CHART SPOTLIGHT. Further to Amy Winehouse’s death, her single “Back to Black” re-entered the UK singles tally at No.8 tonight. The single was originally released in April 2007, only to peak at No.25. This means that the peak position is significantly improved and the single logs an 86th week on the tally.
Back to Black re-entered the Billboard Digital Albums chart at No.1 this week, the album resulted in a string of hits including her debut hit “Rehab” and the only other US entry “You Know I’m No Good” (it peaked at No.77). The album also re-claims the No.9 position on the overall album chart and easily took home top honors at the catalogue chart. The album also re-entered the UK album chart at No.1 ahead of Adele’s21.
CHART SPOTLIGHT. According to Digital Spy, “Someone Like You” still rules the Australian singles chart. WelcheMusic has already highlighted the upcoming new hit single from Adele – “Set Fire to the Rain.” On an interesting note, Muzic Magazine highlights that the singer tops both the singles and albums chart despite never setting foot in the country.
LFMAO remains the runner-up with “Party Rock Anthem,” where Christina Perri moves 6-3 with “Jar of Hearts.”
Katy Perry – who had to cancel shows due to food poisoning, falls to No.6 with “Last Friday Night.” Elsewhere on the chart, Bruno Mars cracks the top ten with “Marry You.”
CHART SPOTLIGHT.Following years of decline, sales are finally spiking in the US. It’s headline news that the music industry’s sales are up according to USA Today. In total, sales were up 8.5% year-on-year according to a recent Nielsen SoundScan/Billboard report. Adele’s 21 sold 2.5m copies. Lady Gaga’s Born This Way is the runner-up with 1.5m copies.
“Set Fire to the Rain” to Bow This Sunday
Adele is set to return to the UK singles chart this Sunday with “Set Fire to the Rain,” the third single off the 21 album. WelcheMusic has tracked a lot of buzz surrounding “Turning Tables,” a track co-written and by Ryan Tedder, which was performed on Glee by Gwyneth Paltrow.
“Set Fire to the Rain” follows “Someone Like You” which topped the singles tally in the UK earlier this year becoming Adele’s first No.1 in that country ever. While “Rolling in the Deep” peaked at No.2, the track topped the Hot 100 and is currently topping Billboard Songs of Summer Chart. “Set Fire to the Rain” was co-written by Fraser T. Smith who previously penned James Morrison’s “Broken Strings” and Tinchy Stryder’s “Number 1.” “Rain” has already been released as a second single in different parts of Europe. It was released as the third single this Monday in the UK and is expected to bow on Sunday’s singles tally. It has topped the singles tallies in Holland and Belgium. So far it has peaked at No.88 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No.21 on the UK singles tally. Adele performed the track live for the first time on April 29 on The Graham Norton Show.
Adele to Join the The Voice UK
Adele is also reported to one of the judges on the UK version of The Voice according to The List. The other two judges are Cee Lo Green and Cheryl Cole. Not confirmed yet. Digital Spyalso reports that the singer won’t release another album if she’s happy. The source also says that Adele is the first British artist to sell more than one million copies of a single album with 21, her second record. The set is the biggest selling album of 2011 in the US.
CHART SPOTLIGHT. The folk band Fleet Foxes pose a serious threat to Adele’s reign atop the album chart in the UK. Fleet Foxes’ sophomore set Helplessness Blues vaults into No.2, ahead of Jennifer Lopez’ Love? (No.6) and Beastie Boys’ Hot Sauce Committee Pt.2 (No.9).
Fans are treated to a bespoke Helplessness Blues web-site, featuring the possibilities to purchase the album digitally via iTunes, or on CD and vinyl via Amazon. Fleet Foxes is currently on tour and will embark on the European leg at the end of this month. The final date is set for 20/8 at the Green Man Festival at Brecon Beacons in the UK.
In the US, the set has currently bowed at No.13 on the Folk Albums chart and No.22 at the Tastemaker Albums chart (both via Billboard).
Positive Reviews
Bloggers around the world have embraced the new album with positive reviews. According toLuddite Stereo, “you may need to spend significant time questioning and even disliking Helplessness Blues before it reveals its gifts to you, but given that its creation is forever connected with human suffering, that price is only fitting.” The Crooked Timber blog gives it three bus stops up, while Stereogum claims the album is cooly uncool.
Eponymous Debut Album
Fleet Foxes eponymous debut set peaked at No.16 upon its release in 2008. It spent 23 weeks on the chart, finally dropping out in February 2009. Not a single-driven group, Fleet Foxes is yet to chart on the singles tally in Sweden.
