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[ThePensmith]

Good afternoon one and all, hope you're all OK after the first full week of the year! Time to bring you my personal top 20 once again. Last Friday, Now United gained their first ever number one single on their sixth week - but could big new entries from the likes of Lauv and a returning Fleur East bring their time at the top to an end? Here's where you find out...

THEPENSMITH'S TOP 20 SINGLES CHART
Week ending 11th January 2019
© AM LIMITED 2019

1. (3) LOS UNIDADES FEAT. PHARRELL WILLIAMS & JOZZY - E-Lo
2. (1) NOW UNITED - All Day
3. (HNE) LAUV - Superhero
4. (NE) FLEUR EAST - Favourite Thing
5. (2) OLLY MURS - Excuses
6. (4) JESS GLYNNE - Thursday
7. (6) GEORGE EZRA - Hold My Girl
8. (NE) SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR - Take Me Home (Orchestral Remix)
9. (9) RAE MORRIS - Dancing With Character
10. (5) LITTLE MIX - Think About Us

11. (8) CLEAN BANDIT FEAT. MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS & LUIS FONSI - Baby
12. (11) ELLIE GOULDING FEAT. DIPLO & SWAE LEE - Close To Me
13. (NE) GAVIN JAMES - Glow
14. (10) MICHAEL BUBLÉ - Love You Anymore
15. (7) TAKE THAT - Out Of Our Heads
16. (12) ALL SAINTS - Testament In Motion
17. (15) OLLY MURS FEAT. SNOOP DOGG - Moves
18. (16) JAMIE LAWSON - Testify
19. (14) LSD - Thunderclouds
20. (NE) NILE RODGERS & CHIC FEAT. LUNCHMONEY LEWIS - Do You Wanna Party?

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



A small refresh of my closing words just seven days ago: "I don't see any record contending the current top 3, even with a wealth of new releases." As of this afternoon, I'm eating those words, for just as Now United were getting comfortable at the top spot, my personal chart pays host to a second brand new number one in as many weeks. However, it's source isn't one of the new arrivals, but again a record that's already been around for a few weeks.

And this week, it's the turn of 'E-Lo' by Los Unidades with Pharrell Williams and Jozzy, aka the Coldplay record that isn't technically by them, as it climbs once again to reach the top on its fourth week. Including the records that are actually credited to the name everyone knows and loves, this is now Chris Martin and chums' fourth number one, to add to 'Viva La Vida' in 2008, 'Paradise' exactly seven years ago in 2012 and 'Adventure Of A Lifetime' exactly three years ago in 2016. For Pharrell, it's his sixth time at the top. His others: 'Can I Have It Like That?' with Gwen Stefani (2005), 'Get Lucky' with Daft Punk and 'Blurred Lines' with Robin Thicke and T.I (2013), 'Happy' (2014) and 'Feels' with Calvin Harris and Katy Perry (2017).



Those not fond of the static look of the last fortnight and a bit will be pleased to know it's a busy chart once again - not least because three of this week's five new entries debut in the upper ranks. Lauv had one of the biggest hits of last autumn on my personal chart, the San Francisco born newcomer spending ten weeks inside the top 20 with his debut single 'I Like Me Better', eventually settling at a peak of #4 in September. The follow-up was therefore always destined to consolidate that success and so it proves, as 'Superhero' makes an impressive top 3 debut as well as claiming the week's highest new hit. Believe me when I tell you what a gorgeous record as his last one this is.



Where do we start with the lady who enters behind Lauv? It was November 2015 when we last saw Fleur East. The runner up on the 2014 series of The X Factor, she scored a quite spectacular number one single, hitting the top for a three week run with the unavoidable pop stomper 'Sax'. But when the follow-up, 'More & More', failed to make my personal chart at all, almost a year and a bit of 'New material coming soon' party lines were the only new thing forthcoming from her where music was concerned, and it seemed as if she was going to take an ignimonious long walk down the corridor marked 'one hit wonder'.



And indeed, a year ago, having parted ways with SyCo Music, that seemed to be the case. But that was before she signed up to appear in last year's series of the hit ITV jungle reality show 'I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here', which saw her finish in a very respectable fourth place. Going for the 'strike whilst the iron is hot' approach, 'Favourite Thing' is thus her first single in over three years. Time will tell as to whether this goodwill extends beyond the next few months or not, but for now Fleur has a long overdue second top 5 hit to her name, debuting at this week's #4 and with the potential to make something of her pop career after all.

Congratulations are in order to Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who welcomed her newest baby son Mickey with husband and guitarist Richard Jones of The Feeling into the world on Monday. She also has a new arrival of a different sort this week as she's back inside our top 10, albeit with a new single that we've kind of already met many moons ago. Back in August 2001, when Spotify was but a glint in the eye of the music industry and flossing was something you did in your dental care routine, she covered Cher's lesser known hit 'Take Me Home' as her solo debut and the follow-up to her guest vocal on Spiller's chart topping 'Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)' from 2000.



That time out, it debuted and peaked at #2, unable to be a match for Five with 'Let's Dance'. History repeats itself a little this week, although this particular recording is actually a new version from her 'orchestral reworkings' best of album 'The Song Diaries', now officially slated for a March 15th release date. Following up the #2 success of her cover of Carol Williams' Salsoul disco classic 'Love Is You' from the same album last August, the reworked 'Take Me Home' lands at #8.

All this new activity in the upper reaches finally puts paid to the top 10 careers of Take That's 'Out Of Our Heads' and Michael Bublé's 'Love You Anymore', which after three whole months between them, check out and descend to #14 and #15 respectively. It means George Ezra is now the longest runner in the top 10, with former number one hit 'Hold My Girl' now in its twelfth week and down one to this week's #7. Take That's next single 'Everlasting' is due for promotion in February, however, so it may not be long before we see them in the top 20 again.

Another one from the "Where did you go?" file that we welcome back this week is Irish singer songwriter Gavin James. Exactly twelve months ago, his first single "Hearts On Fire" became his first top 20 hit on my personal chart. A year on, and "Glow" becomes his second, besting the #17 entry and peak of his last single by five places. It's safe to say though, that he's still searching for an elusive top 10 breakthrough based on this performance.



And speaking of only being as good as your last single, Nile Rodgers & Chic confirm that age old statement in emphatic style this week. Their last single 'Sober' with Craig David and Stefflon Don hit the top 5 last September. I'm gonna hazard a guess that their somewhat lesser choice of collaborator this time, in the form of one hit wonder rapper from 2014, LunchMoney Lewis, is the reason that 'Do You Wanna Party?' just scrapes a place inside my top 20 this week.



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 2001: Jennifer Lopez storms to number one, plus classic hits from Feeder, Texas and the debut from Mis-Teeq



1. (HNE) JENNIFER LOPEZ - Love Don't Cost A Thing



2. (1) STEPS - It's The Way You Make Me Feel
3. (2) FRAGMA FEAT. MARIA RUBIA - Everytime You Need Me
4. (NE) FEEDER - Buck Rogers
5. (NE) TEXAS - Inner Smile
6. (NE) MIS-TEEQ - Why?
7. (5) RUI DE SILVA FEAT. CASSANDRA - Touch Me
8. (8) EMINEM FEAT. DIDO - Stan
9. (4) S CLUB 7 - Never Had A Dream Come True
10. (6) BOB THE BUILDER - Can We Fix It?

This post has been edited by ThePensmith: Jan 11 2019, 04:32 PM