Chart Feed – 12.11.12

I left y’all scratching at the post a little last week because I took my ass on a little vacaycay to Brisbane.

Bitch, you should’ve seen me lounging on the beach in an island that was practically deserted on a Monday arvo. I was having a Mariah moment frolicking in the sand, trying to look cute for my Instagram photos. But hey, I am back now and here comes your chart feed – which might cover some things I didn’t get to touch on last week.

This has been a good week for Robbie Williams who scored his first simulatenous UK #1 album-and-single action in 11 years. Elsewhere, the following chart showboaters can’t complain either: Taylor Swift, Calvin Harris, Little Mix, Of Monsters and Men, The Wanted, and to a certain extent, Christina Aguilera. SAY!

- AUSTRALIA -

Swedish House Mafia score their first Aussie #1 single with ‘Don’t You Worry Child’, which has already topped the UK, Scottish and Swedish charts. In very simple terms, this means that ‘Gangnam Style’ is no longer ruling the ARIA charts.

Little Mix has impressively risen to #3 on our singles chart with ‘Wings’. I am so glad that the girls are doing so well in Australia and New Zealand – I hope this inspires a new wave of homegrown girl groups. Seriously, y’all. The sun’s about to set on another dry year for Aussie girl bands. Well, there’s Slinky Minx, I suppose. <cue laughter>

Ke$ha‘s ‘Die Young’ gets a boost up the ARIA charts following her X Factor performance, no doubt the arrival of the video at last will stimulate some interest too. ‘Die Young’ scoots from #10 to #6 this week – if it goes Top 5 next week, it’ll be the glittermonger’s seventh single to hit the spot Down Under.

Of Monsters and Men is also sending my palms to the sky in praise – their breakthrough single ‘Little Talks’ has cracked the ARIA Top 10 this week. The Icelandic band’s album My Head is an Animal managed to peak at #18 here last week but has fallen to #22 this week.

Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj’s ‘Beauty and The Beat’ skips from #25 to a new peak of #12 this week – coincidence? I think not. Our hyperactive X Factor boy band du jour The Collective covered it on the show and their version landed a notable #94 on the ARIA charts, so what do you make of it?

Johnny Ruffo managed his second Top 30 single this week with ‘Take It Home’ taking a monster leap from its dismal #81 debut. The Ruffo continues to be an all round entertainer and Channel 7 media darling – now adding to his TV repertoire a sting on Home and Away.

Cher Lloyd‘s new single ‘Oath’ sticks its head up slightly to #58 on our ARIA chart. All focus is still on the fantastic ‘Want U Back’, which I frankly don’t mind.

Delta Goodrem‘s Child of The Universe keeps a dignified poise, sliding one spot down to #3 in its second week. The constant maddening excitement over Pink‘s 2013 tour saw The Truth About Love over take our Aussie songbird. Delta‘s mellow ‘Wish You Were Here’ drops 10 spots to #26 this week, probably because all her fans are supporting the album instead.

Guy Sebastian‘s very pleasing new album Armageddon has bowed out of the ARIA Top 10 in its fourth week, sinking to #12. I have no doubt the pop prince will continue to sell fervently over the Christmas period – I mean, all his albums have always been released in the October/November period (except his debut, which was obviously rushed out after Idol ended in December). Guy‘s introspective-slightly-political new single ‘Get Along’ is the most added new song on Australian radios this week. Fucking win.

Reece Mastin‘s Beautiful Nightmare spends the second of its third charting week outside the ARIA Top 10 – placing at #13 this week. The 2011 X Factor winner’s barely keeping his third single ‘Rock Star’ in the Top 20 either, but hey, he’s already faring better than his predecessor Altiyan Childs who was largely forgotten by the time his second single turned the corner. Next week will be the finals so it won’t be long before the nation’s next young pop fixation’s named.

Sarah Blasko‘s waify I Awake album floats from #9 to #23 in its second week. The critically acclaimed singer/songwriter must need a bit more time to get her mojo back after the success of her strummy lala “Young Divas“-style girl group Seeker Lover Keeper, who enjoyed a successful Top 3 album and tour stint. Let’s face it. She’s no Ricki-Lee.

Kylie‘s classy The Abbey Road Sessions saunters off the ARIA Top 20 to #24 after debuting at #7 last week. Over in the UK, similar story, with the album dropping from #2 to #7. The sound of a thousand gays snapping shut their coin purses have never been louder. Mind you, TABS managed to sell 37,556 copies in its first week in the UK, which doesn’t hold a candle to Aphrodite‘s 2010 opening week sales of 79, 152 copies.

- UK -

Robbie Williams‘ Take The Crown has unsurprisingly entered at #1 this week, living up to its namesake. This is Robbie’s eighth solo chart topper (the only studio album that didn’t go #1 was his last one – 2009′s Reality Killed The Video Star). More interestingly thought, this week is the first time Robbie Williams has had a simultaneous UK #1 album and single since 2001 when Swing When You’re Winning and ‘Somethin’ Stupid’ (featuring Nicole Kidman) co-signed at the top. The 38-year old’s current single ‘Candy’ flopped hard in Australia but managed to become his first UK #1 single in eight years.

