Suedey's Chart Commentary Sub for 21st April 2023

Posted April 21, 20233 yr

Suedehead2’s Stand-In Chart Commentary 21st April 2023

Lewis Capaldi’s Wish You The Best enters on top with 72 Metallica Seasons on albums pole position.

It’s a new entry on top for Lewis Capaldi, his 5th number one from 9 top 40 hits, Wish You The Best, which would have been a nice thought but for the oceans of guilt-inducing self-pity in the lyrics. Shall we say the new Lewis track fits firmly in with his back catalogue and leave it at that? OK. The new topper is one of 3 tracks in the top 20 ahead of the new album drop in 3 or 4 weeks which has been getting a massive hype for quite some time now. Anyone else feel like it came out 6 months ago already? Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding not quite holding on fall for a 3rd week drop to 2.

Tikkety-Tok star David Kushner, the second-highest new entry in at 3 with Daylight, and Lewis Capaldi’s new tune at 2. As I’ve been to see Dracula movie Renfield this week (very funny) I was hoping Daylight was a spin-off in the style of Nilsson’s whimsical 1974 Dracula song Daybreak. It isn’t. Daylight is rather a sombre ponderous ballad with David’s otherwise interesting baritone vocal-style and a backing choir to underline the seriousness of the message. His previous sole top 40 entry came last year with Miserable Man peaking at 39, which is certainly giving advance warning. If I’m reading the lyrics properly it’s to do with Guilt and Sin. Just be kind David, it’s not difficult and it’ll save you a lot of self-torture! Libianca is down 2 to 4 with People, and Ed Sheeran still has his Eyes Closed at 5.

Post Malone is new at 11 with the uptempo Chemical. It’s his 19th Top 40 hit and best track since the fab Sunflower, and I rather like it - at least until the reference about brains. I hope they have a radio edit as I can’t possibly buy this in case the little kids in the family are around (Update: They do, and it’s on Radio 2 as I type this!). Also new, at 22, is the latest Ice rapper, Spice. Joining Vanilla, Cube and T, we have what might appear to be the 6th forgotten member of the Spice Girls - but, no, Tik-Tok and Drake-pushed Ice Spice is from New York and she’s debuted her first hit along with Nicki Minaj on Princess Diana. That’s the name of the song. Swearing? Tick. Subtitles needed? Tick. No tune? Tick. Lots of booty gyrating video? Tick. Would Princess Diana be turning over in her grave? Tick.

Jack Black is a comedy movie actor (for the most part), and part-time Rock Star. Back in the 00‘s his band, whimsical Tenacious D were pretty good but never got that elusive hit. 20 years on from debut, Jack Black finally gets a hit single with Peaches at 28, courtesy of the new Super-Mario movie. It’s sadly not the classic Stranglers song, it’s a very kiddie-appealing nursery rhyme. Lewis Capaldi should cover it, that might be fun. The final new entry is Labrinth at 35, with Never Felt So Alone. Labrinth had his first hit in 2010, but his 13th top 40 hit at 33 comes 5 years after his 12th and 9 years since his last solo hit. His output has generally been pretty good regardless of hits, including recent stuff like Lift Off and perseverance has obviously paid off. Elsewhere, REACT is up 3 to 12 for Switch Disco and Ella Henderson, and David Guetta, Anne-Marie & Coi Leray up 3 to 23 with What is Love, oops I mean Baby Don’t Hurt Me. Fifty-fifty are up 8 with Cupid to 26, Morgan Wallen up 4 to 31 with Last Night and SZA is having a Snooze at 39 nipping back in the chart, with Glass Animals’ Heatwave also back at 24 for some reason. And it’s not even hot out.

Over in albums, Metallica crash in with 72 Seasons, thanks mostly to physical sales, their 8th Studio top 40 album in 35 years, and a 4th number one 15 years after the last time they out-did the competition. Master Of Puppets, their Stranger Things-featuring 1986 album peaked at 41 so I suggest a 40th anniversary box-set edition to give it a boost in 2026. The Weeknd still can’t get a break, peaking again at 2 with The Highlights, Taylor Swift’s Midnights is at 4 and Lewis Capaldi fans are still Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent at 4. That leaves SZA at 5 with SOS.

The next new entry is at 10 for US poprock band Waterparks’ INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. Previous album Greatest Hits peaked at 37 in 2021, so they seem to be on the up. Other new entries: British-rapper Avelino gets an album debut in the top 40 at 12 with God Save The Streets, which leaves only a handful of Taylor Swift albums scattered around the chart following her live concerts and break-up with her London Boy. Failing to go top 40 this week, David Bowie’s 1973 classic album Aladdin Sane 50 anniversary years on, Joe Bonamassa’s latest live album, and Natalie Merchant’s Keep Your Courage - she’s been quietly working in the biz for over 35 years but rarely makes the top 40.