“There shouldn’t be much to report on this week’s Chart Feed because Beyoncé had her baby and nothing else would be on the news, right?” Sometimes I feel like my little brother is the only one who gets the way the world should be run.
On this week’s Chart Feed, the festive season’s definitely been canned now with Michael Bublé‘s career-defining Christmas album freefalling out of the Top 20 everywhere. We all knew it would come to this. Meanwhile, Empress Adele returns to top the US and UK album charts and comes closer to breaking more records, Kelly Clarkson discounts her way back up the charts, and I have a fit over the new Will Young, The Saturdays and Rebecca Ferguson single choices.
Reece Mastin was almost licking it on both sides this week with his winning single ‘Good Night’ returning to #1 and album debuting at #2 on our ARIA charts. Reece Mastin – a compilation of choons the kid purveyed on X Factor Australia – is the biggest new album in the country, instantly certified platinum for shipments of over 70,000 copies.
Needless to say, the fastest selling artist to ever come out of the local talent show franchise. The kid rocker’s cover of Maroon 5‘s ‘She Will Be Loved’ managed to break the ARIA Top 100 at #87 based on track downloads alone.
Timomatic‘s ‘Set It Off’ skyrockets to a new peak of #22 on our ARIA charts, marking another key success for Aussie pop this year. The man, who’s best known as the singer/dancer who came second on this year’s Australia’s Got Talent series, co-wrote ‘Set It Off’ with DNA – the same Sydney songwriting/production duo who’s responsible for Marvin Priest‘s ‘Own This Club’. DNA also currently has two songs in the ARIA Top 10 in Reece Mastin‘s ‘Good Night’ and Guy Sebastian‘s ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’.
Matt Corby‘s experiencing some chart wonder with his EP Into The Flame climbing to a new peak of #33. This is the strummy la la artist’s biggest commercial success yet. He really is the new Lisa Mitchell-style success story from our Idol franchise.
Watch Matt‘s video for ‘Untitled’, a track featured on his Into The Flame EP. Side bar: I would totally do him.
Pink‘s beige ballad ‘Bridge of Light’ plummets to #34 on our ARIA charts – not surprising given its diminishing radio rotation. Her last single to miss our Top 20 was ‘I Don’t Believe You’, which peaked at #23 back in 2009.
Ricki-Lee‘s glorious ‘Raining Diamonds’ is probably set to retire soon. The underrated smash falls to #39 this week after clocking six weeks in our ARIA Top 50. Our gurl can still probably treat herself to a few Gasp dresses this Christmas – ‘Raining Diamonds’ has been certified gold sales for selling over 35,000 copies.
Cher Lloyd‘s summery smash ‘With Ur Love’ rises to a new peak of #43 on our Aussie charts. Snaps to the ‘Swagger Jagger’ singer for snagging herself an American recording contract with L.A. Reid‘s label Epic Records. I’m sure you’ll agree that her seriously on point debut album Sticks + Stones deserve some proper Stateside attention – check out where it lands on my Feed Limmy Top 30 Albums of 2011 list.
Watch Cher Lloyd do one of my favourite tracks ‘Want U Back’ acoustic style:
will.i.am‘s ‘T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)’ blasts back into the ARIA Top 100 at #57 this week, thanks to interest surrounding the A-grade music video. Over in the States, ‘T.H.E.’ sinks to #193 on the Hot Digital Songs chart but we’ll see this Thursday if it cops a resurrection there too.
Lady Gaga‘s Born This Way album returns to our ARIA Top 50, probably thanks to the Christmas rush. Same goes for Katy Perry‘s Teenage Dream. Y’all know there are loads of unimaginative grown ups buying these records for their nieces and daughters. Meanwhile at the singles bar, Gaga’s two recent singles ‘You and I’ and ‘Marry The Night’ exit the Top 100 while ‘Born This Way’ and ‘The Edge of Glory’ keep selling. Born This Way: The Remix sinks to #100 on our ARIA Top 100.
