Chart Predictions: P!NK sets her sights on the top, and Paul Kelly could snag his first #1 album

OVERSEAS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

After remaining steadfast on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for a remarkable 431 consecutive weeks, Drake’s record-breaking reign has finally concluded. It’s taken over eight years for the Canadian superstar to drop out of the chart – he’s been there since ‘Best I Ever Had’ first entered the charts in 2009 at #92.

Since then, he’s had 155 hits on the chart, 93 as a lead artist, while 22 of them were collaborations with rapper Lil Wayne.

British starlet Dua Lipa is well and truly in the hunt to claim #1 position on the UK Singles Chart this week. However, midweek data suggests the ‘New Rules’ singer’s greatest threat is P!NK’s new single ‘What About Us’, which is pushing 14,000 sales – just behind Lipa’s 14,300.

Tieing in with our recent look at the rise of Latin artists on the global commercial front, ‘Despacito’ has made it 14 weeks at the top of the overall streaming Songs chart in the US, equalling the current record.  

Looking deeper into the Latin world, Colombian act Maluma has earned his sixth #1 on the US Latin Airplay Chart with single ’Felices Los 4’. The hit displaces four-week frontrunner ‘Imitadora’ by Romeo Santos, which gracefully falls to #2.

THE HOME FRONT

There will be two debuts landing in the Top 3 of the ARIA Albums Chart this week – top 40 hitmaker Kesha and Australian icon Paul Kelly.

While Kesha is no stranger to ARIA charts glory – she scored two #1s on the Singles Chart with ‘Tik Tok’ and ‘We R Who We R’, plus a #4 album peak with Animal – Kelly’s highest peak to date is #7 on the Albums Chart with 2001’s ...Nothing But A Dream.

That will all change this week as the pair (and presumably Ed Sheeran) duke it out for the #1 spot. Falling just behind at either #4 or #5 will be another Australian debut: Victorian Jen Cloher’s critically acclaimed self-titled record.    

Similarly to the UK, P!NK is set to make waves this week on the ARIA Singles Chart. She’ll land in the Top 3, pushing either Imagine Dragons’ ‘Thunder’ or ‘Glorious’ by Macklemore ft. Skylar Grey further down the Top 10.

While already hitting the Top 10 in countries such as Argentina, Italy, Chile, Germany Venezuela and more, J Balvin & Willy William’s ‘Mi Gente’ continues to surge locally. Currently at #38, expect ‘Mi Gente’ to jump at least eight spots into the Top 30.

TOP PICKS

• ’Despacito’ may be beginning to succumb to the inevitable gravity of the long-term chart hit, but not enough to deny the track a 14th straight week at #1.
• Meanwhile, P!NK will crash the party on the ARIA Singles Chart with a #2 debut.