There’s a lot at stake in this week’s race for the UK’s Number 1 Album, as both acts currently leading the race are in with the chance of scooping their first-ever chart-topping LP.
As it stands, alt-rock quartet Enter Shikari are in lead position with their seventh album A Kiss For The Whole World (1) charging ahead of a prospective all-new Top 5.
Hailing from Hertfordshire and comprising of Chris Batten, Rou Reynolds, Rob Rolle and Rory Clewlow, Enter Shikari have previously claimed five Top 10 records; 2007 debut Take To The Skies (4), 2012’s A Flash Flood of Colour (4), 2015’s The Mindsweep (6), 2017’s The Spark (5) and their highest-charting album so far, 2020’s Nothing Is True And Everything Is Possible (2).
The band are also looking to secure another Top 5 placement with their vinyl-exclusive pressing of Live At Alexandra Palace 3 (5), available on violet and clear sparkle vinyl.
But it’s by no means a done deal yet. Bringing up the rear and little over 400 chart units behind, legendary indie-pop duo Everything But The Girl are back with their first studio album together in 24 years, Fuse (2).
Together, Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt blazed a trail of forward-thinking electronic pop throughout their initial lifespan from 1982-2000, racking up 12 Top 40 singles and 11 Top 40 albums before disbanding to focus on their solo careers.
Fuse is already on the way to becoming Everything But The Girl’s highest-charting UK album ever following four previous Top 10s; 1985’s Love Not Money (10), 1990’s The Language of Love (10) 1993’s greatest hits compilation Home Movies (5) and 1996’s Walking Wounded (6).
This past Saturday saw the 16th annual Record Store Day in the UK, and exclusive vinyl drops from Taylor Swift and this year’s ambassadors The 1975 are heading for Top 5 debuts.
Taylor’s exclusive release of folklore- The Long Pond Studio Sessions takes the lead so far at Number 3 while Matty Healy and co.’s Live With The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra is not far behind at Number 4.
Other exclusive Record Store Day drops looking to chart this week are Pearl Jam’s Give Way (27), Blur’s Present The Special Collectors Edition (33) and animated children’s character Bluey’s Dance Mode! (38).
Also set for a Top 10 debut is Agust D – also known as Suga from South Korean boyband BTS – who could see his debut studio album D-Day enter at Number 6. If it holds on, it will mark his second solo collection to chart following 2020 mixtape D-2 which peaked at Number 7.
Long-standing English rock scions Jethro Tull are also pursuing a Top 10 debut this week. RökFlöte (8) could become their second Top 10 album in just over a year, following 2022’s The Zealot Gene which debuted at Number 9 to become their highest-charting record in 50 years.
Elsewhere, further new entries could come from The Stranglers’ 20th anniversary re-issue of Norfolk Coast (15), Skala, the third album from Songer, which could mark the 22-year-old Reading rapper’s Official Chart debut (18), and The White Stripes’ landmark fourth record Elephant (20), which celebrates its 20th birthday this month with an anniversary reissue.
Former Mott The Hoople singer Ian Hunter looks to secure a fourth solo Top 40 album with Defiance Part 1 (30), while Dutch dance godfather Tiësto hits the gas for a fifth Top 40 album with Drive (32), which includes hit collaborations with Charli XCX, Ava Max and Tate McRae.
Finally, American rapper and singer Post Malone’s first greatest hits compilation, The Diamond Collection, could enter the Official Albums Chart at Number 37. It would mark his fifth Top 40 collection in the UK.
