The last four cold Decembers I recall

Continuing my trip forward in time through the album charts

03/01/25 : Fireworks & Rollerblades - Benson Boone

Xmas/New Year is always a weird time in the charts and last week we had an interesting symmetry because I listened to Lana del Rey which was one of the albums I rejected in the first week of last year as being an unsuitable way to start things off - and I also wondered where we'd end up this week. Well, in bizarrely coincident symmetry, the first album I rejected last year as being unsuitable was Taylor Swift's Reputations - and that's EXACTLY where we are this year. And I'm particularly against it because the word is we'll be getting Reputations TV this year (and congratulations if you don't know what that means) which suggests I'll be forced to listen to it soon enough.

So, we find ourself listening to Mr Boone who's been hanging around the chart for ages but has never quite got high enough to make it on to my radar - I think I must have heard a track or two from it, but I'm somewhat at a loss to explain what it might sound like.

Ah - he's one of them sensitive lads who is either hopeful of being in love, is in love or was in love, whilst at the same time also either fucking things up or worrying about fucking things up. They're all decent enough tunes with somewhat insubstantial lyrics - for me anyway but I suspect others read volumes into every line. I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't listen to it unless forced to by my youngest - and I quite surprised she hasn't because I was very reminded of Joshua Bassett, who she LURVES. There's a place for stuff like this in the charts and it's certainly not hateful, so I'm pleased I caught up with it - but I can assure you I won't be listening to it again.

We're all the way down at #36 in the charts this week (which may well be the lowest we've ever been, but I can't thing of an easy way of validating that) on his 39th week, with it having debuted at its peak of #16 - and it's never been in any danger of dropping out of the chart so it will be with us for a bit yet. The top five this week are Ed Sheeran's live album (up from #8, which seems like an odd thing for people to be listening to over Xmas), Sabrina Carpenter (it's 19th week in the top 3), SZA, Chappell Roan and Charli XCX - my latest theory is that the women are doing well because it's the school holidays (although #6 is Elton John's best-of, so I'm not sure that totally holds up). And there are no new entries this week, but a LOT of re-entries as the Xmas albums drop out with somewhat bizarrely, The Beatles Blue Album being the highest at #42 - my theory there is that this has happened because its the work holidays!

Last week I said that Lana would be at #32 (up from #36) because the Xmas albums would drop up and there wouldn't be any new entries - and I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself because she's at #28, so my logic was sound! Benson doesn't generally move too far, but there will be new entries next week so let's got for #45. And this week's Taylor stats are somewhat peculiar being one in the top ten, six in the top forty (including #29 and #31-34) and seven in the entire chart - I'm going for my school holiday theory again!

Wikipedia tells us this is his debut album - and, tbh, that's about it. The critics were nice enough about it, with AllMusic saying it was "earnest affirmations, self-doubt, and good relationship intentions" - which I'm arguing is what I said, but they put it slightly more eloquently. It's done very well commercially though, making the top thirty in a lot of countries including #6 in the US and a mighty #1 in Norway (in its debut week).

"Customers also listened to" Taylor Swift, Mark Ambor, Lizzy McAlpine and Alex Warren - I'm quite surprised I only know the women there. This isn't the sort of thing I'd listen to without being forced to do so, so I'm probably not the best placed to comment, but I also have to say I didn't mind this, without loving it.

2024 - Not a bad year
10/01/25 - Not nearly as bad as it could have been