Blossoms have scored their third UK Number One album with ‘Ribbon Around The Bomb’, it has been confirmed.
The Stockport band’s latest record follows their previous full-length releases, 2016’s ‘Blossoms’ and 2020’s ‘Foolish Loving Spaces’, in topping the Official UK Album Chart.
As well as hitting the top spot on the main album chart, the new album has also claimed the Number One position on the Official Vinyl Albums Chart. Physical formats accounted for 90 per cent of ‘Ribbon Around The Bomb’’s total sales, the Official Charts Company has revealed.
“It’s happened again! Ribbon Around the Bomb is the Official UK Number 1 album this week – [our] third time,” the band told OfficialCharts.com. “A hat-trick of Number 1s for us. We’re very proud of this record, so thanks to everyone who bought it. We’re going to have a great night now. Nice one!”
The band beat out competition from Future, whose latest release ‘I Never Liked You’ landed at Number Two, Rammstein’s ‘Zeit’ (Number Three), the continued charting dominance of Ed Sheeran’s ‘=’ (Number Four), and British rock band Thunder’s ‘Dopamine’ (Number Five).
In the singles chart, Harry Styles continues to reign with ‘As It Was’, racking up a fifth consecutive week at Number One with the new single. The Official UK Singles Chart Top Five this week also includes tracks by Jack Harlow, Cat Burns, Dave and Aitch.
In a four-star review of ‘Ribbon Around The Bomb’, NME said: “It’s a coming-of-age moment for the band, and there’s no question Blossoms have levelled up with this release, sealing their status as giants of the game with more earnest and open songwriting.
“While anthem-packed past records have catapulted them into the mainstream with the likes of ‘Charlemagne’ and ‘Your Girlfriend’, ‘Ribbon Around The Bomb’ is a record that ensures they’ll stay there for years to come. Whatever this Stockport gang do next, they won’t falter as long as they do it in their own indelible and charming way.”
Meanwhile, the band told NME last month about making up and “hugg[ing] it out” with Johnny Marr after teaming up with Rick Astley to perform two shows featuring Smiths covers. “This is both funny and horrible at the same time,” Marr commented on Twitter when the gigs were announced. He also added: “Well, I met The Blossoms a few weeks ago and they elected to not mention it. Nice.”