Lorde and James Arthur go head-to-head in battle for Number 1 on Official Singles Chart

Lorde’s debut single Royals is currently leading the way ahead of the X Factor star’s launch single You’re Nobody Til Somebody Loves You.

16-year-old New Zealand singing star Lorde is in with a chance of scoring a debut Number 1 with her very first single. Royals has been a hit all over the world and could deny X Factor winner James Arthur his second Number 1.

According to the Official Charts Company’s latest sales data, just over 7,000 copies separate Lorde’s Royals from James’s single You’re Nobody Til Somebody Loves You, so there’s still everything to play for before the Official Singles Chart is announced on Radio 1 on Sunday.

James Arthur’s first single – a cover of Shontelle’s Impossible – went straight in at Number 1 last year following his X Factor win, and was the fastest-selling single of 2012, selling nearly 490,000 copies in its first week. See our countdown of the Top 10 post-X Factor launch singles to find out the records James has to beat.

Last week’s chart-topper OneRepublic slips to Number 3 after two non-consecutive weeks at Number 1 with Counting Stars.

Dutch EDM group Showtek make their Top 10 debut with Booyah, FT We Are Loud and Sonny Wilson, new at Number 4.

Katy Perry’s Roar, a former Number 1, climbs one place back into the Top 5 following the star’s live performance on Sunday’s X Factor results show.

New Entries and High Climbers

Aside from new entries from Lorde (1), James Arthur (2) and Showtek/We Are Loud/Sonny Wilson (4), there are eight other tracks making their Official Singles Chart debut at this midway stage.

The X Factor’s Union J look set to score their second Top 10 hit with Beautiful Life new at Number 6.

Justin Bieber is on track to enjoy his third new entry in three weeks, with Hold Tight entering the chart at Number 9. It’s his 14th Top 40 hit as a lead artist.

Icona Pop are a new midweek entry with All Night (30), the follow up to their massive debut single I Love It FT Charli XCX.

At Number 31, Taylor Swift looks set to nab her 11th Top 40 hit as a lead artist with Sweeter Than Fiction, while London rapper Sway gets his fourth Top 40 hit – No Sleep FT KSI and Tigger Da Author goes in at 35.

Robin Thicke’s million-selling hit Blurred Lines goes back up 11 places to Number 22. The US singer performed the track – the best selling single of 2013 so far – on this weekend’s The X Factor.

Lady Gaga’s Do What U Want (featuring R Kelly) will become chart eligible once the related album pre-order promotion ends. Official Chart rules, as agreed in committee with the British music industry, allow one ‘instant grat’ promotion per album, i.e a single track download given away as an album pre-order incentive. Do What U Want is the second track to be delivered to fans who pre-order ARTPOP, the track will become eligible to chart once the current chosen promotional period ends and the full album is released on 11 November.

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

The Official Albums Chart Update Top 40 is as follows:

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