Well, this is a chart with a theme, isn’t it?

1. Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso”

Two weeks, and still doing very well. The Taylor Swift tracks are on their way down the chart, which means that Hozier returns to number 2, but the obvious challenger is Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”, which is up to 3.

10. Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
11. Kendrick Lamar – “Euphoria”
17. Drake – “Family Matters”
28. Kendrick Lamar – “Meet The Grahams”

That’s on top of Drake’s “Push Ups” at number 30, and “Like That” by Future & Metro Boomin featuring Kendrick Lamar at number 20 (back up ten places – it doesn’t count towards his three song limit because he’s only a guest).

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It’s mostly a quiet week on the singles chart, but hey, we’ve got a new number one!

1. Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso”

By a razor thin margin – the equivalent of 484 sales – but it’s still number one. I’m not hugely surprised that Taylor Swift only managed a single week, since “Fortnight” isn’t the most instant thing she’s ever released. I’m more surprised that it’s Sabrina Carpenter who replaces her, rather than Hozier returning to the top. The song itself is perfectly good; it’s the sort of thing you can see Dua Lipa having a big hit with. But Sabrina Carpenter has never got above number 19 before, and while she’s not a one-hit wonder, this is miles bigger than anything else she’s released. We’ll see if she can follow it up – her persona might be the sort of thing that only makes sense once she becomes a star.

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Well, this is not going to surprise anyone.

1. Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone – “Fortnight”
3. Taylor Swift – “The Tortured Poets Department”
4. Taylor Swift – “Down Bad”

That’s the maximum three tracks from “The Tortured Poets Department”, which enters the album chart at number 1. Taylor Swift hasn’t missed number 1 with a studio album since 2010 – and yes, that’s counting the “Taylor’s Version” releases. She doesn’t manage a clean sweep of the top 3, with Hozier hanging in at number 2.

“Fortnight” is both the official single and the opening track, and so gets the most streams. It’s only her  fourth number one single – more a sign of bad luck than anything else, since she’s had five number 2s. Her other number 1s are “Look What You Made Me Do” (2017), “Anti-Hero” (2022) and “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version)” (2023). Post Malone gets a featured artist credit, even though he’s more noticeable in the video than on the record – finally giving him a second number 1 to follow “Rockstar” (2017).

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So before you ask: the chart week runs from Friday to Thursday, so that means Taylor Swift doesn’t show up until next week’s chart. In the meantime, we’ve got quite a busy week – and mostly decent new entries on the singles chart, too.

1. Hozier – “Too Sweet”

Two weeks. I don’t fancy his chances for a third, but you never know.

6. Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso”

Well, that’s interesting. Sabrina Carpenter has three previous hit singles to her name – “Skin”, the questionable answer record to “Driver’s Licence”, which got to number 28 in 2021; “Nonsense”, which managed a week at number 32 in 2023; and “Feather”, which made it to number 19 at the start of the year. And, to be fair, it stuck around for a few weeks. Still, it’s not exactly a track record to suggest that the first single from her sixth album would be a top ten hit. This is a big step up in her singles chart performance.

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And here’s something I didn’t see coming.

1. Hozier – “Too Sweet”

My list of predictions for 2024 certainly did not include Hozier, of all people, having a number 1 hit a decade after “Take Me To Church” reached number 2. He did have a mid-table hit last year, when “Eat Your Young” reached number 22, but he seemed like someone who was destined to be remembered for his one hit. Like “Take Me To Church” (and none of his other singles since), it’s doing well internationally, at least in English language markets.

I know they say the younger generation have turned away from alcoholic debauchery, but there’s something quite adorable about a song in which Hozier explains that he cannot match his girl’s innocence due to his penchant for black coffee and undiluted whisky.

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Well, Beyonce has an album out.

