Florence & The Machine and Maroon 5 lock horns in singles race

The battle is on for two recent Number 1s to clinch the top spot in the Official Singles Chart.

With less than 1,000 copies separating Florence & The Machine’s current chart topper Spectrum (Say My Name) and Maroon 5’s previous chart topper Payphone, all is still to play for in this week’s Official Singles Chart Update.

Florence & The Machine, with a little help from super producer Calvin Harris, scored their long-awaited first ever Number 1 single on Sunday with Spectrum (Call My Name), and as of today are still holding the title at the midpoint of the chart week.

A second week at Number 1 would be music to the ears of lead singer Florence Welch who made headlines last week as she was sadly forced to pull out of high profile European festival slots at Spain’s Benicassim and Portugal’s Optimus Alive Festival after losing her voice.

This fierce battle is mirrored further down today as three more acts scramble for a Top 5 placing. Just 200 copies separate feisty London girl group Stooshe (3), Will.I.Am FT Eva Simons’ This Is Love (4) and Chris Brown’s Don’t Wake Me Up (5). A climb to Number 3 with Black Heart would give Stooshe their highest chart placing to date!

New entries and high climbers

Just two new entries in today’s Official Singles Chart Update Top 40, the first of which comes courtesy of X Factor 2011 finalist Misha B.

The 20 year old Manchester singer’s debut single Home Run is out this week and takes Misha B in an unexpected, more adventurous direction than perhaps people would have anticipated. The jolting percussion and reggae-infused, drum and bass influenced beats come courtesy of rising UK producer MNEK.

In a video interview this week, Misha B tells OfficialCharts.com about the transition from X Factor contestant to fully fledged debut solo star:

“My life has changed dramatically, it’s gone from dreaming to reality. It goes to show that if you just believe in yourself and keep working hard, that your dreams can come true. Taking opportunities that come, like X Factor, it’s great.”

Watch the full interview here

Misha B gets set to hit a Top 10 home run this Sunday, entering the race today at Number 9.

Elsewhere, West London musician Angel is on track for his first Top 40 hit with Wonderful. His first release back in March of this year, Go In, Go Hard, featured the vocals of Wretch 32, however it is follow up single Wonderful (20), that could see him break the Top 20 this week.

And finally, as Madonna kicks off her string of UK tour dates this week, it is Aussie pop queen Kylie who steals the attention of record buying pop fans. Recent Top 40 single Timebomb becomes the week’s highest climber so far, after the release of a limited run of physical product sends the track rocketing 118 places to Number 29.

The Official Singles Chart Update Top 40 is as follows:

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