Sunday, May 24, 2009

UK Singles Chart, May 30, 2009

1. Bonkers - Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden

There's a big brand new #1 hit in the UK this week as "Bonkers" debuts at #1. It cleared more than 100,000 units (114,000 according to my source), making it the biggest 1-week sales figure so far this year and the first #1 hit to clear 100K since Alexandra Burke's "Hallelujah" was #1 the first week of the year. This is British rapper Dizzee Rascal's second major dance collaboration. Last summer he teamed up with Calvin Harris and scored a big #1 hit with "Dance Wiv Me." Now he's teamed up with American DJ Armand Van Helden to shape his second major hit. Rascal's had only one top 10 hit prior to these collaborations--2004's "Stand Up All," which hit #10. Van Helden is well known to UK audiences. He made his splash in 1997 having remixed Tori Amos' "Professional Widow," which was a UK #1. He hit #1 again 2 years later under his own name with "You Don't Know Me." Conventional wisdom says that "Bonkers" is here to stay at #1 for some time, so expect a long ride for this one.

5. Red - Daniel Merriweather

Daniel Merriweather scores an impressive top 5 debut with "Red," the second single from his forthcoming album Love and War, out June 1. "Red" follows "Change," which hit #8 earlier this year. Nice to see an artist's chart prospects increase with a subsequent release, building the buzz for the album, which I'm hoping will be really good. This is Merriweather's fourth UK top 40 hit. He also hit #2 with Mark Ronson on "Stop Me" and #18 with Wiley on "Cash in My Pocket."

8. Kiss Me Thru the Phone - Soulja Boy feat. Sammie

Soulja Boy jumps eight spots to #8, landing his second UK top 10 hit. "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" hit #3 in the US a couple months ago. The track is produced by Jim Jonsin, who also produced "Whatever You Like" for T.I., "Lollipop" for Lil Wayne, and a couple of tracks on Beyonce's latest album.

10. Fairytale - Alexander Rybak

Congratulations go to Norway and their Alexander Rybak for winning this year's Eurovision contest. The winning entry, "Fairytale" debuts in the top 10 this week. This is the first Eurovision winner to land in the UK top 40 since the 2006 winner, Lordi from Finland hit #25 with "Hard Rock Hallelujah." It's been 12 years though since a Eurovision winner has been a UK top 10 hit. Back in 1997, it was, in fact Britain which won Eurovision with Katrina and the Waves' "Love Shine a Light." The single peaked at #3.

19. Candy - Paolo Nutini

Scottish singer Paolo Nutini returns to the top 40 this week with "Candy," the first single from his second album. The singer's debut, "Last Request," hit #5 in 2006. He followed it with a string of top 40 hits, although all charted in the twenties.

21. In the Heat of the Night - Star Pilots

Swedish dance act Star Pilots debut at #21 with "In the Heat of the Night." It's a shamelessly '80s-styled single, one of those songs that sounds so '80s you'd swear it had been a hit then, but it's actually a new song that's just cleverly produced to make it sound like an oldie. I actually rather like this song--I wish it had charted higher.

27. It's My Time - Jade Ewen

Here's the UK's Eurovision entry, which placed 5th in the contest. Frankly, it's not spectacular. Better luck next year.

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