Taylor Swift Leads Race to U.K. Albums Chart Crown

With her latest, rerecorded cut of Red, Taylor Swift has the upper hand in what’s shaping as the tightest of U.K. chart races.

Just 10 chart sales separate Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI) and Little Mix’ Between Us (RCA) at the pinnacle of the midweek U.K. albums chart.

If Swift snags the glory, Red (Taylor’s Version) would be her second U.K. leader of 2021 and her fourth in less than two years. The U.S. pop superstar would also equal Kylie Minogue as the female solo artist with the second-most U.K. No. 1 albums in U.K. chart history, and behind just Madonna, with 12, according to the OCC.

Based on midweek data, the new, 10-minute cut of Swift’s fan-favorite “All Too Well” is set to be the week’s highest-charting debut single, currently at No. 7.

Meanwhile, last week’s albums chart champion, ABBA’s Voyage (Polar), which shifted more than 200,000 in its first seven-days, dips 1-3 on the Official Chart update, while Rod Stewart is on track for his 37th U.K. Top 10 album with The Tears of Hercules (EastWest/Rhino). It bows at No. 5 on the chart blast.

Punk rock outfit Idles are up for a third Top 10 album, with Crawler (Partisan) at No. 6; The Wanted is targeting a fourth Top 10 with their career retrospective Most Wanted (Island), new at No. 7; while Blur and Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn’s new solo record The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows (Transgressive) pours into the top tier at No. 8.

Also chasing a Top 10 finish is An Evening With (Atlantic), the debut longplay from Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars’ Silk Sonic project. It’s currently at No. 10.

The Official U.K. Singles and Albums Charts are published late Friday, local time.