{"id":584,"date":"2010-11-05T19:28:50","date_gmt":"2010-11-05T19:28:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/?p=584"},"modified":"2010-11-05T19:34:17","modified_gmt":"2010-11-05T19:34:17","slug":"charts-31-october-2010","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/?p=584","title":{"rendered":"Charts – 31 October 2010"},"content":{"rendered":"

Autumn – that very special time of the year when the leaves fall, the nights draw in, and anyone vaguely associated with The X Factor<\/em> makes sure they have a new album out. \u00a0This week, it’s judge Cheryl Cole<\/strong>, and the first single from her second solo album is “Promise This”.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Cole started off in 2002 as a member of Girls Aloud, the girl group formed on reality TV show Popstars: The Rivals<\/em>, and who turned out to surpass all predictions for their durability. \u00a0Wisely recognising that winning a talent show would only take them so far, their management more or less assigned them to become the front group for production studio Xenomania, leading to a string of generally well-received singles. \u00a0Theoretically they’ve never split up; they went on hiatus in 2009 for the members for pursue solo projects – or, in other words, for Cheryl Cole to make solo albums, Sarah Harding to have a go at acting, and the other three to kill time. \u00a0(Nadine Coyle’s first solo single will be on Sunday’s chart, and the midweeks have it at 26.) \u00a0There’s no obvious sign of the group reforming.<\/p>\n

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Through a combination of skilful hype, marrying (and later divorcing, not without reason) a famous footballer, positioning herself as a fashion icon, and getting huge exposure as a judge on X Factor<\/em>, Cheryl Cole has managed to launch herself as a major solo star in the UK. \u00a0Records promoted by the Simon Cowell TV empire always have a leg up, but “Promise Me” has the biggest first week sales of the year – aside from the Helping Haiti charity single<\/a>, which doesn’t really count. \u00a0The number two single by Rihanna would have topped the chart in almost any other week, but didn’t really stand a chance against the marketing might of Cheryl Cole.<\/p>\n

This is her fifth solo hit, and her second solo number 1, following last year’s “Fight For This Love”<\/a>. \u00a0You can add to that 21 hits with the group. \u00a0Personally, I thought the best single from the last album was “Parachute”, even if it does display some suspect ideas as to what might serve adequately as a parachute substitute.<\/p>\n

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The odd thing is that Cole, like Girls Aloud has managed to achieve huge success in Britain without really doing a great deal abroad. \u00a0She sells well in Ireland (unsurprisingly, as bandmate Nadine Coyle is Irish), and has the occasional middling success in Europe, but remains pretty much unheard of in America. \u00a0Strangely, there’s talk of her being used as a judge on the American version of X Factor<\/em>, but it’s hard to see why the American networks would want her until she’s got a higher profile over there. \u00a0Mind you, we managed to export Piers Morgan, so it’s amazing what the Americans will fall for. \u00a0(And as for her Newcastle accent, they’ll either find it quaint or unintelligible, I suspect.)<\/a><\/p>\n

As for “Promise This” itself, it’s another good choice of single. \u00a0The album’s had slightly more muted reviews, which doesn’t surprise me; her debut solo album was much the same, with some very good singles and a lot of filler. \u00a0So be it. \u00a0The single’s a straightforward love song with lyrics that are slightly darker than you might expect, a nicely hyperactive arrangement, and an appropriately stylish video by Sophie Muller. \u00a0If you’re wondering what the garbled French means, it’s a quote from “Alouette”<\/a>, a children’s song about, well, mutilating a lark, basically.<\/p>\n

The Cheryl Cole steamroller holds “The Only Girl In The World” by Rihanna<\/a><\/strong> to number 2, but the midweeks suggest she’ll get her moment next week, so I’ll leave that one aside for now.<\/p>\n

Further down the charts…<\/p>\n