Meanwhile in Australia, Take The Crown debuts at a respectable #4 this week – making it the biggest new album in the land – and in the same manner, entering the New Zealand charts at #12. This swift Robbiequake has left the Australian masses feeling somewhat nostalgic – sending his In and Out of Consciousness: Greatest Hits 1990-2010 back into our Top 20.

JLS‘ fourth studio album Evolution debuts at #3 in the UK this week. It’ll be interesting to see if the boys can sustain this one or will it go in the way of so many previous X Factor acts who have dimmed in recent times like Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke etc. Evolution features productions by Justin Bieber‘s producers The Runners and Darkchild.

Calvin Harris‘18 Months album got brutally shoved out of his #1 position, landing at #4 this week behind three new releases. It clocked respectable opening week sales of 52,356 copies to become his second consecutive UK #1 album – outshining 2009′s Ready for The Weekend which crowned with only 36,308 copies.

One of my faves on the new album – ‘Drinking from the Bottle’ (featuring Tinie Tempah) – guzzles its way from #25 to #17 on the singles chart this week. All up, Cal has six singles in the UK Top 100 this week: ‘Sweet Nothing’ (#11), ‘Drinking…’ (#25), ‘We Found Love’ (#78), ‘We’ll Be Coming Home’ (#93), ‘Let’s Go’ (#94) and ‘Feel So Close (#96).

Over in Australia, 18 Months debuts at #5 on our ARIA charts while out in the States, the album sells 16,851 first week copies to enter at #19 on the Billboard 200.

Ne-Yo‘s new album R.E.D. (which stands for Realizing Every Dream) enters at a meek #17 on the UK charts this week. Do people know that the rest of the album’s dead still compared to the vibrant #1 single ‘Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)’?

Matt Cardle‘s second album The Fire flickers to a glimmer in its second week, blowing out from #8 to #28 on the UK charts. How is life as an independent artist treating the old X Factor winner, I wonder? I’m sure it suits his credibility better than his meal allowance.

Leona Lewis‘ Glassheart is showing no sign of redeeming itself, plummeting out of the Top 40 in its fourth week. This would have to be the poorest chart feat of any Leona album in Britain. No shit. Her whimsical new single ‘Fireflies’ will impact before Christmas, but I doubt that’ll raise any more interest in the project.

The Wanted‘s ‘I Found You’ kicks in at #3 this week to become the highest selling new single in the country. The testes-tightening falsetto in this song is everything. I’m starting to round up my Feed Limmy Top 30 Albums and Songs of 2012 now, so don’t be surprised to see this creep in somewhere. Y’all remember how it went down last year, don’t you? Expect a December roll out. For real, for real.

Misha B‘s second single ‘Do You Think of Me’ has thankfully made the UK Top 10, albeit at #9. The dance-oriented track is arguably more mainstream friendly than her last effort and it shows with its Top 20 presence in the UK Airplay charts. But y’know what? I liked Misha better when she was serving some bonkers urban fierceness.

Frankie Cocozza – the so-called “bad boy” who got expelled from X Factor – sees his debut single ‘She Has A Motorcycle’ debut at a dismal #89 this week. He has interestingly hit out at the show, saying he was set up to be the “Pete Doherty” of the series for ratings and how the bullying fiasco unfairly damaged Misha‘s reputation.

- US -

Taylor Swift‘s continues to cancel your faves with Red selling over 1.5 million copies in just two weeks. The album is now 2012′s second biggest seller, already stepping over One Direction‘s Up All Night sales of 1.3 million. It’s still got a whole continent’s worth of sales to go before even remotely entering Adele‘s atmosphere. 21 remains 2012′s bitch with a domineering 4.1 million sales. When Red debuted in the States, it flattened the competition with 1.2 million copies – marking the biggest album sales week in 10 years. Red remains at #1 on our ARIA and New Zealand charts for the third consecutive week. Over in the UK, it leaves the Top 10 after just three weeks.

Rapper Meek Mill‘s Dreams and Nightmares debuts at #2 on the Billboard 200 with 165,000 copies – not bad for a first album. Some might even say it’s triumphant – just like the cameo he made on Mariah’s inspirational single ‘Triumphant’.

Rod Stewart is singlehandedly bringing the joys of Christmas to the Billboard 200 early this year with Merry Christmas, Baby debuting at #3. Of the 88,000 opening week sales, more than 20,000 copies were sold via HSN (Home Shopping Network – fuck, bitch, I feel these Mariah references calling out to me left right and centre tonight. The Lord must be near.) Anyways, back to Rod Stewart‘s wrinkly, bleak old scrotum. He did some exclusive version of the album for HSN and performed on the channel in late October sometime, so this is where the love was coming from.

Brandy‘s jaw-slackening comeback feat with Two Eleven‘s winding down now with the album plummeting to #29 in its third week on the Billboard 200. That’s OK, boo. It has already done Limmy proud by selling over 100,300 copies so far in the States. Baby steps. Baby steps.

