In edition #536 of ARIA Chart Watch, we achieve a first for 2019. But it’s a first that we should and shouldn’t be celebrating.
Read more about it and everything else happening in this week’s ARIA top 100s right here in ARIA Chart Watch.
SINGLES
So here comes the first. That first is that Tones And I’s ‘Dance Monkey’ has improved from No.3 to No.1 on the ARIA singles chart. It’s worth celebrating because it’s an Aussie shining brightly atop the Aussie countdown.
It’s not worth celebrating, however, because of the fact that it’s taken until August for an Australian to top the Australian singles chart in 2019. Commercial radio, Spotify… they both need to markedly step up their support of Australian artists. Time for the government to introduce per-hour quotas.
But we’re not taking anything away from Tones And I; the Aussie pop dynamo hitting the big time with her latest single. And not only does she claim her first ever No.1 single, ‘Dance Monkey’ also achieves a fresh new platinum certification for its troubles, meaning it’s sold in excess of 70,000 units!
Lil Nas X is steady at No.2, with Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello’s ‘Señorita’, which edged into top spot last week, dropping from No.1 to No.3.
Positions four through nine are completely unchanged. Though Ed Sheeran and Khalid’s ‘Beautiful People’ goes gold (35,000 unit sales), Post Malone and Young Thug’s ‘Goodbyes’ also goes gold, Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber’s ‘I Don’t Care’ is double platinum (140,000 unit sales) and Lewis Capaldi’s ‘Someone You Loved’ notches up a third platinum accreditation (210,000 unit sales).
There’s also a shiny new gold certification for Blanco Brown’s ‘The Git Up’, which also hits the top ten for the first time (No.11 to No.10). It’s just ahead of a three place gain for the new Sam Smith single ‘How Do You Sleep?’ (No.14 to No.11).
Ed Sheeran scores another certification; a platinum one for ‘Cross Me’ (with Chance The Rapper and PnB Rock) at No.13. And Ali Gatie’s ‘It’s You’ is now gold (up four to a new peak of No.15).
Also on the way up this week are Y2K & bbno$’s ‘Lalala’ (No.25 to No.16), Marshmello and Kane Brown’s ‘One Thing Right’ (No.28 to No.18), Taylor Swift’s ‘The Archer’ (No.55 to No.19) and Chris Brown and Drake’s ‘No Guidance’ (No.29 to No.20).
But Ed Sheeran and Travis Scott’s ‘Antisocial’ slips. It’s down eight to No.21.
More platinum love for Taylor Swift, thanks to an accreditation tweak for ‘You Need To Calm Down’ (No.22).
Lizzo also scores some platinum love for ‘Truth Hurts’ right behind her (No.23), while Ed Sheeran’s ‘South Of The Border’ heads further south, dropping eight to No.24.
Post Malone and Swae Lee’s ‘Sunflower’ is shining a little brighter this week, thanks to a new seventh platinum accreditation (490,000 units… closing in on the magical half million mark) at No.25.
New platinum gongs too for Katy Perry’s ‘Never Really Over’ (No.26) and 5 Seconds Of Summer’s ‘Easier’ (No.27).
Kygo and Whitney Houston’s ‘Higher Love’ is a little lower (No.20 to No.28), while Lil Nas X’s ‘Panini’ gets that little bit tastier thanks to a new gold accreditation.
Good news for The Chainsmokers, whose new collaboration ‘Takeaway’ (with Illenium and Lennon Stella) premieres highest this week – at No.34. Right behind it in position 35 is their last track ‘Call You Mine’ (with Bebe Rexha), which scores a gold certification.
The new certifications continue; Jonas Brothers’ ‘Sucker’ now triple platinum at No.37. NF’s ‘Time’ is right; the single up from a No.73 debut to No.39. Jess Mauboy’s ‘Little Things’ improves four to No.40.
Miley Cyrus’s ‘Mother’s Daughter’ is down 11 to No.48, but Ed Sheeran’s ‘Remember The Name’ (with Eminem and 50 Cent) is down much further, dropping 23 places to No.53.
