A teenage New Zealander could be the next U.K. singles chart champion.
Jawsh 685 (real name Joshua Nanai), the 17-year-old producer from Auckland, leads the Official Chart First Look with “Savage Love (Laxed Beat – Siren)” (RCA), his viral hit with U.S. R&B star Jason Derulo.
An instrumental cut of “Savage Love” exploded on TikTok and spawned the “Culture Dance” challenge, which invited users to celebrate their heritage in dance.
The version featuring Derulo’s vocals flew 22-4 in its first two weeks on the Official U.K. Singles Chart and is the top performer after the weekend’s sales and streaming activity.
It if holds its position when the weekly survey is published this Friday, it’ll give Derulo his fifth U.K. No. 1, and Jawsh 685 his first.
It’ll be a white-knuckle ride for the pair. The current No. 1 DaBaby’s “Rockstar” (Interscope) featuring Roddy Ricch, is just 317 chart sales adrift and sits at No. 2 on the sales blast, according to the Official Charts Company.
The Rolling Stones show fresh chart legs with “Living In a Ghost Town” (Polydor), which bows at No. 9 on the early chart. The legendary British band’s first single in four years was released in April, peaking at No. 63, and enjoys a burst early this week thanks to its release on vinyl and CD formats.
Finally, South Korean girl group BlackPink start at No. 13 with their record-breaking new release “How You Like That.”
Its music video reportedly broke the YouTube record for the most global its in first 24 hours, with 82.4 million views.
