Justin Bieber Features At No.1 and No.8 in the Irish Singles Top 10

Major Lazer Feat. Justin Bieber (pictured) & MØ’s 'Cold Water' has clung onto the No.1 spot in the Irish singles charts. This is Major Lazer’s third week at the apex of the charts with this eminently catchy tune.

The biggest threat to their dominance this week came from Jonas Blue, feat. J.P. Cooper, whose ‘Perfect Strangers’ moves from No.3 to No.2., after ten weeks steadily climbing the charts.

Meanwhile, the 22 year old Bieber is at the centre of things for a second time, with DJ Snake Feat. Justin Bieber’s ‘Let Me Love You’ debuting at No.8 in its first week on release – this week's highest new entry by some distance. It has the look of a likely future No.1 about it.

Also on the move this week is Chainsmokers Feat. Halsey’s ‘Closer’ which wings its way from No.44 to No.12, in its second week in the charts.

With those notable exceptions, the Top 30 looks like a deck of cards that has been shuffled, with lots of places swapped but nothing of extraordinary significance taking place.

The highest-featuring Irish artists are outside the Top 30 – a state of affairs which should be ringing alarm bells wherever Ireland’s cultural policy is being debated and decided. Gavin James has dropped from No.29 to No.32 with ’Nervous’.

Dispiritingly, there is just one other track by an Irish artist in the Top 60. That’s the excellent ‘Take My Hand’ by Picture This, a track that is independently released. However, Warners have since taken the act under their wing, here in Ireland.

The boys were in Hot Press yesterday for an interview and a photo session. The only way, as they say, is up...