Maroon 5‘s ‘One More Night’ and Psy‘s ‘Gangnam Style’ have been locking horns at #1 and #2 positions respectively on the Hot 100 longer than most artists’ careers. Isn’t it time people move on from both? Competitors waiting at the wings include fun.’s ‘Some Nights’ (#3) and Rihanna‘s ‘Diamonds’, which could edge closer to the top after her first televised performance of the song on SNL.

Christina Aguilera‘s ‘Your Body’ drops to #75 on the Hot 100 after seven weeks. The remixes, however, are set for greater things – racing up to #10 on the Dance/Club play charts this week. Say!

Across the Atlantic, the bombastic single has remarkably debuted at #16 in the UK this week – making it her first solo Top 20 entry since ‘Not Myself Tonight’ peaked at #12. Her last attempt was circa Burlesque when she went on X Factor to perform ‘Express’ from the soundtrack, but the racy performance only managed to get the song as far as #75. ’Your Body’ is barely clinging to the New Zealand Top 40 (here we’ve seen the song’s most virile chart performance in any given country) and in Australia, it disappears out of the Top 100 after constipating at #92 last week.

Kelly Clarkson‘s new country single ‘Don’t Rush’ (featuring Vince Gill) creeps in at #97 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The video is expected to premiere on Friday. That’s two Clarko videos in a week – can you take that?

Taryn Manning (ex-Boomkat singer) scores a #1 hit on the Dance/Club play chart with ‘Send Me Your Love’ (featuring Sultan + Ned Shepard). Coming up close behind is David Guetta and Sia’s ‘She Wolf (Falling to Pieces)’, which made a new peak of #2 this week.

- NEW ZEALAND -

One Direction‘s saccharine acoustic pop new single ‘Little Things’ is currently #1 on the New Zealand iTunes Song Chart, so it could well shake up the Kiwi charts next week. Perhaps a double reign with Take Me Home and ‘Little Things’ dominating both album and singles spaces?

Kiwi manband Titanium‘s second single ‘Sky’ is the biggest new entry this week, blowing up at #12. The guys made such an impact with their first single ‘Come On Home’ when it debuted at #1 in September. The single has since been certified platinum in the country.

Brigid Mendler‘s ‘Ready or Not’ returns to the Kiwi Top 20 this week at #15, now certifying gold sales. Our neighbouring nation’s influence must be finally rubbing off because ‘Ready or Not’ has finally cracked our ARIA Top 100 at #53 this week. All the Kiwi pop queens be like.

Kimbra‘s Vows (Deluxe Edition) races from #37 to #8 this week in light of the internationally renown artist claiming five New Zealand music awards. The girl is set to collaborate again with Gotye but she said it probably won’t be another full blown duet. They’re bouncing ideas off each other at the moment, probably something for her own record.

- FUTURE FEED -

Flume‘s self-titled debut album has amazingly overtaken One Direction‘s Take Me Home on the Australian iTunes album chart. The 20-year old Sydney indie electronica artist has been riding the charts pretty fervently based on pre-orders alone but who would’ve thought that he’d get to stepping over 1D? Flume, itself, is a pretty jaw-droppingly awesome album. Could it debut at #2 next week? I still see One Direction taking the top spot purely because they’d own the retail sales.

One Direction‘s sophomore Take Me Home is expected to ravage the charts this time next week, but I’d be surprised to see if it fares better than their first album. Take Me Home is currently Top 3 in 14 countries iTunes.

McFly‘s new single ‘Love Is Easy’ arrive in the UK today and if iTunes chart is anything to go by, it might claim biggest debut on the main singles chart next week. ‘Love Is Easy’ is currently reigning at #5.

Little Mix turn out their second proper single ‘DNA’ this week in the UK. So far, it has already shown up in Ireland’s iTunes Top 10. Aussies are still giving ‘Wings’ proper flight on iTunes, so the momentum of that itself should carry over to a successful local album release next Friday. DNA: The Deluxe Edition is currently #76 on the Aussie iTunes album chart – making it the second biggest pre-order in the digital store, behind Rihanna‘s Unapologetic, which drops this Friday.

Rihanna‘s Unapologetic album arrives in Australia this Friday and worldwide on Monday. This will be the fourth consecutive November where we’ve had a new RiRi album hit shelves. The ennui surrounding this project is unshakable. The general enthusiasm level here is pretty much equivalent to the entire cast and crew of Battleship dragging their feet in the sand.

Christina Aguilera‘s piss-weak new album Lotus blossoms in stores this Friday and worldwide on Monday. There is probably only three songs I’d bother keeping from this tedious collection of throwaway tunes unworthy of a pedigree popstar like Xtina.

Girls Aloud‘s comeback single ‘Something New’ drops in the UK next Monday and – believe it or not – has been issued to Aussie radios today. Run for cover, motherfucker. If this epic pop event doesn’t break some kind of British chart record – at least for 2012 – I don’t know what will. It’s a double whammy of a new Girls Aloud single – their first in three years – and also, a charity single for Children In Need. This will fucking stimulate the British economy and give Nuhdeen enough coins to fund Nadine 3.0.