Harry Styles Chasing Ninth Week At Number 1 In The Album Chart

Harry Styles looks set to lose his U.K. albums chart title to Liam Gallagher, but the singles crown should still fit come Friday, when the chart proper is published.

Based on midweek sales and streaming data, published by the OCC, Styles’ “As It Was” (via Columbia) “races ahead” for what should be a ninth consecutive week at No. 1.

Styles’ hit, lifted from his current No. 1 album Harry’s House, is already the year’s longest-running No. 1 in the U.K., besting “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Disney’s animated family film Encanto.

Lizzo’s latest single “About Damn Time” (Atlantic) is the closest contender, as it eyes a new peak position, up 5-2; while Cat Burns’ “Go” could return to its peak position (up 4-3 via RCA/Since 93); and Ed Sheeran’s “2Step” (Asylum) could enter the Top 10 for this first time (up 12-9), following the release of an extended “tour edition” of his chart-leading fifth album = (equals).

The highest new entry on the chart blast belongs to Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa, who reunite for the disco-tinged number “Potion” (Columbia) featuring Young Thug. It arrives at No. 14 on the Official Chart Update.

The forthcoming chart could be twice as nice for Ella Henderson, who could land two singles in the Top 20: “Crazy What Love Can Do” with David Guetta and Becky Hill (up 13-12 via Polydor) and “21 Reasons” with Nathan Dawe (up 22-16 via Atlantic), both targeting new peaks.

Two more, wildly different tracks could enter the Top 40 for the first time, as Kanye West and the late XXXTentacion bow at No. 32 on the chart blast with collaborative track “True Love” (Columbia), while British punk outfit The K**ts appear at No. 36 with “Prince Andrew Is A Sweaty N***e” (Radical Rudeness), a controversial track released to tie-in with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.