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The duo’s duet is the second single in which Sheeran and Sir John have released this festive period. On 17th December 2021, LadBaby released their entry for this year’s competition, the new single features both Sheeran and Sir John. The YouTube artist’s single “Sausage Rolls For Everyone” is their fourth sausage roll parody and features Sheeran and Sir John in its music video. If the single wins, LadBaby will receive their fourth consecutive Christmas number one  and could also break a chart record. The British social media celebrity is currently in a three-way tie with The Beatles and Spice Girls, all three acts have achieved three Christmas number one singles.

This week’s chart also sees another record broken; 24 Christmas singles have placed within the Official Singles Chart Top 40. This is the greatest number of festive tracks which have placed within the charts so close to Christmas. Many re-entries of Christmas classics are seen within the top 10 this week. “Last Christmas” by WHAM has landed at number three, the track’s popularity has not diminished through time and continues to be a true festive favourite. One place behind is another holiday staple, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey. Often referred to as the Queen of Christmas, Carey has transcended into a holiday tradition.

“Merry Christmas Everyone” by Shakin’ Stevens re-entered the chart at number six. The single was originally released on 25th November 1985 and first re-entered the charts in 2007. One of Christmas’ more alternative hits is also included within the top 10, “Fairytale of New York” by Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl lands at number seven. The folk style duet was originally released on 23rd November 1987 and is often cited as the most played Christmas song in the UK.

One of the season’s eldest hits also lands within the top ten, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee enters the chart at number eight. The track was released in December 1962 and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008. Due to its immense popularity, the song has sold over 25 million copies and has become the fourth most downloaded Christmas single. Closing the top 10 is “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas” by crooner Michael Bublé. The track was written in 1951 and has been recorded by many artists including Bing Crosby.

Music fans have speculated whether the hunger for festive hits can be attributed to COVID’s influence and its potential threat to Christmas. The race for 2021 Christmas number one single will close at 11:59 pm on Thursday 23rd December 2021, the winner will be announced on the Official chart via BBC Radio 1 on Christmas eve from 4 pm.

Shame singer Charlie Steen said in a statement, according to NME: “It’s another Christmas classic…It’s about a period of time in which I’d regularly be trekking up to the streets of Edinburgh to see an ex-partner… These are some of the thoughts I’d have when I’d be leaving Waverley station, en route back to London in the winter nights.”

Deviating slightly from the sound that the band presented on their recent, critically acclaimed full-length album Drunk Tank Pink, the song makes heavy use of acoustic guitars, a melancholic, lo-fi synthesiser and restrained vocals. As described by Steen, the lyrics of the song centre around thoughts surrounding a romantic relationship, though none are presented in the same tender, syrupy way that other festive tunes might approach the subject, with lyrics such as: “If I could rip off all your skin, and parcel it inside a tin, I’d write your name in biro, on the ribbons like decorations”.

The song is not the only Christmas track that Shame have put out, as back in 2018, the group released a rendition of the José Feliciano’s classic “Feliz Navidad”, maintaining the jovial energy of the original but undeniably injecting some of their own raucous style into it, and also making surprising use of an autotune effect on the lead vocal.

As previously mentioned, Shame’s recent full-length album Drunk Tank Pink has made its way to a lot of top albums lists this year with its grit and aggression. In a glowing Allmusic review, writer Heather Phares wrote: “Shame sound unstoppable on “Drunk Tank Pink”, yet they also find new ways to channel that energy.” You can read the full review here. The album can be found on all streaming services, and physical media can be found here. 

In other news regarding Shame, the band will be embarking on a North American tour in February 2022, with dates in British Columbia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and New York City. Come April, the band will be embarking on a European tour, with visits to France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Norway, to name just a few countries. Shame presently have two UK shows lined up for 2022, at London Stadium and the Truck Festival in Steventon, UK. Tickets for Shame’s upcoming shows can be found here.

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The single is available across many streaming platforms and debuted at number one within the UK Big Top 40. “Merry Christmas” marks Sir John’s third number one within the chart this year. Sheeran has also achieved success with the Big Top 40, the new festive single marks Sheeran’s fifth number one this year. The “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” singer has two singles placed within the top three this week, with Sir John and Dua Lipa’s duet “Cold Heart” charting at number two. Sir John took to Instagram to announce the good news whilst sharing a message of thanks.

