Post Malone has debuted in the charts at No.1. The U.S. rapper’s Beerbongs and Bentleys stormed ahead of Ed Sheehan and the soundtrack of The Greatest Showman – albums that have swopped the No. 2 and No.3 slots over the past seven days.

The 22 year old Malone broke thorough with his hit debut single in 2015, ‘White Iverson’. Subsequently signed to Republic Records, he’s had a string of hits, including ‘Congratulations’, ‘Rockstar’ and ‘I Fall Apart’. Malone credits Bob Dylan as one of his main inspirations – having called ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ the first rap record.

The other major breakthrough this week is made by Anne-Marie (whose album is reviewed in the upcoming issue of Hot Press). Her Speak Your Mind zoomed in at No. 4, pushing J. Cole’s KOD down to No.5.

The highest new Irish entry is Delorentos’ True Surrender, which debuts at a very respectable No.6. Picture This are the only other Irish act in the Top 10, with their eponymous debut holding on at No.10. Meanwhile, there may be some disappointment that Janelle Monae made it no further than No.9, with what has been described as a contender for the Album of the Year. But it could be that Monae is just at the start of a long period on the charts. We shall see.

Experienced chart-watchers, meanwhile, will be amused to see that Abba have returned to the Top 30, with their Gold – Greatest Hits compilation, which rises from No.32 to No.18. This is undoubtedly in response to the news that Abba were recording together as a group for hte first time since the 1980s.