007 Chart Commentary - 28th Oct 2012

Labrinth feat Emeli Sande - Beneth Your Beautiful enteres at #1

23 year old record producer and singer songwriter Tim McKenzie scores his first actual number one single, under the name of Labrinth. He has teamed up with singer songwriter Emeli Sande, who can lay claim to her second UK chart topper after Professor Green's Read All About It exactly a year ago. Beneath Your Beautiful is the sixth single to be released from Labrinth's debut album Electronic Earth, and now also appears on Emeli's newly repackaged album Our Version Of Events. The pair performed the track on last week's X Factor which as a result moves from #85 last week all the way to #1. The track has sold over 100k this week, something of a rarity for a post-album single to sell over 100k in a week - recent examples being Adele's Someone Like You and Coldplay's Paradise. Labrinth has actually had a number one previously, as uncredited feature on Tinie Tempah's Pass Out in 2010. Later that year Labrinth hit #3 with his debut single Let The Sun Shine, which was followed by huge #2 hit Earthquake (also exactly a year ago) then #4 hit Last Time, #12 hit Express Yourself, and #55 Treatment. He therefore has a #1, a #2, a #3 and a #4 hit from his debut album, something that Flo Rida has also managed this year. More on Emeli later ...

JLS - Hottest Girl In The World enters at #6

This week's proper highest new entry (into the top 100 at least) is Hottest Girl In The World, the new single from UK boyband JLS. JLS of course first exploded onto the scene in 2009 after coming second in the previous year's X Factor. They scored 2 instant #1s with Beat Again and Everybody In Love, followed by #6 hit One Shot. They also scored another 2 straight #1s in 2010 with The Club Is Alive and Love You More, followed by #8 hit Eyes Wide Shut. Last year they got a 5th #1 with She Makes Me Wanna but made #2 with Take A Chance On Me which only stayed for one more week in the top 40, followed by #16 hit Do You Feel What I Feel. This year though, JLS have had 2 #6 hits, charity single Proud also lasted for 2 weeks in the top 40 after entering at #6. This is the lead single to their 4th album Evolution, due out before the end of the year, the track Hottest Girl In The World was performed on the X Factor last weekend also. Nonetheless 11 top 10 hits (including Wishin On A Star) is still a very good achievement indeed.

Naughty Boy feat Emeli Sande - Wonder enters at #10

UK record producer, songwriter and rapper Shahid Khan gets another top 10 hit alongside Scottish singer songwriter Adele Emeli Sande. Naughty Boy and Emeli Sande debut at #10 with Wonder, marking the pair's third top 10 hit together, with Chupmunk's 2008 #6 hit Diamond Rings and Wiley's 2010 #8 hit Never Be Your Woman being the others where the 2 were credited. Since winning £44,000 on Channel 4's Deal Or No Deal, Naughty Boy has spent the past 2 years working with Emeli Sande to produce songs for the likes of Devlin, Leona Lewis (Trouble) and the majority of Emeli's album. Off the back of her work with Naughty Boy, Emeli hit #2 with her first solo single release Heaven around a year ago. This was followed by #21 hit Daddy, #2 smash Next To Me and #17 hit single My Kind Of Love. All of those hit singles, as well as Wonder and Beneath Your Beautiful can be found on her current album, which is the year's biggest seller to date. Emeli Sande therefore features on the #1 single, #10 single and #2 album this week.

Bastille - Flaws enters at #21

London based 4 piece band Bastille first formed in 2010, after starting out as a solo project of lead singer Dan Smith. They have released 3 singles (as well as Laura Palmer EP) previously but have not troubled the top 40 - Flaws/Icarus, Overjoyed and Bad Blood. That all changes now as the band get their first top 40 hit with a standalone rerelease of debut track Flaws, which enters at #21. The band are to support the aforementioned Emeli Sande and have recently performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. All of these singles appear on the band's forthcoming album Bad Blood due out shortly.

Lumineers - Ho Hey enters at #23

American folk band The Lumineers also get their first UK top 40 hit this week, as Ho Hey enters at #23. The band first formed in 2005 and started writing songs together but did not take off until last year when they played an open mic session at a Denver venue. After being featured on a TV advert for Bing, the debut single Ho Hey now rises into the top 40. There is a self titled debut album scheduled for release early next year by the band.

Taylor Swift hits #1 with her album

US singer Taylor Swift gets her very first UK #1 album this week as 4th album Red hits the top spot, featuring huge #4 single We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together and the 4 promotional singles that followed. Emeli sande jumps to #2 as her album is repackaged this week, ahead of last week's #1 from Jake Bugg. Boyband Lawson debut at #4 with their album Chapman Square, featuring top 5 singles When She Was Mine, Taking Over Me and #6 peaking Standing In The Dark. Rapper Dappy enters at #5 with his solo album Bad Intentions, featuring #1 hit single No Regrets, #2 Rockstar and #11 Good Intentions. Daniel O'Donnel gets himself a 14th top 10 album with Songs From The Movies And More, which I assume is what it is. Heavy rockers Stone Sour enter at #13, whilst hip hop singer Kendrick Lamar debuts at #16 with Good Kid, Maad City.

Opinion

I am very happy to see both Labrinth and Emelie Sande hit #1, as Beneath Your Beautiful is a lovely song and their X Factor performance was great. Whilst JLS have done some good songs in the past, I cannot say the same about Hottest Girl In The World ... can do much better. Wonder on the other hand is brilliant, as is everything Emeli Sande has done to date, it surely deserves better than #10 though. I have loved Bastille's singles to date and am glad to see Flaws finally get them a top 40 hit, Flaws also deserves better. I'm not fussed on the Lumineers track really.

Edited October 28, 201212 yr by loudjamesbond