Another album maxes out its singles chart allowance…

1. Jawsh 685 & Jason Derulo – “Savage Loved (Laxed – Siren Beat)”

Two weeks. That’s as far as Jason Derulo usually gets, but he did manage four weeks with “Want to Want Me” in 2015. Of course, the typical length of a run at number one has been creeping up since Jason was last having regular number ones.

The top 6 is completely static, and our highest new entry is…

7. AJ Tracey & Mabel – “West Ten”

That’s AJ Tracey’s fifth top ten hit, three of which have come since March. Mabel gets her fifth top ten hit. “West End” is a UK garage throwback, and it’s very good.

9. Pop Smoke – “The Woo”
14. Pop Smoke – “For the Night”
23. Pop Smoke – “Mood Swings”

Three tracks from the album “Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon”, which enters the album chart at number 2. Pop Smoke was shot dead in February, which has naturally drawn some more attention to him. His only previous hit single was “Dior”, which reached number 33 in the immediate aftermath of his death, and is included on this posthumous album. His mixtape “Meet the Woo 2” reached number 16 at around the same time (and re-enters this week at 32).

The tracks which have been singled out by the British public are not the official singles from the album, but they all have guest stars, which might have something to do with it. For some reason the chart compilers aren’t listing the guest artists, but “The Woo” has both 50 Cent and Roddy Ricch, “For the Night” has Lil Baby and DaBaby, and “Mood Swings” has Lil Tjay.

15. Joel Corry featuring MNEK – “Head & Heart”

The follow up to “Sorry” and “Lonely”, both of which made the top 10. We haven’t heard from MNEK since 2017; he’s had four previous top ten hits as a guest singer, but he’s yet to have much success on his own account (a single week at number 38 in 2015). Interesting that we seem to be seeing a resurgence in dance music on the singles chart this year, in a time when the clubs are all shut.

24. Digga D – “Woi”

Digga D had two mid-table hits last year, “No Diet” and “Mr Sheen”. I’d class this as “annoying”, but I’m not the target market. (Presumably. I’d be very, very surprised if I was.)

“Dancing in the Moonlight” by Jubel featuring Neimy climb 27-26, and “Go Crazy” by Chris Brown & Young Thug climbs 30-27. They’re the only two climbers on this week’s chart.

29. Jack Harlow – “Whats Poppin”

Yes, without apostrophes. This has been out for months, and it reached number 2 in the USA. It’s been hovering outside the top 40 for a few months already, but seems to be getting traction at last. He’s a rapper from Kentucky, and this is his debut UK hit.

30. Ty Dolla $ign featuring Kanye West, FKA twigs & Skrillex – “Ego Death”

Now that’s a bizarre list of collaborators. The actual record is more interesting than you’d expect from Ty Dolla $ign, but not as interesting as you’d hope for from that list of artists, aside from a weird moment where it briefly lapses into “Free”.

Ty Dolla $ign has had a string of hits as a guest rapper, but this is his first hit as lead artist. Kanye West hasn’t had a hit since “Famous” reached number 33 in 2016. The widely acclaimed FKA twigs has two top 30 albums to her credit, but this is her first appearance in the singles chart. And Skrillex hasn’t had a top 40 hit single since 2015 (when “Where Are U Now” reached number 3).

Over on the album chart…

1. Paul Weller – “On Sunset”

This is Paul Weller’s fifth solo number 1 album. But more significantly, if you count his various bands, Paul Weller has now had a number one album in each of five consecutive decades. That’s calendar decades, to be clear – the first album on the list was only 48 years ago – but it’s still impressive. Weller had a number 1 in the 2020s with, well, this; in the 2010s with “Sonik Kicks” (2012); in the 2000s with “Illumination” (20002) and “22 Dreams” (2008); in the 1990s with “Stanley Road” (1995); and in the 1980s as a member of the Style Council in 1985 and as a member of the Jam in 1982.

The Official Chart Company points out that only two other artists have achieved this feat: John Lennon and Paul McCartney. That’s true, but it’s worth pointing out that they only scored solo number 1 albums in the 1970s and 1980s – they rely on Beatles compilation albums to tick off the 1990s and 2000s. Weller has done it legitimately, with original studio albums.

3. Katherine Jenkins – “Cinema Paradiso”

The tenth top ten album from the MOR-classical singer. Her previous album, “Guiding Light”, only got to number 17, but that’s the one that was marketed as an intimate reflection on her death of her father and the birth of her child, and included a Stormzy cover. This collection of covers seems to be more what people expect from a Katherine Jenkins album. It’s her joint highest placing album, alongside 2007’s “Rejoice”.

7. Sparks – “A Steady Drip Drip Drip”

Now in their 70s, Sparks are still great. How many artists of that age are still making records as completely insane as the ones above? This matches the peak of their previous studio album “Hippopotamus”, from 2017.

10. Bury Tomorrow – “Cannibal”

Metalcore. Bury Tomorrow’s previous three albums reached 34, 36 and 21, so this is a big step up for them.

18. Dream Wife – “So When You Gonna”

They’re a London indie trio, and this is their second album, but the first to chart. From there, it’s a long way down to our final new entry…

37. The Shadows – “The Final Tour – Live”

Midprice release of a live show from Cardiff recorded in 2004. The title is because it was billed at the time as the Shadows’ Final Tour – in fact, they did a further tour with Cliff Richard a few years after. The Shadows’ Wikipedia article has two paragraphs under “Legacy and Influence”, one of which deals exclusively with the band’s impact on Yugoslavian rock.