Universal Music artist Sam Smith joins The Beatles in Official Chart history books

As Sam Smith’s In The Lonely Hour celebrates its first birthday this week, OfficialCharts.com can reveal that the album has achieved a chart feat only previously managed by The Beatles.

Exactly one year after its release, Sam is the only debut act since The Beatles to spend nearly a whole first year inside the Top 5 of the UK’s Official Albums Chart with their debut album!

On its first anniversary, In The Lonely Hour has already logged an astonishing 50 weeks in the Top 5. The last, and only other, debut album in Official Charts history to manage this kind of unshakeable performance in its first year of release was The Beatles’ Please Please Me in 1963, which remained in the Top 5 for 51 weeks of its first year on sale (and 56 weeks overall), according to Official Charts Company records.

Sam tells OfficialCharts.com: “Seeing this statistic genuinely makes me feel very weird, but also insanely happy and just so thankful to everyone who has purchased the album. Not so lonely anymore!” 

The only other (non-debut) act to rival either of these performances is Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water, who managed the full first 52 weeks inside the Top 5 back in 1970 (84 consecutive weeks overall).

It’s been an incredible 12 months for Sam since In the Lonely Hour’s release. In addition to being a regular feature at the top end of the chart, last year he became the only artist to sell 1 million albums in the UK and US, performed to sold-out crowds across the globe and picked up four Grammys including Best New Artist.

As well as racking up 1.7 million album sales in the UK to date, Sam’s album has also spawned a string of successful singles, including the Number 1s Money On My Mind, and Stay With Me. Plus further chart-toppers under his belt courtesy of collaborations with John Legend on Lay Me Down FT John Legend, and with Naughty Boy on La La La. 

Its vacation time for Meet Bros

It’s not an easy life to live for a celebrity, especially when your job is to make music all round the year. Meet Brothers- Manmeet Singh and Harmeet Singh started their year of 2015 with a bang, the versatile released 3 songs in the first month of the year itself and have promised their fans to come up with another 40 songs in the second half the year! 

The duo who have successfully gathered popularity all over the globe and are rising high with time. From composing music for movies to performing at award ceremonies to performing live gigs in weddings and public places, they are doing it all at ease! Amidst their this tight packed busy schedule, the brothers have some how now removed some leisure time for themselves. It is known that the composer partners are planning to go a month long trip to the beautiful and exotic place- Venice!  

Elaborating further Manmeet Singh Says, “We were going to Venice for a private wedding and then we thought of extending that trip, spending some quality time with our family  and love ones. It’s very difficult to remove out time all round the year as we are doing multiple things. A break in all this music madness is like a bliss. Looking forward to explore Venice and make the most of this vacation!

We wish them Bon Voyage and hope that these duos keep entertaining us! 

Ayesha Koduskar and Anjali Gupta to be seen in Bharat Ka Veer Putra Maharana Pratap

Highpoints, drama, twists and turns have become synonymous with the recent track of  Sony Entertainment’s most popular historical show Bharat Ka Veer Putra Maharana Pratap. With the biggest battle in history, Chittor Siege enthralling and shocking the viewers with its detailing and script; the viewer’s seems to be in for  more surprises with the entry of two new characters in the show.

 Informs a source close to the production, “The upcoming episodes of the show will see two new entries in the coming week. The talented child actress Ayesha Koduskar who has entertained the viewers’ with her acting skills in television shows will be seen entering Bharat Ka Veer Putra Maharana Pratap. Along with Ayesha Koduskar, Anjali Gupta will be seen playing a pivotal role.” 

Furthermore he elaborates saying, “According to the storyline Ayesha will be seen playing the role of Patta’s wife while Anjali will be seen essaying his mother’s role. The upcoming sequence of Patta’s wedding will be the new highpoint of the program and is sure to keep the viewers glued in the coming week.” 

To catch the new entries and the beguiling episodes of the show, don’t miss to watch Bharat Ka Veer Putra Maharana Pratap from Monday to Thursday at 10pm only on Sony Entertainment Television

KD Pathak to expose the mystery behind a mannequin

Sony Entertainment Television’s Adaalat has seen KD Pathak solving abundant cases and helping people get justice. This week KD Pathak is all ready to reveal a very unique case.

The story starts with Neha, a high profile model suddenly vanishing a day prior to her show. On the other hand, a mannequin which is an exact replica of Neha is spotted in a jewelry shop. Shockingly, Lallan the security guard of the jewelry shop does not treat her as mannequin and instead keeps talking to her as if she is real. Besotted by her beauty, Lallan never leaves her side. One day to Lallan’s surprise, the mannequin comes alive and starts talking to him. The very next day Neha is found lying dead in a pool of blood with  a baton lying next to her. And behold!! This baton belongs to Lallan and it has his fingerprints too. KD gets into an investigation and digs deeper to nab the one who is responsible for the murder. The case gets further complicated as all the evidences are pointing towards Lallan. 

