• Guy Sebastian isn’t mucking about with his ‘Madness’ album project. After his lowest charting single in four years (‘Mama Ain’t Proud’), he’s listened to his fans and has quickly unveiled ‘Linger’ (cover image pictured left) as the follow-up. Guy says it’s his favourite song on the album. “t’s another Lupe collaboration – yes, but it had to depart from ‘Battle Scars’ and be a different type of song, which it is,” he said in a statement. “There’s a real emotional depth to the song, and I just knew that Lupe would be the right person to connect with and understand the essence of where it was coming from. I knew I could trust him to take some liberties with his rap, and use some great analogies to further enhance the song.” ‘Linger’ was officially serviced to media by Sony on Thursday.
• Taylor Swift is doing well in the States again this week (check our US chart report below), but it’s not just the public adoring on her; she’s also been named as Billboard Magazine’s Woman Of The Year for 2014. Tickets for her 2015 Australian stadium tour, meanwhile, are on sale from this Friday.
• The 2014 edition of the prestigious Vanda And Young Songwriting Competition has been won by Melbourne singer/songwriter, Husky Gawenda. The performer scooped the award for his song ‘Saint Joan’. Of the win, the performer said, “I’m honoured to win the Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition. That the competition supports Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy, a great cause, makes it particularly rewarding. It is a big thrill for me for ‘Saint Joan’ to have been chosen from among so many great songs.” He wins a mammoth $50,000 for his troubles. Meg Mac placed second and nabs $10,000 for her song ‘Roll Up Your Sleeves’ and Gang Of Youths frontman David Le’aupepe placed third for ‘Poison Drum’, picking up $5000. Andy Bull won the encouragement award – and $2000 – for his single ‘Baby I Am Nobody Now’.
• Sydney outfit I Know Leopard are also celebrating this week. They’ve won Triple J’s Laneway Competition and as a result will take their place in the lineup for the Laneway Festival in their hometown, to be held at Sydney College Of The Arts on February 01.
• New York rapper Nas last week announced a Melbourne show during his Aussie visit. This week he’s added a second Sydney show to proceedings, along with a date in Adelaide. He’ll now play the Enmore Theatre on January 22 and will wrap his Aussie touring commitments at Adelaide’s HQ on Thursday January 29. Tickets for both are on sale at 10am local time on Monday.
• UK indie outfit Peace have confirmed the local release of their new album ‘Happy People’. The sophomore project follows on from last year’s ‘In Love’ and will appear at Australian retail outlets on Friday February 06.
• Canadian singer songwriter Adam Cohen will return to Australia for a national tour in March. The son of legendary performer Leonard Cohen, Adam has locked away ten dates in support of his recently-released album ‘We Go Home’, mostly across the East Coast. Tickets for all are on sale from 10am local time this Thursday.
• Damien Leith will take his acclaimed Adelaide Cabaret Festival show ‘The Parting Glass’ to Melbourne for two special shows at the city’s Chapel Off Chapel on Saturday February 21. Tickets are on sale now from the venue.
• It’s three weeks on the trot for Taylor Swift’s ‘Blank Space’ on top of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart in the US this week and three weeks after she knocked herself from the No.1 position. Though Meghan Trainor’s ‘All About That Bass’ remains in the No.2 spot and Hozier’s ‘Take Me To Church’ is still worshipping the No.3 position, Ms Taylor has gained ground again with her previous single ‘Shake It Off’, shuffling up from No.5 to No.4. Selena Gomez is hot hot hot with her new single ‘The Heart Wants What It Wants’, which bullets from No.20 to No.6. Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ new collaboration ‘Uptown Funk’ is also firing; up from No.18 to No.8. James Newton Howard’s ‘The Hanging Tree’ makes a big splash at No.12 on debut. Beyoncé’s ‘7/11’ premieres at the number achieved by adding 7 and 11.
• Albums-wise, Taylor Swift may have relinquished her No.1 spot last week to the One Direction boys, but she’s back on top with ‘1989’ this week; 1D falling to (somewhat ironically) ‘Four’. The ‘Shady XV’ compilation is new at No.3, Sam Smith’s ‘In The Lonely Hour’ bullets from No.11 to No.5 and the new Rick Ross album ‘Hood Billionaire’ is new at No.6. Beyoncé’s ‘More Only EP’ also nabs a top ten placing; a debut at No.8.
• Our apologies again for the delay in last week’s Chart Watch, which was due to circumstances outside our control. We’re hoping to resume normal Chart Watch service tonight at 6pm AEDT. Catch you then.
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