• Welcome to edition #299 of The Purge and we’re kicking it off this week with ‘Don’t Make Me Wait’, the new collaboration between Sting and Shaggy. The new track, which was released on Thursday, has been described as a “Caribbean-flavoured song” and it’s set to feature on a brand new collaborative album between the pair, entitled ’44/876′, due for release on Friday April 20.
• So-hot-right-now outfit Migos have released their new album ‘Culture II’. The trio burst onto the scene globally via their 2016 hit ‘Bad and Boujee’ and then achieved further success as part of Calvin Harris’ track ‘Slide’. They hit again last year thanks to their single ‘”MotorSport’ and earlier this week dropped their latest single ‘Supastars’.
• The Aces have released an awesome new single called ‘Fake Nice’ (listen HERE). “‘Fake Nice’ is representative of a funkier side of our sound,” he band says in a statement. “We wrote this about being from a small town and experiencing living in a big city for the first time, trying to navigate all the new personalities that come along with that.” The track is the lead single from the band’s just-announced debut album ‘When My Heart Felt Volcanic’, which you’ll find at your favourite retailer from Friday April 06.
• Oh Mercy have confirmed the March 09 release of their fifth studio album ‘Café Oblivion’. The first taste of the new LP (‘National Park’) landed late last year, but it’s been joined by new single ‘Keep A Light On’, which dropped yesterday. To celebrate its release, the band will hit the road in April for shows in Perth (Amplifier on April 07), Fremantle (Newport Hotel on April 08), Sydney (Landsdowne Hotel on April 13), Brisbane (Black Bear Lodge on April 14) and their hometown Melbourne (Howler on April 20). Tickets are on sale now.
• Jared Leto’s outfit Thirty Seconds To Mars are gearing up for the release of their fifth studio album this year with their the latest single from it, ‘Dangerous Night’. The track follows on from the release of lead single ‘Walk On Water’ last year and was released to all digital service providers yesterday. Further details about the new album are expected soon.
• Nine albums make up the shortlist for this year’s Australian Music Prize. The albums still in the running are; Beaches’ ‘Second Of Spring’, Darcy Baylis’ ‘Intimacy & Isolation’, HTMLflowers’ ‘Chrome Halo’, Jen Cloher’s ‘Jen Cloher’, Jordan Rakei’s ‘Wallflower’, Liars’ ‘TFCF’, Paul Kelly’s ‘Life Is Fine’, Sampa The Great’s ‘Birds And The BEE9′ and The Vampires’ ‘The Vampires Meet Lionel Loueke’. The winner of the 13th edition of the event will be announced (and receive a $30,000 prize) on March 09.
• Sir Elton John will say goodbye to the world of touring with a massive 300+ show tour around the world from later this year. Kicking off in Pennsylvania in early September, the tour is expected to wrap in 2021. No Australian dates have been confirmed thus far, but we’re definitely on the radar.
• Icelandic performer Asgeir will be back in Australia in April for live dates in Sydney and Melbourne. He’s set to play headline shows at the Sydney Recital Hall on Sunday April 01 before heading south for two shows at the Melbourne Recital Centre on April 04 and 05. Pre-sale tickets are live now, with general public tickets to hit the sales deck on Monday at 10am AEDT.
• Kate Miller-Heidke has added a show for her Newcastle fans. She’ll be joined by a string quartet for the one-off gig, which will take place in the Spiegeltent in Civic Park on Sunday April 15. Tickets are on sale now.
• There’s clearly still plenty of love for Drake. The Canadian superstar came roaring back onto the scene last week with new single ‘God’s Plan’ and has subsequently debuted at the top of the UK singles chart. By doing so, he knocks out Eminem and Ed Sheeran’s ‘River’, which slides to three, with Ramz’ ‘Barking’ steady in the No.2 spot. Dua Lipa’s new single ‘IDGAF’ is also on the move, leaping ten places to No.4 on this week’s countdown, while Keala Settle’s ‘This Is Me’, from ‘The Greatest Showman’ soundtrack, is also into the top ten (No.13 to No.8). The new Kylie single ‘Dancing’? That debuts in a lowly No.47 spot.
• There’s no budging the soundtrack of ‘The Greatest Showman’ from the No.1 position in the UK this week, despite the release of the new Fall Out Boy album ‘M A N I A’. It premieres in the No.2 spot, ahead of First Aid Kit’s ‘Ruins’ (No.3 on debut), Ed Sheeran’s ‘÷’ and Eminem’s ‘Revival’. Magnum is in at No.15 with ‘Lost On The Road To Eternity’.
• That ‘Perfect’ run at the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for Ed Sheeran has come to an end. Ed’s been replaced in top spot this week by Camila Cabello and her international smash ‘Havana’. Bruno Mars and Cardi B went bulleting from No.35 to No.3 last week, but eases back this week to No.4. Dua Lipa cracks the US top ten this week with her single ‘New Rules’; it’s up from No.11 to No.8. A little further down, Camila Cabello’s new single ‘Never Be The Same’ rockets from No.65 to No.30.
• It’s not just the US singles chart where Camila Cabello is shining. Over on the Billboard 200 albums chart, her debut solo album is also flying high, premiering at No.1. ‘The Greatest Showman’ soundtrack slides to No.2, with the familiar faces of Ed, Post Malone and Taylor Swift in positions three through five. Black Veil Brides score the week’s second highest debut, with a No.14 entry for their new album ‘Vale’. The Cranberries’ best-of, ‘Stars’, enters at No.16.
• That’s all we have for you in edition #299 of The Purge, but we’ll return at 5pm AEDT tonight to bring you all the action on the ARIA singles and albums top 100 as part of our weekly ARIA Chart Watch. Enjoy your Saturday in the meantime.
TICKETS PLEASE
MONDAY JANUARY 29 : Asgeir (Sydney, Melbourne)
MONDAY JANUARY 29 : Joshua Radin (Nationally)
TUESDAY JANUARY 30 : Yoko-Zuna (Sydney, Melbourne)
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 01 : Imagine Dragons (Nationally)
Australia's first stop for pop!