007 Chart Commentary - 15th Jan 2012

Jessie J - Domino climbs to #1

Jessie J claims her second #1 hit single this week as Domino climbs 7 places to reach #1. This comes with increasing airplay and also after this year's Brit Award nominations, which Jessie features in. This is the 8th different #1 in as many weeks and stands a good chance of staying for a second week, with only really likely competition coming from Swedish House Mafia. Previous #1 from Flo Rida slips to #2 and Mama Do The Hump by Rizzle Kicks rises to#3 just behind Domino.

David Guetta feat Sia - Titanium reenters at #8

After hitting #16 as a promotional single for Nothing But The Beat, Titanium re-enters the chart at #8 for David Guetta. This is the 4th straight top 10 hit from Guetta's current album, and 13th in total to officially credit Guetta since 2006. Titanium follows on from last year's Where Them Girls At, Little Bad Girl and Without You. Sia had a #10 hit with Taken For Granted in 2000 but no other hits followed until now for the Australian singer.

Beyonce - Love On Top climbs to #13

New mother Beyonce continues to rise up the charts slowly and steadily as Love On Top proves to be something of a slow burner. This is the 4th single from the album 4 which is currently just a place below #4 in the album chart. The lead single was #11 hit Run The World (Girls) which makes a reappearence in the top 100 this week, followed by the massive #3 hit Best Thing I Never Had which has been seen hovering around just outside the top 40. Countdown on the other hand only made #35 but is nowhere to be seen in the top 100 this week.

Pixie Lott - Kiss The Stars enters at #14

Another popular female singer on the rise this week is Pixie Lott who gets a new entry into the top 40 for her new single Kiss The Stars at #14. This marks Pixie's 9th UK top 20 hit out of 9 full releases and comes after the #1 hit All About Tonight and #10 hit What Do You Take Me For? Both previous hits were fairly short lived and the parent album Young Foolish Happy has underformed somewhat, so the success of this single may be surprising. On the other hand, the song was performed on Dancing On Ice and has also been reduced to 59p, as well as airplay kicking in.

Kelly Clarkson - What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger) enters at #21

Another new single by a female singer to receive a boost into the top 40 this week is the title track to Kelly Clarkson's current album Stronger, actually entitled What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger) in at #21. This is the follow up to the top 5 smash Mr Know It All and marks an improvement in her fortunes with regards to follow up singles. My December got #9 hit Never Again but no other top 100 hits, last album All I Ever Wanted spawned #1 hit My Life Would Suck Without You but I do Not Hook Up only made #35.

Pitbull feat Chris Brown - International Love enters at #23

Rapper Pitbull get himself another UK hit, alongside singer Chris Brown as International Love enters the top 40 for the first time at #23. Pitbull's first major UK hit came in 2009 as I Know You Want Me made #4, followed by #9 hit Hotel Room Service. Several features on other people's songs and minor hits of his own followed, until he scores a massive #1 alongside Neyo and Afrojack with Give Me Everything. That was followed by minor #28 hit Rain Over Me and now this top 30 hit International Love. Chris Brown debuted in 2006 with #2 hit Run It, the first of 7 top 10 hits he has been on, 2 of which he scored last year with the massive hits Yeah 3X and Beautiful People.

Foster The People and Birdy reenter at #22 and #25 respectively

Foster The People make a return at #22 with their debut hit Pumped Up Kicks, orginally peaking at #18 and now back after its use in an advert and reduction to 59p. Teenage singer Birdy's debut hit single peaked at #17 last year, her cover of Skinny Love is back at #25 after being used on reality TV show Dancing On Ice.

Gotye feat Kimbra - Somebody That I Used To Know enters at #36

For something totally different sounding, Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye enters at #36 this week. Belgian / Austrian singer songwriter Wouter De Backer makes his chart debut this week under the name of Gotye, alongside New Zealand born singer songwriter Kimbra. Gotye has now released 3 albums in Belgium and Australia as well as some minor hit singles, Kimbra released her debut album in Australia and New Zealand last year also. This is the commercial breakthrough for both artists, Somebody That I Used To Know has already been a #1 hit in Aus, NZ, Belgium, Austria and Germany.

Bruno Mars returns to #1 in the albums chart

The next of last year's big album to return to #1 this year is Bruno Mars with his million selling #1 album Doo Wops & Hooligans, coming exactly 1 year after its initial release. After replacing Bruno at #1 on initial release Adele finds the roles reversed as 21 is knocked down to #2, she has sold almost 4 million and been at #1 for 19 weeks so I doubt she'll care much. The only significant new release this week is the third album from indie band The Maccabees, Given To The Wild beats their previous peaks of #24 and #13 by entering at #4. Several other albums are making upwards movement due to price reductions and also lack of new material, including the Vaccines, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Kasabian and Foster The People.

Personal Opinion

I am no fan of Jessie J but I have to admit to liking Price Tag and also Domino, even if the latter sounds so much like Katy Perry. I really don't like Flo Rida or Rizzle Kicks, but I do think Love On Top is one of Beyonce's best songs adding a touch of class to the charts. Pixie Lott's Kiss The Stars is quite good and does deserve to be a hit, however it is nowhere near as good as anything from the first album, which I still love. I really like Kelly Clarkson's new one and also Titanium, but for different reasons of course. Pitbull's new song is predictably rubbish but I am pleasantly surprised by the Gotye song. Honourable mention must go to last year's 3 best albums returning to #1 one week after the next.