Ariana Grande Leads Kacey Musgraves In U.K. Albums Chart Race

Ariana Grande is on track for another week atop the U.K. chart with Eternal Sunshine (via Republic Records). Though she has competition.

Based on midweek sales and streaming data captured by the Official Charts Company, Eternal Sunshine has a slim edge and should clinch a second week at No. 1. Eternal Sunshine became Grande’s fifth U.K. leader when it debuted at the zenith of the national chart last Friday, March 15.

As it stands, less than 1,000 chart units separate Grande’s seventh studio album with U.S. country artist Kacey Musgraves’ sixth LP, Deeper Well (Interscope).

Deeper Well is predicted to bow at No. 2, giving Musgraves a third U.K. top 10 after 2018’s Golden Hour (No. 6 peak) and 2021’s Star-Crossed (No. 10).

There’s another challenger in this race: Caity Baser and her 13-track mixtape Still Learning (EMI). The collection is just 1,500 behind the leader in third place on the OCC‘s chart blast. Baser was shortlisted for the BRITs Rising Star 2024 award, won by The Last Dinner Party.

Meanwhile, Justin Timberlake’s solo comeback album Everything I Thought I Was (RCA) should yield the U.S. pop star a sixth U.K. top 10. It’s new at No. 4 on the Official Chart Update.

U.S. rock veterans the Black Crowes could nab a third U.K. top 10 album, and first in 30 years, with Happiness Bastards (Silver Arrow), set to open at No. 7.

As AC/DC celebrates 50 years rocking, the legendary Australian band releases its full set of albums on vinyl. The first nine reissues in the “AC/DC 50” collection dropped March 15, powering several classics up the midweek chart. Among them, the rockers’ 1980 blockbuster Back in Black (Epic), their first U.K. No. 1, which rebounds to No. 10 on the midweek chart, while 1979’s Highway to Hell drives to No. 22, against an historic peak of No. 8.

Finally, new releases from electronic music producer Four Tet (Three at No. 25 via Text), teenage Manchester rapper Nemzzz (Do Not Disturb at No. 31 via Nemzzz), and Hastings, England punk outfit Kid Kapichi (There Goes The Neighbourhood at No. 36 via Spinefarm) are on track for top 40 debuts.

All will be revealed when the Official Albums Chart is published Friday, March 22.