Sealing last year’s number one spot was none other than Miley Cyrus with her smash hit “Flowers”, which spent an incredible 10 weeks at the top of the Official UK Singles chart. “Flowers” was the lead single from Cyrus’ eighth studio-album Endless Summer Vacation, and went on to accumulate 198 million combined audio and video streams in the UK in 2023, making it the most-streamed song of the year. The 31-year-old’s single also went on to be the most-downloaded song of the year, with 91,000 UK downloads.

Joining Miley in a 10-week long reign at the number one spot were British rappers Dave and Central Cee with their single “Sprinter”. The track was a smash hit as it broke UK chart records as it clinched the biggest streaming week for any rap song in Official Chart history, and also claimed the title of the longest-running rap Number 1 in the UK. Since its release, the team duo have racked up 161 million UK audio and video streams, landing them the number two spot on the top songs of 2023.

The track claiming the number three spot in this list was originally the first Official Number One Single of 2023. When RAYE and 070 Shake’s track “Escapism” soared to number one, RAYE told Official Charts: “We are Number 1 in the UK! It’s the first Number 1 of the year, it’s my first Number 1 in my life. I’m an independent artist, this is sickening! This is proof you should back yourself, no matter what. Thank you, this is mad. These are happy tears!” 

Completing 2023’s top five was Taylor Swift’s resilient 2022 hit “Anti-Hero”, and collaboration trance track “Miracle” from Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding. Celebrating the success of the latter, Goulding told Official Charts: “This is just very cool. Thank you very much to everyone for listening to it and supporting it, Oontz, oontz…rave on!” 

The Official top 10 songs of 2023:

1. “Flowers” – Miley Cyrus
2. “Sprinter” – Dave & Central Cee
3. “Escapism” – RAYE feat. 070 Shake
4. “Anti-Hero” – Taylor Swift
5. “Miracle” – Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding
6. “Calm Down” – Rema
7. “Kill Bill” – SZA
8. “Boy’s A Liar” – PinkPantheress
9. “As It Was” – Harry Styles
10. “People” Libianca

The organisers of the festivals yesterday (August 13) confirmed that a small number of previously announced acts will no longer perform at this year’s festivals.

Gallows, 070 Shake, Spiritbox, Cleopatrick and Surfaces have all pulled out “due to various restrictions and logistics”.

However despite this unfortunate news Reading & Leeds have added a number of new names to their 2021 line-up, with Mimi Webb, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Will Joseph Cook, Blondes, Loathe, Holding Absence, Dea Matrona, Police Car Collective, Mega, Fur and Andrew Cushin all set to play at the festivals.

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This year’s festivals will take place from August 27-29, with the likes of Stormzy, Post Malone and Liam Gallagher set to headline. Comedians Katherine Ryan, Joel Dommett and Simon Amstell will also perform at Reading & Leeds 2021. You can see the newly updated line-up here.

Last month Biffy Clyro was announced as the replacements for co-headliners Queens Of The Stone Age, who also pulled out of performing “due to restrictions and logistics”.

Earlier this week it was announced that Reading & Leeds will implement ‘Look Out for Each Other’, an extensive drug outreach campaign, at this month’s festivals.

A collaboration between festival organisers Festival Republic and the local councils in both Reading and Leeds, ‘Look Out for Each Other’ will show a series of animations which will be viewable on all the big screens around both festival sites and across the two events, as well as via their social media.