 

 

 

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The single was also released with an accompanying music video, which aims to celebrate Christmas. The singers can be seen impersonating past festive hits including “Stay Another Day” by East 17, “Last Christmas” by Wham, The Snowman’s “Walking In The Air” and many more. The new music video also features cameos by Mr Blobby, presenter and talk show host Jonathan Ross, Big Narstie, Comedian Michael McIntyre and British rock band The Darkness.

Sir John and Sheeran are no strangers to a successful Christmas single; both have achieved success with festive releases. In 2017 Sheeran secured Christmas number one with the track “Perfect”. The single was released on 26th September 2017 and was the third track to be released from the singer’s third studio album Divide. Sir John released “Step Into Christmas” on 23rd November 1973, the single peaked at number eight within the UK Singles Chart. The song was co-written by Sir John and his long-term musical partner Bernie Taupin. The single has since become a favourite during the festive period and has re-entered the charts. The track first re-joined the charts last year and is also seen within the top 10 this year.

The race to the Official UK Christmas number one is an annual tradition that is as anticipated as Christmas itself. This year marks the title and competition’s 70th anniversary. The British institution began in 1952 when the first Christmas number one single was announced. The competition’s first winner was “Here In My Heart” by Al Martino. The track is also known as the first UK number-one single.

Proceeds that are accrued through the single’s global record and publishing royalties will be donated. The singers will split the profits to be donated equally to their respective charities, Ed Sheeran Suffolk Music Foundation and The Elton John AIDS Foundation.

I’m finding I can fly so high above with you ☃️ Our version of Walking in the Air is available on all streaming platforms now. Play this one LOUD! https://t.co/OrkiUputlr pic.twitter.com/7UEDeextdq

— mcfly (@mcflymusic) December 3, 2021

McFly consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Tom Fletcher, lead vocalist and lead guitarist Danny Jones, bassist Dougie Poynter and drummer Harry Judd. This is not the first time in which McFly have performed the track. In 2020 the band played a cover of the song during their Christmas With McFly special on 21st December. The cover was then made available via YouTube on the band’s channel.

The track begins with the instantly recognisable melody played on guitar; the vocals then begin soon after. The song remains delicate and atmospheric until a heavier influence kicks in. The new release’s rock sound has been perfectly matched with the canonised original’s magically intricate musicality. The track has been released on all streaming platforms and has been promoted by all band members across their social media pages.

The festive classic was written by composer Howard Blake and was featured in the 1982 animated film The Snowman. Since the film’s release, the song has become synonymous with Christmas and has since appeared in various TV advertisements. The song was famously re-released by Welsh chorister Aled Jones in 1985, the singer was 15 years old at the time and was recommended by Blake. The single achieved chart success and placed in the top five within the UK singles chart. Jones followed in the footsteps of original singer Peter Auty who sang on the 1982 release, both vocalists were choral singers.

The track has since become a festive go-to for many artists and has been featured on various albums. Cliff Richard covered the track in 2003 and included the song on his album Cliff at Christmas. West End Legend Elaine Paige also covered the track for her 1986 album Christmas. The festive favourite has been recorded and performed in various genres; Metal legends Iron Maiden covered the track during a performance on their tour in support of the 1986 album Somewhere in Time.  Symphonic metal group Nightwish also covered “Walking In The Air”, the Finnish band featured the cover on their 1998 album Oceanborn.

In other news, McFly have confirmed that they are working on the follow up to their 2020 album Young Dumb Thrills. Judd has revealed that the group are aiming for a rock-heavy sound by returning “Back to More guitar, drums and bass” and leaving behind the “Classic Pop” style.  He continued to add, “Young Dumb Thrills’ still had guitars and drums on it but there was programming and a bit of a different approach to recording. This time, from day one of writing and recording, we’ve had all our gear set up. So if Tom has brought in a song in the morning, we go straight into playing it as a band to get parts that way. We’ve been writing songs in that environment as well, and writing riffs.”

McFly UK tour

13/05/2022 – Pub In The Park 2022 – Marlow
03/06 – Wicksteed Park – Kettering
10/06 – Gloucester Park – Gloucester
11/06 – Pub In The Park 2022 – Warwick
03/07 – Waddeesdon Manor –  Aylesbury
08/07 – Lincolnshire Showground – Lincoln
17/07 – Chewton Glen Hotel And Spa – New Milton
13/08 – Doncaster Racecourse – Doncaster
03/09 – Imperial Recreation Ground – Exmouth

Click here to purchase tickets.

