• Welcome to your Saturday serve of The Purge and welcome to ‘Sex, Love & Water’, the brand new single from superstar Dutch DJ Armin Van Buuren. But this track, released yesterday, has an Aussie connection; vocals provided by none other than Brisbane star Conrad Sewell.
• Looks like it’s going to be a hella busy year for the boys from Sydney duo Set Mo. First and foremost, they’ve just dropped their new single ‘Nightmares’, which features vocals from UK performer Scott Quinn. Then they’ve announced that they’ll have a slew of new music incoming in 2018, releasing a new song on the first Friday of every month throughout the year, kicking off with today’s reveal. They’ve also got a mass of live shows coming up, details of which can be found HERE.
• Brisbane songstress Joy. has a new EP on the way. The new release is entitled ‘Six’ and is set to impact digital retailers across the country this time next month. The 20 year old, who experienced success last year with her single ‘Smoke Too Much’, has also revealed a trio of East Coast live dates in support of it. She’ll play the Oxford Art Factory in Sydney on March 24, Northcote Social Club in Melbourne on March 31 and The Brightside in her hometown on Saturday April 07. Tickets are available now.
• What So Not will release his debut album ‘Not All The Beautiful Things’ on Friday March 09. The new album features collaborations with Skrillex, Slumberjack, Daniel Johns and, staggeringly, with iconic ’80s outfit Toto. New single ‘Stuck In Orbit’ is out now.
• Ball Park Music’s album ‘Good Mood’ has had its release date shifted… but rather than being pushed back weeks or even months, it’s been brought forward one week. Fans will now be able to get their hands on the new album from Friday February 16. “Everything has come together, it’s ready to roll early and we just wanna give our delicious fans a bit of extra time with this new album before we hit the road late Feb,” the band said in a statement.
• Sydney outfit Middle Kids have confirmed the release of their anticipated debut album ‘Lost Friends’ on Friday May 04. To celebrate its release, the band has revealed that they’ll play Sydney and Melbourne headline shows to preview songs from it. Hot on the heels of their support slot on The War On Drugs’ local dates, fans can catch them at the Oxford Art Factory in their hometown on March 11 and at Howler in Melbourne on March 19. Tickets for both shows are on sale now.
• Postmodern Jukebox will hit the road again in September and October this year, with shows locked in for all five major city centres, along with dates on the Gold Coast, Canberra, Newcastle and Wollongong. The tour kicks off at Perth’s Astor Theatre on Friday September 21; the Newcastle date (at the Civic Theatre on September 30). Tickets for all shows are on sale from 10am local time on Friday February 09.
• Jackson Browne has added a second and final show in Sydney as part of his upcoming national tour. Live Nation has confirmed that he’ll be back at the city’s State Theatre on Tuesday March 20 for the second gig, tickets for which are on sale from midday AEDT on Monday.
• No change to the top four on this week’s UK singles chart, with Drake still flying high in the No.1 position with his new track ‘God’s Plan’. We have Ramz, Eminem and Ed Sheeran plus Dua Lipa in posiions two through four. There is movement in the No.5 spot, however, with Craig David and Bastille bulleting from No.10 with their single ‘I Know You’. Sigrid’s ‘Strangers’ is also hitting, improving four to No.10. But it’s Rudimental, Jess Glynne and Macklemore who are seriously on the up. Their new track ‘These Days’ is almost into the UK top ten, rocketing from No.33 to No.11. Kylie’s ‘Dancing’ has gone from the top 100.
• Craig David didn’t do quite well enough with his new album ‘The Time Is Now’ to score the coveted No.1 spot on debut this week. His new album lobs at No.2, just behind the soundtrack to ‘The Greatest Showman’. Ed Sheeran’s at No.3 with ‘÷’ ahead of a No.4 debut for the new Migos LP ‘Culture II’. Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa are into the UK top ten with ‘Black Coffee’ at No.7, but Machine Head just miss with their new album ‘Catharsis’, which enters at No.12. Fall Out Boy’s ‘M A N I A’ loses its grip on a top ten berth, dropping from a No.2 debut to No.16.
• Can you believe it? Change again at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the USA! Yes, Ed Sheeran was replaced in the top spot on last week’s countdown by Camila Cabello’s international smash ‘Havana’. But she in turn has been replaced this week by Drake and his new single ‘God’s Plan’. Ed’s still at No.2, Camila’s down to No.3. Post Malone and Bruno Mars occupy positions four and five respectively. And the good news keeps coming for Drake; a second top ten debut with his other new track ‘Diplomatic Immunity’, which lobs at No.7. No top 100 love for Kylie’s new single ‘Dancing’, however.
• Good result for the boys from Fall Out Boy this week, with their new album ‘M A N I A’ premiering at No.1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. Camila Cabello didn’t stay long on either the singles OR albums charts; her debut solo record losing three places from last week’s No.1 debut. ‘The Greatest Showman’ soundtrack, Ed Sheeran and Post Malone are the others occupying this week’s top five (Nos.2, 3 and 5 respectively). Sam Smith’s album ‘The Thrill Of It All’ leaps from No.17 to No.11 and the latest in the ‘Kidz Bop’ series, ‘Kidz Bop 37’, enters in the No.16 spot.
• And a quick reminder that, now with the UK and US chart wraps under our belt, we’ll have our Australian one live at 5pm AEDT today. Yes, the ARIA top 100 singles and albums charts covered in a little segment we call ARIA Chart Watch. It’s live at five.
TICKETS PLEASE
MONDAY FEBRUARY 05 : APIA Good Times Tour (Nationally)
MONDAY FEBRUARY 05 : Jackson Browne (Sydney)
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 09 : Postmodern Jukebox (Nationally)
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 09 : Shania Twain (Nationally)
Australia's first stop for pop!