and none of the singles got above 26, but apparently we’ve all forgotten about that unpleasantness now, so this is his highest placing since 2008.   He’s had 12 hits since he debuted in 2006.

Working our way down the chart, there’s a batch of climbers in the teens.  “Hello” by Martin Solveig & Dragonette has now travelled 19-18-16-13.  “Let it Rain” by Tinchy Stryder featuring Melanie Fiona is up 11 to 14.  The two-year-old “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele still won’t die, and climbs back up four places to 15.  And “Higher” by Taio Cruz is up 20 to 17 – it’s likely to be in the top 10 on Sunday.

Number 21 is Pink, with a single that’s variously called “Perfect” or “Fuckin’ Perfect” depending on who you ask.  Like her last single “Raise Your Glass” it’s a radio-friendly anthem directed to outsiders, although this one’s targetted rather more specifically at the depressed.  The video, which includes a scene of a woman carving the word “Perfect” into her arm with a razor, is hardly subtle but does seem generally sincere.  (Much the same could be said about the song itself.)  My initial reaction is to wonder what TV stations are supposed to make of that video, but of course it’s 2011, and it doesn’t really matter whether you can get the video broadcast, as long as it can still go viral.  Anyway, this is going to climb next week.  It’s her 25th UK hit, the first being “There You Go” way back in 2000.

That leaves the collection of minor new entries between 31 and 40.  Number 31 is “The Roller” by Beady Eye, who are basically the final line-up of Oasis without Noel Gallagher and without the rights to the name.  Of course, Oasis without Noel Gallagher means Oasis without the songwriter, which might explain why this isn’t making a tremendous impact.  (Though the band does include Andy Bell, who wrote plenty of material for Ride and Hurricane #1.)  What does it sound like?  What do you think it sounds like?

Number 32 is “Post Break-Up Sex”, the none-more-indie debut single from the Vaccines. This bunch are heavily tipped for success in 2011, not that that necessarily means anything.  And yes, I suppose we probably are due for a wave of bands to rediscover this sound, because god knows nobody’s been doing it in years.  I pretty much dismissed this as a weird retro throwback when I first heard it, but it’s kind of growing on me.

More indie at number 35 with “Jump Into The Fog” by the Wombats, their sixth hit.  Their peak of success, at least in terms of the singles chart, was back in 2007-8 when they got two consecutive singles into the top 20, and I suspect at this point they’re selling to an established fanbase.

Number 36 is “Someone Like You” by Adele.  It’s a track from her album “21”, which was released last week and is currently number one on the album charts.  It’s quite common for album tracks to make the low end of the top 40 in the first week of a major release, but the midweeks suggest this is going to go further.  (There’s no video, obviously, but she has performed it on a couple of TV shows, which presumably accounts for the attention it’s getting.)  Adele still has “Rolling in the Deep” at number 3 and “Make You Feel My Love” at 15, so it’s a really good week for her.  This is her seventh hit.

Number 37 is “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.” by Noah and the Whale.  (Sounds like a particularly laid back Silver Age terrorist group, doesn’t it?)  It finally gives the indie folk group a second hit to follow 2008’s “Five Years Time”, which unexpectedly made the top ten.  While this isn’t as catchy, it’s a genuinely charming record and nice to see it make the top 40.

And rounding us off at number 40, “Wonderman” by Tinie Tempah featuring Ellie Goulding.  Between them, those two already have three other singles on the chart.  This is the fifth single from Tinie’s album “Disc-Overy”, and normally by this point diminishing returns would be setting in – but the midweeks have this climbing to 14 on Sunday, and the single version isn’t even released until March.  And I can see why – it’s a great choice of single, because it actually does show he’s got some more range.  It’s one of his better tracks, and far and away the best video he’s ever made. His seventh top 40 hit and Ellie’s fifth (both in less than a year).