Kylie Minogue goes head-to-head with George Michael for Number 1 album

It’s a battle pitting pop legend against pop legend. But who’s currently leading the race to Number 1 this Sunday: Kylie or George?

You’d be forgiven for thinking that this is a chart battle from the late ‘80s or early ‘90s, but Kylie Minogue and George Michael are going head-to-head in the race to top this week’s Official Albums Chart.

Both stars released their hotly anticipated new albums on Monday (March 17): Kiss Me Once is Kylie’s first studio album of new material since Aphrodite in 2010, while George’s Symphonica is his first new full-length in nearly ten years.

According to the Official Charts Company’s latest data, which accounts for all digital and physical UK sales up to midnight last night, it’s George Michael who has taken pole position on today’s midweek Official Chart Update.

The former Wham! star looks set to score his seventh solo Number 1 on Sunday, and is more than 8,500 copies ahead of Kylie at this midway stage. However, there is still everything to play for between now and midnight on Saturday evening when sales close for this week’s Official Charts.

Tune in to BBC Radio 1’s Official Chart show with Jameela Jamil this Sunday (November 24) from 4pm Sunday to see who emerges victorious and log on to www.officialcharts.com at 7pm to see the Top 100 in full.

Meanwhile, Pharrell Williams’ G I R L remains static at Number 3. Reigning Official Albums Chart kings Elbow slide three places to Number 4 with The Take Off And Landing Of Everything, while Paloma Faith’s A Perfect Contradiction (5) completes today’s Top 5.

New Entries

In addition to George Michael’s Symphonica (Number 1) and Kylie Minogue’s Kiss Me Once (2), there are 12 other new entries on today’s Official Albums Chart Update.

The Pretty Reckless, who are fronted by former Gossip Girl actress Taylor Momsen, look set to replicate the Top 10 success of 2010’s Light Me Up with new offering Going To Hell. The band’s second album is at Number 6 today.

X Factor runner-up Nicholas McDonald’s first album, In The Arms Of An Angel, is new in at Number 7, while Glee star Lea Michelle and Westlife’s Kian Egan are also on course to debut in the Top 10 on Sunday. Lea’s first solo album Louder, is at Number 8, while Kian’s Home is at 9.

US DJ and producer Skrillex is on track for his highest charting UK album to date with Recess (11), while Enrique Iglesias is one place behind with Sex And Lies (12).

Following their recent Official Singles Chart success with Best Day Of My Life, US indie rockers American Authors are headed for the Top 20 on Sunday with their debut album, Oh What A Life (14). Their fellow countrymen The War On Drugs are set to make their Official Albums Chart debut this weekend with their third album, Lost In The Dream (15).

This week’s new entries are completed by Rend Collective’s The Art Of Celebration (20), Belinda Carlisle’s The Collection (23), Engelbert Humperdinck’s Engelbert Calling (28) and Taking Back Sunday’s Happiness Is (38).

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

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