The race for number 1 albums in the UK this week is especially interesting. On the one hand, we have Lily Allen with her comeback album ‘West End Girl’. On the other hand, Olivia Dean, one of the great sensations in the United Kingdom in recent months, and now winner of the Grammy for New Artist.
Lily Allen had almost assured number 1, according to the “midweeks”, since ‘West End Girl’ until now was only available on digital platforms and the launch of its physical editions on January 30 was highly anticipated. BMG, Allen’s label, has released standard and limited vinyl, CDs and tapes of ‘West End Girl’, as well as an anal plug-shaped USB that stores the album’s 14 tracks in MP3 format.
According to Monday’s data released by MusicWeek, ‘West End Girl’ had sold 10,861 copies over the weekend. The vast majority came from physical sales (10,207), while the album added 23 sales through downloads – a format in which it had already been available – and 631 streaming points.
Sales of the physical editions of ‘West End Girl’ will ensure Allen a Gold Record in the United Kingdom, as the album was already around the 100,000 “units” required only thanks to streaming. It should be remembered that ‘West End Girl’ reached its maximum position in the United Kingdom, a top 2, in its second week and not in the first, thanks to the “hype” generated on social networks and then on the street. The tour through the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, Australia and New Zealand (in Spain he performs at Bilbao BBK Live) will keep him in the limelight, for sure.
In position 2 of the midweeks we initially found The Molotovs, a young band from London that is already successful with their debut ‘Wasted on Youth’, recovering the energy of The Jam and mod of past eras. Its members, brothers Mathew and Issey Cartlidge, are still teenagers. They have also released their album in the usual physical editions, and the initial data from last Monday placed them in the top 2 of albums with 7,262 total copies, which broken down reveal 6,346 physical sales, 805 downloads and just 111 streaming points.
Things, however, have been changing throughout the week. Olivia Dean, whose streaming strength is much greater, has risen sharply after winning the Grammy for New Artist. On Monday his album ‘The Art of Loving’ had 5,467 total sales and was in the top 3.
Olivia currently has a single in the official British top 10 and up to 3 within the Spotify top 10 in the United Kingdom, while Allen does not appear on either chart as of today. And that situation has been strengthening Dean during the week, along with recognition in the United States. This Wednesday ‘The Art of Loving’ rose to 10,971 copies, that is, it added 5,000 more, while ‘West End Girl’ only rose to 12,177, that is, only 1,000 more than it already had on Monday. It is assumed, therefore, that Olivia Dean will stay at number 1, unless Lily Allen’s team comes up with something this Thursday.
Midweeks on Monday:
1 Lily Allen – West End Girl (10,861)
2 The Molotovs – Wasted on Youth (7,262)
3 Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving (5,709)
Midweels on Wednesday:
1 Lily Allen – West End Girl (12,177)
2 Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving (10,971)
3 The Molotovs – Wasted on Youth (8,695)
