The single’s current high placement within the charts means that “Afraid To Feel” has secured LF System chart success; the track’s chart reign marks the second longest run thus far in 2022. The track overtook “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” to obtain the second place. The beloved musical number was released from the popular Disney film Encanto; the track spent seven consecutive weeks at the top of the UK singles chart. The current record of the longest-running number-one of all history belongs to Frankie Laine; the crooner’s track “I Believe” was released in 1953 and has spent 18 weeks as the UK’s number one single.

.@LFSYSTEMMUSIC lead the Official Singles Chart for an eighth consecutive week https://t.co/wdfNlqDGL9 pic.twitter.com/qdpUjlK4ym

— Official Charts (@officialcharts) August 27, 2022

Due to LF System’s recent chart win, “Afraid To Feel” has been named the longest-running number-one dance single of the decade so far. With over 4.6 million streams accumulated this week, the single has also been named UK’s most streamed track. The Scottish-formed duo dropped the chart-topping track on 2nd May 2022 via Warner Music UK. Upon its initial release, the track cracked the UK top 20 and soon began to jump multiple chart spaces, “Afraid To Feel” was confirmed as the UK’s number single at the start of July.

“Afraid To Feel” first gained popularity via the social media app TikTok where it has been used as a sound in countless videos and posts. The track has become a favourite this summer due to its breezy appeal and catchy melodies. Along with an amended pace in the vocals, the hugely popular single also utilises a heavy sample of the Silk 1979 track “I Can’t Stop (Turning You On“.

Elsewhere within this week’s U.K. singles chart, Elza Rose and Interplanetary collaboration “B.O.T.A. (Baddest Of Them All)” has remained at number two. Placing at number three this week is “Green Green Grass” by George Ezra, its peak position after spending 18 weeks on the charts. The track was released on 22nd April 2022 by the British singer-songwriter and is the second single to be taken from Ezra’s third studio album Gold Rush Kid. At number four is “Break My Soul” by Beyonce; this week sees the single drop one position after placing at three last week. Charting at number five is “I Ain’t Worried” by OneRepublic; this week, the theme from Top Gun: Maverick crack into the top 5 for the first time since its release.

Also included within this week’s top 10 is “My G”, the new collaboration between English rapper Aitch and Ed Sheeran. The new song debuted on the singles chart this week and is the third single to be released from Aitch’s debut studio album Close To Home. The track makes its first entry at number 6, marking Aitch’s eighth track to crack the top 10 and Sheeran’s 39th top 10 charting single.

The album’s chart success marks the Scottish singer’s third UK number one album. Nutini first topped the UK album charts with his second studio album Sunny Side Up, released in 2009 the album was recorded by the singer and his band The Vipers. The singer’s next soared to the top spot in 2014 with his third studio album Caustic Love, the LP sired four singles including the top 10 hit “Scream (Funk My Life Up)”.

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After debuting at number one within the album charts, Last Night In The Bittersweet secured Nutini a chart hat trick. The 35-year-old artist’s recently released album comes eight years after his last studio album and was proceeded by two singles, “Through the Echoes” and “Loose it” were both released on 11th May 2022. Released via Atlantic Records, the album’s third single “Shine A Light” was released on 1st June 2022 and two more tracks “Acid Eyes” and “Petrified In Love” dropped on 22nd June 2022.

Elsewhere within the charts, this week’s second-highest new entry has been awarded to Shinedown for their new album Planet Zero. The Floridan rocker’s fourth studio album was released 1st July 2022 via Atlantic and has placed at number four within this week’s UK Album charts. The album marks the group’s first-ever top 5 placement within the UK charts, the Billboard Music Awards nominees last placed high with their 2018 album Attention Attention which charted at number 8.

Another new entry has also placed high within this week’s UK album charts, Unprecedented by UB30 has charted at number 8. The album was released under the name UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro, the compilation album consists of covers as well as new material. Following her headlining performance at BST Hyde Park this weekend, Adele’s 30 has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity. The singer’s chart-topping album has jumped 49 places to chart at number 25 within this week’s UK album charts.

