Well, it’s a busy week for albums, at least.

1.  Ariana Grande – “7 Rings”

Three weeks.  It seems to have peaked – streams are down to a mere nine million or so – but it’s still comfortably heading up a static top four.  “Don’t Call Me Up” by Mabel climbs 7-5.  Just four new entries this week…

7.  Billie Eilish – “Bury A Friend”

The follow-up to her debut hit “When The Party’s Over”, which reached 21 just before Christmas.  This is more obviously commercial than that ballad, but it’s still claustrophobic.  Apparently it’s meant to be a song from the perspective of the monster under her bed.  If you have an issue with needles, you might want to skip the video (not that it’s especially graphic).

“Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi climbs 10-9; the previous single “Grace” also re-enters at 40.

15.  Fredo featuring Dave – “All I Ever Wanted”

Fredo guested on Dave’s number 1 “Funky Friday” last autumn, so this is the return leg.  We’re firmly in gang tales territory here, and it’s a very good record.  Not to be confused with the 2014 track of the same name by the late Fredo Santana, who was an entirely different rapper.  His album “Third Avenue” enters at 5, matching last year’s “Tables Turn”.

“Happier” by Marshmello featuring Bastille, which peaked at number 2 back in October, re-enters at number 29, which the chart compilers are attributing to him doing a show in Fortnite.  (Whatever happened to Second Life, come to think of it…?).  “Nights Like This” by Kehlani featuring Ty Dolla $ign climbs 40-30, and “Swervin” by A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie featuring 6ix9ine climbs 38-34.

36.  21 Savage – “A Lot”

21 Savage is a bigger name in America that in Britain – his only previous hit singles were guest appearances on Post Malone’s “Rockstar”, a number 1 in 2017, and on Cardi B’s “Bartier Cardi”, which managed a week at number 40 last January.  This track is on his album “I Am > I Was”, which came out last year, but it’s just been promoted to single status.  But there’s also other publicity here.  At the time of writing, 21 Savage is facing deportation proceedings, as the US immigration authorities claim that he’s been overstaying in the US since his visa expired in 2006.  There’s also a dispute about whether he has a drugs conviction, which doesn’t seem like the sort of thing you’d normally expect to be in dispute.  (See more here.)

The sample is from “I Love You” by East of Underground.

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

You and me both.  Troye Sivan has placed a couple of very low-ranking hits before, but his only significant previous appearance was on Charli XCX’s “1999”, which got to 13.  Lauv gets his first appearance on the UK singles chart; he’s a singer who had a couple of hits in America in 2017 but hasn’t really made any previous impact over here.  The record’s nothing very memorable.

Over on the album chart… hey, That Soundtrack Album is only at number 3!

1.  The Specials – “Encore”

It’s a reunion album after nearly 40 years.  The Specials never made it above number 4 in their original run circa 1980, though they did have two number one singles (“Too Much Too Young” and “Ghost Town”).  This isn’t to say that “Encore” sold more than their original albums, or anything like it – this is the albums market in 2019, and they reached number 1 with the equivalent of just under 19,000 sales.

2.  Busted – “Half Way There”

Their second album since reforming in 2015.  The previous one, “Night Driver”, only got to number 13 – this one matches the albums they released in their 2002-3 prime.  So, no, the single above isn’t looking back nostalgically on their own career – though it still makes them look old.

4.  Ian Brown – “Ripples”

Ian Brown albums always place in the top 10 – he hasn’t missed the top 10 this century, except for a remix album that doesn’t really count.  The single’s not bad, in a “remember the Stone Roses” kind of way.

5.  Fredo – “Third Avenue”

We’ve had the single already.

9.  Claire Richards – “My Wildest Dreams”

Claire Richards is Claire from Steps.  (And she’s also Claire from H & Claire, who had a few hit singles in 2002 before releasing an album that got to number 58.)  This is her first solo album.  The single is a fairly standard “I have triumphed over the haters” number, which sounds about a decade behind the times, but that’s probably what people want from her.

14.  White Lies – “Five”

White Lies’ fifth album is the lowest placing to date – the numbers go 1, 3, 4, 11, 14, so the trend’s pretty clear.  Still, it’s a fifth top twenty album in ten years.  The single’s worth a play – it deserved more attention, I think.

15.  Within Temptation – “Resist”

On the Spinefarm label, I see.  I wonder if it’s metal?  Why yes, yes, it’s Dutch symphonic metal.  This is their seventh studio album; only the last four have charted in the UK, and they haven’t match the top 10 peak of its predecessor “Hydra” (from 2014, which is why I’d forgotten about them).

20.  Nina Nesbitt – “The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change”

Finally for this week, the second album by Nina Nesbitt, after a gap of nearly five years.  You might remember her 2013 single “Stay Out”, which got to 21.  This is a complete reboot – she’s gone R&B.  Not sure it’s a change for the better.  The previous album “Peroxide” reached 11, but this isn’t too bad after such a long gap.