Little Mix‘s winner’s single ‘Cannonball’ debuts at #1 in the UK, clocking 210,000 opening week sales to become the fastest selling single of 2011. The recently crowned British X Factor champs made history this week as the first girl group to go #1 in the UK since Girls Aloud‘s ‘The Promise’ in 2008. Damien Rice‘s original ‘Cannonball’ rides on the coattails back to #19 on the UK charts this week.
Leona Lewis‘ new single EP ‘Hurt’ enters at #8 in the UK, making it the second biggest new release there this week. It is also incidentally Leona‘s eighth UK Top 10 placement.
Watch an acoustic performance ‘Hurt’, which was recorded on the star’s recent webchat:
Jessie J‘s ‘Who You Are’ is bowled out of the UK Top 20 this week, tumbling from #9 to #21. Speaking of drastic drops – the latest X Factor charity single ‘Wishing On A Star’ sinks from #2 to #17, and Emeli Sandé‘s ‘Daddy’ falls from #43 to #76.
Kelendria Trene Rowland‘s Here I Am nosedives from a tepid peak of #43 to #63 on the UK charts this week. Totally not surprised to see it go down that hard. Meanwhile, the smash single ‘Down For Whatever’ leaves the UK Top 20.
Take That‘s Progress Live tour DVD is still the biggest selling music DVD in the UK but over in the US and Australia, Adele‘s Live at The Royal Albert Hall continues to reign on top. Lady Gaga‘s The Monster Ball tour sits at #13 on the UK music DVD charts but does better at #2 in Australia and #3 in the US. Beyoncé’s Live at Roseland DVD falls from #8 to #18 in the UK and from #4 to #6 in Australia but stays strong at #2 in the US.
Check out Queen Bey performing the life-defining ‘I Was Here’:
Michael Buble‘s Christmas album continues to rake in the chips with a 64% sales increase in its third week on top of the US Billboard 200. The lucrative seasonal album sold 479,000 copies in America in the last week, making it the crooner’s biggest #1 album yet. You really wonder why he hadn’t put out a Christmas album before. Buble‘s Christmas is also simultaneously topping the UK and Australian album charts.
The Black Keys have the highest selling new album in America with El Camino debuting at #2. It’s remarkably the rock band’s biggest commercial success yet – clocking over 206,000 first week sales. This is very much an improvement on last year’s Brothers, which entered at #3 with 73,000 copies.
Amy Winehouse‘s posthumous album Lioness: Hidden Treasures debuts at #5 in the US, off the back of 114,000 opening week sales. This is the late soul singer’s biggest chart debut ever. Mind you, Back to Black entered at #7 but eventually climbed to #2 on the Billboard 200.
Watch a mini doco about Amy Winehouse‘s Hidden Treasures:
Glee‘s season three Volume 7 album gives the franchise their lowest first-week sales yet for a regular compilation (ie. Volumes 1 – 7). The record comes in at #9 on the US Billboard 200 with 58,000 copies sold. The only other Glee releases to have opened with fewer copies were the Rocky Horror Glee EP (48,00) and The 3D Concert Movie soundtrack (20,000). We done here.
Robin Thicke‘s Love After War album debuts at #22 on the US Billboard 200, making this the sexy soul man’s first album to miss the Top 20 since his 2006 breakthrough. Love After War opened with 42,000 first week sales – a far cry from his last album Sex Therapy, which opened with 123,000 copies almost exactly two years ago.
Katy Perry‘s ‘The One That Got Away’ is starting to show its desperation to go #1. There’s the introduction of a rent-a-rapper remix featuring B.o.B. now impacting media – a trick she’s run up on with the last two singles (see: ‘Last Friday Night’ with Missy Elliott and ‘E.T.’ with Kanye West).
But then there’s also a drastic price slash on iTunes! All up, the discounted price managed to only push ‘The One That Got Away’ up to #6 on the US Digital Song chart with a 24% sales increase (117,000 copies). In the UK, ‘The One That Got Away’ rises to #20 but remains at its current peak of #27 in Australia for the second week in a row.
Listen to the odd new B.o.B remix of ‘The One That Got Away’:
Kelly Clarkson‘s ‘I’ll Be Home For Christmas’ enters the US Billboard 100 at #93. Meanwhile her next actual smash ‘What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)’ drops to #200 on the US Digital Song charts.
