Ne-Yo bags his second UK No.1 as Closer receives its full release Published on: 2008-06-29 by BuzzJack.com gooddelta || 272 Views
American singer Ne-Yo’s new single Closer has become the fifth No.1 single in seven weeks in the UK singles chart. The song, which has been on the chart for eight weeks so far, has made its latest upwards swing thanks to receiving its physical release last Monday. Coldplay’s Viva La Vida slides a place to No.2 while Chris Brown impresses with two simultaneous top five singles.
(BuzzJack.com) - Shaffer Chimere Smith, the American singer better known as Ne-Yo, first arrived on the scene in the UK in 2006. His debut single So Sick was one of the first few chart topping singles of this decade not to debut at No.1, mostly because it benefitted from chart rules that changed in early 2006 allowing songs to enter a week before their physical release from download sales alone. He had further success with Sexy Love and Because Of You, both top five hits, and Hate That I Love You, a duet with Rihanna which peaked at No.15 last year. Closer made its chart debut at No.22 almost two months ago before dropping to No.24. The following week, the video was released and airplay started to increase resulting in a 24-12 leap for the song. Since then it has moved 7-5-3-2-1, meaning that it is the second No.1 single of 2008 to take longer than a month to get there, following Madonna’s 4 Minutes, which climbed to No.1 on its fifth week. Seeing as James Blunt’s You’re Beautiful spent six weeks in the chart before climbing to the top on its seventh chart week, Closer has taken the longest time this decade to get to No.1, highlighting the returning fashion of songs gradually climbing to the top spot again, rather than making their debut at the top.
Coldplay’s Viva La Vida debuted at No.1 last week having had been made eligible to chart but this week the song, which still has no video or planned release date, slides a place to No.2, becoming the second one week No.1 of 2008 after The Ting Tings. Many chart observers were worried that the year would have as few as ten to twelve No.1’s following the lengthy runs at the top at the start of the year for Basshunter, Duffy, Estelle and Madonna but with the current low sales climate resulting in frequent change at the top it looks as if last year’s total of 17 No.1 singles is within easy reach of equaling or eclipsing. With American R&B once again becoming the dominant genre in the UK following a sluggish start to the year, singer Chris Brown has another brilliant week, scoring two simultaneous top five singles and a top ten album for the first time.
No Air, which is a Jordin Sparks single with a co-credit to Chris who she duets with on the track, leaps into the top five for the first time, moving 10-3, still on download sales alone. American Idol 2007/Season Six winner Jordin Sparks, has set her own record this week, becoming the winner with the most successful single in the UK, in terms of peak chart position. Kelly Clarkson’s 2005 single Since U Been Gone is a modern classic but only peaked at No.5, whereas following a 74-22-10-3 move in the past four weeks, No Air is becoming stronger every week and could yet go higher. This is a huge result for Jordin whose first single Tattoo, a download only release, peaked at No.50 earlier in the year. No Air is also making waves worldwide. It has already been a top five hit in the US and a No.1 single in Australia. Meanwhile, Chris’ own current single Forever has been on the chart for five weeks so far and has climbed every week, moving 17-11-8-5-4. It is Chris’ biggest solo hit since his 2006 UK debut single Run It, which debuted and peaked at No.2.
Rihanna’s Take A Bow continues to sell well and drops two places to No.5 on its seventh week on the chart. It has moved 2-1-1-2-2-3-5 since it was first released. Singer-Songwriter Sara Bareilles slides two places to No.6 with Love Song which has been inside the top ten for four weeks now. Gabriella Cilmi dips a place to No.7, also on her fourth week in the top ten, with Sweet About Me while The Ting Tings’ former No.1 single That’s Not My Name slides a place to No.8 after seven weeks in the top ten. Duffy is a non-mover at No.9 this week with her former No.3 single Warwick Avenue. The single has been a great promotional tool for its parent album Rockferry which continues its incredible run of success, having never left the UK top four and shifting nearly 900,000 copies so far. Last week’s new entry from Busta Rhymes and Linkin Park adds to the top ten tally of both acts, surging four places to No.10 on its second week around. The top ten this week therefore features five American acts, three Brits, an Australian and a Barbadian.
The highest new entry is a hit that has been a long time coming. British rapper and producer Ironik had underground success last year with the single Stay With Me, which uses a sped up sample from a Westlife album track, Written In The Stars. The song had a low budget video that aired regularly on Channel U and Fizz, and from this exposure became popular enough to warrant a proper release. A new video was shot, new mixes were commissioned and the result is a No.11 entry on downloads alone with the prospect of a debut top ten single next week when the track comes out physically.
Sam Sparro’s former No.2 single Black & Gold jumps back up to No.12 this week just ahead of US teen pop-rock act Jonas Brothers. The trio debuted at No.16 seven days ago with the infectious SOS and despite receiving its full release last week, the single jumps three places to a new peak of No.13 now while its parent eponymous album makes an impressive top ten debut. This song is old news in the US, having been released almost a year ago across the Atlantic. They are currently promoting their single Burnin’ Up in the US which is destined for big things, having topped the US iTunes chart already. They also appear in the Disney movie Camp Rock which is a huge phenomenon in their home country currently and when shown over here, should cement their status as rising stars.
