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Can Illy Pull Off A Lady Gaga Upset?

Scott Fitzsimons

Midweek chart report

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Melbourne rapper Illy is gunning for a top three debut in the ARIA Album Charts this week as he chases Lady Gaga's Artpop up the rankings.

Midweek chart figures are suggesting that Artpop will challenge current number one Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP2 for the top spot while Illy's Cinematic will be the top local debut. Also within reach of a top five debut is Neil Finn & Paul Kelly's Goin' Your Way release.

The Christmas period is bringing a cluttered new release sheet with the following releases all on track to post solid entires – Celine Dion's Loved Me Back To Life, Human Nature's The Christmas Album, James Arthur's James Arthur and The Beatles' On Air: Live At The BBC Volume 2.

Australian country star Adam Brand's reworking of his back catalogue on My Acoustic Diary looks to have secured a top 40, but could ush towards the top 25 with a strong finish to the week. The new record from Brisbane's The John Steel Singers, Everything's A Thread, has yet to make any impact on the top 50.

Albums that will make the 50 cut include The Killer's Direct Hits, Anthony Callea's This Is Christmas and Il Divo's A Musical Affair.

Existing festive releases from Michael Buble (Christmas) and Susan Boyle (Home For Christmas) are enjoying increased sales this week, as is the non-festive but still hype-attracting Flume by young Sydney producer and ARIA Award nomination hog Flume.

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Eminem and Rihanna's track The Monster is becoming a favourite to go number one on the ARIA Singles Chart as the midweek figures show a sales bump for the track, which currently sits at two. With current number one Taylor Henderson's Borrow My Heart likely to fade after the X-Faactor hype, The Monster is the obvious choice to replace it at the top.

Pitbull and Ke$ha's Timber track will climb from eight, with jumps also in line for Justice Crew's Everybody and Lana Del Rey's Young & Beautiful.

Debuts will come from Ed Sheeran's I See Fire, Tina Arena's Only Lonely, Uncle Jed's Brother, Afrojack featuring Spree Wilson's The Spark, roughly in that order.