Beyoncé just can’t hit of late; her ‘Mood 4 Eva’ losing 15 places from last week’s No.48 debut. Things look better for Khalid, whose ‘Better’ is up ten to No.64.
But the drops continue for Ed Sheeran; ‘Best Part Of Me’ (with Yebba) losing 20 places to No.66.
There’s a 17 place drop (No.59 to No.76) for YG’s ‘Go Loko’ and a massive 28 place drop (to No.80) for Ed Sheeran’s ‘Take Me Back To London’ (featuring Stormzy).
In between them both, Ava Max’s ‘Sweet But Psycho’ quietly climbs into four times platinum territory (280,000 units).
Ed’s ‘Blow’ tumbles too; down 25 places to No.89. It’s two places shy of the No.91 debut for Rick Ross and Drake’s ‘Gold Roses’.
Speaking of all things gold, Bazzi’s ‘Paradise’ has also hit the gold certification mark this week (No.92).
ALBUMS
No surprises to see Ed Sheeran’s album ‘No.6 Collaborations Project’ still shining at No.1 on the ARIA albums chart, despite most of the songs from it losing big ground over on the ARIA singles chart.
Billie Eilish is steady at No.2, with a trio of top ten debuts behind her.
Highest this week is NF’s album ‘The Search’, which premieres at No.3.
Next is Angie McMahon’s ‘Salt’, which enters at No.5.
Then there’s ‘The Big Day’ by Chance The Rapper; a debut at No.7.
Just missing the top ten on debut is Thy Art Is Murder’s new long player ‘Human Target’. It premieres in the No.11 spot, just ahead of Post Malone’s ‘Beerbongs & Bentleys’ (No.9 to No.12) and Khalid’s ‘Free Spirit’ (No.8 to No.13).
There’s some positive news for Conrad Sewell too; his album ‘Life’ bullets from No.38 to No.14.
‘Fever Dream’, the third long player from Icelandic outfit Of Monsters And Men, becomes the band’s first to miss the top five on debut. It’s new at No.21, a long way shy of the No.1 and No.4 peaks for their first two LPs.
Lil Nas X’s ‘7’ EP drops from No.14 to No.24. YBN Cordae’s ‘The Lost Boy’ is new at No.27. Adele’s ’25’ soars from No.65 to No.29. Eminem’s best-of is up ten to No.34.
Thelma Plum’s ‘Better In Blak’ dips 20 to No.37. P!nk’s ‘Beautiful Trauma’ is up 20 to No.38. And there’s a No.22 to No.43 drop for Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Western Stars’.
Despite ‘The Lion King’ still doing big things at the Aussie box office, Beyoncé’s ‘The Lion King : The Gift’ plummets 35 places from last week’s No.12 debut (the actual soundtrack is still top five).
Also dipping this week is Jimmy Barnes’ ‘My Criminal Record’ (No.33 to No.53). But the BTS ‘BTS World’ original soundtrack is back in the top 100, re-entering at a new peak of No.55.
The Wiggles’ best-of jumps like a hot potato to No.65 (from No.82), but Allday’s ‘Starry Night Over The Phone’ is 23 places lower at No.68.
Lord’s ‘Fallen Idols’ enters at No.72. But spare a thought for Sabaton. The Swedish metal band were shining in the top ten on debut last week. Seven days on and they find themselves a massive 69 places lower at No.76.
Hillsong United’s ‘People’ is down from No.63 to No.82, Jonas Brothers’ ‘Happiness Begins’ is down from No.61 to No.85 and there’s a 26 place slump for Kylie’s ‘Step Back In Time : The Definitive Collection’ (No.64 to No.90).
Even Mark Ronson’s ‘Late Night Feelings’ is struggling to find an audience, dropping 23 places to No.93 after six weeks on the countdown.
Thom Yorke’s ‘Anima’ is gone from the top 100 after re-entering at a new peak of No.23 last week.
Gravemind’s ‘Conduit’ is also out of the top 100, having debuted last week at an altogether decent No.30.
For a full run down of the ARIA top 50s, head over to the ARIA CHARTS WEBSITE every Saturday from 5:00pm AEST.