• We’re kicking off your midweek edition of The Purge with ‘Cozy Little Christmas’, the latest single from pop superstar Katy Perry. Serviced to Australian media late yesterday, the festive ditty is the first taste of new music from Ms Perry since the release of her album ‘Witness’ last year.
• After seducing music lovers with his recent chart smash ‘Eastside’, Benny Blanco has delivered his debut album just in the lead up to the festive season. ‘Friends Keep Secrets’ features seven tracks in total, but though the LP is light on in terms of track numbers, it’s certainly choc-full of big name talent, with the likes of Calvin Harris, Ty Dolla $ign, 6lack, Juice WRLD, Halsey and Khalid appearing. The LP is out now.
• Also on the way between now and Christmas is the new album from former One Direction star Zayn Malik. The singer’s sophomore long player is called ‘Icarus Falls’, it will contain a staggering 27 songs and will be released both digitally and physically. But those wanting a physical copy will have to wait ’til the days before Christmas; the digital edition is due to land this Friday, with the physical to follow on Friday December 21.
• Live Nation has announced that rapper JID, who’ll be in the country early next year for an appearance at the Hidden Festival in Perth, will also play a headline show in Melbourne. He’ll play the one-off date at Max Watt’s in the Victorian capital on Wednesday February 27 and tickets are on sale now.
• Also confirming a one-off sideshow during an Australian visit next year is UK outfit Nothing But Thieves. The band will perform for audiences at both the Perth Festival and Mountain Sounds Festival, but they’ve decided to make a stop in Adelaide during their time down under. They’ll be playing HQ in the SA capital on Sunday February 10. And tickets are on sale now.
• And dance music legends Carl Cox and Eric Powell will deliver their massive ‘Mobile Disco’ seven hour set to audiences in Melbourne for a one-off show early in the new year. The so-called ‘Piknic Electronik’ will take over the city’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Sunday January 20; both men reportedly on the decks from “beginning to end”. Tickets are on sale now.
• Five weeks in and there’s still no budging Ariana Grande’s ‘Thank U, Next’ from the No.1 spot on the UK singles chart. But while all shorts of artists have thrown everything’s they’ve got at Ari over recent weeks, she may be under threat next week from Ava Max, if the No.6 to No.2 jump for her latest single ‘Sweet But Psycho’ is any indication. Halsey’s ‘Without Me’ also improves (No.4 to No.3), while there’s a No.4 debut for Dalton Harris’s ‘The Power Of Love’ (with James Arthur). There’s all sorts of movement happening in positions six through ten; Mariah Carey’s classic ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ soars from No.34 to No.6, Little Mix’s ‘Woman Like Me’ is out of the top five (No.2 to No.7), James Arthur and Anne-Marie’s version of ‘Rewrite The Stars’ (from the soundtrack of ‘The Greatest Showman’) is up in a big way (No.17 to No.8), 6ix9ine’s ‘Kika’ rockets from No.38 to No.9 and there’s a No.10 debut for the new Mark Ronson/Miley Cyrus single ‘Nothing Breaks Like A Heart. Festive favourites ‘Last Christmas’ from Wham and ‘Fairytale Of New York’ from Pogues ftg. Kirsty MacColl are back into the top 20 (No.52 to No.14 and No.66 to No.18), while Meek Mill’s ‘Going Bad’ (with Drake) enters at No.17.
• Over on the albums front, it’s The 1975 shining brightly in the No.1 spot this week; their latest long player ‘A Brief Inquiry Into Online’ premiering in pole position, ahead of the evergreen soundtrack to ‘The Greatest Showman’ and the Michael Bublé album ‘Love’. George Ezra’s ‘Staying At Tamara’s’ improves from No.9 to No.4, while Take That’s ‘Odyssey’ best-of falls from No.1 to No.5. Michael Bublé’s ‘Christmas’ also makes it back into the top ten again, improving from No.16 to No.7.
• She may be still top of the pops over in the UK, but Ariana Grande has lost her grip on the No.1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the United States this week. After three weeks at No.1, ‘Thank U, Next’ has been replaced by the Travis Scott single ‘Sicko Mode’ as America’s No.1 single. Ari’s not gone too far, however… just down to No.2, with the Nos.3 and 4 spots (taken up by Marshmello & Bastille and Halsey) unmoved again. Panic At The Disco’s ‘High Hopes’ is up one to No.5, Sheck Wes’s ‘Mo Bamba’ is up one to No.6, Kodak Black’s ‘Zeze’ is up three to No.7 and Lil Baby’s ‘Drip Too Hard’ is up one to No.8. As it is over in the UK, Mariah Carey’s classic ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ is back in a big way, rocketing from No.29 to No.14, while Andy Williams’ ‘The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year’, used by Ellen in her ’12 Days Of Giveaways’ promotion, is back on the countdown at No.21.
• Over on the Billboard 200 albums chart, Travis Scott’s latest long player ‘Astroworld’ is back on top of the US chart for a third (non-consecutive) week, displacing last week’s No.1 from Mumford & Sons, ‘Delta’. A nice No.2 debut from 6ix9ine’s ‘Dummy Boy’, with Michael Bublé’s ‘Love’ down one to No.3. Bublé is also starring in the No.5 position this week with his ‘Christmas’ set.
• That’s all we’ve got for this weekend’s ‘Purge’, but we’ll return with our regular ARIA Chart Watch this afternoon at 5pm AEDT.
TICKETS PLEASE
MONDAY DECEMBER 10 : Red Hot Summer Tour (Bribie Island)
MONDAY DECEMBER 10 : Leo Sayer (Nationally)
THURSDAY DECEMBER 13 : Kylie Minogue (Sydney)
FRIDAY DECEMBER 14 : Up Down Beach Party (Newcastle)
Australia's first stop for pop!