Happy New Year! A new #1 song to start off the new year, as “Tonight” by French pop-rock band Phoenix, featuring added vocals by Vampire Weekend front man Ezra Koenig, takes over the top spot. For those unaware, Phoenix formed back in 1995 in Versailles, while its members were all in their teens, and still consists of the original lineup of Thomas Mars (lead vocals), Deck d’Arcy (bass/keyboards/backing vocals), Christian Mazzalai (guitar/backing vocals) and Laurent Brancowitz (guitar/keyboards/backing vocals), with Thomas Hedlund serving as their session and live drummer since 2005.

“Tonight” is from their seventh album Alpha Zulu, which was recorded at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, a studio located within the Louvre Palace in Paris. About the collaboration with Koenig, band frontman Thomas Mars told NME “There’s always been a synchronicity with us and Vampire Weekend.” Guitarist Laurent Brancowitz added that he was initially hesitant of the format: “I was saying ‘show me one classic song that’s a duet’. I was resisting, and then Thomas came back with a list of duets that were classics and I had to admit I was wrong.” I think it’s a terrific duet, as Mars’ and Koenig’s voices harmonize together beautifully. I also love the bass and energetic drumming on the track.

Here’s a performance of the song by just Phoenix on the British TV show Later with Jools Holland, which nicely showcases Thomas Hedlund’s impressive drumming:

In other chart developments, three songs enter the top 10 this week: “Shadows in the Dark” by The Star Crumbles, “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift, and “Sail Away” by lovelytheband. Two songs make their debut: “Pages” by American rock band White Reaper, at #29, and “Kill Bill” by American R&B singer-songwriter SZA, at #30.

1. TONIGHT – Phoenix featuring Ezra Koenig (3)
2. WHITE HORSES – Art Block (1)
3. SNAP – Rosa Linn (2)
4. I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU – The 1975 (8)
5. THIS IS WHY – Paramore (9)
6. WEIRD GOODBYES – The National featuring Bon Iver (6)
7. SHADOWS IN THE DARK – The Star Crumbles (11)
8. OFFCUTS – Mount Famine (10)
9. ANTI-HERO – Taylor Swift (12)
10. SAIL AWAY – lovelytheband (13)
11. SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (4)
12. CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (5)
13. SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (7)
14. OUT OF MY SYSTEM – Louis Tomlinson (16)
15. UNHOLY – Sam Smith featuring Kim Petras (15)
16. LOVE DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – Crystal Cities (18)
17. NIGHT BUS – Caitlin Lavagna (19)
18. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (21)
19. DANCE FOR ME – Sam Rappaport (22)
20. DISORDER – Columbia (23)
21. THE LONELIEST – Måneskin (24)
22. PARTY4ONE – dwi (14)
23. EDGING – Blink-182 (20)
24. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (27)
25. THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (17)
26. THEN IT ALL GOES AWAY – Dayglow (25)
27. WILD AS THE WIND – HULLAH (29)
28. MAYFLY – Callum Pitt (30)
29. PAGES – White Reaper (N)
30. KILL BILL – SZA (N)