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[ThePensmith]

Good evening one and all, the first week of a new year and new decade is done, and it's time to bring you our personal top 20 singles. Niall Horan bagged our first number one of 2020 and the new decade seven days ago with 'Put A Little Love On Me', but with lots of big new singles out this week, is he still there to make it two weeks on top? Let's find out...

THEPENSMITH'S TOP 20 SINGLES CHART
Week ending 10th January 2020
© AM LIMITED 2020

1. (1) NIALL HORAN - Put A Little Love On Me
2. (HNE) NO ROME FEAT. DIJON - Trust3000
3. (2) CAMILA CABELLO - Easy
4. (NE) COLDPLAY - Everyday Life
5. (NE) RAK-SU - Girl
6. (3) DUA LIPA - Don't Start Now
7. (8) ENDOR - Pump It Up
8. (NE) LAUV - Changes
9. (NE) UNA HEALY - Wild Grasses
10. (4) PEPPA PIG - Bing Bong Zoo

11. (5) ELLIE GOULDING - River
12. (6) NOW UNITED - Legends
13. (7) JODIE WHITTAKER - Yellow
14. (10) THE SHIRES - New Year
15. (11) MARK RONSON FEAT. YEBBA - Don't Leave Me Lonely
16. (12) THE SCRIPT - Run Through Walls
17. (14) ALPHABEAT - Sing A Song
18. (NE) TRAVIS - Kissing In The Wind
19. (NE) MELANIE C FEAT. SINK THE PINK - High Heels
20. (16) PAIGE CAVELL - Red Is The Way

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



DISCLAIMER: As you might have seen, last week's chart for week ending 3rd January 2020 - our first of the year and new decade - has only just been posted today. It was intended to be up last weekend, however, owing to our struggles following a recent family bereavement, we felt it appropriate to take some time out, hence the chart for last week has been published with no commentary or additional features (e.g retro top 10) but rather just so we have a record of it here or completeness' sake. Normal service resumes today.

So. The first full chart week of 2020 then, and my it's a busy one. But even in the face of seven brand new entries that blow away the last of the seasonal hits, including some stiff competition right at the top end, Niall Horan's 'Put A Little Love On Me' notches up a second week at the top of our chart after ascending to the top last week.



It's the former One Direction star's second number one on our chart in recent months (and fourth overall) following his October chart topper with 'Nice To Meet Ya', in turn confirming its position as one of the first big hits of the new decade.

That he held on is commendable, especially as this week's highest new entry put up a strong fight all week. The artist behind it is one that's been hotly tipped by much of the trendy music press for success this year - 24 year old Filipino singer, songwriter and producer Guendoline Rome Viray Gomez, otherwise known as No Rome.



His debut single 'Trust3000' is a hypnotic and catchy offering that grows on you the more you hear it. Of course the real test for him will be following it up, for we were offering similar plaudits exactly 10 years ago to Iyaz, who had the one chart topper with 'Replay', a barely remembered top 10 follow-up single, and then disappeared into oblivion. But the fact it has put in such a strong performance with a #2 entry first week out seems to suggest the critics might have got this one right for a change. Watch this space.

Coldplay's recent chart topping album 'Everyday Life' spawns its second hit single this week, with the title track entering at #4. Their last single, 'Orphans / Arabesque', which hit the top of our chart in November, returned briefly to our top 20 last week at #17 following the new year clearout, but reverses to #25 this week, meaning they narrowly miss out on having two simultaneous top 20 hits.



Fresh from band mate Myles' recent success in the I'm A Celebrity jungle, Rak-Su get off to a good start in 2020 and return to a top 5 berth with their latest single 'Girl'. Unbelievably, even with all their record label woes in the last year, they are now into their third year of hit making on our chart since their X Factor win in 2017, and all bar one of their nine singles has now been a top 10 hit. A new tour for this spring and the long awaited release of their album awaits.



It's also another top 10 hit for Lauv this week, and one that shows either stability or stagnation depending on your viewpoint, for latest hit 'Changes' matches the peak his last single 'Feelings' made back in October. It's now his fifth consecutive top 10 hit since debut release 'I Like Me Better' gave him his first in August 2018.



After a pre-Christmas wobble with her cover of N-Trance's 'Set You Free', Una Healy returns to top 10 status this week with 'Wild Grasses', a brand new song that reinforces her country credentials she's successfully persued since The Saturdays went on hiatus six years ago.



And lastly this week, as our top 10 bades farewell to long runners from Now United and Jodie Whittaker with their former chart toppers (slipping six places apiece to #12 and #13 respectively), and Endor's pre-Christmas floorfiller 'Pump It Up' reaches a new peak of #7, two oldies but goldies arrive at the bottom end of the top 20 with brand new singles.

Firstly, Scots indie rockers Travis, who became household names with their second album 'The Man Who' and hits like 'Why Does It Always Rain On Me?'. Now following a recent film chronicling that album's 20th anniversary, new single 'Kissing In The Wind' gives them their first top 20 hit since 'Closer' got as high as #7 in April 2007.



Following the success of the Spice Girls' comeback tour last year, Melanie C has a new solo album - her eighth - almost ready and waiting to go for later this year. Its first single, 'High Heels' was released before December last year, and is a collaboration with the drag queen collective Sink the Pink.



Following her renewed promotion for the track this last week - including the New Year's Eve edition of Graham Norton - it returns her to a top 20 berth also - the first time in fact since 'Anymore', the lead single off her last solo album 'Version of Me' made #18 in October 2016.

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 2000: S Club 7 make it four weeks on top in a largely unchanged top 10, plus classic hits from Artful Dodger, Vengaboys and Steps



1. (1) S CLUB 7 - Two In A Million / You're My Number One



2. (2) ARTFUL DODGER FEAT. CRAIG DAVID - Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo Selecta)
3. (3) VENGABOYS - Kiss (When The Sun Don't Shine)
4. (4) STEPS - Say You'll Be Mine / Better The Devil You Know
5. (5) ALICE DEEJAY - Back In My Life
6. (12) LEN - Steal My Sunshine
7. (11) WILLIAM ORBIT - Barber's Adagio for Strings
8. (7) JOHN LENNON - Imagine
9. (14) DJ LUCK & MC NEAT - A Little Bit of Luck
10. (HNE) PET SHOP BOYS - You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk