Kneecap tipped to top UK charts - but will their album be the 'first ever' Irish-language one to do so?

KNEECAP COULD MAKE history later today by becoming the first ever Irish language album to reach the summit of the UK charts.

Stanind in their way is Spice Girl Mel C and the late controversial pop star Michael Jackson, who are all competing in the three-way battle for the number one spot.

The west Belfast rap trio’s album Fenian has been been a hit with the press both here and in Britain, with the Guardian calling it “triumphant, yet tortured” and NME giving it the thumbs-up too.

That positive critical reception has of course come against the backdrop of Kneecap’s tumultous relationship with UK authorities.

In March, a UK court ruled that member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, would not face a terror trial after being accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig.

Irish langage tracks in the UK charts

One of the last times an Irish language song troubled the UK charts came from Clannad, who reached number 5 in the UK singles chart in October 1982. Simply titled as Theme from Harry’s Game, it was used for a UK drama series about The Troubles.

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Officially speaking, it’s unclear whether Fenian will be the first Irish language album to top the UK charts. The UK charts were contacted for clarity but had not responded at the time of writing.

However, Kneecap’s members reckon they would be, describing it as an “Irish language first” on social media this week.

But for Kneecap to succeed, they need to overcome both Mel C and Jackson.

The latter’s reemergence in the UK charts comes on foot of a biopic about the singer’s life. Michael, starring Jackson’s nephew Jaafar as the pop icon, has broken box office records even as it faced serious criticism from child sexual abuse groups over its handling of allegations surrounding Jackson.

A compilation of his best-known songs, The Essential Michael Jackson, has now reentered the UK charts some 17 years after it topped the listings in the wake of Jackon’s death in 2009.

Mel C, meanwhile, is gunning for number one thanks to her LP Sweat. As the BBC noted, if Sporty Spice wins out then it would be the first time a member of the 90 pop group hits number one with a solo record.

We’ll know for certain who is at the top when the results are announced at 5.45pm today.

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