Ellie Goulding Nabs First U.K. Chart Double

Ellie Goulding is in chart heaven as she scores her first U.K. double.

The English singer and songwriter starts a second week at No. 1 on the national singles survey with “Miracle” (via Columbia), her club hit with Calvin Harris, and her latest LP Higher Than Heaven (Polydor) floats to the summit on the national albums tally, published April 14.

Higher Than Heaven is Goulding’s fifth studio album, and fourth U.K. leader. That latter feat places her in fine company. She draws level with Adele for the most No. 1 albums by a British female solo artist in the U.K.

Previously, Goulding led the chart with her debut Lights (from 2010), Halcyon (2012) and Brightest Blue (2020), with 2015’s Delirium the only title to miss out, peaking at No. 3.

Coming in hot at No. 2 on the fresh tally is NF’s Hope (NF Real Music). That’s a career best for the Michigan product, a rapper, singer, songwriter and producer with six LPs to his name. NF (real name: Nathan John Feuerstein) previously bagged top 40s with 2019 collection The Search (No. 7) and 2021 mixtape Clouds (No. 12).

As Lewis Capaldi opens his heart in the new Netflix documentary How I’m Feeling Now, fans of the Scottish artist repay the faith by tuning into his music. Three of his singles climb the singles chart, and his debut LP from 2019, Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent (EMI), blasts 17-4 on the albums tally. Divinely led the chart following its initial release and it has now logged 204th cycles.

Another artist enjoying a bounce is Taylor Swift, whose albums Midnights (6-5), 1989 (20-17), Lover (29-20) and folklore (34-25), all via EMI, are all on the up. Swifties in the U.K. are eagerly awaiting the domestic leg of her The Eras Tour, which is currently winding its way across America.

Finally, Linkin Park’s sophomore album Meteora (Warner Bros) bolts back into the top 10, thanks to a 20th reissue featuring previously unreleased works with unheard vocals from the late frontman Chester Bennington, who died in 2017. Meteora led the chart first time around, and returns at No. 7.


Lars Brandle

Billboard