U.K. CHARTS: KENNEDY CAPTURES #1

Dermot Kennedy flies straight in at #1 on this week’s Official UK Albums Chart with his debut album Without Fear (Island). Kennedy also scored his first U.K. Top 10 single­­ as “Outnumbered” hit #8.

He’s the first Irish artist to score a chart-topping debut album in almost 20 years: Ronan Keating did it last with Ronan in July 2000.

Three other new releases enter in the week’s Top 10 this week, beginning with Summer Walker’s Over It (Polydor) at #7. She also scores her first U.K. Top 40 single as “Playing Games” rockets 68 slots to #25.

Simple Minds’ seventh live album, Live in the City of Angels I (BMG), opens at #8; and Easter Is Cancelled (Cooking Vinyl) is The Darkness’ fourth Top 10 album, opening at #10.

Last week’s #1, the 50th anni edition of The Beatles’ Abbey Road (Apple), dropped to #2.

Tones and I’s “Dance Monkey” (Parlophone) held off a challenge from Travis Scott’s “Highest in the Room” (RCA) to stay at #1 on this week’s Official Singles Chart.

“Dance Monkey” notched up more than 71,000 chart sales this week, including 7.34m streams. “Highest in the Room,” at #2, is Scott’s highest chart peak in the U.K.

Jorja Smith f/Burna Boy’s “Be Honest” becomes her highest charting single, as it rises four places to 11. “Post Malone” (SpinninRecords) by Sam Feldt f/Rani rises four to a new peak of #13.

Justin Bieber's collaboration with Dan + Shay, “10,000 Hours” (Warner/Virgin EMI) starts at #19; “Buss Down” from Since 93’s Aitch f/Ziezie climbs five to #20; and Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello and Cardi B's “South of the Border” (Atlantic) is up 16 places to #24.