Perrie earns a second week at Number 1 with her solo debut

After triumphing over Dua Lipa her “Illusion” last week, Perrie extends her first reign at Number 1 for a second week. Her first solo single following Little Mix’s break-up secured Perrie a Number 1-debut, becoming the third member of Little Mix to earn a solo chart-topper. With a second week at its peak, Perrie becomes the first member amongst her ex-bandmates to spend more than one week leading the list. Competition is tough though, as Dutch singer Roxy Dekker seeks to reclaim Number 1 for herself with the viral “Sugardaddy”. Dua Lipa should not be counted as well, as “Illusion” slips to third place but maintains stable streaming figures.

It really is that sweet! Sabrina Carpenter earns her first ever Top 10-hit as “Espresso” soars up twelve places to #4 this week. A hot and sun-kissed single, it fits perfectly with Sabrina Carpenter her live set at Coachella Festival last weekend, which well received by critics and visitors. “Espresso” kicks off a new era for the singer, who previously scored a string of small Top 40-singles, including the alleged Olivia Rodrigo-diss track “Skin” and the gold-certified “Feather”. “Espresso” gave Sabrina Carpenter her best debut to date on Global Spotify and my personal list, entering at #16, beating “Feather” by ten places. As the summer-infused hit shoots up my chart, Perrie should watch out.

Irish talent Hozier is one of the best artists to emerge in the 21^st century, no doubt. With his unmatched lyricism and broody aesthetic, it is no wonder this singer has become one of the most acclaimed artists in recent memory. Big charting hits, though, only seems to boil down to his breakout “Take Me To Church”. The song topped the international charts back in 2014, while peaking at #3 on own personal chart. Some small independent entries followed, but nothing matched that first big hit. He now makes a fully realized chart comeback with “Too Sweet”, even topping the Billboard Hot 100. The single is, no surprise, supported by a viral TikTok-sound. On my personal chart, “Too Sweet” earns Hozier his second Top 10-hit to date.

Last year, South African-born star Tyla made her international breakthrough with “Water”. Although an already established talent in her singer, a viral TikTok hit helped her breakout in Europe and North America. “Water” made it all the way to #2 on my personal list, the highest-peaking Afrobeats single of last year. Her eponymous EP then spawned the Top 40-hit “Truth or Dare”, which is now followed by “Jump” featuring Gunna and Skillibeng. Debuting at #22, it earns Tyla the highest new entry of this week. This song has a little “Water”-moment as well, becoming increasingly popular on TikTok due to a viral dance challenge.

Antoon makes his return at #27 with “Gezichten” alongside rapper Kevin. We last saw him charting in the Top 20 with “Blindelings”, a feel-good sing-a-long that marked a change in the singer his musical sound so far. Taylor Swift debuts at #31 with “Fortnight”, the lead single of her newest album The Tortured Poets Department. Although an undeniable success already, the album has divided critics and fans. On the new song, Swift is supported by Post Malone, who recently also successfully collaborated with Doja Cat and Noah Kahan. Indie pop darling Chappell Roan makes her Top 40-debut with the insanely catchy “Good Luck, Babe!”, starting off at #39 this week. The single is boosted by streaming success and a viral TikTok-trend.

To celebrate Perrie earning a second week at Number 1 with “Forget About Us”, I have decided to list all the ex-girl group singers who earned a solo Number 1 after their respective groups disbanded. The very first ex-girl group star to earn a solo chart-topper was the Spice Girls’ Melanie C in 1999 with her hit “When You’re Gone” alongside Bryan Adams. Geri Halliwell quickly followed with five back-to-back Number 1s, starting with “Look at Me”. In fact, four out of five Spice Girls earned themselves a solo Number 1, with only Mel B missing out. In the 2000s, Beyoncé her reign started and continued well into the 2020s, with “Texas Hold ‘Em” being her most recent Number 1. Kelly Rowland was first though, beating Beyoncé to the first ex-DC Number 1 with “Dilemma”. The early 2010s saw the solo rise of Girls Aloud’s Cheryl Cole, who notched up six big Number 1s, including the diamond-certified “Fight for this Love”, while the late 2010s its breakout star was Fifth Harmony-alumni Camila Cabello who scored two solo Number 1s.

Ex-girl group members who scored a solo Number 1 + their biggest hit

• Beyoncé (8)

• Cheryl (6)

• Geri Halliwell (4)

• Victoria Beckham (4)

• Melanie C (3)

• Emma Bunton (2)

• Kelly Rowland (2)

• Camila Cabello (2)

• Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopez (1)

• Fergie (1)

• Nicole Scherzinger (1)

• Jesy Nelson (1)

• Leigh-Anne (1)

• Perrie (1)