Sunday, September 20, 2009

Chart Chat UK: September 20, 2009


This week there's lots of action on the chart, as we have a new number 1, a missed opportunity, and an up-and-comer. First up is Taio Cruz with his new single 'Break Your Heart.' Taio is a busy man - he's reportedly working with Kylie and Leona and everyone else under the sun - but even with all that going on he has managed to bag his first chart topper. Not so lucky is our number 3 entry. Madonna's had a lot more luck over in the UK than she has in her home country, where she releases singles more as concert promotions rather than to become hits in their own right. In the UK, however, she has been enjoying some the biggest hits of her career. In the past eleven years every one of her album's lead singles have hit the top, save 'American Life' (which hit number 2 in 2003). All that means that 'Celebration' becomes her lowest-charting lead single since 'Evita's' 'You Must Love Me.' Number 3 is nothing to sniff at, especially for an artist that has been going at it for as long as she, but one can't help but feel this track just isn't resonating with listeners as well as hoped. Number 5 finds quite the opposite situation, as Shakira racks up her sixth top ten. Leaping twenty places this week, 'She Wolf' is a solid bet to become her second chart topper after its full physical release this coming week. Pixie Lott tumbles all the way down to 6 from 1, but she shouldn't be too upset with this result. What's really going on is everyone stopped buying the single and started buying the album, which bows at 6 on the album chart this week. ScopiSat faves Mini Viva hang in there at 9, and Sugababes manage another week in the top ten despite my predictions of a swift demise. With all the rumors of a lineup change, perhaps the single got a sales bump from the idea this may be the last chance to buy a 'Babes track in this incarnation. The rest of the chart is pretty quiet, save an honorable mention for Little Boots, whose 'Remedy' maintains a slow descent at 13, and the appearance of what will surely be a huge hit for Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. 'Empire State of Mind' debuts at 15 this week solely off the back of the duo's US MTV Video Music Awards performance, giving Jay-Z two hits in the top 20 this week. With a full single campaign in the works, it would be very very foolish to expect anything less than chart greatness from this track.

The UK Top Ten:
1 - Taio Cruz: Break Your Heart
2 - David Guetta ft Akon: Sexy Chick
3 - Madonna: Celebration
4 - Jay-Z ft Rihanna & Kanye West: Run This Town
5 - Shakira: She Wolf
6 - Pixie Lott: Boys & Girls
7 - Black Eyed Peas: I Gotta Feeling
8 - Dizzee Rascal: Holiday
9 - Mini Viva: Left My Heart in Tokyo
10- Sugababes: Get Sexy

The Cheryl Cole 'Fight For This Love' video

...is a confusing accompaniment to a quite excellent song. It is confusing because it seems to be the video for a different song entirely but is actually a video for this song. It's all laid back and stylish and fitting with the tone of the track and then there are IN YOUR FACE DANCE MOVES for NO REASON and then it ENDS. Lets break this down:

Things that work:
1 - Cheryl posing against walls
2 - Cheryl posing against shapes
3 - Cheryl posing against green screen effects

Things that do not work:
1 - Everything else



Still, a pretty damn strong first outing for C-Co. The video is growing on us and the song is obviously still AMAZING. Out Oct 19 on Fascination in the UK