Caity Baser on fighting for her first UK Number 1 album: "I'm from a council estate in Southampton, this is all I've ever wanted"

Caity Baser is unaware of just how well her debut major label mixtape, the 13-track project Still Learning, is performing on the Official Albums Chart when we ring her for a catch-up. 

Deep in rehearsals for her upcoming UK tour, and in the middle of a series of in-store visits up and down the country, it turns out we're the first people to tell Caity that Still Learning is currently duking it out with Ariana Grande's eternal sunshine and Kacey Musgraves' Deeper Well for the UK's Number 1 album this week. 

We love to be the bearer of good news in situations like this!

MORE: Caity Baser is this week's guest on The Record Club

"That's f*cking crazy!" Caity explains. "Shut your f*cking mouth!"

It takes a moment for Caity - understandably! - to catch her breath and truly process the situation. A Top 3 debut on the Official Albums Chart for her longest project yet is the latest step to name her one of the most exciting, and popular, new recording artists in the country right now.

"That is the most exciting news I've ever...well, the BRIT nomination was quite good," Caity says (that would be an understatement!). "But I have always wanted to be in the charts. I got in them for the first time last year with Pretty Boys [her breakthrough UK single, Pretty Boys peaked at Number 26 in 2023] and that was insane."

But what does Caity - who hails from Southampton - make of her competition for Number 1?

"Ariana is obviously a worldwide superstar, and has been for 15 years," she tells us. "Kacey is also amazing. Amazing as f*ck. And I'm from a council estate in Southampton! All I've ever wanted was to be a big-time pop star, and I have worked my arse off for it.

"There's been so many times where I've felt like the world's gone 'you're not good enough,' so I always have this drive inside of me to be the best and overcome my goals. Like, I wanted Top 5...now I'm Top 3, with a chance of Top 2 and maybe even Number 1. That is ridiculous." 

Still Learning is by and far the longest and most definitive statement of Caity's career so far; taking in extravagant pop tunes like I'm A Problem and anthemic cuts like brand new single Oh Well, where she gives in to the malaise of modern life. 

Previously, as a major label artist, Caity made her debut with the 2023 EP Thanks For Nothing See You Never and as an independent artist, issued the 2021 mixtape Lil CB. But it's 2024 now, and at 21 years of age, Caity has learned a lot, as the title of her newest project makes clear. 

So, that begs the question...what lessons will she be taking over in the recording of her debut album proper?

"I've already started working on it!" Caity shares. "But my mood always changes. I probably need to sit down for a week and have a think about it."

Just a week?

"Maybe even a day," Caity continues. "I'll probably have the idea in an hour. Why did I say a week?! How random! I just need to go away somewhere hot with all my favourite people and [I'll figure it out]." 

Caity has some parting fighting words for her competition this week too...

"Ariana, Kacey," she says, "love you both so much...but give a girl a break! Give it up!"

Still Learning by Caity Baser is out now via EMI.