That kinda fuckery’s not tolerated here in Australia because we evidently can’t get enough of the song. ‘Stronger’ has been all over radios and it’s also thankfully rising up the ARIA charts to a new peak of #37.
Estelle‘s ‘Thank You’ leaps to #47 on the US R&B/Hip Hop song chart. It’s obvious that the British hip hop/soul siren’s been struggling to make an impact recently. Her last few singles ‘Freak’, ‘Fall in Love’ and ‘Break My Heart’ have all flopped, relegating the album to be pushed back for a February 2012 release.
Listen to Estelle‘s amazingly personal ‘Thank You’:
Jennifer Hudson‘s uplifting new single ‘I Got This’ plonks itself at #91 on the US R&B/Hip Hop song chart this week. Apart from ‘Where You At’ which made a meagre #64, none of the other I Remember Me singles have cracked the US Billboard Hot 100. Don’t hold your breath for this one. At least she can lay claim to one more appearance in ‘Night of Your Life’ (with David Guetta), which peaked at #81 a few months ago.
Beyoncé‘s ‘Countdown’ reigns wild at #1 on the US Billboard Dance/Club play charts. I sense that this single – as amazing as it truly is – will never see the mainstream success it deserves. ‘Countdown’ is out of the US Billboard Hot 100, overshadowed by ‘Party’ which is placed at #55. Over in the UK and Australia, ‘Love On Top’ takes precedence.
Wynter Gordon‘s flawless ‘Buy My Love’ has risen to an exciting new peak of #2 on the US Dance/Club play charts. Fuck me, this is gonna be bigger than ‘Til Death’. I am so happy for my gurl. Hopefully this will lead to some long awaited mainstream crossover in the States. Over in the UK, ‘Dirty Talk’ moves up to #35 on the dance charts this week. Very interesting belated development given that the song’s already been moving all year round.
Gloria Estefan‘s ‘Hotel Nacional’ debuts at #29 on the US Dance/Club play charts – making it the highest new entry there this week. I am so glad they went with this as her next single. It should speak to lovers of ‘We Speak No Americano’ and hopefully drive more people to check out Miss Little Havana, which made Feed Limmy’s Top 30 Albums of 2011.
Listen to a preview of ‘Hotel Nacional (Ralphi Rosario Club Mix)’:
Reece Mastin‘s ‘Good Night’ has been booted off the #1 spot by previous chart topper LMFAO‘s ‘Sexy and I Know It’. The teen X Factor winner’s been out promoting his mandatory cover’s album so we should see that effortlessly enter our Top 5 next Monday.
Watch them pitch Reece as just a regular rock band front man in the ‘Good Night’ music video:
Pink‘s ‘Bridge of Light’ is the biggest new single in Australia this week, debuting at #26. Just further proof that Aussies will lap up anything Pink these days, however beige and redundant the single may be.
Ricki-Lee‘s ‘Raining Diamonds’ isn’t seeing fortunes turn around after the music video finally dropped. She’s looking flawless as ever but the video has only garnered over 6,200 views in five days. Meanwhile, not that it’s necessarily fair to compare, Reece Mastin‘s video managed over 46,000 views in almost the same amount of time.
‘Raining Diamonds’ picks up to #34 on the ARIA singles chart this week but fails to secure any more radio support. The runaway smash sunk from #25 to #31 on the Aussie airplay charts (between 1 to 7 December).
Listen to ‘Raining Diamonds (Kreap’s Italo Disco Hammer Mix)’ done by Melbourne producer Kreap:
Timomatic‘s ‘Set It Off’ cracks our ARIA Top 50 at #39 this week. The Jason DeRulo-style dance/pop track is also the biggest gainer on our airplay charts (between 1 to 7 December), rising to #35.
Cher Lloyd‘s ‘With Ur Love’ (featuring Mike Posner) finally cracks our ARIA Top 50 at #48 this week. Meanwhile her series mates One Direction‘s ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ holds on at #11 and their album Up All Night drops to #10. I wouldn’t have believed it if y’all told me this time last year that we’d have two UK X Factor contestants in our Top 50.
