Rag’n’Bone Man is living the life right now.
The British bluesman’s second studio set Life By Misadventure (Columbia) bows at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart with 42,000 combined sales, including 33,000 on physical formats, the OCC reports.
That’s the biggest opening week for a British act in 2021, and the fastest-selling album this year by a solo artist.
It’s the second leader in a row for the multiple Brit Award-winning artist, following his debut 2017 effort Human, which has shifted more than 1 million chart sales in this U.K. and returns to the Top 40 at No. 35.
Life By Misadventure enjoys a lift following Rag’n’Bone Man’s appearance at the BRITs last Tuesday (May 11), to perform “Anywhere Away From Here” (Best Laid Plans/Columbia) with Pink and the Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Choir. Proceeds from the new cut go to NHS Charities.
Life leads an all-new Top 5 on the current albums chart, ahead of Michael Ball’s We Are More Than One (Decca), Dodie’s Build A Problem (Doddleoddle), Squid’s Bright Green Field (Warp) and Van Morrison’s Latest Record Project Volume 1 (BMG), respectively.
Also new to this week’s survey is Weezer’s rock-riff album Van Weezer (Atlantic) at No. 30. It’s the U.S. rockers’ first Top 40 album in 13 years. Meanwhile, New Order’s live album Education Entertainment Recreation (Rhino) starts at No. 32 and the late Amy Winehouse’s collection Amy At The BBC (Island) re-enters the Top 40, at No. 33.
Tion Wayne and Russ Millions’ groundbreaking track “Body” (Atlantic) continues to bounce as it enters a second week atop the Official U.K. Singles Chart.
“Body” is the first drill track to lead the national singles chart and last Friday (May 14) became the first British hip-hop track to lead Australia’s ARIA chart.
This week in the U.K., “Body” blasts away with 81,000 chart sales for its biggest seven-day stretch. That sum includes 11.8 million streams, double the plays of its closest competitor, Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” (Lil Nas X), holding at No. 2.
The 2021 Brit Awards power several winners and performers from the night, including The Weeknd, whose “Save Your Tears” (Republic Records/XO) is up 8-5, for a new peak; and Rag’n’Bone Man and Pink’s “Anywhere Away From Here,” up 31-9.
Following their BRITs-opening performance, Coldplay scoops the week’s highest new entry with “Higher Power” (Parlophone). It’s new at No. 12, for the returning rockers’ 21st Top 20 hit and highest-charting single since 2017’s Chainsmokers collaboration “Something Just Like This,” which reached No. 2.
