UK Singles Chart, January 29, 2011

It's a pretty exciting chart this week, with half of the top 10 consisting of new entries this week.

1. Grenade - Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars is hot, hot, hot this week. His hit "Grenade" holds off a formidable challenge from Adele to remain the #1 single for a second week. Reportedly, he moved another 100,000+ copies, which is truly amazing for a January release in its second week. Mars scores a chart triple this week, also topping the airplay chart and the albums chart with Doo Wops & Hooligans, which was released last year in the US but held from release in the UK until this last week.

2. Rolling in the Deep - Adele

With Mars at #1, British pop singer Adele must be content to score the second #2 hit of her career, as her new single, "Rolling in the Deep" slides into the runner-up slot. Early in the week it was #1, but could not hold off the enduring popularity of "Grenade." Although it's been 3 years since the release of her last album, Adele has not been far from the singles chart. In fact, she's been in the top 10 most of the last few months with her single "Make You Feel My Love," which has benefited from appearances in various reality shows, most notably The X Factor. Although there was some fear the sustained attention for that single would detract from this new one, those fears appear to have been unwarranted, as Adele manages to score her third top 10 hit. Her new album, 21, is out tomorrow.

4. Coming Home - Diddy-Dirty Money (feat. Skylar Grey)

Sean Combs' new group, Diddy-Dirty Money, debuts at #4 with its first single, "Coming Home." I'm a bit surprised to see this chart so high, as it's not really taken off in the US.

5. Traktor - Wretch 32 (feat. L)

Debuting at #5 is the first single from another act in this year's roundup of the hot new acts of 2011. Wretch 32 is a British grime rapper from London and "Traktor" is a pretty cool slice of hip-hop, with some surprisingly tuneful turns and a cool sample of the infamous Pulp Fiction instrumental, "Misirlou."

6. Hold It Against Me - Britney Spears

Britney Spears debuts at #6 with her latest, "Hold It Against Me." Although this was originally slated for February, the digital release was moved up to this week, likely to ward off piracy, since the track was available in other countries last week. Although it's caused quite a ruckus in the US, where it debuted at #1 this week, its reception is significantly less instant in Britain, where it debuts at a respectable but not earth-shattering #6. Britney's recent chart reception in the UK has been muted in compared to that in the US. All of her Blackout singles charted at the same or a higher position as they did in the US; however most of her singles from Circus on have charted lower in the UK than in the US.

8. Like U Like - Aggro Santos (feat. Kimberley Walsh)

Another British rap act debuts in the top 10. This is the second top 10 hit for Aggro Santos, following "Candy" which hit #5 last year. That single featured vocals from Kimberly Wyatt, while this single features another Kim, Kimberley Walsh, best known as a member of Girls Aloud. After Cheryl Cole and Nadine Coyle, she's the third member of the group to chart on her own, although as a featured vocalist, it's still not a solo credit for her.

14. Now or Never - Jodie Connor (feat. Wiley)

Jodie Connor scores her first solo hit with "Now or Never," which debuts at #15. Connor was the vocalist on Roll Deep's #1 hit from last year, "Good Times." Rapper Wiley, a member of Roll Deep, makes a guest appearance here.

19. Make You Feel My Love - Adele

Getting well out of the way of Adele's new single, her old one, "Make You Feel My Love," makes a 12 spot dive to #19 this week.

29. What the Hell - Avril Lavigne

She's been away too long it appears, as the release of a new single from the once mighty chart force Avril Lavigne seems to garner little notice this week as it slides into #29. The first singles from her previous albums peaked at #2 ("Complicated" and "Girlfriend") and #5 ("Don't Tell Me").

Next week: Look out for "The Roller," the new single from Beady Eye, the reconstituted Oasis (minus Noel Gallagher), as well as dance act Chase & Status's "Blind Faith," a great tune that samples the classic Loleatta Holloway track, "Love Sensation." Ke$ha's big US hit "We R Who We R" gets its US release, Devlin & Labrinth's "Let It Go" is out, plus hot new act The Vaccines make their debut with "Post Break Up Sex."