It’s the Grammys week, and it turns out that that has a noticeable impact on the top 40 these days. Plus, the Weeknd has an album out.

1. Lola Young – “Messy”

Three weeks and a very comfortable 20% margin over the number 2 single (which is still “APT” by Rosé & Bruno Mars – the top 5 is static for a second week running.

6. Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”

This is the second single from her upcoming album, but she also premiered the video during the Grammys. It’s a third consecutive top 10 hit for Lady Gaga, something she hasn’t managed since 2011. It’s very much a track in the vein of her imperial phase, though what on earth it’s about, I haven’t a clue.

“Die With a Smile” is still hanging around at number 13. The first single from the album, “Disease”, had a more mixed performance – it entered at number 7 but dropped out of the top 40 within four weeks. (And bear in mind, it’s a slow-moving chart these days.)

8. The Weeknd – “Cry For Me”

The Weeknd’s album “Hurry Up Tomorrow” enters as his fourth number 1 – the others were “Dawn FM” (2022), “After Hours” (2020) and “Beauty Behind the Madness” (2015). It’s being billed as the final Weeknd album, though only in the sense that he’s planning to discontinue the name.

It does get the obligatory three tracks on the chart, but only one is a new entry. “Timeless”, which has been hanging around since October, rebounds to 7 – the same peak it reached in its entry week. And “Sao Paolo” re-enters at number 21, having previously registered a single week at number 22 in November.

40. Aitch & Bou – “Raving in the Studio”

So last week Aitch reached number 25 with “A Guy Called”, which was a diss track directed at Central Cee designed to make the point that Aitch is the serious rapper. Which he is, when he wants to be – but a lot of what he’s been making in the last few years is commercial tracks which haven’t charted. “A Guy Called” seems to have reminded some people that Aitch still exists, and the result is to get his current actual single into the chart at number 40.

Bou is a producer with two previous hits, both in 2023 – “Closer” got to 24 (it’s a drum and bass track that sampled “Children” by Robert Miles), and he got equal billing with Chase & Status on “Badaddan”, which reached number 5. Obviously, the track is based on “Feel Good Inc” by Gorillaz, a number 2 hit in 2005, but since they don’t have any credit on it, I’m assuming the sample was re-created.

There are presumably-Grammy-related re-entries at 27 for “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar, at 31 for “Guess” by Charli XCX featuring Billie Eilish and at 33 for “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone.  “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan climbs 26-14, which is one place short of being a new peak.

“Taste” by Sabrina Carpenter is also back at 39, but that’s just noise – it was at 41 last week.

This week’s climbers:

• As already mentioned, “Timeless” by the Weeknd & Playboi Carti rebounds 16-7, which is its original peak.
• “Denial is a River” by Doechii climbs 24-16. (Possibly Grammy-related too, but it was marching up the chart already.)
• Um… yeah, that’s it.

The seven tracks leaving the top 40 are:

• “Like Him” by Tyler, The Creator featuring Lola Young, which peaked at 30 but hung around for eight weeks.
• “Fat Juicy & Wet” by Sexyy Red & Bruno Mars after a single week at 32, which is a surprise.
• “A Guy Called” by Aitch after a single week at 25.
• “Indigo” by Sam Barber featuring Avery Anna, which had three weeks in the top 40 peaking at 33.
• “La La La” by Naughty Boy featuring Sam Smith, after a four week re-entry run, peaking at 32.
• “It’s OK I’m OK” by Tate McRae, which had re-entered last week at 37.
• “Do I Wanna Know” by Hozier, after a three-week run peaking at 18.

On the album chart, “Hurry Up Tomorrow” by the Weeknd is number 1.

9. Maribou State – “Hallucinating Love”

English electronic duo. This is their third album; the first one didn’t chart, the second reached 25. It’s been seven years since the last album, so they’re hardly rushing.

10. Røry – “Restoration”

This is a self-released debut album; apparently she’s big on TikTok. It’s had good reviews.

27. Kim Wilde – “Closer”

And finally, a pretty typical position for Kim Wilde, judging from her last few studio albums – even though it’s been seven years since the last one.