Another rather quiet week sees Sam Smith hang on uneventfully.  I know, I’m really building this one up, aren’t I?  Perhaps the most interesting announcement this week is the official confirmation that the chart is shifting to Fridays, where Radio 1 will grudgingly accommodate it in a reduced two hour slot.  To be honest, that’s probably for the good of the chart show, as three hours of statistically-determined play listing is a bit much for most people.  (Even I don’t actually listen to it live.)

38.  MNEK – “The Rhythm”

Uzo Emenike gets hit first hit in his own right – just – after guesting on Gorgon City’s top 5 hit “Ready For Your Love” last February.  He’s also been active for several years as a writer, in which capacity he’s had a hand in two number one hits – “Need U” by Duke Dumont, and “Gecko (Overdrive)” by Oliver Heldens.

37.  Kygo featuring Conrad – “Firestone”

Kygo is Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll, and this track was number 1 in his native Norway for six weeks over Christmas, before going on to make the top 10 in most of Europe.  It’s going to climb in Britain too, and deservedly so, since while lyrically it’s the stock generically anthemic stuff about lighting up the world, it’s got a great chorus and a decent hook.  It deserves to go further.  Conrad Sewell is an Australian singer, but officially he prefers to be mononymous.

YouTube also brings up an acoustic version which turns out to be surprisingly acceptable.

 

28.  Pitbull & Ne-Yo – “Time Of Our Lives”

This has been climbing from the lower reaches for several weeks now as an album download, and it was promoted as a single in the rest of the world months ago, so landing at a measly 28 is quite bad.  The midweeks say it’s not going any further.  It’s a second-rate Pitbull single, which says it all, really.

11.  Tough Love – “So Freakin’ Tight”

The highest new entry of the week, though largely by default, is a pretty strong contender for the worst video of the year so far.  The actual record’s a perfectly adequate house track, based on a sample from Jodeci’s “Freek’N You” (number 17 in 1995, their biggest UK hit).  Tough Love are London producers, and they got attention in the first place with a remix of Ginuwine’s “Pony”.  Obviously conscious that there’s a rut here, they promise to move away from samples for their next single.

1.  Sam Smith featuring John Legend – “Lay Me Down”

A second week at number one – the first time Smith has managed that.  The turnover of number 1 singles has been unusually slow so far this year, with only Years & Years spending a single week at the top (and if it hadn’t been for the charity release, they’d actually now be in their third week on top).

On the album chart:

• “To Pimp a Butterfly” by Kendrick Lamar at 1.  His third album – the first didn’t chart in the UK, the second (“Good Kid M.A.A.D. City”) got to 16, so a real step up here.  The album was released a week ahead of schedule (supposedly by mistake, if you believe that), and instantly set a new record for Spotify streaming.  The single “i” got to 20 in November.
• “Tracker” by Mark Knopfler at 3.  His highest chart placing for a solo album (though it’s his eighth top ten album).  Official promotional short film.
• “Duets: Reworking the Catalogue” by Van Morrison at 5.  Morrison covers some of his own songs (admittedly some relatively obscure ones) in duet form.  It’s his highest position for a studio album since 2005.  Single: “Real Real Gone”, with Michael Buble.
• “Froot” by Marina and the Diamonds at 10.  The last album “Electra Heart” got to number 1 in 2012, but things have cooled off since then, it seems.  Single: “Forget”.
• “Vulnicura” by Bjork re-enters at 14 on its physical release.  Single: “Lionsong”.
• “Madness” by Sleeping With Sirens at 26.  US rock band.  Fourth album, second to chart in this country, last one got to 36.  So, steady progress.  Single: “Kick Me”.
• “Strangers To Ourselves” by Modest Mouse at 28.  Another sign of how the decline of the album market favours older acts, as Modest Mouse make their first appearance on the album top 40 with their sixth (reunion) album.  Single: “Lampshades on Fire”.