Oh, good—another classy Comic Relief single at #1 in the U.K.! This time it's in the form of the BBC's Gavin & Stacey characters Bryn West and Vanessa Jenkins (aka Rob Brydon and Ruth Jones) teaming up with Robin Gibb and Tom Jones for a cover "Islands In The Stream." Music-wise, utterly useless. But at least it's for a charitable cause. Or something."Islands In The Stream" gives me a bit of a d'luvvly tickle, because when I was a kid and the original Dolly Parton/Kenny Rogers version was out in 1983, my dad and I used to torment my mom by singing, "Nancy, don't you scream!" Ha! Good one.
Alright, on to my latest guilty pleasure. I know by all rights I should be shot and stuffed in the pop dumpster for admitting this, but Akon's new single "Beautiful" has always struck me as très Euro. And so it's not surprising that it's faring much better in the British chart—this week at #9— than here in the U.S., where it's currently at #19.The track also features Akon's usual suspects Colby O'Donis and Kardinal Offishall. Here's the video:
Not much else going on, so turning the album chart, it's a good week to be Annie Lennox in jolly England. Her Annie Lennox Collection hits set debuts at #2. Back on the singles chart, her song "Shining Light" enters at #39.
U2 still retain the #1 position with their album No Line On The Horizon. Sigh. Isn't that record, like, soooo last week?
The U.K. Top 10:
1. "Islands In The Stream" - Rob Brydon & Ruth Jones *1 week*
2. "Right Round" - Flo Rida feat. Kesha
3. "Just Can't Get Enough" - The Saturdays
4. "Poker Face" - Lady GaGa
5. "Love Story'" - Taylor Swift
6. "My Life Would Suck Without You" - Kelly Clarkson
7. "Dead And Gone" - T.I. feat. Justin Timberlake
8. "Use Somebody" - Kings Of Leon
9. "Beautiful" - Akon feat. Kardinal Offishall & Colby O'Donis
10. "Falling Down" - Oasis *new*