Foals pip The Weeknd to the midweeks with ‘What Went Down’

Foals’ fourth album ‘What Went Down’ is currently top of the UK’s Official Albums Chart, according to midweek figures from the Official Charts Company.

The follow-up to ‘Holy Fire’ currently sits just shy of 5,000 copies ahead of The Weeknd’s new album ‘Beauty Behind the Madness’, which features collaborations with Lana Del Rey and Ed Sheeran.

Other new entries include Halsey’s ‘Badlands’ (#8) and Beach House’s new LP ‘Depression Cherry’, at #16.

Speaking to DIY at this year’s Reading Festival, Foals spoke about their chart battle: “We thought that he was going to lead it. Because it’s poppy, and he’s got Ed Sheeran on the record. We weren’t holding out for anything,” said Yannis Philippakis. “It’s game on, basically. It’s gonna be interesting this week, because he’s a bit of a unit shifter,” agreed guitarist Jimmy Smith.

“The fact that our band is able to compete and do well against those kind of artists, with that kind of infrastructure - it makes us feel good about the state of guitar music and the audience that listens to what we’re doing,” concluded Philippakis.