The Potbelleez‘s new single ‘Feed Off Me’ debuts at #42 on our ARIA club charts. Surely this would have to be it from the album, right? Watch the gang’s video for ‘Feed Off Me’:
Adele‘s 21 has now been certified 10x platinum sales in Australia, so that’s over 700,000 copies for those counting on fingers and toes. Her first tour DVD Live at The Royal Albert Hall is #1 on our ARIA Music DVD chart for the second week running.
Over in the US, Live At The Royal Albert Hall is now the best-selling music DVD of 2011, cancelling all its competitors after just one week on the shelves. Live At The Royal Albert Hall managed to sell 96,000 copies in the last week, making it the biggest one-week sales for a music DVD in four years. Coming in next best in this year’s music DVD race is AC/DC‘s Live at River Plate (73,000 copies) and Beyoncé‘s I Am… World Tour (63,000 copies).
Beyoncé‘s Live at Roseland debuts at #4 on our ARIA music DVD chart this week. Meanwhile, Lady Gaga‘s The Monster Ball Tour holds tight at #2, Kylie‘s Aphrodite Les Folies – Live in London drops from #3 to #7 and Britney‘s Femme Fatale Tour fizzes from #8 to #21.
Over in the US, Live at Roseland remains at #2 on the DVD charts while Gaga‘s The Monster Ball slides to #3 and Britney‘s Femme Fatale business dips to #5. Kylie‘s Aphrodite Les Folies has interestingly debuted at #17 to be one of the biggest new music DVDs out in the week.
Watch Kylie slaying ‘Cupid Boy’ with her pack of gays – this should’ve been a single:
Susan Boyle can probably put in a down payment for a private jet now with her album sales steadily climbing in the Christmas buying period. The new album Someone To Watch Over Me sits tight at #3 on our ARIA charts while her first album I Dreamed A Dream climbs back up to #52 and The Gift to #83.
Over in the US, Someone To Watch Over Me moves back up to #16 on the Billboard 200 while its predecessor The Gift leaps from #45 to #29.
Amy Winehouse‘s first posthumous album Lioness: Hidden Treasures debuts at #8 in Australia this week. Further down, Back to Black re-enters at #89. Over in the UK, Lioness enters at #1 to become the fourth biggest debut this year, with 194,966 opening week sales. The project’s new single ‘Our Day Will Come’ debuts at #29.
Glee‘s Glee: The Music Volume 7 debuts at #18 in Australia this week, making this their lowest charting compilation yet of the seven. I am, of course, excluding their Christmas albums and other supplementary records. Over in the UK, Volume 7 debuts at a disappointing #58.
Meanwhile in the States, the Glee gang sent five new entries into the Billboard Hot 100 and it reads as such: ‘Perfect’ (originally by Pink) at #57, ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ at #59, ‘I Kissed A Girl’ at #66, ‘I’m The Only One’ (originally by Melissa Etheridge) at #86 and ‘Constant Craving’ (originally by k.d. lang) at #89. Glee Cast‘s cover of ‘Perfect’ is the most downloaded new song on the digital charts. Check back next Monday to see where Volume 7 lands on the American album charts.
Check out Glee’s cover of ‘Fuckin’ Perfect’:
Kelly Clarkson‘s Stronger bows out of the ARIA Top 20 after seven weeks. Meanwhile over at the singles bar, ‘What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)’ edges up to #41 while ‘Mr Know It All’ plummets to #35.
Elsewhere, Stan Walker‘s Let The Music Play nosedives from #27 to #61 on our ARIA Top 100 in its third week while Sade‘s The Ultimate Collection re-enters at #85 after playing several dates around the country last week.
Lady Gaga‘s ‘Marry The Night’ finally bounces back into our ARIA charts at, well, #100 this week. *Snortcackles* Her massively successful Born This Way album also made a move back up from #71 to #53 this week while the remix album slumps to #79.
Over in the US, ‘Marry The Night’ manages a mighty leap from #59 to #32 in its fourth week in the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile her live Christmas EP – A Very Gaga Holiday – tumbles from #52 to #135 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Born This Way: The Remix sinks to #188.
