Becky Hill bags highest new Official Albums Chart entry as Taylor Swift retains reign

Believe Me Now? earns Becky Hill a career-best

Becky Hill claims this week’s highest new Official Albums Chart entry, as Taylor Swift retains her reign at Number 1 for a fifth non-consecutive week.

With Taylor’s The Eras Tour landing in the UK today, The Tortured Poets Department now equals 2022's Midnights as her longest-running Number 1 album in the UK; both boasting five non-consecutive weeks at the summit.

Billie Eilish’s former chart-topper HIT ME HARD AND SOFT lifts one place (2), while Becky Hill’s second studio LP Believe Me Now? debuts at Number 3 and, in doing so, earns the British dance connoisseur a career-best. Previously, Becky peaked at Number 7 with 2021 debut studio album Only Honest On The Weekend, while her 2019 compilation Get To Know peaked at Number 20.

Congratulations are in order for K-pop octuple ATEEZ, who celebrate their third Official Albums Chart Top 10 with GOLDEN HOUR: Part.1 (4). The South Korean group, comprising Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho, now make UK chart history as the first K-pop act to secure three Top 10 albums in one year; having previously enjoyed success with 2023’s THE WORLD EP.2 : OUTLAW (10) and THE WORLD EP.FIN : WILL (2).

Fellow K-pop act BTS managed to log two Top 10 LPs in one year in 2020: MAP OF THE SOUL : PERSONA and MAP OF THE SOUL : 7.

MORE: ATEEZ make Official Chart history with GOLDEN HOUR: Part.1

Former Longpigs and Pulp member Richard Hawley scores a fifth solo Top 10 album with In This City They Call You Love (5). Hawley previously saw similar success with 2007’s Lady’s Bridge (6), 2012 release Standing At Sky’s Edge (3), 2015’s Hollow Meadows (9) and 2019’s Further (3).

In This City They Call You Love also debuts atop this week’s Official Vinyl Albums Chart, shifting the most copies on wax this week.

With the release of new single Houdini, Eminem’s 2005 chart stalwart Curtain Call: The Hits lifts eight back into the Top 10 (7), as 2022 sequel Curtain Call 2 vaults 23 in a return to the Top 40 (24).

Elsewhere, Australian rock outfit Crowded House are a brand-new entry with eighth studio collection Gravity Stairs (8). It becomes the sixth LP in their UK Top 10 tally, joining 1991’s Woodface (6), 1993’s Together Alone (4), 1996 hits compilation Recurring Dream: The Very Best Of Crowded House (1), 2007’s Time On Earth (3) and 2021 record Dreams Are Waiting (6).

The most popular physical release in UK independent record shops this week, Gravity Stairs debuts at Number 1 on the Official Record Store Chart.

Rounding out this week’s Top 10 is K-Trap, who achieves a solo career-best with SMILE? (10). The South London rapper and songwriter’s previous solo Albums Chart peak came courtesy of 2021 mixtape The Last Whip II (12), while recent Headie One collaborative work STRENGTH TO STRENGTH earned the pair a Top 5 LP (4).

Riding the success of UK breakout hit Good Luck, Babe!, Missouri pop auteur Chappell Roan sees her debut LP The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess ascend to new highs, up 10 to creep ever-closer to the Top 20 (23).

And finally, as Liam Gallagher kicks off his 30th anniversary tour playing the record in full, Oasis’s 1994 debut Definitely Maybe jumps 18 back into the Top 40 (38). The chart-topping Britpop record will receive a 30th anniversary Deluxe Edition reissue across brand-new formats on August 30.