1. Beyoncé – “Texas Hold ’Em”
8. Beyoncé – “Jolene”
9. Beyoncé featuring Miley Cyrus – “II Most Wanted”

The maximum three tracks from the album “Cowboy Carter”, which predictably enters at number 1 – Beyoncé hasn’t missed number 1 with a studio album since 2013. After two weeks at number 3, “Texas Hold ’Em” returns to number 1 for a fifth week.

“Jolene” is the talking point cover version. Country hasn’t traditionally been huge in the UK, but “Jolene” was a hit for Dolly Parton back in 1976, reaching number 7 (so still one place above Beyoncé). Dolly Parton’s only other top 40 hit in the UK was “Islands in the Stream” with Kenny Rogers, which also got to number 7 in 1983. Everyone knows “9 to 5” but it didn’t actually make the top 40.

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It’s one of those weeks when the singles chart gets invaded by a couple of major album releases. But not right at the top.

1. Benson Boone – “Beautiful Things”

Two weeks, and a comfortable lead over everything else. “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims is at 2, but it’s been there before a month ago. He’s been in the top 10 since mid January, though, so he’s unfortunate not to reach the very top. His new single “Slow It Down” enters at number 42 this week, but you have to figure it has a good chance of making the top 40 in due course.

6. Future & Metro Boomin featuring Kendrick Lamar – “Like That”
18. Future & Metro Boomin featuring Travis Scott & Playboi Carti – “Type Shit”
20. Future & Metro Boomin featuring Travis Scott – “Cinderella”

That’s the maximum three singles from the album “We Don’t Trust You”, which enters at number 2. Future’s last solo album, 2022’s “I Never Liked You”, also got to number 2; Metro Boomin’s “Heroes & Villains” reached number 3 in the same year. So it’s no surprise that their shared album does well. “Like That” does best, probably because it’s new Kendrick Lamar material. And honestly, aside from his verse, this is pretty dreary stuff.

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It’s a very quiet week for new entries, but we do have a new number one.

1. Benson Boone – “Beautiful Things”

Beyoncé’s run ends after five weeks, as “Texas Hold ‘Em” drops straight to number 3. Ariana Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends” climbs to 2, and Benson Boone climbs to the top. This record entered at number 18 at the end of January, climbed into the top 5 in week three, and has been hovering in the top three ever since. It makes number 1 in its ninth week on the top 40.

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Ariana Grande has a new album out, and nobody’s going up against that with new releases.

1. Beyoncé – “Texas Hold ‘Em”

Four weeks. It was fairly close with Benson Boone at number two, though, so he’s got a shot next week. She’s also now relying on the downweighting rule for her number one position – without it, “Stick Season” would be back at the top.

3. Ariana Grande – “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)”
13. Ariana Grande – “Bye”

“We Can’t Be Friends” is the release week single from “Eternal Sunshine”, which enters at number 1 – if you hadn’t figured it out, the video is basically a four-minute remake of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a film released when Ariana Grande was 11. It’s a very Robyn-esque track.  “Bye”, on the other hand, is just an album track. She maxes out her three song limit with “Yes And”, which rebounds to number 6 – though it only dropped out of the top 10 last week. She hasn’t had a number 1 from this album yet, but “Yes And” peaked at number 2 and it’s had eight weeks in the top 10, which I’m sure will do her fine.

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Evidently the Brit Awards do still move the needle. But first…

1. Beyoncé – “Texas Hold ‘Em”

That’s three weeks at number one. She’s never actually had a longer run at number one, whether as a solo artist or with Destiny’s Child – currently, this is tied with “Crazy in Love” and “Beautiful Liar”.

13. Raye featuring 070 Shake – “Escapism”
38. Raye – “Worth It”

Raye won six awards at the Brit Awards last week, which is getting into “why did anyone else bother showing up” territory. And it does result in a surge for her music. “Escapism”, her number one from 2022, re-enters at 13. “Prada”, which was still hanging around in the low 20s, rebounds to number 18 – it’s not exactly a Raye song, but she did include it in a medley at the Brit awards show.

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