11 September 2023
Newsdesk
Olivia Rodrigo’s path to a second UK Number 1 album looks assured, as she’s outselling the rest of the Top 10 combined with her second album, GUTS.
The much-hyped successor to 2021’s SOUR, GUTS arrives at the midweek mark with over 33,000 chart units to its name. It’s already birthed one UK Number 1 single, vampire (Olivia’s third overall) and a Top 10 hit, bad idea right?.
Roisin Murphy’s sixth studio album Hit Parade follows at Number 2, potentially her first Top 10, while The Coral’s 11th album Sea Of Mirrors could become the seventh Top 10 record for the Wirral band, at Number 3 midweek. They are also due a second entry this week with accompanying release Holy Joe’s Coral Island Medicine Show at Number 13.
Influential dance auteurs The Chemical Brothers are predicted to secure a landmark 10th Top 10 album with For That Beautiful Feeling (4) as BTS member V looks to complete this week’s prospective all-new Top 5 with solo record Layover (5).
Romy becomes the last member of The xx to issue a solo record, her dance-focused LP Mid-Air tracks at Number 6 midweek, while a brand-new live album capturing a Fleetwood Mac performance from 1977, Rumours Live, could net the legends a 14th Top 10 collection at Number 9.
Further down, rapper M Huncho’s My Neighbours Don’t Know heads for Number 11, and Public Service Broadcasting look to debut at Number 14 with This New Noise – both acts’ potential fifth Top 40 collections.
2023 Mercury Prize recipients Ezra Collective get a big boost following their win at last week’s ceremony. Where I’m Meant to Be is on track for a re-entry into the Albums Chart at Number 18. It would mark a new peak for the band, who reached Number 24 with the record in November last year, their first-ever UK Top 40 placement.
South-East London drummer Yussef Dayes will be hoping to secure a first solo Top 40 album with Black Classical Music (32); previously he hit the Top 10 in 2020 with Tom Misch collaborative LP What Kinda Music (4).
US indie-rock band Sparklehorse, led by the late Mark Linkous, head for a posthumous third Top 40 entry with Bird Machine at Number 35. Much of the album was recorded prior to Linkous’ death in 2010, pieced together by his brother Matt and sister-in-law Melissa over the last few years.
Finally, Isle of Wight rock band Coach Party’s debut album Killjoy lands at Number 40 midweek.
