ARIA Predictions: Flicker poised to a-Niall-ilate the Albums Chart

THE HOME FRONT

Niall Horan’s Flicker is on course for a debut #1 on this week’s ARIA Albums Chart. Horan is destined to become the third One Direction member to go to #1 in Australia, afterZAYN and Harry Styles achieved the feat with Mind Of Mine and Styles’ self-titled debut earlier this year.

Other debuts on the chart this week include heavy metal act Trivium’s eigth studio albumThe Sin And The Sentence which will likely drop in the Top 10, and a pair of country releases from Chris Young and Darius Rucker (Losing Sleep, When Was The Last Time).

With a bunch of new singles surfacing from big name artists last week, the ARIA Singles Chart sports a particularly strong debut this week. Taylor Swift’s ‘Gorgeous’ is tracking well at the halfway point of the week and may well crack the Top 5, possiblyreplacingMacklemore or P!NK.

Naturally, Horan’s ’Slow Hands’ and latest cut ’Too Much To Ask’ are moving up the Singles Chart at a blistering pace. The former is currently at #50 and will leap up at least 30 frames to land in the Top 20 this week.

OVERSEAS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

The late George Michael is smashing midweek figures in the UK with the posthumous reissue of his classic Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1. So far Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 is outselling nearest contender and fellow countryman Niall Horan by more than double the amount of units.

As is the case in numerous markets, Post Malone is cruising in the UK with ‘rockstar’ ft. 21 Savage. Taylor Swift is wasting no time, edging into the Top 10 at the halfway point of the week.

In the US, Horan is likely to hit the summit of the Billboard 200. Meanwhile, Jessie James Decker has gone straight to the top of Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart with the newly released Southern Girl City Lights. It’s the singer’s fifth time at the top of the chart.

TOP PICKS

ARIA Albums Chart

#1. Niall Horan – Flicker

#2. Ed Sheeran – Divide

#3. P!NK – Beautiful Trauma