Official Singles Chart on 26/1/2018

Drake’s Gods Plan is #1 this week, it’s my second favourite of his! (Behind Life Is Good)

My thoughts on the UK charts this week
- Drake ended up getting his third #1 single with "God's Plan" following him featuring on "What's my name" by rihanna and "One Dance" with Wizkid & Kyla
-"God's plan" starts off with a strong point at #1 on the Official Audio Streaming charts last Friday. He also has set the new global record for biggest first day streams with this particular song.
-God's plan is the first song to have a #1 debut on the chart singles since "Too good at goodbyes" by Sam Smith.
- "Finesse" by Bruno Mars ft Cardi B is the new #1 on airplay this week, I do like the song but I think there is definitely some songs that could have got that place.
-So Drake coming out of nowhere since his mixtape "More life" to take the #1, it was going to be some close singles for sure and I guess I am fine with the result, I just hope that this song doesn't become as big as "one dance" because I can't see it becoming big. This song isn't bad though, as the song has a bounce to it but it is a let down for me. Overall this song is good but nothing amazing either.

-Mabel and Not3s back at it again with "Fine Line" at #32! I personally love Mabel's songs at the moment and I think she has made an amazing introduction to the music industry. The song is catchy and bouncy but I would say the other songs are slightly better than "Fine Line". Not3s doesn't really do alot in this song as the other ones yet sing along with Mabel. It's slightly boring by the time Not3s comes in as I just think this makes the song less entertaining as usual. I am more of a fan of Mabel's more slower songs like Finders keepers and My lover.

-Very very happy to see Barking hit #2 on the top charts! I considerably listen to this song alot and sing along. If I could I would listen to this song everyday.
-I was expecting River to hit #1 this week as Ed Sheeran did so well with Perfect but I guess not. I personally was expecting this because after Perfect had so many weeks at #1 I thought it would be necessary for that to hit #1
-IDGAF rises up quickly after a few weeks and I'm in love with the song! I would hope to see it hit #1 in the next few weeks.

Whats the mater with Kylie Minogue ? No video , no remixes , sadly no streaming . The result new entry at no 47 and on sales chart new at no 15, 'Dancing' sounds good but without promotion next week will fall out of the chart and Kylie do not deserves it .She is a pop legend and she should have at least a top 20 with the lead single of her 'Golden' album .

Lets get Calum Scott - You are the Reason in the charts. Troye Sivan deserves to be a lo higher too.

Where is Calum Scott. People go and buy it.

Disappointing chart, shame to see my my my! and she loves control drop out of the top 40 after just 1 week, and also that leave a light on also failed to get there this week. I also don't rate the new number 1, although it is better than barking at least. Nice to see strangers climbing though, hopefully it's streaming will pick up enough to see it in the top 10 next week.

My thoughts & observations on the UK charts as always…

- Drake earns his third #1 single with ‘God’s Plan’ following his feature on ‘What’s My Name?’ by Rihanna for one week in 2010 & ‘One Dance’ featuring Wizkid & Kyla for 15 weeks in 2016.

- ‘God’s Plan’ gets off to a very strong start in streaming in particular, with a total of 6.5 million streams since last Friday. He also set the new global record for biggest first day streams with this song.

- ‘God’s Plan’ is the first song to have a #1 debut on the singles chart since ‘Too Good At Goodbyes’ by Sam Smith did so last September.

- ‘Finesse’ by Bruno Mars ft Cardi B is the new #1 on airplay this week, which I’m glad to hear to me considering the song is also #1 in my own chart!

- So with Drake coming out of nowhere to take the #1, it was going to be a close week for sure & I guess the result is fine, but I really hope ‘God’s Plan’ doesn’t become the next ‘One Dance’. This isn’t bad though, as the production is heavy on synths & has a bit of a bounce to it that I don’t mind at all, but it can’t counter the dull lyrics, where he discusses his: success, haters & money. The melody reminds me around the hook to his previous US hit with Gucci Mane called ‘Both’, but I can think of so many more songs in his discography where Drake gives the same delivery & it’s not like his vocals move away from being boring. I enjoy the beat to this, but I think this would’ve been a lot better if Drake took a few more months out of releasing music. Overall, not bad by any means, but nothing amazing either.

- The second song from his new EP by Drake is called ‘Diplomatic Immunity’ & enters the chart at #21 this week. I’ve got a bit of a mixed view on Drake as an artist overall, but he’s been putting out so much material recently that I’m just becoming bored of him & how ‘One Dance’ spent 15 weeks at #1 back in 2016 was just mad, but if the quality is still there, I’m more than happy to welcome it! In this case, we do actually get a bit more quality than the more successful track I reviewed above. Drake measuring successes & taking down his enemies is where he is the most tactical. The production consists of synth strings & rattling hi-hats, breaking away from his recent direction into South African house & dancehall. It’s a shame that this performed the least well out of the two singles that came out, because there’s more likeability here than in ‘God’s Plan’.

