• Hello Saturday edition of The Purge and hello ‘Ego’, new single from British pop starlet Ella Eyre. You might recognise her most for her UK smash ‘Came Here For Love’ with Sigala, perhaps from providing the vocals on top ten Aussie hit ‘Waiting All Night’ by Rudimental or from one of her top 20 UK hits like ‘Together’, ‘If I Go’ or the addictive ‘Come Back’. Though she hasn’t quite made it internationally just yet, with the help of Ty Dolla $ign on this new track, anything is possible.
• Avicii has released his first new music since 2015, yesterday dropping a new six track EP. The release comprises six new recordings, including ‘What Would I Change It To’ (which features AlunaGeorge) and ‘Lonely Together’ (hello Rita Ora on vocal duties). There’s also an Avicii remix of Sandro Cavazza’s ‘So Much Better’.
• Dannii Minogue’s “new” single ‘Holding On’ is out and about. When we say “new”… the songstress performed the track (which is a collaboration with former ‘X Factor’ contestant Jason Heerah) during appearances last year. Age seemingly hasn’t wearied it, however… it was top 40 on the Australian iTunes single chart yesterday.
• Khalid’s upcoming East Coast tour dates continue to grow. First came the addition of a new show in Sydney and venue upgrades in both Melbourne and Brisbane. Now both of his Enmore Theatre shows in Sydney have been upgraded to the larger Hordern Pavilion as organisers struggle to cope with the demand for tickets. Extra tickets for the newly upgraded Hordern Pavilion show on November 08 are on sale from 10am on Monday. But be warned… they’re going to go quick.
• Tickets are now on sale for a second Hobart show on Ben Folds’ upcoming national ‘Paper Aeroplane Request Tour’. He’s already sold out one show at the Tasmanian capital’s Theatre Royal on February 13, so he’s added a second one the following night… Valentine’s Day. Details for a Melbourne show are still incoming.
• Tim Wheatley is back in the country, armed with his new album ‘Pillar To Post’ and, in addition to an appearance at the upcoming Gympie Muster, he’s also confirmed headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne. Melbourne’s first up; a gig at the John Curtin Bandroom on September 02, followed by the Sydney show at the Oxford Art Factory on September 08.
• We don’t quite know what the folks from Meredith were waffling on about during their lengthy line-up email that went out during the week, but what we deduced was that the line-up will include Todd Terje & The Olsens, Noname, ESG, Total Control, Warpaint, Downtown Boys, Big Thief, Mark Seymour & The Undertow, Aldous Harding and many more. More artists will be added prior to the 2017 event, which will take over the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre on December 08, 09 and 10.
• Things just got a little hotter for New Years Eve in Gippsland, with confirmation that Schoolboy Q is the first headliner announced for the 2017 edition of Beyond The Valley. The event takes over Lardner Park in Warragul from December 28 to January 01; tickets are on sale now.
• The guys at Roche Estate Winery in the New South Wales Hunter Valley will have a big start to 2018, with two huge new festivals set to take over their vineyards. There’s Crossroads Blues In The Vines on February 10, featuring an all-star line-up including Buddy Guy, Ian Moss, Diesel, Russell Morris, Ted Mulry Gang, Mia Dyson, Phil Emmanuel and more. Then there’s Crossroads Country In The Vines on March 24, featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, Lee Kernaghan, Kasey Chambers, John Williamson, The McClymonts, Sara Storer, Adam Harvey, Beccy Cole and many more. Pre-sale tickets are on sale from August 17, with general public tickets for both events on sale from 9am on Thursday August 24.
• Huzzah! Finally Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber have again relinquished their hold on the No.1 spot on the UK singles chart. ‘Despacito’ falls… and not just one or two spots either; it’s down from No.1 to No.4.
Calvin Harris takes the No.1 position this week with ‘Feels’. The single, which features Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry and Big Sean, shifts from No.3 to top spot, ahead of French Montana’s ‘Unforgettable’ (No.4 to No.2) and overtaking DJ Khaled’s ‘Wild Thoughts’ (No.2 to No.3). Dua Lipa’s ‘New Rules’ and Rudimental’s ‘Sun Comes Up’ are both on the improve (No.9 to No.5 and No.8 to No.6 respectively) and Enrique Iglesias is back in the UK top ten, this time with his new single ‘Subeme La Radio’.
• Another week, another new No.1 on the UK albums chart. Well… when we say ‘new’, we actually mean Ed Sheeran’s ‘÷’, which returns to the top spot after Arcade Fire’s ‘Everything Now’ vacates it. The latter is down two positions to No.3, with Glen Campbell’s ‘Adios’ jumping from No.13 to No.2 in the wake of his death during the week. Also making their way back into the top ten this week are Dua Lipa’s self-titled set, the ‘Moana’ soundtrack, ‘Glory Days’ by Little Mix and Ed Sheeran’s previous album ‘x’.
• Nothing to see here… Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber make it three whole months on top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with ‘Despacito’. And DJ Khaled is still in position two with ‘Wild Thoughts’. BUT there is movement. French Montana’s ‘Unforgettable’ is making its move this week, improving from No.6 to No.3, muscling its way past Bruno Mars and Imagine Dragons in the process. Charlie Puth’s ‘Attention’ continues to gain ground (No.9 to No.7), while Cardi B is bulleting towards the top ten with her latest single ‘Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)’.
• Just like she did in Australia last week, Lana Del Rey has lost her grip on the US No.1 position after just one week with ‘Lust For Life’. But unlike in Australia, where Ed Sheeran reclaimed the top spot, it’s Arcade Fire who take the Stateside spoils with their new album ‘Everything Now’, which debuts on top. From there, it’s Kendrick Lamar, Meek Mill, DJ Khaled and Jay-Z who make up the rest of the top five. 21 Savage, Imagine Dragons and Ed Sheeran surge back into the top ten, while Lana drops from one side of the top ten to the other. Tyler The Creator’s ‘Flower Boy’ also loses ground, dropping from No.2 to No.12.
• Right-o Purge fans. You’re satiated on your Saturday morning. But if a bit of chart news whets your whistle, best you come back tonight when we get stuck into the ARIA top 100s with our weekly ARIA Chart Watch, live from 6pm AEST.
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