<\/p>\n
\n\tBeyonc\u00e9<\/a> strides ahead in the U.K. chart race with \u201cTexas Hold \u2018Em,\u201d the first cut from her forthcoming project Renaissance Act II<\/em> (via Columbia\/Parkwood Ent).<\/p>\n \n\tBased on midweek sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company<\/a>, \u201cTexas Hold \u2018Em\u201d has an advantage of fewer than 1,500 combined sales over the second-ranked single, Dua Lipa<\/a>\u2019s \u201cTraining Season\u201d (Warner Records).<\/p>\n \n\tIf \u201cTexas Hold \u2018Em\u201d plays its cards right, Bey will bag a sixth U.K. No. 1 single.<\/p>\n \n\tTeased during a Verizon Super Bowl LVIII advertisement, \u201cTexas Hold \u2018Em\u201d opened at No. 9<\/a> on the Official Chart last week, for the top debut of the cycle and Bey\u2019s 22nd solo U.K. top 10 hit. <\/p>\n \n\tThe Houston, TX-raised artist chalked up another 12 top 10 singles as a member of Destiny\u2019s Child, including two leaders (\u201cIndependent Women, Pt. 1\u201d from 2000 and \u201cSurvivor\u201d from 2001).<\/p>\n \n\tAs Bey bounces up the midweek tally, Dua Lipa\u2019s \u201cTraining Ground\u201d gives good fight. It\u2019s at No. 2 on the Official Chart Update, and should earn Lipa her 15th U.K. top 10 single. One of those is \u201cHoudini,\u201d which peaked at No. 2 and is currently sat at No. 12. <\/p>\n \n\tAs it stands, Washington-born singer and songwriter Benson Boone<\/a>\u2019s \u201cBeautiful Things\u201d (Warner Records) appears likely to hold at No. 3, its peak position. <\/p>\n \n\tNoah Kahan<\/a>\u2018s reign with \u201cStick Season\u201d (Republic Records) appears set to come to an end. Following a seven-week stay at No. 1, the folky hit is predicted to dip to No. 5. <\/p>\n \n\tAfter \u201cTraining Ground,\u201d the next best new entry should belong to \u201cLovers In A Past Life\u201d (Columbia), the latest collaborative track by Scottish EDM hitmaker Calvin Harris<\/a> and deep-voiced English singer Rag\u2019n\u2019Bone Man<\/a>. It\u2019s new at No. 19 on the chart update. Rag\u2019n\u2019Bone Man has a perfect two-from-two No. 1 albums in the U.K., and five top 40 singles. Harris has also notched two chart-leading albums, and a whopping 42 solo U.K. top 40 singles. The pair teamed up on 2019\u2019s \u201cGiant,\u201d which peaked at No. 2. <\/p>\n \n\tAll will be revealed when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published Friday, Feb. 23.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n