Paul Heaton's Solo Surge Faces Off Against Charli XCX's Rise Remix in the UK Chart

Paul Heaton is well on his way to his first solo No.1 UK Official Albums Chart this week with The Strong Enough (EMI).

Known for his work with The Beautiful South and The Housemartins, Heaton has scored three No.1 albums in the UK Official Albums Chart twice with his former Beautiful South bandmate. Jacqui Abbottbut he never made it to the top alone—but that could all change on Friday.

With The Strong Enough making his debut, Heaton's long-standing fan base gives the album strong momentum, positioning him for his first solo album to reach the top, according to last burst Chart.

In Heaton's way, however, is none other than Charli XCX, who is storming the charts this week with her remix album Brat, but not really Brat (Atlantic), moving from No. 16 to No. 2. The album, which features collaborations with Ariana Grande, The 1975 and Shygirl, is set to give Heaton some serious competition.

With streaming numbers rising, Charli could challenge Heaton for the top spot as the week progresses.

Elsewhere on the board, Sabrina Carpenter's Short N' Sweet (Universal) is at No.3, while James Blunt's 2004 debut album Back to Bedlam (Atlantic) returns to the top 10 at No. 4, celebrating its 20th anniversary with a special reissue. Lady Gaga also makes a notable return to the top 10 with Harlequin (Polydor), which re-enters No. 5 after the release of physical formats. This week's chart shows Gaga's continued strength in both streaming and physical sales.

In the bottom half of the top 10, Skinny Living's Day by day makes a strong debut at No. 9. Wakefield indie-rock trio earn their first album in the top 10. Meanwhile, Highlights by The Weeknd (Republic/XO) re-enters the top 10, jumping from No.14 to No.10 after spending an incredible 193 weeks on the chart.

The debut of The Last Dinner Party Prelude To Ecstasy (Island) could re-enter the Top 40 this week thanks to its deluxe edition, currently at No. 12. Meanwhile, Ben Howard's I forget where we were (another win for Island), originally released in 2014, re-enters the chart at No.19, celebrating its 10th anniversary.

New entries in the Top 40 include Jelly Roll's Beautifully broken (EMI) debut at No. 22, by Myles Kennedy The art of letting go (Napalm) at No. 26, and The Offspring's Overcharged (Concord) at No. 30, marking a strong week for rock and indie releases.

This week's chart is full of exciting moves and potential upsets, particularly with Heaton and Charli XCX neck and neck for the top spot. Tune in to see if Heaton's first solo No.1 is assured or if Charli's Brat The remix will steal the crown.