THE PURGE #226

• Welcome to a MASSIVE Saturday edition of The Purge and welcome to ‘Say My Name’, the fresh new single from Swedish pop starlet Tove Styrke. According to the team at Sony, who serviced the track to Australian media yesterday, the song is all about getting close. “There’s a reason why so much music is about sex and love,” Tove explains. “It is linked to one’s worst and best experiences. I have not written about love before because I didn’t want to write another love song. But I have changed. I am tired of being angry, right now I just need to make music that makes me feel good.”
• Hailee Steinfeld is also back with new music; the singer yesterday dropped ‘Most Girls’, the second song from the US pop songstress after her 2015 EP ‘Haiz’. It’s got quite the pop pedigree too, being produced by none other than OneRepublic superstar Ryan Tedder.
• Aston Merrygold has given us Aussies a quick statement to let us know that he’s thinking of us, now that his new EP ‘Precious’ is at digital retail. “Hi Australia,” he says. “I’m so excited for you all to hear my new EP ‘Precious’. This EP is a collection of songs I needed to get out to fan’mily not only because they’ve been so patient! But I just couldn’t let these vibes sit on my MacBook! I wanted them to hear and feel what I’ve been cooking up. Check it out now, hope you dig it. Aston x.”

• Take That has dropped ‘New Day’ (cover left), the official second single from their latest album ‘Wonderland’. It follows on from ‘Giants’, which peaked at No.13 on the UK singles chart. Take That recently confirmed that they’ll be touring Australia for the first time in 22 years later this year, with dates in all five main capital cities. Tickets are on sale now.
• With their gold-selling Aussie single ‘All Night’ fresh in their minds, British boyband The Vamps have dropped their latest. It’s called ‘Middle Of The Night’, it’s a collaboration with producer Martin Jensen and it comes as the boys prepare to hit the road for an extensive national tour across their homeland.
• Former ‘X Factor’ favourite Nat Conway is hoping for ‘Summer To Stay’ if her new single is anything to go by. The new single is the follow-up to her cover of the Rozalla classic ‘Everybody’s Free’ and was co-penned by Nat alongside Lindsey Jackson and Evermore’s Jon Hume. The single is out now.
• Byron Bay four piece Tora will release their debut album ‘Take A Rest’ on June 09. To celebrate the pre-order going live yesterday, the band dropped the latest single to be lifted from it, the sublimely smooth ‘Another Case’. The boys have also confirmed they’ll hit the road in support of it through late June, playing shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Byron Bay and Fremantle before heading off overseas to weave their magic on their international fans. Tickets are on sale now.

• The star-studded self-titled debut album from UK DJ Mura Masa is incoming. The highly anticipated long player will land at retailers everywhere on Friday July 14 and features collaborations with Charli XCX, A$AP Rocky, Desiigner, Christine & The Queens and Damon Albarn.
• French outfit Phoenix will follow up their 2013 top five Aussie album ‘Bankrupt!’ with ‘Ti Amo’ in early June. Though the band hasn’t experienced much success here with their singles, their last two albums have both experienced top 20 success here. The new single ‘J-Boy’ helms the new album project and they’ll kick off the promotional campaign proper when they perform the track on ‘The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon’ in the US this Tuesday. ‘Ti Amo’ will be at retailers everywhere on June 09.
• Foster The People will drop their new album later this year. But they’ve been busy across the planet in the past couple of days dropping the first three songs from it, including lead single ‘Doing It For The Money’, which was premiered on Virgin radio in the UK. Our own Triple J got the premiere of ‘Pay The Man’ and Zane Lowe on Beats 1 scored the first play of ‘SHC’; all three tracks are available digitally now.

• The new album announcements will only continue to roll out in the months ahead as labels move to lock in their schedules for the pointy end of the year. Add Fall Out Boy to the list of artists confirming new albums later in the year. Theirs is entitled ‘M A N I A’ and it’s due to land at retail on September 15. “M (one space) A (Two Spaces) N (3 Spaces) I (4 Spaces) A is how the album title should be written,” we’ve been told. ‘Young And Menace’ is the lead single from the new LP and it’s available now.
• Bernard Fanning has released a new single called ‘Isn’t It A Pity’. Released yesterday, it’s the latest taste from the former Powderfinger frontman’s forthcoming album ‘Brutal Dawn’, which drops on May 26. According to the man himself, “Clare Bowditch helped on the weird minory backing vocals which helps it all sound big, without being heavy.”
• Say it isn’t so!? Legendary crooner Glen Campbell (ask your parents about ‘Galveston’ or ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’) has confirmed the release of his final ever album. He’s has an enviable career spanning 55 years and has sold more than 50 million albums in that time, but given he’s now battling Alzheimer’s disease, the decision has been made to call it a day. He’ll say ‘Adiós’ with his final LP on June 09.

• R&B superstar Keith Sweat has confirmed live shows across Australia from late July. Off the back of two shows in New Zealand, Keith will play the Palais Theatre in Melbourne on July 30, Crown Theatre in Perth on August 03, The Star on the Gold Coast on August 04 and the Star Event Centre in Sydney on August 05. Supported by our very own CDB, he’ll be playing tracks from throughout his extensive back catalogue. Frontier members gets first dibs on tickets – from Tuesday May 02 – before the general public can get their hands on them from 10am local time on Thursday May 04.
• Good on the guys from Splendour In The Grass, who’ve announced their fundraising initiative as part of the Northern Rivers Flood Fundraiser. They’ll auction off 50 Flood Relief Gold Passes starting this Tuesday May 02 at 9am. The passes include access to Splendour’s VIP Gold Bar, side of stage viewing at the amphitheatre and access to the Golden View Bar. The passes are for punters aged 18 years and over only and reserve price is $500. All funds raised goes directly to the cause, helping to rebuild communities devastated by the recent flood event in the wake of Cyclone Debbie. Get your bids in via splendourinthegrass.com.
• Montaigne has added an Adelaide show to her upcoming national tour. The date, on Friday July 28 at the city’s UniBar, now kicks off her run of shows across the country. Gigs are already locked in for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Ballarat. I Know Leopard will play support on all shows.
• Airling has also been in the business of adding shows to her tour this week. Her debut album ‘Hard To Sleep, Easy To Dream’ dropped at retail yesterday, so the announcement of new shows for both Melbourne and Brisbane came at the perfect time. Airling will play a second show at Brisbane’s Black Bear Lodge on Sunday May 28 and a second show at Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club on Sunday June 04.

