In ARIA Chart Watch this week, we’ve got a pair of new number ones for the second successive week. But who are they?
There’s a mass of new entries, re-entries and big moves in this week’s countdown, so let’s crack on and get our teeth stuck into it. Welcome to edition #470 of ARIA Chart Watch.
SINGLES
No more Drake in the No.1 spot here in Australia. Eleven weeks on top with ‘God’s Plan’, then a further week with his new single ‘Nice For What’, but Drake’s reign has come to an end this week, all thanks to… Ariana Grande.
Though the US pop starlet couldn’t quite make the No.1 spot on debut in the UK overnight, she does so here in Australia; the result gifting her her first ever No.1 single in Australia.
Her previous best was her 2014 smash ‘Problem’ with our own Iggy Azalea, which peaked at No.2 and notched up a triple platinum certification.
Drake’s not gone too far with ‘Nice For What’, however, only down to No.2, with Post Malone at three and Khalid/Normani and The Weeknd steady in positions four and five respectively.
Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa continue their ascension with ‘One Kiss’ (up three to No.6), while other top ten entries slip slightly as a result of the new action.
The death of Swedish EDM superstar Avicii was met with shock across the planet during the week and fans took to streaming services and digital stores to express their sadness. Though his biggest hit – the nine times platinum ‘Wake Me Up’ – topped the iTunes chart in the wake of his passing, it re-enters the official ARIA countdown at No.14.
It’s the first of a handful of Avicii singles to re-enter the Australian chart this week.
Cardi B soars with ‘I Like It’ (No.25 to No.16), while Shawn Mendes’ ‘In My Blood’ slips back a little (four places to be precise) to No.19.
J Cole’s new album ‘KOD’ has hit with a vengeance this week – and as a result, the tracks from it pepper the ARIA singles chart. The best performed out of all of these songs, however, is the title track from the album, which debuts strongly at No.20.
The next Avicii song to re-enter in the top 100 is his 2011 single ‘Levels’. Although the track never hit the top 20 down under, it did achieve a four times platinum certification during its 44 week chart run. Amazingly, it also returns to its peak position of No.24 this week.
Good news for 5 Seconds Of Summer, with their track ‘Youngblood’ hitting its straps (No.46 to No.26).
Right behind 5SOS is British dance/pop diva Anne Marie and her new single ‘2002’, which enters the countdown at No.27 on debut.
Another new entry for J Cole, whose ‘ATM’ premieres at No.32, just ahead of a ten place drop for Post Malone’s former No.1 smash ‘Rockstar’ (No.23 to No.33).
Amy Shark’s ‘I Said Hi’ is circling a place in the top 30, improving four places from last week’s No.38 debut.
Avicii returns to the Australian countdown twice within the 30s; No.36 with his former top 20 hit ‘Without You’ and No.38 with his now five times platinum former No.2 single ‘Hey Brother’.
There’s a 12 place drop for Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape Of You’ (No.28 to No.40), followed closely by debuts for J Cole’s ‘Photograph’ (No.41), Dennis Lloyd’s ‘Nevermind’ (No.43) and Khalid x Ty Dolla $ign x 6lack’s ‘OTW’ (No.44).
J Cole’s ‘Kevin’s Heart’ and ‘Motiv8’ are also new – in positions 46 and 47 respectively.
Camila Cabello’s former No.1 smash ‘Havana’ takes a 16 place tumble from No.32 to No.48, while Pnau’s ‘Go Bang’ is down 14 to No.49. Keala Settle’s ‘This Is Me’ is also down 14 (No.36 to No.50); Portugal The Man’s ‘Feel It Still’ down 18 to No.52, along with Bruno Mars’ ‘Finesse’ (also down 18, to No.53) and The Weeknd’s ‘Pray For Me’ (down 19 to No.54).
But while there are some big names on the slide, Kyle’s ‘Playinwitme’ improves nine places to No.55.
That track is right in the middle of more slides, however…
Vance Joy’s ‘We’re Going Home’ down 16 to No.56, Rich The Kid’s ‘Plug Walk’ down 12 to No.57 and the Clean Bandit/Julia Michaels single ‘I Miss You’ down 16 to No.58.
Avicii is back again with ‘Waiting For Love’, ‘The Nights’ and ‘Lonely Together’ in positions 60, 62 and 63 respectively.
Post Malone loses 13 with ‘Candy Paint’ (No.51 to No.64), Calum Scott loses 15 with ‘You Are The Reason (No.50 to No.65) and Dua Lipa’s ‘New Rules’ is down 18 to No.66.
Those big slides continue…
Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Humble’ – down 15 to No.67, Marshmello and Khalid’s ‘Silence’ – down 24 to No.68 (albeit now with a fresh new fifth platinum certification for sales in excess of 350,000 units).
NF’s ‘Let You Down’ – down 22 to No.69.
There’s a new entry for the Billie Eilish/Khalid single ‘Lovely’ at No.72 and a 20 place drop for Liam Payne and Rita Ora’s ‘For You’ (No.53 to No.73).
Thanks to ‘The Voice’ DNCE’s ‘Cake By The Ocean’ re-enters the countdown at No.77.
But the comeback of Nicki Minaj seems to have been short and sweet. ‘Chun Li’ was at No.54 on debut last week and has slumped to No.78. Her other new single – ‘Barbie Tingz’ – debuted at No.41 and is now gone from the top 100 entirely.
