Lorde pips James Arthur to Official Singles Chart throne with Royals

16-year-old Lorde from New Zealand held off competition from X Factor star James Arthur to claim first chart-topper with debut single Royals.

Despite tough competition from the winner of 2012’s The X Factor, teenage singer-songwriter Lorde has secured her first ever UK Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart with her debut release Royals.

Lorde told OfficialCharts.com: “I'm so incredibly stoked about being Number 1 this week and very grateful to all the UK fans who bought Royals!”

With a sound that defies her years, New Zealand-born Lorde has already topped the Billboard chart in the US and is the youngest solo artist to go straight in at Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart since 15-year-old Billie hit the top spot with Because We Want To in 1998.

Congratulations also to Virgin Records - Lorde’s Number 1 single and Katy Perry simultaneously topping the Official Albums Chart with Prism, comes in the same week that the label’s celebrations of 40 years of musical success reaches its climax with the opening of a pop-up exhibition and a forthcoming series of anniversary gigs.

James Arthur had to settle for runner-up slot with You’re Nobody ’Til Somebody Loves You, his first release since his X Factor winner’s single Impossible spent two weeks at Number 1 over Christmas and New Year.

Counting Stars, last week’s Number 1 from OneRepublic, falls to Number 3 after two non-consecutive weeks in the driving seat.

Katy Perry climbs back up two places to Number 4 with Roar, which spent two weeks at Number 1 last month.

New in at Number 5, Dutch brothers Sjoerd and Wouter Janssen – better known as Showtek – score their first Top 10 hit Booyah, which features DJs We Are Loud! and vocalist Sonny Wilson.

New Entries and High Climbers

Apart from new entries from Lorde (1), James Arthur (2) and Showtek/We Are Loud/Wilson (5), there are six other songs debuting on the Official Singles Chart Top 40.

New in at Number 8, it’s X Factor 2012 contestants Union J with their second release Beautiful Life. It’s another Top 10 hit for the foursome – their debut single Carry You peaked at Number 6 in June.

Eminem is new at Number 22 with Survival, the third track to hit the Top 40 from his forthcoming album The Marshall Mathers LP 2 in as many weeks. The album, which features this month’s Top 10 hits Berzerk and Rap God, is released on 5 November.

Justin Bieber also scores his third new entry in three weeks, with Hold Tight – the latest track from the Canadian star’s Music Mondays project – entering the chart at Number 28.

Debuting at Number 31 with second single All Night is Icona Pop, who topped the Official Singles Chart earlier this year with I Love It FT Charli XCX.

Boyband Reconnected make a return to the Official Singles Chart at Number 33 with Time Of Our Lives, their second Top 40 hit.

Sean Paul lands his 15th Top 40 hit as a lead artist – Turn It Up makes its Official Singles Chart debut at Number 35.

Robin Thicke is the highest climber on this week’s Top 40. Give It 2 U, the follow-up to million-selling Blurred Lines, jumps 13 places to Number 15, its highest chart position to date.

Here's this week's Official Singles Chart Top 10. You can see the Official Singles Chart Top 100 in full after 7pm

© 2013 The Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.