• The new Ne-Yo track ‘Money Can’t Buy’ is out and about at media in its no-rap guise this week. The track is the first to be lifted from the performer’s upcoming sixth studio album, which EMI tells us is due for release “later this year”.
• Among other new tunes smashing your wireless this week are the new Iggy Azalea track ‘Black Widow’ (with Rita Ora on guest vocal duties), Demi Lovato’s ‘Really Don’t Care’ (with Cher Lloyd on guest vocal duties) and Sunrise Avenue’s ‘Hollywood Hills’. We’ll bring you our weekly more comprehensive listing on our FACEBOOK page tomorrow.
• Looks like there’s plenty of pop to come from locally next month, with The Saturdays’ best-of rumoured for an Australian release, along with the new Pixie Lott album. Prinnie Stevens is also set to release a new EP entitled ‘One Night’. More details on all as they come to hand.
• British singer, songwriter, producer, the brains behind The Gorillaz and the frontman of Blur, Mister Damon Albarn, has added a Melbourne headline show to his double date in Sydney this December. Frontier Touring has confirmed that Damon will play the city’s Palais Theatre on December 12, tickets for which are on sale this Friday. Damon also plays the Sydney Opera House on December 15 and 16.
• Bob Dylan will play extra shows during his Australian visit. In addition to the five shows in Sydney and one each in Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra, the legendary performer has now added extra (and final) dates in both Melbourne and Perth, taking to 15 the number of concerts he’ll be performing during his visit. Tickets for the new shows are on sale on Monday July 21.
• US outfit American Authors are also headed our way this year. The band will play shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this September, before zipping across the Tasman for a one-off gig in Auckland. General public tickets are on sale from 10am on Tuesday July 22.
• The new Will.I.Am single ‘It’s Your Birthday’, featuring vocals by Cody Wise, has premiered on top of this week’s UK singles chart. The track knocks off Ariana Grande’s ‘Problem’ after just one week in the No.1 position. But Ella Henderson’s single ‘Ghost’ still ain’t going anywhere fast. It’s down to No.3 ahead of huge jumps from The Vamps’ ‘Somebody To You’ (No.4) and Jess Glynne’s ‘Right Here’, which jumps from No.200 to No.6. MKTO’s ‘Classic’ also jumps… from No.95 to No.24.
• And on the UK albums chart, Ed Sheeran holds firm for the third straight week. He denied the 5SOS boys last week, but this week he’s managed to hold the new Manic Street Preachers album ‘Futurology’ at bay (No.2 on debut), as well as Example’s ‘Live Life Living’, which comes in at No.8. Sia’s ‘1000 Forms Of Fear’ just misses the top ten, premiering at No.11.