Click here to stream “Walking In The Air“

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The annual festive race sees artists from all genres of music duke it out to be crowned Christmas number one. Contenders from all avenues of the entertainment industry have competed for the prize. With the rise of social media, a new form of public figure can now enter the festive competition. Last year saw YouTuber Mark Hoyle claim the top spot for the third year, otherwise known as LadBaby the husband and father won with his single “Don’t Stop Me Eatin”.

The contenders for this year’s Christmas number One includes a varied list of legendary artists and rising stars.  It was reported earlier this year that Sir Elton John had joined forces with Ed Sheeran to compete. Both have experienced festive chart success before, Sheeran scored a Christmas number one in 2017 with “Perfect” and Sir John placed at number eight in 1973 with “Step Into Christmas”. The single has remained a festive favourite and has re-entered the charts this year.

This year has seen a comeback for Disco icons ABBA, the “Dancing Queen” singers scored a number one this year with their album Voyages. They are also hoping to claim another hit with their upcoming track “Little Things”. The track is their first Christmas single and will be released on 3rd December 2021 accompanied by a music video. This year has also seen Adele dominate the charts, certain tracks from her newly released album 30 are being tipped as this year’s number one.

A reimagined version of the 1960 Charles Brown single, “Come on Home For Christmas” has also joined the race. The new version has been recorded by English singer-songwriter George Ezra and has been released alongside Amazon Music.  Much like previous years, a celebrity duet has also been released to compete. Former Take That member Gary Barlow and actress Sheridan Smith have teamed up to release the single “How Christmas Is Supposed To Be”.

British rockers The Lathums have also released a festive single , the track entitled “Krampus” was released on 12^th November 2021. The track serves as an anti-Christmas track and is named after a festive folklore figure. Often depicted as the evil counterpoint as Santa Claus, Krampus is shown in popular culture as a villain. Another Christmas contender is Olivia Dean, the up-and-coming artist is set to storm the charts with her cover of the Nat King Cole standard “The Christmas Song”.

Other artists who have thrown their hat in the ring include Gypsy Pistoleros and the controversial act The K**ts. The results will be published by The Official Chart via an announcement on BBC Radio 1 on Christmas Eve from 4 pm. The show will not just announce this year’s Christmas number one single but will also reveal the official Christmas top 40. Music fans will also be able to catch the countdown on Top Of The Pops broadcasted on Christmas Day on BBC One. The full official top 100 Official Christmas Singles and Albums chart will be published via OfficialCharts.com.

Rejoice! Bells End is BACK! Our mouthwatering, limited edition beer with our friends at @SignatureBrew returns just in time for Christmas: https://t.co/Q3ngmdX2Uv pic.twitter.com/PhGxg3dTBm

— The Darkness (@thedarkness) November 24, 2021

A press release has described the beer with the following statement, “a mouth-watering bitterness to carry you through the season. On pouring out the brew, you’ll find a clear, deep copper beer with a medium-low carbonation; on the nose is a little stone fruit, toffee and light, earthy hops and you’ll be greeted with wintery and wild, spicy blackcurrant fruitiness and a firm bitterness which balances the complex rich, sweet toffee flavours of the malt.”

The British rock group formed in Lowestoft in 2000 and consists of members frontman Justin Hawkins, guitarist Dan Hawkins, bassist Frankie Poullain and drummer Rufus Tiger Taylor. The group became an instant hit with their top ten single “I Believe in A Thing Called Love”. The group’s beer is aptly named after their 2003 Christmas single, “Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)”.  The track was released to compete within the race for the Christmas number One single and ultimately placed at number two.

Dan Hawkins has provided the following statement concerning the group’s venture, “The tasting session for Bells End went well, it was a big night, and we tried every ale that we could think of. We wanted a beer that’s punchy and drinkable at the same time. Signature Brew really know their stuff and captured exactly what we were after. Bells End has got a bit of oomph to it but it’s something you can drink in the run up to Christmas and throughout the whole season. It’s a very wintery beer, it’s perfect and we can’t wait for everyone to try it.”

