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And Finally Artist News
Michael Bublé backs Lewis Capaldi for Christmas number one
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 15 December 2022
The king – or at least duke – of Christmas, Michael Bublé, has backed Lewis Capaldi in the race for this year’s UK Christmas number one. Despite Capaldi’s latest track being in no way Chrismassy. This follows Capaldi saying that he has a “gripe to grind with Mr Bublé”, as his new single, ‘Pointless’, is getting “hammered in the charts by Christmas songs”.
Capaldi made his jokey comments last week while filming his ‘BBC Radio 2 In Concert’ show, which will air on Radio 2 tonight, as well as being watchable on the BBC’s iPlayer.
“No one told me that it was probably a bad idea to release a song at Christmas – a song that has no reference to Christmas”, he told the audience at the BBC Radio Theatre. “We’re really being hammered in the charts by Christmas songs”.
“Not that it matters, but you know, these record labels want some money”, he went on. “So, if anyone sees Michael Bublé, you let him know I’m looking for him. I’ve got a gripe to grind with Mr Bublé!”
But Bublé wants no beef. Not at Christmas. He just wants Lewis Capaldi to be happy. And if that means backing him to get to Christmas number one next week, then he’s all in.
Speaking directly to Capaldi in a post on TikTok, Bublé said: “Let me just tell you how deeply crushed I am that my music could ever get in the way of your song going to number one. It’s an amazing song and you’re an amazing dude. I’m putting it on my Christmas playlist right now”.
“I’m telling you that ‘Pointless’ is so beautiful”, he went on. “If it doesn’t go [to] number one, I believe Christmas should be cancelled. And maybe even Hanukkah. Maybe that’s too far, I don’t know. But I do know this: I love you Lewis Capaldi. I love you”.
Capaldi’s not wrong that he’s getting hammered in the charts by mainly old Christmas songs. ‘Pointless’ entered the Official UK Single Chart last week at number 20. Twelve of the songs ahead of him are festive tunes. That said, Bublé is only at number ten with his 2011 version of ‘It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas’. Capaldi should really be looking for a yuletide feud with Mariah Carey, who is topping the chart this week with ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’.
A whole new set of problems will arrive tomorrow though, as the race for Christmas number one. properly begins and the tracks seriously vying for that festive top spot are released – not least LadBaby’s latest effort.
It remains to be seen if Bublé’s backing can propel Capaldi to victory. The good news is that England got knocked out of the World Cup, so the various festive football songs that would have been in the running had the English team made it to the final are now out of the picture.
So there’s something I think we can all agree on – and I mean all of us, not just Scots like Capaldi – it’s a good thing that England didn’t make it to the World Cup final.
