The Official UK Top 40 chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company, based on official sales of sales of downloads, CD, vinyl, audio streams and video streams. The Top 40 is broadcast on BBC Radio 1 and MTV. I have listened to an hour of the BBC Radio 1 Episode released on 06 Jan 2023. The chart week it relates to is 06 January - 12 January 2023.

I can't recall a time in the UK where the weather has been so persistently wet and grey. Anoraks are in fashion. For some minimal new year cheer, I am going to listen to half of the UK top 40 (in other words the top 20), the official chart according to BBC Radio 1. And we have a new number 1 apparently and some anticipation as to who it might be which will probably become clear very soon. Young Jack Saunders is in the house (and you can listen along here if you sign up - no licence needed; it's free).

So starting around 41 minutes in to this programme Lady Gaga is talking about Jesus as if she is Madonna reincarnated. At 21 we have some hands in the air action from Joel Corry and a familiar Sash-like phrase before Tom Grennan puts the vocals down. A bit silly but merry. 'Encore une fois!' Harry Styles is in at 19 with 'As It Was' again. And he's at 5 in the albums chart. Ooh Ed at 4 (I'm not keen). Taylor Swift is number 1 in the albums. 'Let's move things forward,' says Jack. Nice.

We're at 18 and this is the same trash that is going to kick off big in a second. Poor youngster thinking the whole world's about to end. Who is this? Tate McRae with Tiesto. Ah... by verse two I am thinking this generic boppy trance or whatever it's called is a waste of time. It's made the charts though.

Weird Stormzy track at 17, kinda growing on me now. Soft, sad song - very mainstream. The music's very nice; very gentle; sleepy stuff. That brings the vibe down nicely. Ah... relax. Kelly says does dry white wine count for detox January? Nice one Kelly. Well done. Jack's gonna play David Guetta with Blue at 16 - this has been in and out of the chart for months. He can do it can't he, the Guetta chap, those twinkly piano chords and the vocal so exciting - pop, pop, pop... it's quite ABBA with some unusual gritty distortion thrown in. Pacing. Excellent remix. Bebe Rexha does the vocals. Things go weird with the chart in early January. This is a re-entry former no. 1 up 76 places this week to no. 16.

'21... can you do something for me?' Drake at number 14. Oh do these songs all drop out of the chart for Christmas and then return? That's probably it. I'm liking this record. At 13 we have former number one for a long time Sam Smith with the grimy weirdness of 'Unholy'. I don't get it but after a long time it is sort of growing on me now. It is a bit... ooh... a bit dangerous I suppose for the pop charts. A bit hot. And a bit naff too, to be honest.

Interesting song at 12 - 'Creepin'' - I don't know that one but we don't get to hear it. Jack's chattering away. I'm liking Jack really. Anne-Marie and Aitch. This is fab. I am a big fan. Lovely start with those resonant piano chords and then they're 'doing E... va, how d'you even meet her?' It's fab. The lyrics are proper Noel Coward clever. Who wrote this? It's well cool. 'That is Psycho on the Official Chart'.

40 minutes to go still with this programme. Jack gives us a run-down of the contenders for number 1? Rain is it? Raye. That sounds good. Messy In Heaven - that won't be it. SZA was at 2 in the albums chart so it'll be her I guess. Tom Odell at number 10 already. This is an old one. A somewhat obvious piano ballad, it's never done much for me. There's a lot of Coldplay to it really.

'Released a decade ago,' says Jack! Really! And something 'out of nowhere' now. Not sure about the rapping by the 'UK Jay-Z.' Bugzy Malone put it all together nicely enough. A bit flimsy. Silly funny bit which Jack sounds like he is hating having to do. And a quite nice, gentle track, 'Calm Down,' by Rema at 8. It's a bit sappy and cheesy. Selena Gomez doesn't have her name credited which is strange. She's a big name but I don't know who she is. This has outstayed its welcome now.

So this Top 20 has been lean on exciting, new records. Nothing new in this chart. Oliver Tree I like - a sort of dark, poppy house banger featuring hazy, heavily manipulated vocals by Robin Schulz. It's got boring though. It's gonna be SZA at number 1 is my prediction.

Central Cee - 'Let Go'... it's a very sad song. That's not new Jack. Maybe it is. Back up to 6. Radio 2's favourite (lively sorts aren't they?) Megan Trainor is at number 5. Surprising it never reached number 1. A big hit. It's clever and well done.

Ooh what's this at no. 4? A new song? Is this SZA or Raye? I like this. It has that old 50s torch song feel. This is good. This is SZA. I'm wrong - it's number 4. I like it. Even if it is a bit straight outta' Heartbeat. Slightly interesting. Update 21 days later: It's brilliant, as one commenter noted in the replies to this post. Yes, this is SZA's 'Kill Bill' and it does have a very romantic, swoony torch ballad air but the lyrics - "might just kill my ex" - contrast quite starkly. Something great about this tune. Anyway...

'Messy In Heaven' still going strong. It has its story to tell. Drugs I think. And then it has its drum 'n bass moments. There's probably a far more powerful 12" doing the rounds. This is sort of muted. It's a good record, I think.

I still have 14 minutes of listening pleasure remaining but only two songs to go. Do we have the chart rundown now or the big 'what'll it be at number 1?' first? I always get confused which way round it is. We'll have a lot of wittering about Shannon and Michael off to Butlins in Bognor etc I imagine anyway.

OK, it's the run-down. Taylor's 'Anti-Hero' (which I liked) dropped out of the Top 20 very fast. Otherwise it's all much like it was a month ago before Wham and Mariah Carey and the jingle bells pop landed. Oh, Taylor's still in the Top 2, oh I see. Well it's a new number 1 so this is a bit obvious! OK. Wait for it then... build it up...

Taylor Swift is at number 2. The sort of weird pumping compression going on there with the synth does a lot. Lots of different kinds of vocals adding to the schizophrenic feel of the track. And then this very Christmasy riff. Plus the weird bit about the family will. Great track.

Oh, Raye joins us for a chat. Jack is happy. Ah, Raye sounds nice; down-to-earth. She's funny. It is nice when they actually sound happy. Raye sounds pretty out of it to be honest! She's processing a lot, being independent, figuring out who she wants to be. Good stuff. What is this track that's coming? She put down her vocals before brushing her teeth. Super. This is like Adele before she became the Adele. What's this?

I don't like this much. And it sounds like Lily Allen is it? It's alright. No, maybe this is cool. Building... it does have a sort of independent vibe. She's off her box. Oh this is tough. One does feel sorry for the vocalist here. Ah... awful. Oh dear. This is a big issue in society. A bit hardcore. And tragic. (The author has updated this line from the original 21 days later:) I should be careful what I say here and I'm also sorry to go out on such a serious tone but this song is NOT about rape.

Update: So I'm adding this three weeks after I wrote the above after a second listen and this song is definitely not about rape. It's about getting hurt by a relationship break-up, like a lot of songs are! "I don't want to feel how I did last night." I got it wrong on first listen and don't really know how. I'm sorry.

So I'm not exactly sure what I make of this one. It hasn't cheered me up. That is really rather strong for a number one. Certainly interesting. And credit to the lyricists at numbers one, two and three in the charts for all writing songs about the glittering landscape of glamour, pop music and clubland not being all it is cracked up to be.

What a vibe to go out on. "Back-to-back feel-good tunes getting you ready for your Friday night." We are done with the official UK Top 20. Thank you for reading.