Signature Brew has gained a reputation for its music-inspired beers such as Reverb, a New England IPA sold by the brewery. The award-winning brewery has also become renowned for its collaborations with popular musicians.  Signature Brew’s beverages and can be found at its many bars and venues which also incorporate the Brewery’s passion for live music. The Siba Brewery of the year 2021 winners currently have four venues and bars across London with a location in Wembley opening soon.

In celebration for the beer’s return, The Darkness and Signature Brew’s collaboration can now be bought as a special collector’s box. The Darkness Pub In A Box contains 8 cans of the award-winning craft beer including 4 cans of The Darkness’ Bell End Extra Seasonal Bitter, 1 can of Roadie All-Night IPA, 2 cans of Studio Lager and 1 can of Backstage IPA. The collector’s box also includes a miniature pint glass, traditional pub snacks, a beer mat, limited edition The Darkness artwork, a music quiz and specially created Spotify playlists curated by music journalists.

In other news, in support of their new album Motorheart, The Darkness have embarked on their UK tour. The band’s new album was released on 19th November 2021 and has so far sired four singles including its title track and “Jussy’s Girl”. The group began touring earlier this month with a performance in Brighton and will conclude the tour on 17th December at London’s O2 Empire Shepherds Bush.

The Darkness UK tour dates

26/11/2021 – The Hexagon – Reading
27/11 – The Great Hall – Cardiff
29/11  – The Great Hall – Exeter
30/11 – G Live – Guildford
02/12 – O2 Academy – Liverpool
03/12 – Manchester Academy – Manchester
04/12 – Bonus Arena – Hull
06/12 – The Victoria – Stoke-On-Trent
07/12 – O2 Academy – Bristol
09/12 – Barrowlands – Glasgow
10/12 – O2 Academy – Newcastle
11/12 – O2 Academy – Leeds
13/12 – Rock City – Nottingham
14/12 – O2 Academy – Birmingham
16/12 – O2 Shepherds Bush Empire – London
17/12 – O2 Shepherds Bush Empire – London

Click here to purchase tickets.

Click here to purchase The Darkness Beer.

The radio show took to their Twitter to share the news. The post features a short clip from the interview which shows Sheeran discuss the new duet.

Grote primeur in het 10-voor-9 journaal! @edsheeran heeft een kerstsingle met @eltonjohn gemaakt. pic.twitter.com/sygJQNTvbS

— Jan-Willem Start Op! (@jwstartop) October 6, 2021

The singer confirmed the duo’s plans when the hosts questioned Sheeran regarding a possible Christmas release. Sheeran replied certifying that the two were working on music and described the new song as, “It’s f—ing great.“.

Sheeran proceeded to recount the events leading up to the pair’s decision. The “Shivers” singer stated how he talks to Sir John often and recounted the telephone conversation which led to their new duet. Sheeran recounted how Sir John rang him on Christmas day in 2020 to present the collaboration. “He rang me on Christmas Day and he said, ‘”Step Into Christmas” is No. 6 on the charts, and I’m 74, and I’m still having f—ing chart hits, this is great! I want to do another Christmas song, will you do it with me?‘

Sir John is no stranger to a holiday single, the singer released the festive track “Step into Christmas” in 1973. The single was released with the b-side: “Ho, Ho, Ho (Who’d Be a Turkey At Christmas)” and charted at number 24. In 2019 the single re-entered the charts and peaked at number 8. The track is often a chart favourite amid the Christmas season and often re-enters the chart as shown in Sheeran’s quote.

Within the interview, Sheeran discussed how he initially felt apprehensive to accept Sir John’s offer. However, Sheeran sadly lost a close friend, and the tragedy changed his mind. “I’ve never really wanted to do a Christmas song. It really just hit home how stuff can just change overnight, I was like, ‘Why the f–k am I not doing a Christmas song with Elton John? I might not be here tomorrow, this will be a f—ing great way to celebrate Christmas.’”

Sheeran has had a lot to celebrate this year, the 30-year-old singer has enjoyed a long run of number one singles. The singer’s newest single “Shivers” has been occupying the number one single spot for the past three weeks. Sheeran’s previous single “Bad Habits” also achieved great success within the charts. Both singles have been taken from the singer’s upcoming fourth studio album. Sheeran’s newest album entitled = is set to be released on 29th October 2021.

Sheeran’s legendary collaborator Sir John has also been releasing new material this year. The “Tiny Dancer” singer has released various collaborations, the most recent being the new duet with Stevie Wonder. All tracks have been taken from his upcoming album The Lockdown Sessions, released on 22nd October 2021. Also included within the famed pianist’s new album is his duet with Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart”. The single scored the duo a number one single and still remains in the charts.

