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Rapper Central Cee says ‘you can’t rush greatness’ after scoring album success

Central Cee has fought off competition from Tears For Fears and Avril Lavigne to land his first number one album.

The west London rapper secured the top spot with his second mixtape 23 after enjoying streaming success and also receiving strong support with physical sales, according to the Official Charts Company.

The 23-year-old, who has previously peaked at number two with his 2021 debut titled Wild West, told OfficialCharts.com after achieving the title that “you can’t rush greatness”.

His success means Tears For Fears have narrowly missed out on scoring their first chart-topping album in 33 years.

The synth-pop band was formed in Bath in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, both 60, and achieved number one albums with The Hurting in 1983 and The Seeds Of Love in 1989.

Their new record The Tipping Point has entered the chart at number two, making it Orzabal and Smith’s first top five album since 1993’s Elemental.

It is also their first album since their 2004 release Everybody Loves A Happy Ending.

Avril Lavigne has also had a strong chart entry coming in at number three with her seventh studio album Love Sux.

This is the Canadian pop-punk singer’s sixth top 10 solo album and her highest-charting record in the UK since she reached the top of the charts in 2007 with The Best Damn Thing.

Former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr has taken the fourth spot with his new offering, Fever Dream Pts 1-4, his highest-charting solo studio album to date.

The record, which is a collection of his two previous Fever Dreams EPs plus added new material, is also at number two on both the Official Vinyl Albums Chart and Official Record Store Chart this week, according to the Official Charts Company.

The new entries mean Ed Sheeran’s album Equals has been knocked down from the top spot to number five.

Elsewhere in the UK singles chart, the soundtrack from the Disney movie Encanto continues its long-running streak as the track We Don’t Talk About Bruno achieves a seventh consecutive week at number one.

The track, which was written by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, was the first original Disney song to reach the top spot in the singles chart.

Two more songs from the Encanto soundtrack also hold on to their place in the Top 10 – Surface Pressure by Jessica Darrow taking fifth place and The Family Madrigal by Stephanie Beatriz and Olga Merediz sliding down to number ten.

Sheeran holds on to number two with his collaboration with Afrobeats singer Fireboy DML on their track Peru.

While Lost Frequencies and Calum Scott’s Where Are You Now climbs to number three and the Irish dance outfit Belters Only and Jazzy’s collaboration on Make Me Feel Good reaches number four.