Listen to ‘Marry The Night (Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike Remix)’:
Rebecca Ferguson‘s Heaven made a formidable debut at #3 on the UK charts with 128,458 first week sales. Amazon has revealed that Rebecca‘s album has garnered more pre-orders than any other contestant from the UK X Factor 2010 cast. Heaven beat advance sales of Matt Cardle‘s Letters by 181%, One Direction‘s Up All Night by 11% and Cher Lloyd‘s Stick + Stones by 571%. Bam! Becca, you better werk.
Beyoncé‘s 4 picks up pace in the UK after ITV aired her amazing pre-recorded special: A Night With Beyoncé, sending the album from #49 to #26 with 24,115 copies sold during the week. Further down, I Am… Sasha Fierce also comes bolting back up at #81.
Watch Bey deliver an emotional rendition of ‘I Care’ and ‘I Miss You’ for A Night withBeyoncé *crying and shaking*:
Kelly Rowland‘s Here I Am has thankfully picked up to a new peak of #43 on the UK charts before the end of her X Factor run. The smash single ‘Down For Whatever’ drops to #13 in its third week.
Olly Murs‘ moment of validation is finally here. His new single ‘Dance With Me Tonight’ finally claims the UK #1 slot after being cock blocked by Rihanna and the X Factor charity single in the last two weeks.
Mariah Carey‘s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ makes its annual appearance on the charts, rising to #12 in the UK this week. Further down there are a tonne of other seasonal numbers showing up too. Highlights include: Coldplay‘s ‘Christmas Lights’ entering at #66, Michael Buble‘s ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’ shooting up to #99 and Kylie‘s old ‘Santa Baby’ debuting at #100.
Meanwhile, I’ve rewatched this like a thousand times in the last 24 hours. That’s Christmas spirit for ya!
Michael Buble‘s unbeatable Christmas album clocks its second week on top of the US Billboard 200, with overall sales now passing the 1 million mark. It’s now the seventh album to sell over a million copies in the US this year.
Mary J. Blige‘s My Life II… The Journey Continues (Act 1) [Editor’s note: what a fucking indulgent album title] slides to #6 in its second week, suffering a 54% sales drop. Meanwhile, Mary‘s new singles move up the US R&B/Hip Hop chart: ’25/8’ rises to #39 and ‘Mr Wrong’ (with Drake) edges to #41.
Rihanna‘s Talk That Talk cops a 66% sales drop in its second week in the US. ‘We Found Love’ may still be the #1 single for six weeks running, but the album has slumped from #3 to #7, registering 68,000 second week sales.
‘We Found Love’ is the first song by any artist to stay at #1 for six or more weeks in both the US and UK since ‘Umbrella’. That’s two massive long-staying chart toppers for RiRi in this century. Could she possibly be the biggest singles artist in the Western world?
Meanwhile, ‘You Da One’ rises to #18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 while title track ‘Talk That Talk’ sinks from #31 to #77.
Listen to ‘You Da One (Liam Keegan Remix)’:
Robin Thicke‘s Love After War album should start charting on the US Billboard 200 later this week but if it’s any indication of interest, both its singles are steady rising up the R&B/Hip Hop charts: ‘Love After War’ making #20 and ‘Pretty Lil’ Heart’ featuring Lil Wayne at #70.
Katy Perry‘s ‘The One That Got Away’ drops to #7 this week after peaking at #5 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Well, show’s over – I guess. Nothing left to see here. But wait, from what I’ve heard, the song has been discounted to 69 cents on the US iTunes store and if you couple this with the increased radio airplay, things should technically improve for ‘The One That Got Away’ in the coming week. Plus, Katy‘s hosting of Saturday Night Live should generate enough publicity to help this single get back its footing.
Listen to ‘The One That Got Away (R3hab Remix)’:
Bruno Mars‘ ‘It Will Rain’ sits at #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 but goes on to top the digital charts. The ballad, which was featured on The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1, is the first song from a movie soundtrack to go #1 on the US digital charts since Taylor Swift‘s ‘Today Was A Fairytale’ (which was launched from the Valentine’s Day soundtrack).
