Simon Cowell (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)
A version of “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” masterminded by Simon Cowell and featuring many stars including Robbie Williams, Paloma Faith, Stormzy and Emeli Sande, is topping UK. charts just a day after its release. The single is raising money for families of Grenfell Tower in West London, where a fire left at least 79 people confirmed or presumed dead, according to police.
Released on Wednesday, a week after the blaze, the Artists For Grenfell song is already at the top of streaming charts. It has so far shifted 120,000 across downloads and streaming equivalent sales, according to the U.K. Official Charts Company - the biggest opening day of any single this decade.
This means the single is all-but-certain to debut at No.1 too on this week’s Official Chart, which will be revealed tomorrow. The track is 40,000 copies ahead of its nearest rival, “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber.
The charity song starts with a rap by Stormzy and includes among many: Brian May, Craig David, Gareth Malone & The Choir for Grenfell, Geri Halliwell, Gregory Porter, James Blunt, Jessie J, Leona Lewis, Liam Payne, Matt Goss, Nile Rodgers, One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson, Pixie Lott, Rita Ora, The Who’s Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend plus Tony Hadley.
The money will go towards The London Community Foundation with donations also possible via artistsforgrenfell.com.
The U.K. is known as a country that responds well to charity singles, from “Do They Know It’s Christmas” by Band Aid to “Candle In The Wind 1997” by Elton John. “A Bridge Over You” by the NHS Choir, which also used the Simon & Garfunkel song, toppled Bieber to the Christmas No.1 in 2015.
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