- Two-time former collaborators Mabel & Not3s team up once again for ‘Fine Line’, which begins its chart run at #32 today! I liked their previous team-ups for ‘Finders Keepers’ & ‘My Lover [Remix]’, as they had a relaxed tone to them which might not have stood out as anything special, but they were pleasant listens. ‘Fine Line’ deals with the playful beginnings of a relationship, as she rides that tropical beat & her vocals are yet again on-point. Not3s doesn’t really add much energy to this to be completely honest & I’ve already forgotten his contribution to this like an hour after hearing this. It’s slightly quicker paced that Mabel’s two previous hits, but there’s no significant improvement, although I see the appeal to this & why she’s been one of the country’s upcoming talents over the past few months.

- The next new entry is ‘These Days’ by Rudimental ft Jess Glynne, Macklemore & Dan Caplan, entering at #33. There’s no doubt that Rudimental are responsible for some of the biggest drum & bass crossovers of the decade & they’ve collaborated with some huge UK artists recently. This acts as the second single to their upcoming third studio album & it can be best described as a feel-good anthem which looks at being thankful for the relationship you had with someone & hoping that you could be friends again one day & look back at the memories you shared together. Rudimental continue to experiment with their sound & this reminds me of something Years & Years would’ve put out on their last album in terms of production. Jess Glynne’s vocals are incredible as usual & I like the R&B & soul tone that Dan Caplan gives, but I just wish we got a bit more from Macklemore, as he only says a few words at the start & end of the song. As a whole, this was an enjoyable listen, I hope it does well!

- The last new arrival to the Top 40 this week is ‘Sick Boy’ by The Chainsmokers, which makes its debut on the Official Charts at #40, becoming their eighth song to reach the region! For as much as I’ve been mostly been a fan of the EDM duo, they’ve never really won over many critics. However, while I personally loved that album, this new certainly came as a surprise, as they move away from their dance roots and more towards the successful pop sound, but with more aggression. They seem to have abandoned their romantic flair & the content here is notably more meaningful, as they discuss how America is divided, bringing in political content. That said, despite the darker hook, Drew seems vulnerable on the bridge & regarding his vocals, they’ve definitely improved from say ‘Paris’ or ‘Closer’, as he sounds far more interesting, although ‘Sick Boy’ in general reminds me of a 21 Pilots song more than anything they’ve released so far, although I’m not the biggest fan of the first pre-chorus, as it really doesn’t suit his voice well. Also, it’s nice to see them use a piano melody that uses more than two or three notes & they throw in some minor piano chords to open the song & they are even some touches of symphony to this in places. ‘Sick Boy’ was definitely a big risk for The Chainsmokers & it’s still decent, although it’s not on the level of what they’ve previously charted with.

- On the albums chart, the soundtrack to ‘The Greatest Showman’ spends a third consecutive week at #1. In doing so, it’s the second longest #1 album in the past year, behind ‘÷’ which spend a huge 20 weeks in total at the top!

- ‘The Greatest Showman’ received a further 39,000 combined sales this week, which is just 1,000 less than last week. Its total sales are currently at 129,000.

- The rest of the Top 5 this week is: ‘M A N I A’ by Fall Out Boy (debuts at #2), ‘Ruins’ by First Aid Kit (debuts at #3), ‘÷’ by Ed Sheeran (3-4) & ‘Revival’ by Eminem (4-5).

- Looking ahead to next week, these songs could be entering the Top 40 for the first time: ‘Say Something’ by Justin Timberlake ft Chris Stapleton, ‘Leave A Light On’ by Tom Walker & maybe even more.

- Elsewhere, I’m very happy that: ‘IDGAF’, ‘Breathe’ & especially ‘This Is Me’ all hit the Top 10 & that ‘Strangers’ was the biggest climber inside the Top 40 this week!

- Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you all have a good weekend. :)

- My latest Crown Note chart: https://crownnote.com/charts/piran-delves/pirans-top-40-60

My thoughts & observations on the UK charts as always…

- Drake scores a third #1 single with ‘God’s Plan’ following ‘What’s My Name?’ with Rihanna (1 week in 2010) & ‘One Dance’ ft Wizkid & Kyla (15 weeks in 2016).

- ‘God’s Plan’ is mostly fuelled by streaming, accumulating 6.5 million plays since last Friday. He also broke the worldwide record for biggest first day streams with this song.

- ‘God’s Plan’ becomes the first to debut at #1 on the singles chart since ‘Too Good At Goodbyes’ by Sam Smith did so last September.

- ‘Finesse’ by Bruno Mars ft Cardi B is the new #1 on airplay this week, which is amazing news to me considering the song is also #1 in my personal charts!

- So with Drake coming out of nowhere to the #1, it was going to be a close week for sure & I guess the result is fine, but I really hope ‘God’s Plan’ doesn’t become the next ‘One Dance’. This isn’t bad though; the production is synth-heavy & has a bit of a bounce to it that I don’t mind at all, but I can’t counteract the leaden lyrics, where he goes into his classic rap style about paranoia of: success, haters & money. The melody dances around the hook to his previous US hit with Gucci Mane called ‘Both’, but I can think of so many songs where Drake gives the same delivery & it’s not like his vocals move away from being boring. I enjoy the beat to this, but I think this would’ve been a lot better if Drake took a few more months out of releasing music. Overall, not bad by any means, but nothing exceptional either.