Jay-Z and Kanye West‘s ‘Ni**as in Paris’ leaps to #8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 after 17 weeks on the charts. Impressively, this is now Jay’s 18th US Top 10 hit. His first appearance was all the way back in 1997 as a feature rapper on Foxy Brown‘s I’ll Be’. Where is she now?
T-Pain featuring Wiz Khalifa and Lily Allen‘s ‘5 O’Clock’ rises to #8 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making this Lily Allen‘s first ever appearance in the American Top 10. I mean, it’s not like they don’t know who she is over there – her first album Alright, Still managed to go #20 and 2009’s It’s Not Me, It’s You made #5 on the US Billboard 200.
Watch the music video for ‘5 O’Clock’:
Nicki Minaj‘s buzz single ‘Roman in Moscow’ may be a muhfuggin’ hot mess but it’s managed to debut at a decent #64 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #84 in the UK. This is the first a few new material we can expect on Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – the beefy repackaged edition of her hit album that’s due on 14 Febuary.
Will.i.Am‘s ‘T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)’ nosedives from #36 to #90 in its second week on the US Billboard Hot 100. Here in Australia, it falls out of the Top 100 altogether after just a week. Bye, bitch.
Check out the big budget music video for ‘T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)’:
Enrique Iglesias clocks his fourth US #1 Dance/Club play smash from the Euphoria era with ‘I Like How It Feels’ (featuring Pitbull and The WAV.s) ascending to the top. Past club chart toppers include: ‘Dirty Dancer’, ‘Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You)’ and ‘I Like It’.
Wynter Gordon‘s ‘Buy My Love’ ascends to #4 on the US Dance/Club play chart. This is now mah gurl’s third top five dance smash following ‘Til Death’s placement at #3 and of course, ‘Dirty Talk”s reign at #1.
Deborah Cox is back, bitches, and her new single ‘If It Wasn’t For Love’ is the biggest new entry on the dance/club play charts this week, entering at #27.
Listen to ‘If It Wasn’t For Love (Mixin Marc & Tony Svejda Original Mix)’:
Other notable debuts in this neck of the charts include Ultra Nate and Michelle Williams‘ ‘Waiting On You’ (#41). Fuck yeah, Tenitra! Plus, David Guetta and Sia‘s ‘Titanium’ crashing in at #42 while Britney‘s ‘Criminal’ remixes arrive at a lowly #50.
Gotye and Kimbra‘s ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ is once again on the edge of chart-defining glory. As y’all know, I don’t usually care to report on serial #1 space invaders but when they clock a major milestone, it’s only polite to acknowledge and golf clap. ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ is now the longest staying #1 ARIA single by an Aussie artist since Savage Garden‘s ‘Truly Madly Deeply’ in 1997. If it remains at #1 this time next week, it’d be an equal tie with ‘Truly Madly Deeply’ which reigned for eight consecutive weeks at #1. ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ has also gone #1 in Netherlands and New Zealand. Gotye‘s Making Mirrors is perched at #3 on the ARIA albums chart this week while Kimbra‘s own Vows slides to #8. The Kiwi songbird’s third single ‘Good Intent’ becomes the eighth most added new song to Aussie radios this week.
Adele has now clocked over 10 million sales worldwide for her defining 21 album. That’s 10 million copies in the nine months it has been out – three million of those coming from the US alone where she has experienced unprecedented chart success this year. It is quite easily the best selling album in the UK,US and Australia this year with Lady Gaga‘s Born This Way being the next best contender. 21 hangs on to #1 in Australia this week, beating off five new entries in the Top 20 who all fell in line accordingly: The JezabelsPrisoners (#2), Lady AntebellumOwn The Night (#5), The FunkoarsThe Quickening (#11), OpethHeritage (#12) and Pearl Jam‘s Twenty soundtrack (#14). Over on the Aussie singles chart, Adelegend is turning tables on her three Top 20 hits. The newest one ‘Set Fire To The Rain’ leaps to #11 while past glories ‘Someone Like You’ and ‘Rolling In The Deep’ slide off to #12 and #14 respectively.
