18 December 2022
Newsdesk
The Official Chart: First Look offers a first glance of the Top 20 ahead of Friday’s Official Singles Chart Top 100. The chart is based on preliminary sales and early streaming reports.
LadBaby take early lead with Food Aid in the race for the most important Number 1 of the year – the coveted Official Christmas Number 1 2022, the Official Charts Company can confirm, but early data shows they’re in for a tussle.
Festive title holders Mark and Roxanne Hoyle have this year joined forces with money-saving expert Martin Lewis for Food Aid, to raise money for food bank charity The Trussell Trust and the Band Aid foundation. The highest entry of the week after 38 hours, Food Aid has so far racked up 27,000 chart sales according to Official Charts Company data, predominantly driven by pre-orders and downloads, putting them 16,000 units ahead of the nearest competition on tonight’s Official Chart First Look.
While it may sound like a promising lead, daily figures indicate that holding off the sheer streaming might of Christmas classics by Wham!, Mariah Carey, Ed Sheeran & Elton John will prove a significant challenge for the internet stars this week, along with the current popularity of new contemporary releases from Stormzy, RAYE and Lizzo.
Never one to be underestimated though, should LadBaby’s momentum accelerate enough to fend off their rivals however, they would become the first act in history to land a record-breaking fifth Christmas Number 1.
Of the exciting race currently forming, Official Charts Company chief executive Martin Talbot said: “It’s that time of the year again, the big race for the Official Christmas Number One, and LadBaby has started the week out in front. But it already looks like it is going to be a tight race and one which will be worth keeping an eye on through the week.”
Christmas classics from Wham! and Mariah Carey are set to close the gap sharply as the week progresses. Last Christmas (2) and All I Want For Christmas Is You (3) have each hit the top spot this December already, with their biggest week of streams still to come as the UK reaches peak festive fever ahead of the big day. While both records missed out on Number 1 upon their original release in 1984 and 1994 respectively, they finally hit the top of the Official Singles Chart in recent years thanks to the enduring popularity on streaming platforms. Neither have ever managed to nab the coveted Christmas Number 1 however, could 2022 finally be their year? It looks more than possible based on the current forecast for the week ahead. Just 270 chart units separate the two on today’s Official Charts Company sales flash.
Trailing in third place after 48 hours is Ed Sheeran & Elton John’s successful 2021 bid to create a modern yuletide classic - Merry Christmas is less than 250 units behind queen of Christmas Mariah Carey. The chart-topping song was given a sausage roll rework last Christmas and went on to secure the festive top spot too with LadBaby.
Stormzy's Firebabe (5) continues its ascent up the chart, up three places midweek and on track to break the Top 5 for the first time this Friday.
Lizzo’s Amazon Music Original track Someday At Christmas catapults a whopping 16 places since Friday, breaking into the Top 10 for the first time (6).
RAYE’s Escapism slips four places midweek, currently riding at Number 7.
The second highest new midweek entry comes courtesy of a surprise new drop from Central Cee with Let Go at Number 11.
Just 175 chart sales outside of the Top 10 resides this year’s sweary political campaign from The K**ts with F*ck The Tories (12), another to keep an eye on as the week plays out, having successfully finished in the Top 5 in each of the past two years with Boris Johnson Is A F**king C**t (5) and 2021 follow-up Boris Johnson Is Still A F**king C**t (5).
Further down, touted as early race contenders Sidemen, the YouTube group featuring KSI, rise seven to Number 34 with Christmas Drillings.
And finally, the highest Top 40 climber of the week so far is Eurovision hero and reigning king of the Official Albums Chart, Sam Ryder, Jingle Bells surges 35 places northbound to crash into the midweek Top 40 at Number 31, while further down Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson’s Oh Santa shoots 47 spots to Number 43, and BBC Sound Of 2022 nominee Priya Ragu leaps 45 places to Number 46 with Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree.
