Chappell Roan gets her first number one single. Sabrina Carpenter returns to the top of the albums chart once again.

Chappell Roan finally gets to the top of the singles chart. Sabrina Carpenter returns to the top of the albums chart.

Chappell Roan was one of the biggest new stars of 2024 but still ended the year without a number one single to her name. Her success has continued into the early months of 2025; as of last week’s chart, she had spent a total of 29 weeks in the top ten with Good Luck Babem Hot To Go and, to complete the trio of three-word titles, Pink Pony Club. Still, however, a chart-topping single had eluded her. That finally changes this week as Pink Pony Club, originally released five years ago to general indifference bags the number one spot.

Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us falls to number two after a fortnight at the top. Tate McRae’s Sports Car falls two places to number five.

Sleepy Hallow, whose name sounds like a soporific version of a Harry Potter book, has the week’s highest new entry at number fifteen with Anxiety. The song was originally released independently by Doechii in 2109, but in this version she has been relegated to the role of featured artist. Thankfully, the song is a lot better than Denial Is A River.

Benson Boone gets his fourth top forty hit with Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else at number 30. Much as I like his number one beautiful Things, I also like the more restrained vocals on this one. It also has rather more of a sense of fun. Beautiful Things is at number four this week.

Brit School graduate Olivia Dean made her chart debut in 2021 with her version of The Christmas Song. A little over three years later, she gets a second hit with It Isn’t Perfect But It Might Be. If that refers to the song, it isn’t perfect. It comes from the soundtrack of the latest Bridget Jones film.

Ravyn Lenae Washington this week joins the list of top forty singers who have used their two forenames as their professional name, dropping the surname. She makes her top forty debut this week with the perfectly pleasant Love Me Not. The singers of those two new entries will be supporting Sabrina Carpenter on tour.

One purpose of the midweek chart updates is to allow any potential acts of chart rigging to be spotted early. There have been occasions in the past of songs being disqualified from the chart for breaches of the rules. It is, therefore, a little surprising to see Jimin’s Who re-enter once again at number 24. There is no obvious reason why this song has done so much better than other solo songs by members of BTS. Furthermore, it has developed a habit of getting a sudden increase in streams each time it is in danger of going on to the Accelerated Chart Ratio (ACR) whereby the value of streams is halved. Again, there is no obvious reason such as the release of a new mix to explain these conveniently-timed surges.

There are several re-entries in the lower reaches of the chart, but also one in the top ten. Myles Smith performed his catchy hit Nice To meet You at the Brit Awards last weekend. The song had been subject to ACR, meaning it dropped out of the top forty. However, the increase in streams this week has seen it restored to the standard ratio, It is back in the chart at number eight.

Alex Warren has a re-entry at number 37 with Burning Down. The song has now spent four weeks in the top forty (starting last autumn) but has yet to climb beyond number 34. Warren’s Ordinary is faring rather better. That climbs to number three this week.

Just a week after slipping out of the top forty, Teddy Swims’ Lose Control is back at number 32. Tate McRae’s It’s Ok I’m OK returns at number 35. 

The story of the top of the albums chart this week is a curious one. At the start of the week the battle was presented as a two-horse race between new albums. By the end of the week, neither of those albums made the top two. Instead, the top two comprises an album returning to the summit and a third new album.

The album returning to the summit is Sabrina Carpenter's Short ‘n’ Sweet, helped by her exposure at last weekend’s Brit Awards. It is the fourth time the album has gone to number one. On each of the three previous occasions it lost the top spot after a week. With a new Lady Gaga album out today (Friday), we can expect the same to happen next week.

Brighton band Architects surprisingly topped the chart in 2021 with their tenth studio album For Those That Wish To Exist. Only three of their previous albums had reached the top forty with none of them getting into the top ten. Album number eleven The Sky, The Earth And All Between lands this week at number two.

The album topping the chart in both Monday and Wednesday’s updates (albeit by a very narrow margin) was the fourth album from The Lathums, Matter Does Not Define. Their two previous albums each topped the chart (including one that edged out Public Service Broadcasting), so they were always expected to be contenders for number one. The album is decent enough although it is not exactly vastly different from the last two. It enters at number three.

In those early updates, Doves were at number two album number six Constellations For the Lonely. There seems to be a scientific trend in the names of this week’s high new entries. Doves’ comeback album The Universal Want (2020) went to number one. This one is at number five.

Last week’s number one Sam Fender’s People Watching, is at number five.

There are just two  more new entries from totally new albums and they are both debut solo albums by people previously associated with a band. Vamps had four top forty albums between 2014 and 2020, including two number ones. The band still exists, albeit rather quietly at the moment, but Bradley Simpson has found time to record a solo album. The Panic Years is at number seven.

Blackpink member Lisa makes her solo debut in the albums chart at number twenty with Alter Ego.

There is, however, one more new entry. Lola Young’s debut album This Wasn’t meant For You Anyway went almost unnoticed when it was released last year. It failed to reach even the top 100. However, the success of Messy, and a Brits performance, sees it make the chart at last at number sixteen.

A week after Oasis had a re-entry in the singles chart with Whatever, they have one in the albums chart with a new edition of 2000 album Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants. It is at number eleven, ten places below its original peak.