• Hello and welcome to your Saturday edition of The Purge. UK 2016 ‘X Factor’ winner Matt Terry (pictured) is finally getting some local love, with Sony Music servicing his new single ‘Sucker For You’ to Australian media yesterday. Produced by Steve Mac, the single dropped digitally more than a month ago, but it’s only now that the local arm is starting to make a move on it. ‘Sucker For You’ is lifted from Matt’s upcoming debut solo album ‘Trouble’, which will drop at retailers everywhere next Friday, November 24.
• Also doing the rounds at media yesterday was the new Luis Fonsi single ‘Echame La Culpa’. It’s the highly anticipated follow-to his global smash ‘Despacito’, but this time he’s teamed up with US starlet Demi Lovato. According to Universal Music, who serviced the track, ‘Despacito’ is the most streamed song of all time and its video was the first to hit four billion views on YouTube.
• 19 year old NSW producer Kuren has dropped a new single and he’s roped in the high profile support of Aussie rapper Illy for it. “‘Bright Dawn’ has been in the works for almost a year now. It started by the most simple beat and pop melodies,” Kuren explains. “‘Bright Dawn’ is a song to bring people back to earth. Small things in life go wrong and you forget the big picture. As long as we are breathing and are happy then that’s all that matters.”
• Triple J favourite Tigerilla is back with a fresh new single to help bring the heat to the Aussie summer. It’s called ‘Money In My Jeans’ and it’s a collaboration with Sydney songstress Muki. “Life is fun and this song is fun,” he reveals. “I got MUKI on board because she is fresh and has her own unique ability to catch a vibe. The song went to a whole new dimension once she was on board. “It’s built on the premise that if you have $50 or a million, as long as you are happy and with the ones you love, you can live a life of prosperity.”
• US outfit Dashboard Confessional have confirmed the February 09 release of their new album ‘Crooked Shadows’. It’s the band’s seventh studio album, but their first in nine long years. Its release is preceded by lead single ‘We Fight’, which is available now as a grat track with the album pre-order.
• Cut Copy are on the road from the middle of January for a handful of shows in support of their recently-released album ‘Haiku Hands’. The run kicks off at The Met in Brisbane on January 18 and makes stops in Wollongong (UNi Bar on Jan 19), Melbourne (for the Sugar Mountain Festival on Jan 20) and Sydney’s Manning Bar on January 25. Then it’s back to Melbourne for their appearance at Zoo Twilights on January 27. Tickets are on sale now.
• The ladies of TLC will be back in Australia early in the new year to take part in ‘RNB Vine Days’, Australia’s first ever RNB winery concert series. Curated by the same team behind RNB Fridays, the series of shows in the Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley and at Mount Cotton will feature TLC, along with Boyz II Men, Shaggy, DJ Horizon and Yo! Mafia. They take place at Bimbadgen in the Hunter Valley on February 03, Sirromet Wines in Mount Cotton on February 04 and Rochford Wines in the Yarra Valley on February 10. Pre-sales are live from 2pm Wednesday, ahead of general sales on Friday November 24 at 2pm local time.
• Meanwhile, Boyz II men and TLC will also play two co-headline shows of their own while they’re on ground here. Audiences will be able to catch them on Wednesday January 21 at the Star Event Centre in Sydney and at the Royal Theatre in Canberra on Tuesday February 06. Frontier pre-sales are go from 2pm AEDT this Wednesday while the general public tickets are also on sale from 2pm local time on Friday November 24.
• UK grime act Wiley is headed to Australia for his first ever headline tour early in the new year. With a new album due in the middle of February, Wiley will play Manning Bar in Sydney on February 01, Croxton Bandroom in Melbourne on February 02 and the Belvoir Amphitheatre in Perth on February 03. Tickets are on sale now.
• Kate Miller-Heidke has announced that she’ll hit a series of regional centres across the country to kick off her touring commitments for 2018. Along with a string quartet, she’ll make stops at the Ulumbarra Theatre in Bendigo (February 23), Wangaratta’s Performing Arts Centre (Feb 24), the Adelaide Town Hall with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (March 09), the Laycock Street Theatre in Gosford (April 19), the Spiegeltent in Wollongong (April 20) and the Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre on April 21. The shows are in addition to a raft of early year festival appearances. Tickets are on sale now.
