In third place, just 231 sales behind Wham, is the charity single Lullaby by Together For Palestine—a supergroup featuring artists including Bastille’s Dan Smith, Celeste, Neneh Cherry, Nadine Shah, Brian Eno, and Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock. Proceeds from the single will support aid efforts for people in Gaza.
If Kylie maintains her lead, XMAS would become her first number one single since Slow in 2003. Speaking to BBC News, she said, “I think I’d cry… It’s been an unbelievable year, so that would be the cherry on top.”
The track, performed by Kylie on Strictly Come Dancing on Sunday night, features a dance routine spelling out X-M-A-S, echoing a yuletide YMCA. Its chart performance is also boosted by being an Amazon exclusive, ensuring streams from Amazon smart speakers count toward the official charts.
XMAS was originally recorded during sessions for Kylie’s Christmas album but was not completed until the 10th anniversary edition. Reflecting on the long gestation of the song, Kylie said it had “always bothered me that the song wasn’t finished,” adding that she feared someone else might release a track called Xmas first.
This is not Kylie’s first attempt at a Christmas number one: in 1988, Especially For You was a close runner-up to Cliff Richard’s Mistletoe and Wine. However, she revealed that she won’t be in the UK to celebrate if she claims the top spot, opting instead to spend the holidays with family.
Wham’s Last Christmas remains a formidable contender, with strong streaming numbers that could secure the song a historic third Christmas number one—something no track has ever achieved.
Meanwhile, Together For Palestine’s Lullaby, based on the Palestinian folk song Yamma Mwel El Hawa with new English lyrics by Peter Gabriel, has sold just under 10,000 copies so far. Singer Nai Barghouti, who features on the track, described its potential chart success as “a small beam of light in such darkness,” reflecting the song’s message of resilience and hope.
Other contenders in the top five include Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You (predicted at number four) and Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl (at number five). The latter has historically charted in almost every Top 20 position except number one, and a limited-edition zoetrope vinyl release has boosted its sales this week.
According to preliminary data from the Official Charts Company, fewer than 10,000 “sales” separate the top five songs, meaning the final Christmas number one could still shift as streaming numbers continue to be counted throughout the week.