Music News
View(s):Ariana Grande still holding out at No. 1
Ariana Grande is still top of the UK singles chart for a sixth week with ‘thank U, next’. But she is facing competition from the No: 2 song ‘Sweet But Psycho’ by Av Max and the YouTube sensation LadBaby’s ‘We Built This City…On Sausage Rolls’ which is a charity track.
Wham’s hit ‘Last Christmas’ makes its sixth top 10 appearance
Since 1984 the song ‘Last Christmas’ by Wham has been aired on radio and in recent years streamed online. The song has now made its sixth top 10 appearance on the UK singles chart since its original chart run in 1984. At the time Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ dominated the chart owing to the awareness it raised over the famine in Ethiopia.
‘Last Christmas’ had to settle for the runner up spot then. Proceeds from ‘Last Christmas’ went to the Ethiopian famine aid. In 1985 the song returned to the UK top 10 singles chart during Christmas time, peaking at No: 6.
Thereafter the song kept appearing on the UK chart peaking each year between 45 and 18. In 2016, a year following George Michael’s death, it returned to the top 10 and peaked at No: 7, while in 2017 it peaked at No: 2. This year ‘Last Christmas’ is back on the top 10 for the sixth time, rising from 14 to No: 7. The dance pop Christmas hit has sold over 1.88 million copies in the UK, but has never topped the chart for Andrew Ridgeley and the late George Michael.
‘Fairytale of New York’ on the UK top 10 singles chart for Six years
A UK Christmas favourite since 1987 is the song ‘Fairytale of New York’ by the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl. This year the Celtic punk/rock Christmas song has returned to the UK singles top 10, rising from 18 to No: 10. The original version had some controversial words, which over the years have been replaced with less offensive words, recorded before Kirsty MacColl died in a tragic boating accident in 2000. ‘Fairytale Of New York’ has been on the UK top 10 singles chart for Six years. In 1987 it peaked at No: 2, in 2005 at No: 3, 2006 No: 6, 2007 No: 4 and 2017 No: 5. The Pogues disbanded in 2014.
US rap star Lil Pump arrested in Miami
US rap star Lil Pump was arrested at the Miami airport for causing a commotion and taken off a flight that was scheduled to fly from Miami to Los Angeles. The disturbance which took place on 13th December, resulted in Lil Pump’s entourage being removed from the flight. Marijuana was allegedly detected in his luggage, but when the rapper was asked to confirm it, a heated argument broke out requiring police intervention.
However there was no illegal substance in Lil Pump’s luggage according to reports from the US.
Bohemian Rhapsody becomes highest grossing music biopic in history
Bohemian Rhapsody the story of the rock band Queen and its versatile leader Freddie Mercury has become the highest grossing music biopic in history.
As of 12th December the film had set a box office record of $600 million. The actor Rami Malek plays the role of the late Mercury. The film has overtaken the previous record set by Straight Outta Compton which grossed $161 million in 2015.
Meanwhile Queen’s iconic hit song ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ has become the most streamed song with 1.6 billion times around the world. The rock anthem was originally released in 1975.
