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[ThePensmith]

Hello everyone, happy Friday to you all. It's time once again to count down my personal top 20 this week. Mark Ronson and Lykke Li have been on top for two weeks now with 'Late Night Feelings'. Are they still there today, or maybe a new entry from Shawn Mendes, P!nk or Kylie Minogue has taken control? Only one way to find out...

THEPENSMITH'S TOP 20 SINGLES CHART
Week ending 17th May 2019
© AM LIMITED 2019

1. (1) MARK RONSON FEAT. LYKKE LI - Late Night Feelings
2. (2) AVICII FEAT. ALOE BLACC - SOS
3. (HNE) SHAWN MENDES - If I Can't Have You
4. (3) THE VERONICAS - Think Of Me
5. (4) JONAS BROTHERS - Sucker
6. (NE) P!NK FEAT. KHALID - Hurts 2B Human
7. (NE) KYLIE MINOGUE - New York City
8. (5) JONAS BLUE FEAT. THERESA REX - What I Like About You
9. (6) OLLY MURS - Feel The Same
10. (NE) UNPERFECT - Looking for a Hug

11. (7) ELLIE GOULDING - Sixteen
12. (NE) BASTILLE - Joy
13. (8) RAK-SU - Yours or Mine
14. (10) BUSTED - Shipwrecked In Atlantis
15. (11) MABEL - Don't Call Me Up
16. (12) THE VAMPS - Missing You
17. (13) MICHAEL RICE - Bigger Than Us
18. (14) LSD - Heaven Can Wait
19. (16) WESTLIFE - Better Man
20. (18) JESS GLYNNE - No One

Compiled from my own personal listening in the last seven days across streaming, digital and physical formats.

KEY

(1) - last week's position
(HNE) - highest new entry
(NE) - new entry
(RE) - re-entry

CHART COMMENTARY



And so the duopoly continues. Mark Ronson and Lykke Li remain top of the pile for a third week with 'Late Night Feelings', making them the second act this year to last more than a fortnight at number one on my chart, whilst Avicii and Aloe Blacc's 'SOS' remains at #2 for its fourth week.

Four of this week's five new entries smash into my top 10 this week, and a hearty congratulations is in order to the biggest of these from Shawn Mendes. The pop hearthrob released a brand new single not available on his current self titled album last week, in the process ensuring that 'If I Can't Have You' (not a cover of the old disco classic, you will note) returns him to the top 3 since 'In My Blood' hit #2 over a year ago.



Currently the second biggest single of the year on my chart, and still on the chart this week at #24, P!nk's last single 'Walk Me Home' crowned her with a third number one single when it spent two weeks at the top in March. Things are off to a slightly more low key start for the follow up and title track off her latest chart topping album 'Hurts 2B Human' though, as the single - a collaboration with Khalid - enters at #6.



How many greatest hits albums is too many? The answer seems to be none if you're Kylie Minogue. Yes, for despite releasing at least three of note already, the diminutive pop royalty is gearing up for another hits package release to tie in with her forthcoming festival appearances next month, including her long awaited turn at this year's Glastonbury. The only brand new song off 'Step Back In Time: The Definitive Collection', out on June 28th, 'New York City' debuts at this week's #7, making it her 26th top 10 hit on my chart.



New girl group Unperfect's debut single 'Gots To Give The Girl' sharply divided opinion amongst pop fans when it debuted at #7 on my chart back in February, staying on for nine weeks. No one could quite work out if Brian Higgins/Xenomania's new four piece muses were the next best thing since Sugababes in their prime or the pop version of the Emperor's New Clothes, and still the debate rages on, such is the lo-fidelity approach that has been taken to their marketing and promotion. Either way, they enjoy their second top 10 hit today, even if 'Looking for a Hug' charts three places lower at #10.



Bastille were last on my chart exactly a year ago with 'Quarter Past Midnight', the single making a fairly in-out appearance despite debuting at #6. With their cheerily titled third album 'Doom Days' set to hit the shelves next month they now release a second single off it, but 'Joy' can only make do for now with this #12 entry point. To find the last time they had a single higher than this was with 'I Know You', the single they guested on for Craig David which topped our chart back in January 2018.



Still, by comparison, they are doing better than one artist this week who we could normally expect a much bigger splash from. Last week, Ed Sheeran released his first new material for more than a year, the single 'I Don't Care' being a collaboration with woman beating/Chris Brown advocate Justin Bieber, who he famously wrote one of his big hits for (albeit not on this chart) in 'Love Yourself' back in 2015.



Considering that Ed's last album spun off two massive number one singles in 'Castle on the Hill' and 'Perfect' (the former my biggest single of 2017), you would imagine that a new single from British pop's favourite guitar wielding singer songwriter would've been at the very least challenging for a top 3 placing. Instead, we'll have to place the blame on his choice of guest artist as the reason the (fairly generic) single enters at a lowly #32 on my chart this week. Make no mistake, however, for he is shortly to appear both on screen and on the soundtrack of Richard Curtis' hotly tipped new Beatles inspired film Yesterday, out next month, so if he's back in style with a smash song from there then don't say we didn't warn you.

FLASHBACK TOP 10
Your chance to see how my personal top 10 was looking on this week in the last 20 years. This week in 2009: Annie scores her third number one with 'Anthonio', plus classic hits from Black Eyed Peas, Lily Allen and McFly



1. (HNE) ANNIE - Anthonio



2. (NE) BLACK EYED PEAS - Boom Boom Pow
3. (NE) MCFLY - Falling In Love
4. (1) LILY ALLEN - Not Fair
5. (NE) ALESHA DIXON - Let's Get Excited
6. (2) FRANKMUSIK - Better Off As Two
7. (3) CALVIN HARRIS - I'm Not Alone
8. (4) LA ROUX - In For The Kill
9. (NE) THE PRODIGY - Warrior's Dance
10. (5) A.R. RAHMAN FEAT. THE PUSSYCAT DOLLS AND NICOLE SCHERZINGER - Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)