Nutini is currently riding high from his appearance at this year’s TRNSMT Festival, the singer performed at the Glasgow event on Friday 8th July 2022. The “Jenny Don’t Be Hasty” singer will next perform at the Italian festival Anfiteatro Del Vittoriale on 15th July 2022, after seven more performances in Italy, Nutini is set to perform in Ireland on 21st August 2022. This Summer will see the singer perform at various UK events before embarking on an arena tour this Autumn, Nutini will kick off the tour with a two day residency at Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse on 22nd and 23rd October 2022.

Paolo Nutini UK tour dates

21/08/2022 – Milk Market – Limerick
22/08 – Milk Market – Limerick
24/08 – Olympia – Dublin
25/08 – Custom House Square – Belfast
27/08 – Victorious Festival – Portsmouth
22/10 – O2 Victoria Warehouse – Manchester
23/10 – O2 Victoria Warehouse – Manchester
25/10 – Alexandra Palace – London
26/10 – Alexandra Palace – London
28/10 – O2 Academy 1 – Birmingham
29/10 – Bonus Arena – Hull
31/10 – O2 Academy – Edinburgh
01//11 – Music Hall – Aberdeen

Click here to purchase tickets.

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The UK official charts have predicted that Bush’s iconic track will overtake “As It Was” and end Styles’ chart reign, “Running Up That Hill” has seen a recent resurgence in popularity due to its use within the new season of Stranger Things. After the new season of the show dropped the track went viral, many have praised the popular Netflix series for exposing younger fans to the song. Originally released in 1985, the track jumped an impressive six places to position just below Styles’ chart-topping single. If Bush climbs one more chart placement the single will mark her first number one single in over forty years, the singer last topped the UK singles charts in 1978 with the seminal song “Wuthering Heights”.

This week’s single chart also sees Styles score another Official Chart Double; the partner album for “As It Was” has charted at the top of the UK album charts. The singer’s recently released album Harry’s House has placed at number one for the second consecutive week, Styles’ third studio album also contains another commercially successful track. The single “Late Night Talking” was released on 20th May 2022 after being debuted at California’s Coachella festival, the single peaked at number two on the singles charts and remains in the top 10 at number seven.

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Much like “Running Up That Hill” another potential high climber is speculated to storm the charts, “Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)” by BTS is predicted to be a high new entry. The newest single to be released by the hugely popular K-pop group dropped on 10th June 2022 and is the lead single taken from their full release Proof, the band’s first anthology album. The album was released the same day as the lead single and was received with great critical acclaim, publications such as Rolling Stone have already sung the album’s praises.

Elsewhere within the charts, “Go” by Cat Burns drops one space to number three. Last week the single enjoyed a placement at number two after spending the previous week at number four. Placing at number four this week is “About Damn Time” by megastar Lizzo, the single is another viral hit which has been utilised as sound within the popular social media app TikTok. The track is the lead single from the singer’s fourth studio album Special, the yet to be released record is scheduled to drop on 15^th July 2022 via Nice Life and Atlantic Records.

Closing the official UK singles chart is “Space Man” by Sam Ryder, the fellow TikTok artist’s Eurovision entry has held well within the charts and peaked at number two last month. The high chart position made Ryder the first Eurovision candidate to place high within the singles charts in twenty-six years, Gina G’s “Ooh Aah…Just A Little bit” placed at the top spot after its release in 1996. After coming in eighth place within the Eurovision song contest, the dance infused song charted as the UK’s number one single.

So today we found out that our debut album has placed at number one in the UK album charts!! It’s been such an unexpected journey for us hobbits so to find our shmalbum at number 1 is incredible!! We are lost for words and left feeling like we’re wearing our mums high heels pic.twitter.com/1KJJwMaGdA

— Wet Leg (@wetlegband) April 15, 2022

The band spoke with OfficialCharts.com concerning their win, “We just want to say thanks to all of our fans that have bought the record, and that means we can be Number 1. Thank you for this!”