• Tickets to the star-packed Sydney City Limits Festival are already selling well, so organisers have revealed that a number of the acts appearing there will perform sideshows as part of their visits. Justice will play live at Melbourne’s Hisense Arena on March 01. The Libertines will hit the Forum Theatre in Melbourne on Feb 28 and The Tivoli in Brisbane on March 01. There’s one gig for The Avalanches (The Tivoli in Brisbane on March 07) and three for Car Seat Headrest (Rosemount Hotel in Perth on Feb 25, Croxton Bandroom in Melbourne on Feb 28 and The Triffid in Brisbane on March 01). Sigrid will play The Triffid on Feb 23 before zipping down to Melbourne for a show at the Corner Hotel on February 28. And The Head And The Heart will also play Melbourne’s Corner Hotel – on Thursday March 01. Tickets for all shows are on pre-sale now ahead of general ticket sales, which are live from 9am local time on Monday.
• Neil and Liam Finn will play a third and final show as part of the 2018 Twilight At Taronga series. Due to their first two shows (on Feb 10 and 11) being long sold out, they’ve confirmed a third gig on Sunday February 18. Tickets are on sale now.
• It’s another week on top of the UK singles chart for Camila Cabello this week. Her single ‘Havana’ holding, despite a concerted effort from Rita Ora and her new single ‘Anywhere’, which leaps another three places to No.2. The new Eminem track ‘Walk On Water’ (featuring Beyoncé) is the week’s highest new entry at No.7, while Big Shaq’s ‘Man’s Not Hot’ continues its ascendancy, improving from No.11 to No.8. Stormzy’s latest single ‘Blinded By Grace’ is on track for a top ten entry next week (up from No.22 to No.12), while the Clean Bandit/Julia Michaels single ‘I Miss You’ rise from No.23 to No.14.
• Sam Smith’s reign at the top of the UK albums chart was incredibly brief. His LP ‘The Thrill Of It All’ falls from No.1 to No.2, replaced (of course) by Taylor Swift and her new album ‘Reputation’, which premieres in the top spot. Elton John’s new best of – ‘Diamonds’ – scores a No.5 debut, with Shed Seven’s ‘Instant Pleasures’ the only other new entry into this week’s top ten (No.8). There are, however, five new entries between positions 11 and 20. And they are Bradley Walsh’s ‘When You’re Smiling’ (No.11), Tears For Fears’ ‘Rule The World : Greatest Hits’ (No.12), Cliff Richard’s ‘Stronger Through The Years’ (No.14), The Corrs’ ‘Jupiter Calling’ (No.15) and Seal’s ‘Standards’ (No.17).
• It’s another week of stability on top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the US, with Post Malone holding again with ‘Rockstar’. Most of this week’s top five is steady, but Sam Smith’s ‘Too Good At Goodbyes’ is on the move, improving from No.10 to No.4 as his album makes its impact Stateside. Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect’ is up from No.11 to No.8 and Maroon 5’s ‘What Lovers Do’ is up from No.12 to No.9.
• He might have missed the No.1 spot here in Australia last weekend (thanks to P!nk), but Sam Smith has had no such problems Stateside, debuting in the No.1 spot with his new album ‘The Thrill Of It All’. Maroon 5 also score the love this week; their new long player ‘Red Pill Blues’ premiering in the No.2 position. The top ten debuts keep coming with Blake Shelton’s ‘Texoma Shore’ new at No.4, Kelsea Ballerini’s ‘Unapologetically’ new at No.7 and Kid Rock’s ‘Sweet Southern Sugar’ new at No.8. The latest edition of the evergreen ‘Now’ compilation series misses the top ten on debut, entering at No.12.
• And that’s your lot for your Saturday Purge. But we’ll be back with you tonight at 6pm AEDT for another scintillating edition of ARIA Chart Watch, our weekly wrap of the ARIA top 100s.
TICKETS PLEASE
MONDAY NOVEMBER 20 : The Avalanches (Brisbane)
MONDAY NOVEMBER 20 : Car Seat Headrest (Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth)
MONDAY NOVEMBER 20 : The Head And The Heart (Melbourne)
MONDAY NOVEMBER 20 : Justice (Melbourne)
MONDAY NOVEMBER 20 : The Libertines (Melbourne, Brisbane)
MONDAY NOVEMBER 20 : Oh Wonder (Nationally)
MONDAY NOVEMBER 20 : Sigrid (Melbourne, Brisbane)
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 21 : Phoenix (Melbourne, Brisbane)
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 22 : Clean Bandit (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane)
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 24 : Boyz II Men & TLC (Sydney, Canberra)
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 24 : RNB Vine Days (Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, Mount Cotton)
Australia's first stop for pop!