Paul Heaton’s Solo Surge Faces Off Against Charli XCX’s Remix Rise on U.K. Chart

Paul Heaton is on track to land his first solo No. 1 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart this week with The Mighty Several (EMI).

Known for his work with The Beautiful South and The Housemartins, Heaton has charted three No. 1 albums on the U.K. Official Albums Chart twice with former Beautiful South bandmate Jacqui Abbott, but never reached the top spot on his own—but all that could change come Friday.

With The Mighty Several making its debut, Heaton’s long-established fan base is giving the album strong momentum, positioning him for his first solo chart-topping album, according to the latest Chart blast.

Standing in Heaton’s way, however, is none other than Charli XCX, who rockets up the charts this week with her remix album Brat, But Not Really Brat (Atlantic), moving from No. 16 to No. 2. The album, which features collaborations with Ariana Grande, The 1975, and Shygirl, is set to give Heaton some serious competition.

With streaming numbers on the rise, Charli could challenge Heaton for the top spot as the week progresses.

Elsewhere in the chart, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet (Universal) sits tight at No. 3, while James Blunt’s 2004 debut album Back to Bedlam (Atlantic) returns to the top 10 at No. 4, celebrating its 20th anniversary with a special reissue. Lady Gaga also makes a notable return to the top 10 with Harlequin (Polydor), which re-enters at No. 5 following the release of physical formats. This week’s chart shows Gaga’s continued power in both streaming and physical sales.

In the lower half of the top 10, Skinny Living’s Day By Day makes a strong debut at No. 9. The Wakefield indie-rock trio earns their first top 10 album. Meanwhile, The Highlights by The Weeknd (Republic/XO) climbs back into the top 10, moving from No. 14 to No. 10 after spending an incredible 193 weeks on the chart.

The Last Dinner Party’s debut Prelude To Ecstasy (Island) could re-enter the Top 40 this week thanks to its deluxe edition, currently sitting at No. 12. Meanwhile, Ben Howard’s I Forget Where We Were (another win for Island), originally released in 2014, is re-entering the chart at No. 19, celebrating its 10th anniversary.

New entries to the Top 40 include Jelly Roll’s Beautifully Broken (EMI) debuting at No. 22, Myles Kennedy’s The Art of Letting Go (Napalm) at No. 26, and The Offspring’s Supercharged (Concord) at No. 30, marking a strong week for rock and indie releases.

This week’s chart is packed with exciting moves and potential shakeups, particularly with Heaton and Charli XCX neck-and-neck for the top spot. Tune in to see if Heaton’s first solo No. 1 will be secured, or if Charli’s Brat remix will steal the crown.