Click here to listen to the full interview.

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This is not the first time the NHS choir has had a run in with Justin Bieber. Five years ago, Justin and the NHS choir were both in the run for Christmas #1 but Justin tweeted telling fans to but the NHS song, A Bridge Over You instead of his song Love Yourself. He tweeted at the time; “For one week it’s ok not to be Number One. Let’s do the right thing and help them win. It’s Christmas.” He then went on to present the choir with their Official Christmas Number One Chart Award.

They have now all joined forces to recognise and praise the work the NHS has done during the COVID-19 pandemic, the proceeds from this track will be split between NHS Charities Together, which represents over 230 NHS charities and the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Charity.

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In a statement, Justin said; “It’s great to be reunited with the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS choir as we share a fun bit of UK chart history together, especially in these difficult times, I’m humbled to team up with them for a charity single that will benefit NHS workers on the frontlines of this pandemic and pay tribute to their unbelievable dedication.”

Caroline Smith, Children’s Community Physiotherapist and leader of the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir, added; “Justin Bieber helped make our dreams come true in 2015 and he’s doing the same this year; we really can’t thank him enough for the chance to work with him on this wonderful, uplifting song. We’re so proud to represent Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust and all the heroes in the NHS.”

Holy is available on all platforms now; you can check out the video below.

Beabadoobee released a beautifully melodic cover of the song Winter Wonderland for the series. Arlo Parks took on the Wham! classic Last Christmas swapping out the nostalgic vibes for a smooth, graceful rendition and James Blake decided to cover the traditional Christmas carol, In the Bleak Midwinter.

Y’all I created a special cover of #LastChristmas just in time for the holidays you can check out the exclusive track on @AppleMusic’s #Superbloom playlist – smash the link xhttps://t.co/Gy7IbijDFO pic.twitter.com/Ydgzu1PHvT

— Arlo Parks (@arloparks) December 2, 2020

Speaking to Zane Lowe from The Zane Lowe Show on Apple Music about his song choice, James Blake said that “all the pop Christmas songs have been covered a million times.” He also expressed his interest in the genre saying he has; “a huge fondness for choral music, Anglican Church spiritual vibes, even though I’m not particularly religious.”

He went on to say; “There’s something very appealing to me about the feeling I get from classical choral music. And I loved it when Jeff Buckley did that cover of ‘Corpus Christi’. In the back of my mind, there’s always been a thing where I’ve got to tackle something [like that].”

Arlo Parks’ appearance on the series comes just after she released her newest single Caroline. The song premiered on Annie Mac’s Radio 1 show. This song is the fifth single to be shared from her upcoming first full-length LP Collapsed In Sunbeams. Caroline joins Black Dog, Hurt, Eugene and Green Eyes as singles from the album. Collapsed In Sunbeams is due for release on 29th January 2021.

You can listen to Arlo Parks, Beabadoobee and James Blakes’ Christmas covers below.

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The track feels like a rework of the Christmas favourite, with Latham bringing a flirty charisma to the track. Backed by a light instrumental, the artist latches on to the suggestive lyrics, as she sings about her Christmas wishes with irresistible charm. The result is a track that feels like a new classic of the festive period.

“My dad used to have this Christmas mixtape that he would play every year when it hit December 1st, so Christmas music has always been a really big part of my life, but I think it’s hard to cover a Christmas song without feeling like it’s contrived.” The artist said in a press statement. “When we started talking about covering a Christmas song, there was only one that came into my mind like “this is a song Baby Queen would write,” and it’s Santa Baby. I love how cheeky and satirical the lyrics are. They feel really youthful and tongue-in-cheek which is how I’d describe a lot of the music I released this year, so it just made total sense to me.”

Her previous release ‘Medicine’ received rave reviews from critics, with many critics cementing Baby Queen as a rising pop sensation. “Pop stars aren’t really made, they arrive. Roll out the red carpet and clear the way – the era of Baby Queen is coming up fast,” said DORK magazine in a recent interview. It seems that Baby Queen has spoiled fans with this latest release atop her debut EP and, provided the perfect festive single for the Christmas period.

You can listen to Baby Queen’s cover of ‘Santa Baby’ below: