Rag ‘n’ Bone Man has scored his second chart-topping album, with Life By Misadventure debuting at number one.
Stripped back and intimate, the record finds the Brighton-born star ruminating on the birth of his son and the end of his marriage.
It sold 42,000 copies – including 33,000 on vinyl and CD – giving him the biggest opening week for a British musician so far this year.
His sales were boosted by an emotional performance at Tuesday’s Brit Awards.
Backed by Lewisham and Greenwich NHS choir, the singer’s performance of Anywhere Away From Here was dedicated to care workers on the front line of the Covid-19 crisis.
The live version of the song was released after the ceremony, with proceeds going to NHS charities, sending it from number 22 to number nine in the singles chart.
Rag ‘n’ Bone Man wasn’t the only Brits performer to see an uplift: The Weeknd’s Save Your Tears rose to a new peak at number five; while Coldplay, who opened the ceremony, scored the week’s highest new entry with Higher Power, at number 12.
It marks the band’s 21st top 20 hit and the band’s highest-charting single since 2017’s Chainsmokers collaboration Something Just Like This, which reached number two.
Body by Tion Wayne & Russ Millions claimed a second week at number one.
The first ever drill record to reach the top spot, it scored 81,000 chart sales, including 11.8 million streams – double the number of its closest competition.
Rag ‘n’ Bone Man achieved a similar feat in the albums chart, outselling the rest of the top five combined.
Each of those albums was also a new entry, with Michael Ball’s We Are More Than One in second place; and YouTube star Dodie at number three with her debut Build A Problem.
Experimental rock band Squid were at number four with Bright Green Field, which was the week’s bestseller on vinyl; and Sir Van Morrison took fifth place with his critically-panned 42nd album, Latest Record Project – Volume One.
Rag ‘n’ Bone Man’s hugely successful debut, Human, also re-entered the charts at number 35. It has sold more than 1.2 million copies to date, said the Official Chart Company.
www.bbc.co.uk