• Us performer Gavin DeGraw will be in Australia again in early July to play a trio of live shows in support of his latest album ‘Something Worth Saving’. The ‘An Acoustic Evening With…’ shows will take place at The Triffid in Brisbane on July 03, the Metro Theatre in Sydney on July 04 and 170 Russell in Melbourne on July 05. Live Nation members have access to a pre-sale from now, while general public tickets are on sale this Monday, May 01.
• Oh Wonder has added a second Sydney show as part of their late July visit to Australia for Splendour In The Grass. The London alt-pop duo have sold out both of their headline shows (in Sydney and Melbourne), but have decided that the Harbour City deserves another. It’ll take place at the Factory Theatre on Tuesday July 25. Tickets are on sale now.
• With their new album ‘Off The Grid’ out now, Bliss N Eso have added another Melbourne show to their forthcoming national tour in support of it. Their first date – at the city’s Forum Theatre – is sold out, so the second show (on Saturday June 24) is on sale now.
• Norwegian outfit Slotface have confirmed two Australian shows in September. They’re set to play Oxford Art Factory in Sydney on September 06 and Howler in Melbourne on September 07. Tickets for both dates are on sale now.

• Harry Styles knocked Ed Sheeran off the No.1 spot a couple of weeks back with his album ‘Sign Of The Times’, before Ed reclaimed the crown last week (with ‘Shape Of You’). But Ed’s faltered again this week, succumbing to the pressure from Clean Bandit and Zara Larsson, whose single ‘Symphony’ edges into the No.1 position on the UK singles chart. Not that Ed’s gone too far, mind you. ‘Shape Of You’ is only down to No.2, while ‘Galway Girl’ retains its No.3 spot. Jason Derulo scores another top ten hit with ‘Swalla’ (No.15 to No.6), while the new Shawn Mendes single premieres high on the UK countdown; No.7 with ‘There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back’. Lady Gaga edges into the top 20 with ‘The Cure’ (No.23 to No.19), while Steps (who were hopeful of a No.1 debut for their new album ‘Tears On The Dancefloor’), re-enter the countdown at No.44 with its lead single ‘Scared Of The Dark’.
• Speaking of Steps… They might not quite have knocked Ed Sheeran out of the No.1 position on debut, but they came close. Leading the midweek charts, the UK pop outfit have had to settle for a No.2 debut with ‘Tears On The Dancefloor’. Rag ‘N’ Bone Man and Kendrick Lamar are in positions three and four respectively, while Imelda May claims the No.5 position on debut with ‘Life Love Fresh Blood’. Enough Brits ‘Jump On Board’ the new Texas album to see it premiere at No.6, While She Sleeps scores a No.8 debut for ‘You Are We’, but Maximo Park just misses a top ten berth on debut with their new album ‘Risk To Exist’, which enters the countdown at No.11.

• BAM! Ed’s gone. Yes, Ed Sheeran has relinquished control of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart No.1 spot and has given it over to Kendrick Lamar’s hit ‘Humble’. Kendrick does rather well for himself on the singles chart Stateside this week, actually, also debuting at No.4 with ‘DNA’. Ed’s down to No.2 with ‘Shape Of You’, leaving Bruno Mars with the No.3 position for ‘That’s What I Like’. But Harry Styles’ debut single ‘Sign Of The Times’, which premiered at a respectable No.4 last week, is nowhere to be seen in the US top ten. Or the top 20, for that matter. It’s down 18 places to No.22. Check out the move for Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ftg. Justin Bieber’s ‘Despacito’, however, which rockets from No.48 to No.9.
• With another three top 20 debuts on the Billboard singles chart to his name this week, could the No.1 spot on the Billboard 200 album chart really have belonged to anybody but Kendrick Lamar? His album ‘Damn’ slams the No.1 position on debut, ahead of the new John Mayer album ‘The Search For Everything’ (new at No.2). Drake’s down to three, Ed Sheeran’s down to No.4 and the Chainsmokers? They’re down from No.1 to No.5 with ‘Memories… Do Not Open’. We’ve got a No.10 debut for the soundtrack for ‘The Fate Of The Furious’, along with a No.12 debut for Playboi Carti’s self-titled LP.
• Now THAT, folks, was a massive Saturday edition of The Purge. Could our regular Saturday night ARIA Chart Watch be nearly as big? Probably not, but at least you know it’s regular; back at 6pm tonight on the East Coast.

TICKETS PLEASE
MONDAY MAY 01 : Gavin DeGraw (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane)
MONDAY MAY 01 : One Electric Day (Werribee)
TUESDAY MAY 02 : Andy Grammer (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane)
THURSDAY MAY 04 : Clare Bowen (Nationally)
THURSDAY MAY 04 : Keith Sweat (Nationally)
FRIDAY MAY 05 : Bros (Sydney)
FRIDAY MAY 05 : Harry Styles (Sydney, Melbourne)

 Australia's first stop for pop!