Is Lallan the master mind behind this murder?  Will KD be able to reveal the truth?

WORLD PREMIERE of the most riveting AXN show, Hannibal, only on Sony LIV

Sony LIV, Multi Screen Media (MSM’s) premium digital video entertainment brand along with AXN India is bringing you all the action from television’s most engrossing thriller, HannibalSeason 3 on mobile and the web! Catch the world premiere of Season 3- Episode 1 on June 5^th, 2015, from 7:30 AM onwards simultaneously with its global telecast. The TV series will go on air on AXN India from 14^th June onwards every Sunday at 11pm.

What’s more? Those who love to relish the delicious performances, scintillating cinematography and the abstract imagery that is a hallmark of Bryan Fuller’s work, can enjoy the first episode for 15 days after its premiere, only on Sony LIV. They can also delve into the world of Hannibal ‘The Cannibal’ Lecter anytime and anywhere with the availability of each episode online after its telecast on AXN India.

With the immense popularity of the show in mind, Sony LIV is also offering its viewers the chance to revisit this dark, gripping yet highly-acclaimed series by hosting all 13 episodes from Season 1 and 2 of the show on mobile and web. Additionally, ardent fans can enjoy all the action from behind-the-scenes with the actors and director of Hannibal. Get to know their take on your favourite scenes from the show with this special feature!  

Uday Sodhi - EVP and Digital head, Sony Entertainment commented, “What adds up to the success of the digital medium is that it serves up entertainment here and now. Fans of a series as absorbing and sumptuous as Hannibal don’t want to wait for the season premier and only a digital entertainment destination such as Sony LIV has the power to cater to their need for instant gratification. Therefore in association with AXN, we have come up with this initiative of taking Hannibal to the digital medium.”

He further added, “With Sony LIV and its Video-on-Demand service, viewers also have the advantage of losing themselves in the exciting world of the show through the carefully curated content from the past to the present. It obviates the need to download low-quality episodes from untrustworthy sources on the internet or request friends to share their stored content.”      

Hannibal, based on the novels by Thomas Harris is an Oscar-nominated film series starting with theSilence of the Lambs in 1991. The second season of the show enjoyed a 100% rating on several top film and TV review sites. In Season 3, audiences will get hooked to know if the legendary monster Hannibal, psychiatrist, psychopath, cannibal currently hiding in Europe, will be captured by his arch rival Will Graham? Tune in to know more only on AXN India and Sony LIV!

Sony LIV promises to bring to its viewers the best of entertainment content like English and Indian Language movies and TV shows.

ABOUT MSM      

Sony Pictures Television (SPT) backs Multi Screen Media Private Limited, which is India’s leading television network. It comprises of Sony Entertainment Television (SET), one of India's leading Hindi general entertainment television channels; MAX, India's premium Hindi movies and special events channel; SAB, a family comedy entertainment channel; PIX, the English movie channel; MIX a refreshing Hindi music channel, SIX, India’s Premier Sports Entertainment Channel and LIV, the digital channel. Multi-Screen Media’s channels are available across the Globe and influence over 400 million viewers in the Indian sub-continent, and the South Asian Diaspora worldwide.

SONY Entertainment Television, Sony HD, MAX, SAB, MIX, PIX, SIX, SIX HD, AXN, Animax, Aath, Discovery Channel, Discovery Channel Tamil, Animal Planet, TLC, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo Discovery Kids and Discovery HD World, it also distributes the leading News network in the country - the TV Today Network channels - Headlines Today, Aaj Tak and Tez and the premium Sports’ channels - Neo Prime & Neo Sports.

About AXN

AXN is India’s ultimate thrill destination, backed by the powerhouse of Sony Pictures Entertainment, offering Indian viewers edge of the seat entertainment for the last 16 years. Today, it is India’s leading English General Entertainment Channel winning the hearts of the affluent audiences across markets, in the age group of 15-44 years. The channel has a distinctive programming lineup, comprising of globally acclaimed series like Sherlock, 24 Live Another Day, Hawaii Five-0 and Hannibal, popular reality shows like The Voice, Top Gear, So You Think You Can Dance and blockbuster movies. AXN provides the best of international entertainment, close to their international premieres. The brand delivers the promise of thrill to the viewer’s everyday through an edgy, fresh, unpredictable, high octane entertainment experience. In August 2014, AXN introduced a new weekend slot, ‘Not So Ordinary Weekend’, aimed at bringing the cream of US TV shows to cater to the ever-dynamic Indian audience. Gear up to go beyond the ordinary and make your weekends larger than life only with AXN every Friday - Saturday 10 pm onwards.

AXN India is wholly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and managed by SPE Networks – Asia.

Visit www.axn-india.com  for more information.