James Arthur - Impossible enters at #1

And so X-Factor is over for another year and they maintain their record of the winner's single going to #1, as James Arthur was crowned winner for 2012. The Middlesborough born 24 year old singer songwriter has the fastest selling X-Factor winner's single ever, having sold over 255k in the first 48 hours and total of 489k for the week. Those sales are more than double those of last year's winners Little Mix and exceeding those of all other winners except Alexandra Burke, Leona Lewis and Shane Ward. The song he has chosen to cover is Impossible, originally a #9 hit in 2010 for Barbadan singer Shontelle. As has happened in previous years, the original version of the track re-enters the chart, in at #23 this week.

 

Will.I.Am feat Britney Spears - Scream & Shout enters at #2

Coming in at a distant second place is the new track from US rapper Will.I.Am featuring US singer and X Factor judge Britney Spears, entitled Scream & Shout. This is Will's third top 5 hit single of the year, following collaborations with Mick Jagger/Jennifer Lopez (#3 hit THE) and Eva Simons (#1 hit This Is Love). As well as scoring 16 top 20 hits as a Black Eyed Pea between 2003 and 2011, Mr I Am hit #4 in 2008 with the Cheryl Cole featuring Heartbreaker and #11 in 2010 with Nicki Minaj on Check It Out. In addition, he has featured on hits from the likes of Usher, Pussycat Dolls, Nicole Scherzinger and The Script. So he's not done much then!

 

Rihanna feat Mikky Ekko - Stay enters at #6

Now for another act who has had an extremely prolific singles chart history so far. Barbadan superstar singer Rihanna Fenty racks up an incredible 26th top 10 hit in just over 7 years, as new single Stay enters at #6. This is following the star's performance of this track and million seller #1 We Found Love on the X Factor final. Stay joins Rihanna's former chart topping single Diamonds in the top 10, which is one place below this week. Rihanna repeats the feat she has achieved several times in the last 2-3 years by scoring multiple consecutive top 10 hits this week. Stay features American singer songwriter Mikky Ekko, who has steadily built an online following over the last few years and has solo material due out next year.

 

One Direction - Kiss You enters at #12

Another act who almost scored 2 successive top 10 hits this week is One Direction, and also performed on the final of the X Factor. The X-Factor created boy band debut at #12 this week with their new single Kiss You, the 3rd from their chart topping second album Take Me Home. This is following on from #3 hit Live While We're Young and #1 smash Little Things which is still in the top 10 this week. The group had 3 top 10 singles last year from their debut - #1 What Makes You Beautiful, #3 Gotta Be You and #9 One Thing, with 4th single More Than This missing the top 40.

 

Daley feat Jessie J - Remember Me enters at #24

23 year old Machester based singer songwriter makes his top 40 debut as lead artist, as Remember Me comes in at #24 this week. Daley fist appeared on Gorillaz #37 hit Doncamatic in 2010, and has since supported the likes of Emeli Sande, Maverick Sabre, Jessie J and Bobby Womack on tour. This track features Jessie J, and is a 9th top 40 hit for her since her debut 2 years ago. The track samples dance hit Remember Me, a huge #8 hit for Scottish DJ Blueboy in 1997.

 

Emeli Sande - Clown enters at #35

Emeli Sande rounds off an extremely successful and busy year with another top 40 hit single, following her performance of the track on the X Factor final. Emeli made her solo debut just over a year ago with #2 smash Heaven, followed by #21 Daddy. Then she hit #2 with the massive hit Next To Me, followed by #17 My Kind Of Love. Her solo version of Read All About It peaked at #4 after her Olympics performance, whilst not an official single. She hit #10 alongside Naughty Boy on Wonder whilst also debuting at #1 alongside Labrinth on the mega hit Beneath Your Beautiful, which has spend 1 week at #1, 2 weeks at #2, 4 weeks at #4, and is #8 this week (hmmm).

 

Bruno Mars tops the album chart with Unorthodox Jukebox

Bruno Mars goes stright to #1 with his second album Unorthodox Jukebox, becoming the year's fastest selling solo album of the year on sales of around 136k. Olly Murs and Michael Buble both slip a place to #2 and #3 respectively, and Emeli Sande rises to #4. Emeli's album looks to be the only one to sell a million this year, and completes a top 4 of albums selling over 100k this week. The only other new wntry in the top 40 comes from Green Day as the 3rd in their trilogy of album entitled !Tre! debuts at #31.

 

Opinion

Whilst I am not a fan of James Arthur's voice much, I do quite like his cover of Impossible and am actually glad to see it sell so well this week. I am a fan of some of Britney's work and some of Will's, however I really don't like Scream & Shut at all. Rihanna's new single Stay on the other hand is brilliant, Ms Fenty has been very hit and miss for me ubt I do like this and Diamonds. Not a fan of 1D, I do quite like Little Things but not so much the new single Kiss You. I quite like Daley and Jessie J's track, even if Jessie does have a habit of over singing. I think Emeli Sande's Clown is really brilliant and is a highlight of her wonderful album and very good sung live too. Bruno's album is pretty good as well, so good to see it starting off well at least.

I've liked most of Emeli Sande's singles but I find Clown rather dull :(

Clown is dull, probably just released for the Brits?!