Another quiet week for singles.

1. Dave – “Starlight”

That’s two weeks, and it’s on course for a third.

2. Aitch featuring Ashanti – “Baby”

Dave might be able to afford to buy out the sample credits, but Aitch is still doing it the traditional way. Ashanti’s “featuring” credit is thanks to this track sampling her 2003 hit “Rock Wit U (Aww Baby)”. That track got to number 7 in the UK and was part of a respectable run of top 10 hits, though her only number one was as a guest on a Ja Rule single, “Wonderful”. She hasn’t had a hit single since 2008.

Number 2 makes this Aitch’s joint biggest hit, alongside “Taste (Make It Shake)”. This is transparently gunning for mainstream radio play, and evidently it’s done fine.

It’s a very quiet week for new entries, so we vault all the way down to…

31. Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie”

Well, that’s not subtle. Mildly creepy video, too. Surprisingly, this is the first time Megan has been in the top 40 since “WAP” in summer 2020 – she’s released a couple of singles since then, both of which fell short. So it’s probably Dua Lipa who’s pushing this one over the edge.

35. Liilz featuring ZieZie – “Glad U Came”

This week’s UK rap debut. ZieZie has had previous hits, though you’re going back to 2018/9, when a couple of his own singles reached the 30s and he guested on a top ten hit by Aitch.

We’ve now reached the point in time where it’s acceptable to sample The Wanted. “Glad U Came” was their second number 1, back in 2011.

This week’s climbers:

• “Where Did You Go” by Jax Jones featuring MNEK climbs 10-7.
• “Boyfriend” by Dove Cameron enters the top 10, climbing 14-9.
• “Go” by Cat Burns climbs 19-10.
• “The Motto” by Tiesto & Ava Max climbs 17-15.
• “Bam Bam” by Camila Cabello featuring Ed Sheeran climbs 22-18.
• “BMW” by the Bad Boy Chiller Crew climbs 32-21, which I didn’t see coming.
• “Numb Little Bug” by Em Beihold climbs 28-25.
• “Run” by Becky Hill & Galantis climbs 34-28.

There are five records leaving the top 40 (thanks to the three new entry above plus a couple of re-entries on the verge of the top 40):

• “Surface Pressure” by Jessica Darrow, which spent 10 weeks in the top 40, eight of them in the top 10, and peaked at 3.
• “Light Switch” by Charlie Puth, which spent five weeks in the top 40 but never got above 31.
• “Cold Heart” by Elton John & Dua Lipa, a number 1 hit last October, finally leaves the top 40 after 28 weeks.
• “Easy on Me” by Adele, which spent 8 weeks at number 1 last autumn, leaves the top 40 after 21 weeks.
• “Make You Smile” by D-Block Europe featuring AJ Tracey, which only got to 15 but managed a respectable 10 weeks on chart.

On the album chart, in contrast, the top ten is ridiculously busy.

1. Rex Orange County – “Who Cares”

I always assume this guy is American and have to remind myself he’s actually from Surrey. It’s his second album and his first number one (its predecessor got to 5 in 2019).

2. Ghost – “Impera”

Swedish rock band. They’re basically a vehicle for one Tobias Forge; other band members used to be anonymous, though various names have become known over time. This is easily their highest chart position in the UK, though their previous album got to number 10 in 2018.

3. Bryan Adams – “So Happy it Hurts”

Just a place below his previous album from 2019. Adams is now in his 60s.

5. The Shires – “10 Year Plan”

UK country. All five of their studio albums have made the top 10 (though the last three all got to number 3).

6. Lil Durk – “7220”

That’s his highest position with a solo album – his collaboration with Lil Baby got to number 5 last year, but his previous best for a solo release is number 26. Apparently 7220 was his grandmother’s address.

7. Franz Ferdinand – “Hits to the Head”

Greatest hits album. Franz Ferdinand released their first album in 2004; this is the lowest they’ve ever placed, which is quite something.

8. Ella Henderson – “Everything I Didn’t Say”

Her second album, eight years after the first. That was “Chapter One”, her post-X Factor album, which got to number 1. She’s been successfully relaunched as a regular act, after several years as a guest singer on dance records. The album includes last year’s top ten hit “Let’s Go Home Together”.

9. The Mysterines – “Reeling”

This week’s debut UK indie album.

23. Thomas Headon – “Victoria”

Finally, this record only barely qualifies for the cart – officially billed as an EP, it’s only 5 songs and under 17 minutes. He’s a London songwriter who’s been releasing records for a couple of years, and this is his first appearance on the chart.