Lana Del Rey is currently beating Depeche Mode in the race for this week’s UK Number One album.
The singer-songwriter released her ninth studio record, ‘Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd’, last Friday (March 24). That same day saw the arrival of Depeche Mode’s 15th full-length effort, ‘Memento Mori’.
READ MORE: Depeche Mode: “Do the best you can – you don’t know if you’re going to be doing it again”
According to the latest Official Charts update, Del Rey is on course to bag her sixth UK Number One album with ‘…Ocean Blvd’. She has previously hit the top spot with ‘Born To Die’ (2012), ‘Ultraviolence’ (2014), ‘Lust For Life’ (2017), ‘Norman Fucking Rockwell!’ (2019) and ‘Chemtrails Over The Country Club’ (2021).
‘Memento Mori’, meanwhile, looks set to give Depeche Mode their highest-peaking record in 10 years (2013’s ‘Delta Machine’ reached Number Two, while the 2017 follow-up ‘Spirit’ came in at Number Five).
The synth-pop group – comprising Dave Gahan and Martin Gore – have achieved two UK Number One albums overall: ‘Songs Of Faith And Devotion’ (1993) and ‘Ultra’ (1997).
Lana Del Rey. CREDIT: Chuck Grant/Press
The rest of the midweek top five is made up of Fall Out Boy‘s ‘So Much (For) Stardust’ (Number Three), Pink Floyd‘s ‘Dark Side Of The Moon – Live At Wembley 1974′ reissue (Number Four) and Luke Combs’ ‘Gettin’ Old’ (Number Five). See the top 100 here.
Both ‘…Ocean Blvd’ and ‘Memento Mori’ earned four-star reviews from NME. Del Rey’s latest LP was described as “masterful” and her “most revealing work yet”, while Depeche Mode’s new album was called “their best work this century”.
This week’s official albums chart update will be announced at 5:45pm BST this Friday (March 31).
Last week saw Gahan and Gore kick off their ‘Memento Mori’ world tour in Sacramento, California, where they gave numerous tracks their live debuts.
In other news, Lana Del Rey has spoken about her forthcoming Other Stage headline slot at Glastonbury 2023. “It’s unfathomable to me,” she said in a recent interview.
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