Sam Fender edges in on Gracie Abrams while Christmas classics flood the Top 40

Just in time, Gracie Abrams becomes one of the most successful breakout artists to emerge this year so far. Her “That’s So True” enters a third consecutive week at Number 1, staying ahead of Sam Fender. She has soared to pop stardom seemingly overnight, though she is the daughter of famous director JJ Abrams, which is an obvious help. Under Interscope Records she has already released numerous EPs and performed as an opening act for Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour. Her breakout “I Love You, I’m Sorry” still holds in my Top 10 at #3, while the previous single “Close to You” peaks at #9 this week, earning Gracie Abrams her third consecutive Top 10-peak. Sam Fender is set to claim the top position though, charging towards first place with force. He has to settle for second place again. If he were to overtake Gracie Abrams next week, Sam Fender will earn his fifth Number 1-hit.

Tate McRae pulls ahead of the Christmas competition with “2 hands”, soaring up to #6 this week. It is the second single for her upcoming third album, which previously spawned the Top 10-entry “It’s OK I’m OK” and is still charting today. The Canadian pop star has emerged at the start of the decade with the viral ballad “You Broke Me First”, before shifting to a more Noughties-infused and a pop-oriented sound on “Greedy” which became Tate McRae’s big Number 1-hit. Continuing that sound, “2 hands” aims to establish Tate McRae as some new kind of Nelly Furtado. Releasing this around the Christmas period is questionable – her previous “Exes” missed out on a #2-peak last December. With “2 hands”, Tate McRae gets her two hands on a sixth Top 10-hit.

Last week, West Coast-based rapper Kendrick Lamar released a surprise album with GNX, Lamar his first album  after his departure from longtime labels and his feud with Drake. His feud with Drake was one of this year’s biggest musical events and spawned much online debate. Kendrick undeniably came out on top as his diss track “Not Like Us” topped the Billboard Hot 100. On my personal list, it peaked at #7, Lamar his first Top 10-peak since 2018’s “All the Stars” with SZA. He now teams up with SZA again on “Luther” at #36, the only non-Christmas entry this week. It earns Lamar his fifteenth Top 40-hit to date. For SZA, “Luther” caps off a successful year on the charts again – she went Top 10 twice with “Saturn” and, funnily enough, with “Rich Baby Daddy” featuring Lamar’s opponent Drake.

Hang up the stockings and light the fire, as the Christmas classics flood the lower echelons of the Top 40, preparing for the holiday season. Ahead so far is Little Mix’s Perrie with “Christmas Magic” up at #15, which earns the singer her fourth solo Top 20-entry and her best-performing single since the first “Forget About Us”. Mariah Carey follows closely with her festive classic “All I  Want For Christmas” at #20, while last week its re-entries by Michael Bublé, Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson and Band Aid all move up. Ellie Goulding re-enters at #32 with her soulful cover of Joni Mitchell her “River” which has been a holiday mainstay ever since its release in 2019. Wham! their 1984-classic “Last Christmas” is back at #34 and is set to reach an all-time high this season. Kylie Minogue rounds out the re-entries at #39 with her slick and sexy “Santa Baby”, which made its chart debut last year following Kylie her big comeback with “Padam, Padam” and Tension.

Next week, we will count down every Christmas Number 1, but this week, we’ll honour those singles that did not quite top my personal chart and stalled in second place. Though barely missing out on the prestigious Christmas Number 1, these “Christmas Number 2s” rank as some of the biggest hits of all time regardless. The very first Christmas Number 2 was 1995’s “One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men, which came at the end of a very successful charting year for both artists. In the next few years, we notice many girl groups stalled in second place, especially in the 00s – En Vogue, Destiny’s Child, Raffish, Girls Aloud, the Pussycat Dolls and Little Mix all placed second in their respective years. Some artists have also missed out on the top spot more than once, namely Girls Aloud, Rihanna, Clean Bandit and Dua Lipa, though Girls Aloud and Dua Lipa did also score the Christmas Number 1 some year else. Dutch Christmas Number 2s, just like a Dutch Christmas Number 1, are quite rare so it seems, with only three Dutch songs achieving this feat since 1995.

Newly certified

“That’s So True” – Gracie Abrams GOLD

Every Christmas Number 2

• 1995: “One Sweet Day” – Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men

• 1996: “Don’t Let Go” – En Vogue

• 1997: “Torn” – Natalie Imbruglia

• 1998: “Boom Boom Boom Boom!!” – The Vengaboys

• 1999: “The World is Not Enough” – Garbage

• 2000: “Independent Women Part I” – Destiny’s Child

• 2001: “Zij Maakt Het Verschil” – De Poema’s

• 2002: “Dirrty” – Christina Aguilera

• 2003: “Cowboy” – Ch!pz

• 2004: “Plaything” – Raffish

• 2005: “Biology” – Girls Aloud

• 2006: “I Don’t Need a Man” – The Pussycat Dolls

• 2007: “Calls the Shots” – Girls Aloud

• 2008: “The Promise” – Girls Aloud

• 2009: “Bad Romance” – Lady Gaga

• 2010: “Firework” – Katy Perry

• 2011: “We Found Love” – Calvin Harris & Rihanna

• 2012: “Let Her Go” – Passenger

• 2013: “The Monster” – Eminem & Rihanna

• 2014: “Real Love” – Clean Bandit & Jess Glynne

• 2015: “Love Yourself” – Justin Bieber

• 2016: “Shout Out to My Ex” – Little Mix

• 2017: “I Miss You” – Clean Bandit & Julia Michaels

• 2018: “Without Me” – Halsey

• 2019: “Adore You” – Harry Styles

• 2020: “Prisoner” – Miley Cyrus & Dua Lipa

• 2021: “Vluchtstrook” – Kris Kross Amsterdam, Antoon & Sigourney K.

• 2022: “Escapism.” – RAYE & 070 Shake

• 2023: “Houdini” – Dua Lipa