The group’s inaugural release has outsold the remaining top 5 albums combined and has earned the title of the second biggest opening week for an album in 2022 so far. The top spot was awarded to British rapper Central Cee for his second studio album 23, released on 25th February 2022 the album also debuted at number one on the album charts. Wet Leg’s top-charting album has also achieved success in physical sales, and it has topped the Official Vinyl Albums Chart and the Official Record Store Chart.

Wet Leg’s number one album was released by independent label Domino Records and is the fourth indie-released album to top the charts this year. The London-based label is home to a roster full of beloved rock acts including Arctic Monkeys, Animal Collective and Franz Ferdinand. The duo was formed in the Isle of Wright and consists of band members Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers. The pair started to make music together in 2019 after meeting in college, and first gained notoriety for their single “Chaise Lounge”. The track was their debut single and became a huge hit over social media.

This week’s chart placement is not just a win for Wet Leg but is also a huge landmark within the music industry. For the first time in over a decade, all top 3 albums are released via independent record labels. At number two on this week’s album charts is Chloe And The Next 21st Century by Father John Misty, the album has debuted at second place and was released via Bella Union. Closing the top three and scoring the hat track for indie labels is Jack White’s album Fear Of The Dawn, the Grammy award-winning musician’s fourth solo album was released by his own label Third Man Records.

This grade of chart success for indie labels last occurred in 2011, the top 3 included Adele’s 21 at number 1 and the singer’s debut album 19 at number 3. Both albums were released by British indie label XL Recordings. Founded in 1989, the label is home to artists such as FKA Twigs, Gil Scott-Heron and Radiohead. At number three was Fleet Foxes’ Helplessness Blues. The group’s second studio album was released via grunge pioneering label Sub Pop and British indie label Bella Union.

Speaking on the rarity of this event, chart analyst Alan Jones has given the following statement, “It is only the third time in the 1,162 weeks that have elapsed in the 21st century that indie records have occupied all of the top three places in the chart. The first time, in 2011, saw two albums from Adele (21 and 19) and one from The Strokes (Angles) shutting out the majors, and the second instance happened just six weeks later.”

Days before this chart record was announced, recorded music trade body BPI reported a spike in growth for indie label market shares for the fourth year running. The organisation also conducted a new analysis of the Official Charts Company’s data and stated that independent music was responsible for 26.9% of the UK music sales in 2021. The data also confirmed that 4 out of 10 Vinyl album sales were independent releases.

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Ed Sheeran topped the list with his hit “Bad Habits”; the track was the longest-running number 1 of the year, spending a total of 11 weeks at the top of the charts. Ed must be used to these accolades with “Bad Habits” becoming his 10th number one and was the first of his four chart-topping tracks this year, the other three being “Shivers”, “Merry Christmas” featuring Elton John and “Sausage Rolls for Everyone” alongside Lad Baby and Elton John.

Two songs in the top 40 served as indicators of how big a year UK hip hop has had commercially with “Body” by Russ and Tion Wayne and “Latest Trends” by A1 and J1 both featuring on the Top 40. “Body” was a global hit not only going number in the UK, the first drill song to do so and sat there for a consecutive 3 weeks, but the track also went number one in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. These accomplishments aided the track to a top 10 finish on the UK Top 40 for 2021. “Latest Trends” by the 15 and 17 years old artists was their debut single, peaking in the weekly charts at second after becoming a viral hit over the social media platform TikTok. The duo’s hit gained them a place on the Top 40 of 2021, finishing at 26th.

The Top 40 may have diverted from the regular trends with the appearance of Russ, Tion Wayne, A1 and J1 but except for these, the Top 40 featured a number of US pop superstars including breakout star Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X and Doja Cat. In addition to this, a number of UK popstars such as Dua Lipa, Adele and Anne Marie were featured.

The full Top 40 is available to see here.