Time for a new number one!

1 24KGoldn featuring Iann Dior – “Mood”

This has climbed 11-5-2-2-1 to get to the top, and it’s the first number one for either artist. 24KGolden has other hits to his name, including a guest appearance on the current Clean Bandit single, but Iann Dior goes on the one-hit wonder list (for now). It’s basically a pop crossover take on 2020 rap, but it pulls it off. “Mood” is an international hit – top 10 in the US, number 1 in several other UK countries, including Germany and Sweden. It has a comfortable lead over the number 2 record, “WAP”, which is in decline now anyway.

“Looking for Me” by Paul Woolford & Diplo featuring Kareen Lomax climbs another place to 4. One place higher, and it’ll be Diplo’s biggest hit since 2015. “Take You Dancing” by Jason Derulo climbs 9-7. “Lemonade” by Internet Money featuring Don Toliver, Gunna & NAV climbs 16-8, which is the first top ten hit for all involved.

10. Justin Bieber featuring Chance – “Holy”

This is the fourth time that Justin Bieber and Chance have appeared on a hit single together – Bieber’s own “Confident” in 2013, and guest appearances on two DJ Khaled singles in 2017/8. Chance is one of those odd artists who’s managed to rack up four top ten hits through guest appearances without ever having a hit single in his own right. The song is surprisingly good, but it needs a more powerful voice.

“Lasting Lover” by Sigala & James Arthur climbs 27-17.

22. Sam Smith – “Diamonds”

Meanwhile, in Britain, we’re sticking with the lockdown-friendly videos. This is the second single from Smith’s upcoming album “Love Goes” – the lead single “My Oasis” came out in August and somehow failed to get past number 43, so there will be some relief at “Diamonds” making a relatively strong debut.

25. M Huncho & Nafe Smallz – “5am”

These two have had a hit single as a pair before – “Thumb”, which reached number 30 last year. Technically this is the highest position Huncho has reached as a lead artist, but that’s very technical, since he was effectively the lead artist on “Burning”, officially credited to GRM Daily, and that got to 13.

27. Pop Smoke – “What You Know About Love”

A track from the posthumous album “Shoot for the Stars Aim For The Moon”, which has been out since July but finally climbs to number 1 this week. It’s never dropped out of the top 6, so perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise to see it snatch a week at the top – but records don’t climb to number one on the album chart, and certainly not after that length of time. (The last album to take this long to reach the top was George Ezra’s “Wanted on Voyage”, and that was six years ago.) It seems to be an unusual case of an entire album which is getting sustained streaming over a period of months.

The sample on this song is from “Differences”, a Ginuwine album track from 2001.

32. Rudimental featuring Anne-Marie & Tion Wayne – “Come Over”

This is Rudimental’s first singles chart appearance since “These Days” reached number 1 at the start of 2018. Surprisingly, the follow up to that single missed the top 40. It’s quite a nice, soulful record, but it feels a bit like a tail-end hit single from a band ready to make the shift to the album charts.

Speaking of the album charts… as mentioned, Pop Smoke climbs to number 1. The highest new entry is “Heaven & Hell” by Ava Max at number 2, which features all of her UK hit singles, including the 2018 number 1 “Sweet But Psycho”.

3. Potter Payper – “Training Day 3”

He’s a rapper from Essex, and he insists this is a mixtape, not a proper album. It’s a comeback release following a stint in jail, and his first appearance on either chart (though he narrowly missed the singles top 40 in July).

4. Yusuf / Cat Stevens – “Tea for the Tillerman 2”

He changed his name to Yusuf years ago after converting to Islam, but in the last few years started crediting himself this way, presumably for recognition purposes. This is an odd project – a complete re-recording of his 1970 album “Tea for the Tillerman”.

5. Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets – “Live at the Roundhouse”

Nick Mason was a founding member of Pink Floyd, and this is the band he tours with these days (well, pre-pandemic these days) to perform sets of early Pink Floyd music. Technically it’s a rare example of an act making their chart debut in the top 5 with a live album, but there are obvious reasons for that.

Number 9 is a re-entry for “RTJ4” by Run The Jewels, which spent a single week at number 18 in June when it got a digital release. This is the physical release.

12. Alicia Keys – “Alicia”

It’s been four years since the last Alicia Keys album (this one was also held back for several months due to the pandemic). It’s her highest placing album since “The Element of Freedom” reached number 1 in 2009 – though by a very slight margin, since “Girl on Fire” got to 13.

24. Keith Urban – “The Speed of Now – Part 1”

The British don’t get that bothered about country, and this is only the second time he’s placed an album in the top 40. The other was “Days Go By” in 2005, which managed a week at number 40.

31. Matt Berry – “Phantom Birds”

Matt Berry is best known as a comedy actor, but this is his second top 40 album (the other being a collection of TV theme covers that got to number 38). It’s a straight Americana album, and quite well reviewed.