One Direction and Rihanna battle it out for Number 1

One Direction and Rihanna are battling it out for Number 1 on Sunday’s Official Singles Chart in what’s shaping up to be one of the closest run chart races of 2012 so far.

The British boyband have taken an early lead as Live While We’re Young, the first track taken from their eagerly anticipated second album Take Me Home, has hit the Number 1 spot on today’s Official Singles Chart Update.  But Bajan superstar Rihanna is less than 250 copies behind the 1D boys with Diamonds (2), the lead single from her forthcoming, as-yet-untitled seventh studio album.

However, it could be all change at the top come Sunday because Adele is gearing up to release her new single, Skyfall, this Friday. The track, which is set to serve as the theme song to the new James Bond film of the same name, will receive its world premiere on Adele’s official website, www.adele.tv, at seven minutes past midnight (0:07 GMT) on Friday, October 5, and will be available for purchase immediately afterwards.

Will One Direction hold onto their lead come the final whistle? Can Rihanna score her sixth solo chart topper? Or will Adele be the first artist in Official Charts history to get to Number 1 with a Bond theme? Find out on Sunday from 4-7pm on the The Official Chart with Reggie Yates on BBC Radio 1, and view the Top 100 in full at www.officialcharts.com.

New Entries And Highest Climbers

In addition to One Direction’s Live While We’re Young (1), Rihanna’s Diamonds (2) there are two other new entries in today’s Official Singles Chart Update Top 40.

Ellie Goulding looks set to land her sixth Official Singles Chart Top 40 hit on Sunday as Anything Could Happen, the lead track from her new album Halcyon, looks set to debut at Number 4. While Bristol-based indie dance outfit The Other Tribe are new in at Number 34 with debut single, Skirts.

Meanwhile, Nicki Minaj takes the title of this week’s highest climber. Today her track Va Va Voom surges up 23 places to break into the Top 20 at Number 20.

The Official Singles Chart Update Top 40 is as follows:

© 2012 The Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.