The Dublin-born singer-songwriter clinched the top position this week with his third effort, The Weight of the Woods. The album follows his 2019 debut Without Fear and 2022’s Sonder, completing a perfect trifecta of chart-topping releases. Kennedy’s latest work isn’t just a digital success; it also dominated physical sales, topping the Official Vinyl Albums Chart and taking the Number 1 spot on the Official Record Store Chart as the most popular buy in independent UK shops.
Chart Climbers and New Entries
Elsewhere on the leaderboard, Harry Styles continues his dominant run. His fourth album, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.—already crowned the biggest album of 2026 so far—climbed two places to reach Number 4.
The “Coachella effect” is also in full swing. Ahead of her highly anticipated headline set at the festival this weekend, Sabrina Carpenter saw her former Number 1, Man’s Best Friend, surge 14 places to return to the Top 10 at Number 9.
British talent remains strong in the upper echelons as well. Arlo Parks banked her third consecutive Top 40 record with Ambiguous Desire, which debuted at Number 11. This follows the critical success of Collapsed in Sunbeams and My Soft Machine, cementing her status as a mainstay of the UK music scene.
The Rodrigo Renaissance
The week’s biggest buzz, however, surrounds Olivia Rodrigo. Following the announcement of her third studio album, titled you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love (slated for a June 12 release), fans have rushed back to her previous work. Both GUTS (21) and SOUR (22) saw a significant jump in sales and streams as anticipation builds for her new “London-inspired” era.
Dermot Kennedy’s The Weight of the Woods is available now.
