Harry Styles gets another number one album but faces a tight battle in the singles chart.

Once the release date of Harry Styles’ new album Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally was announced, there was no doubt that this particular Friday the thirteenth would not be unlucky for him. There was no prospect of there being anything resembling a race, just a complete walkover. Let’s leave aside the fact that the people responsible for the title seem to have been determined to make some of us type a supposed sentence that makes no sense.

Just a couple days after Harry Styles released his new album, a concert promoting the album appeared on Netflix. That was convenient, wasn’t it? His choice to dress up like the Ukrainian flag might have helped his sales there, and if that led to reduced sales in Russia, who cares? It was possibly the first live set I have seen that has started and ended with the same song. As that song was the rather brilliant Aperture, I’m not going to complain. Styles used the opportunity to play the album in full before a five-song encore comprising songs from earlier in his solo career. The repeat performance of Aperture formed the second encore.

Overall, the album demonstrates Harry Styles’ welcome willingness to experiment. He has come a long way since his days in One Direction. He has been rewarded with a third number one album. His second solo album Fine Line missed out On its release just before Christmas 2019 it finished behind a Rod Stewart compilation and Stormzy’s new album. It eventually climbed to number two at the beginning of 2021, behind a Taylor Swift album. The new album notched up 183,000 “sales” in its first week, the biggest weekly sales of the year so far. 

Harry Styles’ previous albums have all received a boost. Harry’s House benefits the most and re-enters at number 31.

In the singles chart, Harry Styles inevitably has three songs riding high. In the midweek updates, American Girls was showing as a new entry at number one, but by Wednesday its lead over Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s Rein Me In was a narrow one. A second number one from this album would give Styles his second chart double. Harry’s House was the number one for two weeks while As It Was topped the singles chart.

American Girls held on to finish the week at the top of the chart giving Harry Styles a fourth number one single and a second chart double. Aperture is at number four, one place ahead of another newcomer Ready, Steady, Go!

Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s Rein Me In slips to number two after three weeks at number one. Bella Kay’s Iloveitiloveitiloveit is at number three.

Returning to the albums chart, Olivia Dean’s The Art Of Loving gets a thirteenth week at number two. It has been in the top two since last November. Fleetwood Mac’s compilation 50 Years: Don’t Stop oss at number four. Bruno Mars falls to number five with The Romantic. :asy week’s number one, Gorillaz’ splendid The Mountain, falls to number ten.

Morrissey has long been a controversial figure. From his days in The Smiths he has been passionate about his vegetarianism but alienated some with his comments about omnivores.However, as time has gone on, his comments have become increasingly bizarre and unpleasant. He has compounded that by calling off several dates on his current tour at short notice.

Morrissey’s behaviour has made him a classic case of “Great music, shame about the man”, As the years have passed, an increasing number of people have let their views about the man override their thoughts on his music and their willingness even to listen to any new material. He hasn’t had a number one album for twenty years. This week Make-Up Is A Lie, his fourteenth solo album and the first for six years lands at number three.

Since making their chart debut in 1979, Squeeze have had twelve top forty albums and twelve top forty albums. Coincidentally, they have accumulated a total of 57 weeks in both top forties. They have never had a number one in either chart and their three top ten albums have all been singles compilations. Their new album, Trixies, enters at number fifteen. It is their first album for eight-and-a-half years.

British folk singer-songwriter Katherine Priddy gets her first top forty album with These Frightening Machines at number 21.

Finally, many thanks to popchartfreak for stepping in for me at very short notice last week. I had received some bad news at work which had come as a massive shock. I struggled through the rest of the day at work, but couldn’t face writing a light-hearted chart commentary.