Heavily hyped new Scottish indie band, Glasvegas, make their chart debut this week at No.16 with their new single Geraldine, the first of their four releases to reach the top UK top 75, the first three being limited edition 7” releases. Flo Rida’s Elevator completes the upwards movement in the business end of the chart, jumping seven places to No.20 after its physical release. The track, which features Timbaland, is the second top twenty hit for the US rapper. His first single, Low, remains in the top forty this week, and is down six places at No.28.
The Ting Tings score a top forty re-entry and a new peak at No.24 with their next single, Shut Up & Let Me Go. The song, which has already been used in the iPod commercial as well as various television programme trailers, previously peaked at No.29 four weeks ago before dropping out of the top forty. Madonna’s Give It 2 Me is proving to be a slow starter for the queen of pop. The second single from Hard Candy, it is a non-mover at No.25 this week and seems to be struggling to make an impression so far. Canadian rock act Nickelback’s Photograph finally reaches a new peak position this week, almost three years since it was originally released. The first single from the 2005 album All The Right Reasons, which has sold the majority of its copies this year, originally peaked at No.29 upon its first release. It returned to that position last week but jumps to No.26 this week. Do not rule out any further success for this song, Rockstar of course had a similar sluggish start before selling over 400,000 copies in 2008 alone making it the year’s second biggest seller so far.
Mariah Carey has the next new entry to the top forty at No.30 this week. Bye Bye is the second single to be taken from the No.2 album E=MC2 and is the follow up to the top five hit Touch My Body. The ballad, an ode to lost family and friends, has been criticised even by some of Mariah’s most loyal fans, some of whom feel that she has tried to create a song that would appeal to the same people that bought her huge selling 1995 worldwide hit single One Sweet Day, a duet with Boyz II Men. Bye Bye stumbles up to a new peak of No.30 following its full physical release and is highly unlikely to go any higher, making it her worst performing single since 2001’s Never Too Far/Don’t Stop (Funkin’ 4 Jamaica), a No.32 hit almost seven years ago from Mariah’s 2001 critical and commercial flop album Glitter.
There is plenty of other action at the bottom of the top forty this week. American electro indie act MGMT achieve their second successive top forty hit with Electric Feel. Time To Pretend peaked at No.35 earlier in the year, whilst the new single goes four higher, making its top forty debut at No.31, having entered the top 75 at No.50 last week. Last week’s new entry from Weezer, Pork & Beans, jumps seven places to No.33 following its physical release. Brighton based dance act Freemasons, perhaps best known for their successful Beyonce and Kelly Rowland remixes, follow up their big selling 2007 top ten hit Uninvited with another top forty single, When You Touch Me, which is up eleven places to No.34. It is the fifth top forty hit for the dance duo, the first four all went top twenty.
Manchester indie band The Courteeners score their third top forty hit of the year this week. No You Didn’t, No You Don’t debuts at No.35 as the follow up to the April top twenty hit Not Nineteen Forever. Black Kids just missed out on a top ten debut single earlier in the year when I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You entered and stalled at No.11. Second single Hurricane Jane is less of a success so far, entering at No.36 after its physical release. Finally, it looks as if it could be the last week inside the top forty for Nickelback’s Rockstar this week. The single, which started its chart life slowly at the back end of last year, has sold over 400,000 copies this year alone, and nearing half a million in total now. It has been inside the top forty for an incredible thirty four weeks so far and spent an impressive fourteen of those in the top ten. But it looks as if its luck is finally about to run out as it falls six places to No.40 this week.
Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends tops the album charts for a third week for Coldplay this week, still selling well ahead of its competition. Duffy’s Rockferry is at No.2 once again while Neil Diamond drops just a place with Home Before Dark which is still performing incredibly well. Hardcore dance producer Darren Styles stays at No.4 with Skydivin whilst Icelandic ambient rock act Sigur Ros score an impressive No.5 entry with new album Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust. It is the first top ten album for the band. Chris Brown achieves his first UK top ten album this week with the new re-released Forever Edition of his current album Exclusive, while Paul Weller slides two places to No.7 with 22 Dreams. Scooter climb back to the top ten, up four places to No.8 with Jumping All Over The World, their former No.1 album, marking the rare feat of having two simultaneous top ten dance albums, both Scooter and Darren Styles from the independent label All Around The World, who also have the No.1 compilation album, Clubland 13, this week. US pop-rock trio Jonas Brothers enter at No.9 with their debut eponymous UK album while The Fratellis slide four places to No.10 with Here We Stand meaning that there are five Brits, three Americans, one German act and one Icelandic act in a more international album chart top ten than usual.
With sales so close at the top, No.1 could be anyone’s once again next week. Ne-Yo will aim for a second week in control while Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown could prove to be a major competitor with No Air. Coldplay, Chris Brown and Sara Bareilles should continue to hang around in high places, but there are plenty of new physical and download releases to watch out for too. Busta Rhymes & Linkin Park, Estelle, Freemasons, Goldfrapp, Ironik, Leon Jean Marie and Ultrabeat vs. Darren Styles could make some sort of impact next week with their physical releases. Dizzee Rascal feat Calvin Harris and Basshunter should enter the top ten on downloads alone, the former possibly at No.1, whilst Kid Rock’s future hit All Summer Long will enter as soon as it available on download sites. Coldplay will aim for a fourth week as the No.1 album whilst new releases are due from Motley Crue, Seth Lakeman, My Chemical Romance, Dirty Pretty Things, G-Unit and The Subways amongst others.
