Ariana Grande: ‘Thank U, Next’ singer makes history as new single and album top UK charts

Ariana Grande has topped this week’s UK singles and album charts.

Thank U, Next is the biggest-selling album, while the singer’s new track “Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” is the number one single.

Grande, 25, is also the first female artist in UK chart history to replace herself at the top of the chart, according to data from the Official Charts Company.

The US singer has knocked her previous number one track, “7 Rings”, down to second place.

Earlier this week, Grande supported fans who called for a ‘boycott’ of “7 Rings” to ensure that her latest song could reach the top spot.

She tweeted: “y’all are so insane and funny and i love u. nothings funnier than ‘boycott seven rings’.... whatever’s meant to be will be, babies.”

Madonna is the only other female artist to have held the first two positions in the chart simultaneously, with “Into the Groove” and “Holiday” in 1985, but she did not knock herself off the top spot.

Another Grande track, “Needy”, debuts in eighth place, making her the first female since Ruby Murray in 1955 to have three top 10 singles as a lead artist in the same week.

Grande failed to attend the Grammy Awards last week after a reported dispute with the organisers. She had been due to perform at the ceremony.

Despite her absence, the singer won the award for Best Pop Vocal Album, for her 2018 LP Sweetener. The accolade is the first Grammy of her career.

Writing on Instagram, Grande said she was “super grateful” for the award. “it’s me your tiny, highly emotional, italian, and now grammy award winning friend. i’m super tarnished lol,” she told fans.

The Greatest Showman soundtrack is number two in the album chart, followed by rapper AJ Tracey’s self-titled LP, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody and The Specials’ new release Encore.

In the singles chart, the top five is completed by Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved” in third place, Sam Smith and Normani’s “Dancing with a Stranger” and Mabel’s “Don’t Call Me Up”.

“Advice”, a single by rapper Cadet, who died in a car crash last weekend, re-enters the top 40 at 36.

Additional reporting by PA