Arcade Fire torches the U.K. chart with WE (Columbia), which gives the Canadian act its fourth leader.
The alternative rock outfit debuts at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, matching the efforts of 2010’s The Suburbs, 2013’s Reflektor and 2017’s Everything Now.
Meanwhile, Norwegian pop singer Sigrid snags a new career high with her sophomore album How to Let Go (Island), which blasts to No. 2. That’s two notches better than her 2019 debut Sucker Punch, which landed at No. 4.
Coming in at No. 3 on the Official Chart is Knucks’ Alpha Place (Nodaysoff), which finds its place at No. 3 . It’s the 27-year-old’s hip-hop artist’s third studio album follows 2019’s NRG 105 and 2020’s London Class, and his first Top 40 appearance.
Completing an all-new Top 4 on the chart starting May 13 is Louisville rapper Jack Harlow, whose second effort Come Home The Kids Miss You (Atlantic) begins its journey at No. 4.
Further down the list, veteran synth-pop duo Soft Cell (Marc Almond and David Ball) crack the Top 10 with a studio album for the first since 1984 as Happiness Not Included (BMG) starts at No. 7. It’s Soft Cell’s first studio album in 20 years.
Another British act makes an overdue return to the Top 10, Belle & Sebastian. The Scottish indie favorites bow at No. 8 with A Bit of Previous (Matador), their fifth Top 10 LP to date, and first to crack the top tier since 2015’s Girls In Peacetime Want to Dance.
Also entering the Top 10 on debut is Halestorm with their fifth studio album Back from the Dead (Parlophone), new at No. 9. It’s a new career high for the Pennsylvania rock outfit.
Finally, there are Top 40 spots on the national tally for Warpaint (Radiate Like This, No. 21 via Heirlooms), Emeli Sande (Let’s Say For Instance No. 27 via Chrysalis), Sharon Van Etten (We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong at No. 28 via Jagjaguwar), and Kylie Minogue (Infinite Disco at No. 40 via BMG).