- The second song from that ‘Scary Hours EP’ by Drake is called ‘Diplomatic Immunity’ & enters the chart at #21 this week. I’ve got a bit of a mixed view on Drake as an artist overall, but he’s been putting out so much material recently that I feel that he’s becoming way too overexposed & how ‘One Dance’ spent 15 weeks at #1 back in 2016 was absolutely crazy, but if the quality’s still there, I’m more than happy to welcome it! In this case, we do actually get a bit more quality than the more successful track I reviewed above. Drake measuring successes, dismissing minor adversaries & taking stock of his empire brings out the tactician in him more than most of what was on his last two projects. The production comes from Boi-1da & Nick Brongers, which consists of synth strings & rattling hi-hats, breaking away from his recent direction into South African house & dancehall. It’s a shame that this performed the least well out of the two singles that came out, because there’s more likeability here than in ‘God’s Plan’.

- Two-time former collaborators Mabel & Not3s team up once again for ‘Fine Line’, which begins its chart run at #32 today! I liked their previous team-ups for ‘Finders Keepers’ & ‘My Lover [Remix]’, as they had a relaxed tone to them which might not have stood out as anything special, but they were pleasant enough listens. ‘Fine Line’ deals with the playful beginnings of a relationship, as she rides that tropical beat & her vocals are yet again on-point. Not3s doesn’t really add much energy to this to be completely honest & I’ve already forgotten his contribution to this like an hour after hearing this. It’s slightly faster paced that Mabel’s two previous hits, but there’s no significant improvement, although I see the appeal to this & why she’s been one of the country’s rising talents over the past few months.

- The next new entry is ‘These Days’ by Rudimental ft Jess Glynne, Macklemore & Dan Caplan, entering at #33. There’s no doubt that Rudimental are responsible drum & bass & electronica crossovers of the decade & they’ve collaborated with some huge British acts recently. This serves as the second single to their upcoming third studio album & it can be best described as a euphoric feel-good anthem which looks at being thankful for the relationship you had with someone & hoping that you could be friends again one day & look back at the memories you shared together. Rudimental continue to be experimental with their sound & this reminds me of something Years & Years would’ve put out on their last album in terms of production. Jess Glynne’s vocals are stellar as usual & I like the R&B & soul vibe that Dan Caplan gives, but I just wish we got a bit more from Macklemore, as he only says a few words at the start & end of the song. As a whole, this was an enjoyable listen, I hope it does well!

- The last new arrival to the Top 40 this week is ‘Sick Boy’ by The Chainsmokers, which makes its debut on the Official Charts at #40, becoming their eighth song to reach the region! For as much as I’ve been a fan of the American EDM duo with the exception of ‘#selfie’, they’ve never really won over many critics. However, while I personally loved that album, this new certainly came as a surprise, as they move away from their dance roots and more towards the successful pop sound, but with a more aggressive edge. They seem to have abandoned their romantic flair & the content here is notably more meaningful, as they discuss the east-west divide in America, addressing racial politics & the emptiness of Hollywood. That said, despite the darker hook, Drew seems vulnerable on the bridge & regarding his vocals, they’ve definitely improved from say ‘Paris’ or ‘Closer’, as he sounds far more interesting, although ‘Sick Boy’ in general resembles a Twenty One Pilots song more than anything they’ve released so far, although I’m not the biggest fan of the sing-rapping, as it really doesn’t suit his voice well. Also, it’s nice to see them use a piano melody that uses more than two or three notes & they throw in some mournful chords to open the song & they are even some symphonic touches to this in places. ‘Sick Boy’ was definitely a big risk for The Chainsmokers & it’s still decent, although it’s not on the level of what they’ve previously charted with.

- On the albums chart, the soundtrack to ‘The Greatest Showman’ spends a third consecutive week at #1. In doing so, it becomes the second longest #1 album in the past year, behind ‘÷’ which spend a massive 20 weeks in total at the top!

- ‘The Greatest Showman’ racked up a further 39,000 combined sales this week, which is just 1,000 less than last week. Its total sales currently stand at 129,000.

- The rest of the Top 5 this week is: ‘M A N I A’ by Fall Out Boy (debuts at #2), ‘Ruins’ by First Aid Kit (debuts at #3), ‘÷’ by Ed Sheeran (3-4) & ‘Revival’ by Eminem (4-5).

- Looking ahead to next week, these songs could be entering the Top 40 for the first time: ‘Say Something’ by Justin Timberlake ft Chris Stapleton, ‘Leave A Light On’ by Tom Walker & maybe even more.

- Elsewhere, I’m very happy that: ‘IDGAF’, ‘Breathe’ & especially ‘This Is Me’ all hit the Top 10 & that ‘Strangers’ was the biggest climber inside the Top 40 this week!

- Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you all have a good weekend. :)

- My latest Crown Note chart: https://crownnote.com/charts/piran-delves/pirans-top-40-60