BRITs Critics’ Choice winner Sam Smith set for debut Number 1 single

BRITs Critics Choice winner Sam Smith looks well on his way to an Official Number 1 debut solo single this weekend, the Official Charts Company can confirm.

As final preparations are laid for tonight’s BRIT Awards 2014, Critics’ Choice winner Sam Smith is poised to celebrate another potential gong this weekend, as debut release Money On My Mind leads the singles race by a margin of almost two to one.

In 2013, Sam scored a Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart with his Naughty Boy collaboration La La La, but now he’s going it alone for 2014 and looks set for a fantastic year. La La La is also nominated for Best British Single and Best British Video at 2014’s BRIT Awards – if it wins, Sam could have triple reason to celebrate come Sunday!

Money On My Mind will be Sam’s third Top 40 hit – Latch, his collaboration with fellow BRIT nominees Disclosure, was a Number 11 hit in 2012.

Scoring their first-ever UK chart hit, it’s US indie pop band A Great Big World, who have teamed up with Christina Aguilera for Say Something, new at Number 2 on today’s Update. Christina is, of course, no stranger to the Official Singles Chart. She’s had four Number 1 singles – 1999’s Genie In A Bottle, 2001’s Moulin Rouge theme Lady Marmalade with Pink, Mya and Lil’ Kim, 2002’s Dirrty and 2003’s Beautiful. She also scored her first million-seller with Maroon 5 on 2011’s Moves Like Jagger.

Tune in to BBC Radio 1’s Official Chart Show with Jameela Jamil this Sunday (February 2) from 4pm Sunday to see who comes out on top, and log on to www.officialcharts.com at 7pm to see the Top 100 in full.

Former Number 1 Clean Bandit’s month-long stay at the top of the charts looks set to come to an end. Rather Be FT Jess Glynne falls two places to Number 3. Pharrell’s Happy slips one place to Number 4 and last week’s Number 2 Stay The Night, from Zedd FT Hayley Williams falls three slots to round off our Top 5.

New Entries and High Climbers

Aside from Sam Smith’s Money On My Mind (1) and Say Something from A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera (2), new at Number 12 is M.A.D. with Fame & TV, their second Top 40 hit. Their first, Toyboy, reached Number 37 last year.

Highest climber this week, and making their Top 40 debut on the Official Singles Chart are Canadian duo Tegan & Sara, who have teamed up with American comedy group Lonely Island (also making their Top 40 debut) on Everything Is Awesome. The track, which features on the soundtrack to The Lego Movie, leaps 41 places to debut at Number 24 in today’s Update.

Also zooming up the Top 40 and re-entering at Number 33 is BRITs Best Male nominee, John Newman. His debut solo single Love Me Again, which topped the chart back in July 2013, rockets 29 places thanks to the Yorkshire man’s performance of the track on Saturday’s Jonathan Ross Show.

The Official Singles Chart Update Top 40 is as follows. The Official Singles Chart Top 100 will be posted in full on Sunday at 7pm.

The Official Singles Chart Update Top 40 is as follows:

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