Daughtry-esque Idol Winner Races Chart with Madonna Cover

CHART SPOTLIGHT. It’s not Daugthtry – the American Idol contestant who ended up at No.4 in the fifth season – but Sweden’s latest rock star Jay Smith. Winner of this year’s Swedish Idol finals, he races the Swedish singles tally with a cover of Madonna’s 1989 hit “Like a Prayer.” The track debuted at No.41 on Christmas eve, and has since vaulted to No.2. He trails September’s “Mikrofonkåt” which tops the tally for an eighth week. The No.2 peak of “Like a Prayer” beats the No.3 peak of his debut single “Dreaming People” which falls 5-8 on this week’s chart.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVUVnH5cNsw

Born in Helsingborg with English ancestry, Jay Smith not only won the hearts of the public he also caused lots of headlines during the fall. Within a few months, he was caught taking drugs and cheated on his girlfriend with runner-up Minnah Karlsson.

His self-titled debut album immediately topped the album chart and remains there for a third week running. Ahead of the finals, Smith also placed the Everlast cover of “Black Jesus” on the chart. Two other tracks debut as downloads this week, “Enter Sandman” (No.52) and “Bad Romance” (No.56).

Jay Smith’s cover of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” reaches a new peak, trailing September’s “Mikrofonkåt” at No.2 on the Swedish singles tally. Smith won the Swedish Idol last December.