Stormzy’s third album This Is What I Mean has debuted at No 1 on the UK albums chart, beating Cliff Richard’s Christmas With Cliff to the top spot in a photo finish. It was reported this week that Richards was hot on the grime kingpin’s heels with his first Christmas record in 19 years; ultimately, it was a “last minute surge”, according to the Official Charts Company, that clinched Stormzy’s win. A relatively small margin of chart units – a metric that encompasses streams and sales – separated the two records, with This Is What I Mean moving 27,800 units compared to Christmas With Cliff’s 24,300.
This Is What I Mean, which was released on 25 November, is Stormzy’s third consecutive No 1 album. His debut, Gang Signs & Prayer, was the first grime album to hit No 1 on the chart. Richard achieved seven No 1 album placements throughout the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, and reached No 3 with 2020’s Music… The Air That I Breathe.
