• It’s your Saturday edition of The Purge and we’re thrilled to report that it begins today with a new collaboration between Calvin Harris and Sam Smith. The superstar pairing’s single is called ‘Promises’ and it landed at digital service providers across the planet yesterday. It was co-penned by the pair, alongside Jessie Reyez and is a track that Calvin clearly loves. “Very excited about this one,” he said on his socials during the week. ‘Promises’ is out now.
• Another big dance and pop collaboration landed yesterday in the form of ‘Happier’, a new single from US dance music doyen Marshmello and British band Bastille. Co-penned by Steve Mac, the song comes hot on the heels of Marshmello’s massive smash ‘Friends’ (with Anne-Marie). That track achieving a double platinum certification here in Australia. No doubt the boys from Bastille will drop this one into their set when they land in the country next month for shows in Sydney and Melbourne.
• We’ve also got a new single from Imagine Dragons to call out own; their label Universal Music yesterday servicing ‘Natural’ to Australian media. “I believe that when you truly learn to love yourself, the judging eyes and hateful words become meaningless,” lead singer Dan Reynolds reveals. “‘Natural’ is about finding yourself and being willing and able to stand up to whatever adversity comes your way.” The song will be all over ESPN over the US college football season as its official anthem.
• We’re now less than two months away from the release of the new Jess Glynne album ‘Always In Between’ (that’s due on October 12). And, following on from the success of her last single ‘I’ll Be There’, Jess is back with another knockout track that’s bound to whet fans’ appetites in the lead-up to the album’s release. It’s a little more uptempo than its predecessor; back to that joyous dance/pop that we’ve come to love from the British dance diva. Single’s out now.
• Melbourne soul diva Thando is back with new music, yesterday releasing her new single ‘Happy’. According to the singer, the track is “a letter to my conscious self from the perspective of my anxiety. From my perspective, my often forgotten villain sneaks up on me when I’m feeling my most content and consequentially risks relationships and opportunities for happiness. I personified and gave her a voice, so that I may attempt to better understand her and learn how to keep her at bay.”
• And there’s a new Tash Sultana single doing the rounds. ‘Free Mind’ dropped yesterday as the latest single from the Melbourne singer-songwriter’s debut album ‘Flow State’. “‘Free Mind’ was a song written over a couple of years,” Tash reveals. “It was pretty much three different songs that I couldn’t figure out how to put together until one day when I was in the studio it kind of just fell into place. I don’t usually write songs that are 3 minutes 30 seconds because I find that super challenging, but I feel like I have said what I needed to say.” The album will land at retailers everywhere on August 31.
• 6lack will be back in Australia this year for a series of shows in support of his upcoming album ‘East Atlanta Love Letter’. That album’s due to land at retailers across the planet on September 14. Then, just one month on, the rapper will be on our shores for dates in our four most populous cities. Perth’s first up (Metropolis Fremantle on October 10), followed by Melbourne (Forum Theatre on October 12), Brisbane (Eatons Hill Ballroom on October 13) and Sydney (Enmore Theatre on October 16). Tickets are on sale from 10am local time on Monday.
• UK based R&B performer Col3trane will be in Australia next month for his appearance on the Listen Out line-ups across the country. But he’s confirmed a pair of sideshows as part of his visit; one each in Sydney and Melbourne. He’ll be at The Workers Club in Melbourne on September 25 and the Landsdowne Hotel in Sydney on September 26. Tickets are on sale from 10am local time on Monday.
• DJ Jazzy Jeff is headed down under too. For the first time in four long years, the US performer will land in November for shows at the Prince Bandroom in Melbourne (November 08), Max Watt’s in Sydney (November 09) and at The Valley Drive In in Brisbane (November 10). Tickets for all three shows are on sale now.
• Festival season is certainly ramping up, with organisers of the Download Festival locking in both the dates and the venues for their 2019 outing. The hard rock festival popped up on the calendar for the first time earlier this year in Melbourne. With more than 30,000 in attendance, organisers made the move to expand it to Sydney for its second year. So… Parramatta Park in Parramatta on March 09 and Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on March 11. Ticket details and line-up are coming soon.
• The Beyond The Valley Festival will be back at Lardner Park in Warragul late this year to help Gipplanders see 2019 in in fine style. The fifth edition of the event, which will take place from December 28 to January 01, will be headlined by British outfit The Kooks. The full line-up and more ticketing information is coming soon. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled to beyondthevalley.com.au.
• Great news for UK outfit Wolf Alice this week, with confirmation that their latest album ‘Visions Of A Life’ has been shortlisted in the prestigious Mercury Prize. Sad news for their Brisbane fans as a result, however; the band will be headed to London for the ceremony, which means that their Brisbane date has had to be shifted. Originally slated to take place on September 22 at The Tivoli, it will now shift to Eatons Hill Hotel on September 28. “We hope you can all still come and we are more than excited to be there,” the band said in a statement. :All original tickets are still valid.”
• After four weeks shining in the No.1 spot on the UK singles chart, Drake’s international smash ‘In My Feelings’ has finally relinquished its grip. The track gives away to George Ezra’s single ‘Shotgun’, which makes it back to the No.1 position after spending two weeks there a month and a half ago. Drake’s only down to No.2, however, with DJ Khaled’s ‘No Brainer’ holding at No.3. There’s also a decent rise for the Benny Blanco, Halsey and Khalid single ‘Eastside’, which is up from No.12 to No.4.
• There’s no slowing the charge of the ‘Mamma Mia : Here We Go Again’ soundtrack on the UK albums chart. It’s still firmly ensconced in the No.1 position ahead of ‘The Greatest Showman’ soundtrack at No.2. Drake, George Ezra and Nicki Minaj make up the rest of this week’s top five; the latter on debut with her new album ‘Queen’. There are also top ten debuts for Miles Kane’s ‘Coupe De Grace’ (No.8) and the new Elvis Presley long player ‘Where No One Stands Alone’ (No.9).
• Over in the US this week, Drake remains wedged in the No.1 position with his single ‘In My Feelings’. That’s now five weeks straight for the track, as it continues to hold off all other challengers. Its nearest competition this week comes from the Maroon 5 single ‘Girls Like You’ (No.3 to No.2), which swaps with Cardi B’s ‘I Like It’. Travis Scott makes a big splash with his single ‘Sicko Mode’, which enters the countdown at No.4. His album track ‘Stargazing’ is also new into the US top ten – at No.8. He has five more new entries in the top 30; No.24, 25, 26, 27 and 30.
• Naturally, with so much action for Travis Scott on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, his album was always a shoo-in for No.1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. ‘Astroworld’ premieres in the No.1 spot, knocking the sting out of Drake’s ‘Scorpion’. Drake’s not gone too far, mind you. Only down to No.2, with a No.3 debut for Mac Miller’s ‘Swimming’. No.4 is for Post Malone, while the new YG album ‘Stay Dangerous’ enters the US chart at No.5. Moneybagg Yo just misses the top ten on debut, entering this week’s US chart at No.11 with ‘Bet On Me’.
• No more to tell you in this week’s edition of The Purge, but we will be back this afternoon from 5pm with our regular weekly wrap of the top 100s back here at home. So until then, adios!
TICKETS PLEASE
MONDAY AUGUST 20 : 6lack (Nationally)
MONDAY AUGUST 20 : Col3trane (Sydney, Melbourne)
MONDAY AUGUST 20 : RNB Fridays Live (Nationally)
MONDAY AUGUST 20 : Alison Wonderland (Nationally)
TUESDAY AUGUST 21 : King Princess (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane)
THURSDAY AUGUST 23 : Paul Kelly (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane)
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