Imelda May’s 11 Past The Hour debuts at Number 1 on the Official Irish Albums Chart, becoming the first chart-topping album by an Irish female soloist in almost five years.
For the first time since August 2016 when Lisa Hannigan’s At Swim topped the charts, has a homegrown female artist reached #1, but Imelda ends that spell with her sixth studio album. 11 Past The Hour is the 19th album by an Irish female solo artist or female-fronted act to reach Number 1 since 2000.
Incredibly, the new album also claims the most CD and download sales this week, 11 Past The Hour marks Imelda’s fourth Number 1 following Love Tattoo (2009), Mayhem (2010), and Tribal (2014). Four-Number 1’s see Imelda tie Madonna, Beyoncé, and Ariana Grande for the second most chart-topping albums in Ireland this millennium among female artists.
11 Past The Hour marks the first album from an Irish act to reach Number 1 so far in 2021; For Those I Love and Apella have gotten as high as Number 2.
Delighted at the news, Imelda May told The Official Charts Company: “Oh my god! Number 1… I can’t believe it. Thank you so much to everyone who bought the album. Thank you to everyone who got behind me.
“This is for women in Ireland, Irish men, everybody who is told they can’t do something. Bloody well do it! Apparently, I’m the first Irish female solo artist to have four Number 1 albums this century, so if I can do it, you can do it.”