Lorde, the 16-year-old singer/songwriter behind the mega-hit 'Royals,' has landed her first number one single with her debut track. The New Zealander beat off competition from X Factor winner James Arthur to claim the top spot, making her the youngest person to reach No. 1 since a then-15-year-old Billie Piper did so in 1998 with her debut single 'Because We Want To.'

Lorde
The singer has topped both the UK and US chart

“I'm so incredibly stoked about being Number 1 this week and very grateful to all the UK fans who bought 'Royals!'” the talented young songstress told the Official Chart Company after it had unveiled her as the nation's official number one single. With a sound well-beyond her years, the talented teen, born Ella Maria Lani Yelich-O'Connor, has now conquered the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Singles Chart earlier this month.

Releasing his first single since he released the No. 1 debut 'Impossible'- his first release after winning The X Factor - James Arthur had to settle with second place this week. His second single, 'You’re Nobody ’Til Somebody Loves You,' managed to shift a respectable tally, but ultimately he failed to compete with the hype and selling power of the teen Kiwi.

Elsewhere in the chart, last weeks No. 1 - OneRepublic's 'Counting Stars' - fell to No. 3, with the rest of the top five being made up of 'Roar' by Katy Perry and newcomers Showtek. Their collaborative effort with DJs We Are Loud! and vocalist Sonny Wilson on the track 'Booyah' debuted at No. 5, with Perry landing in at fourth. Incidentally, Perry landed the No. 1 spot on the album chart with Prism, making it a double sweep in the UK charts for Virgin Records, who also rep Lorde.

The full UK Singles Chart is available at the Official UK Chart website.

James Arthur
James Arthur couldn't land his second No. 1 single at the first attempt