Manchester united! Liam Gallagher and John Squire have emerged as favorites for the U.K. chart title with their first collaborative album.
Based on midweek sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, Liam Gallagher & John Squire (Warner Records) takes pole position.
Gallagher is no stranger to life at the top. Across his career, Liam has landed eight U.K. No. 1 albums as a member of Oasis, and a further five as a solo artist.
Liam Gallagher & John Squire would represent a first leader for Squire, who has impacted the top 10 on four occasions as guitarist with the Stone Roses, and once as bandleader of the Seahorses.
Coming in at No. 2 on the Official Chart Update is The Mandrake Project (BMG), the seventh solo record from Bruce Dickinson, best known as lead singer of Iron Maiden. The Mandrake Project is the British heavy metal veteran’s first full-length release since 2005, and is set to become his first U.K. top 10 as a solo artist.
Leeds, England rock favorites Kaiser Chiefs’ should nab an eighth U.K. top 10 appearance with Easy Eighth Album (Kaiser Chiefs), on track for a No. 3 debut. Kaiser Chiefs have twice led the tally, with 2007’s Yours Truly, Angry Mob and 2014’s Education, Education, Education & War.
Yard Act, also from Leeds, is targeting a No. 4 start with their sophomore studio release, Where’s My Utopia? (Island), while Manchester-formed rock act Everything Everything complete an all-new top 5 on the midweek tally with Mountainhead (BMG). It’s on track to bow at No. 5, for what would be their sixth U.K. top 10 album.
The current leader, Rod Stewart and Jools Holland’s Swing Fever (EastWest/Rhino) is expected to swing from the chart zenith, down 1-6.
After dominating the 2024 Brit Awards over the weekend, where she collected a record-setting six honors, RAYE is on the rebound. The homegrown R&B star’s debut My 21st Century Blues (Human Re Sources) is set to vault 96 places for a top 10 reentry, at No. 7. My 21st Century Blues won album of the year at the BRITs, and peaked at No. 2 following its release last year. The British artist also won for artist of the year, song of the year for her No. 1 single “Escapism” (featuring 070 Shake), R&B act, new artist and songwriter of the year.
Meanwhile, British rapper and songwriter Skrapz (real name: Christopher Kyei) is tracking for a top 10 berth with Reflection (1&Only), his fourth studio LP. It’s new at No. 8 on the midweek tally, and predicted to become his first U.K. top 10 album.
Also heading for U.K. top 40 enters are recordings from Big Big Train (The Likes Of Us at No. 13 via Century Media), Jacob Collier (Djesse Vol. 4 at No. 18 via Decca) and These Wicked Rivers (Force of Nature at No. 36 via Fat Earth).
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Friday, March 8.
This story originally appeared on Billboard