Hailee Steinfeld and Alesso’s ‘Let Me Go’ is another track added to the list of massive double digit drops this week. It’s down 24 places to No.80.
Great news for local dynamo Hayden James, with his single ‘Numb’ hitting a fresh new platinum certification (for sales of 70,000+ units) at No.81.
Alison Wonderland’s ‘Church’ is down 16 to No.82, but The Weeknd’s ‘Wasted Times’ is wasting no time in evacuating the top 100, plunging 39 places from No.49 to No.88.
Offset and Metro Boomin hit platinum with ‘Ric Flair Drop’ (No.75 to No.89).
Calum Scott dropped 15 with ‘You Are The Reason’ this week, but his previous smash ‘Dancing On My Own’ drops 20 (No.70 to No.90).
Shawn Mendes’ ‘Lost In Japan’ drops even further, however. It’s down a huge 34 places to No.91 after premiering strongly at No.27 a few weeks ago.
Migos’ ‘Stir Fry’ also loses its flavour, down 25 to No.92.
N.E.R.D’s ‘Lemon’ also slides; it’s down from No.62 to No.93.
Right down at the very bottom of this week’s countdown, The Chainsmokers and Drew Love enter the countdown at No.96 with ‘Somebody’.
ALBUMS
Gurrumul premiered at No.1 on the ARIA albums chart at this time last week, but he’s already vacated the top spot.
In his place is J Cole, whose LP ‘KOD’ premieres at No.1 down under. It’s the US hip hop star’s first number one album in Australia (his previous best was No.6 for his fourth LP… 2016’s ‘4 Your Eyez Only’).
In debuting in top spot, he holds off US rock outfit A Perfect Circle, whose fourth album ‘Eat The Elephant’ debuts at No.2, matching the previous No.2 success of their debut album ‘Mer de Noms’ way back in 2000.
Ed Sheeran’s at three, ‘The Greatest Showman’ soundtrack at four and the Gurrumul album ‘Djamirri (Child Of The Rainbow)’ is down from one to five.
That $5 price tag earlier in the week has seemingly done wonders for Samantha Jade’s album ‘Best Of My Love’, which debuts strongly at No.6. It’s Sammi’s best chart result since her 2012 self-titled debut, which peaked at No.3 off the back of the ‘X Factor’ competition.
Avicii’s 2013 debut album ‘True’ re-emerges on the ARIA albums chart at No.13 this week following the singer’s death just over a week ago. It’s not the only Avicii entry on the ARIA album chart this week. More later.
Pennywise score the love with ‘Never Gonna Die’, which enters at No.18.
Lorde’s ‘Melodrama’ bullets from No.53 to No.30.
The news isn’t too flash for Kimbra, whose new album ‘Primal Heart’ enters the ARIA albums chart at No.31, a long way off the top five debuts for both of her previous long players.
Jason Aldean’s ‘Rearview Town’ slides 24 places from last week’s No.10 debut, but Halsey’s ‘Hopeless Fountain Kingdom’ picks up 40 spots (No.77 to No.37) ahead of a No.38 debut for the Sting/Shaggy album ’44/876′.
Avicii’s ‘Stories’ is back in the chart mix, re-entering at No.39, just ahead of a No.41 re-entry for his 2017 EP ‘Avïci’.
Harry Styles’ album is on the up (No.67 to No.44); so too Red Hot Chili Peppers’ best-of (No.63 to No.45).
TesseracT hit with ‘Sonder’ just inside the top 50 on debut (No.47) and Dami Im’s ‘I Hear A Song’ sneaks back across into the top 50 fold, just in time for Mother’s Day (No.52 to No.49).
Eminem’s ‘Revival’ drops 16 (No.38 to No.54), Halsey’s ‘Badlands’ is back in the top 100 (No.57) and Calum Scott’s ‘Only Human’ slides 19 to No.58.
Breaking Benjamin enjoyed just the one week in the top half of the countdown with their latest album ‘Ember’. It entered at No.9 last week, but is a huge 55 place lower in week two (No.64).
The Weeknd’s ‘Beauty Behind The Madness’ is down 20 (No.49 to No.69), Alison Wonderland’s ‘Awake’ is down another 28 (No.44 to No.72) and Bazzi’s ‘Cosmic’ might be out of this world, but it’s also out of this top 50, losing 36 places from last week’s No.41 debut.
We weren’t even aware that Italian crooner Patrizio Buanne had a new album, but ‘Italianissimo’ has arrived and it’s arrived at No.83.
Bishop Briggs hits at No.91 with ‘Church Of Scars’, but ‘The Very Best Of Prince’ takes a tumble, losing 36 places to No.94.
He’s not the only one dropping this week, however.
The Hard Aches scored a No.36 debut with ‘Mess’ last week. They’ve lost more than 64 places and are gone from the top 100.
Confidence Man debuted at No.31 last week with ‘Confident Music For Confident People’. It’s lost more than 69 places and is also gone from the top 100.
Ditto the compilation ‘Johnny Cash : Forever Words’, losing more than 72 places from last week’s No.28 debut.
But the biggest fall of all this week belongs to US vocal group Pentatonix, whose album ‘Top Pop Vol.1’ plummets more than 74 places from its No.26 debut and is gone entirely from this week’s top 100.
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For a full run down of the ARIA top 50s, head over to the ARIA CHARTS WEBSITE every Saturday from 5:00pm AEDT.
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