I know I normally embed performances or music videos in my Chart Feed but today I’m feeling like a little Adele cacklefest. Y’all don’t mind, right? It’s Monday. Treat yourself to this side-splitting compilation of her funnies:
Coldplay‘s ‘Paradise’ rises to #37 on our ARIA charts this week but y’all can expect for shit to pick up because it was the third most added new track to Aussie radios this week. Over in the US, ‘Paradise’ is the biggest new entry debuting at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band’s much-hyped new album Mylo Xyloto arrives on 21 October in Australia – the same day as Darren Hayes‘ Secret Codes and Battleships, Kelly Clarkson‘s Stronger and Washington‘s I Believe You Liar/Insomnia repackage. It’ll be a hectic week for new releases, won’t it? Well, it depends on who you ask.
Darren Hayes‘ second Aussie single from this era – ‘Bloodstained Heart’ – is still a no show in the ARIA Top 100. I don’t see it slapped on the front of our iTunes store beside new releases from the aforementioned artists. Do people actually know it is out? ‘Bloodstained Heart’ is understandably not in our Aussie iTunes Top 200 and I am a little startled to see it overtaken by other new tracks like Demi Levato‘s ‘Fix A Heart’ and Emeli Sandé‘s ‘Heaven’. Well, if it’s any consolation, at least he’s still got a cracking loyal fan base.
Bryan Adams‘ new album Bare Bones enters at #38 this week after shocking the nation with his X Factor appearance last week. The general Twitter consensus was basically, a) “he hasn’t aged well” and b) “how good is ‘When You’re Gone’ – like, still?”
Jessie J‘s Who You Are album cops a surprise sales surge this week, possibly thanks to renewed interest via her current Top 10 single ‘Domino’ – which mind you, isn’t actually included on the album. We can also weigh in on the X Factor bump – remember Young Men’s Societyperformed her smash ‘Price Tag’ last Monday night? Meanwhile, if one is to forecast – ‘Who You Are’, her major tear jerker ballad, is set to impact UK markets on 7 November. It’ll serve as the album’s fifth overall single.
The Wanted‘s ‘Glad You Came’ breaks the Aussie Top 20, as I predicted last week. This is some well deserved success for the lads who came out on a promo trip two weeks ago, pretty much building mainstream awareness from scratch after a year of online buzz from the UK.
Check out the video for The Wanted‘s next single ‘Lightning’, which will arrive on British store fronts on 30 October:
David Guetta and Sia‘s ‘Titanium’ returns to our ARIA Top 5 this week after reigning as the most played song on Sydney radios last week. It’s funny how different Guetta tracks take precedence at different parts of the world. It seems like the US and UK crowds are losing their minds to the Usher collabo ‘Without You’ (which, mind you, is also a ARIA Top 10 smash here) but no one else seems to get ‘Titanium’ like we do. Sia is very much still an Aussie thing. Is she that much of an acquired taste? Nothing But The Beat clings to #4 position in Australia and #7 in the UK, but drops from #18 to #39 on the US Billboard Hot 200.
Vanessa Amorosi‘s ‘Amazing’ drops to #20 on the ARIA Australian singles chart. Well, we can expect for things to pick up after her AFL Grand Final warble this week, right? Meanwhile, ‘Amazing’ is nowhere to be found in the ARIA Top 100 and neither is another new smash ‘Big’ by Sneaky Sound System, which appeared at #15 on our ARIA Australian singles chart this week. At least the ‘Big’ remixes are tearing up the club charts. They just moved to a new peak of #4 there.
Altiyan Childs‘ new single ‘Ordinary Man’ – which was penned by Ryan Tedder – shows up at #159 on our Aussie iTunes chart. Was anyone actually notified of its release? This promo campaign really could be a whole lot better. Can I just say, I know the song’s sounding more contemporary than the old school rocker vibe he normally gives but I really dig it. ‘Ordinary Man’ was despatched to Aussie radios last week alongside current Aussie X Factor judge Natalie Bassingthwaighte‘s new single ‘All We Have’ and Sophie Ellis-Bextor‘s ‘Starlight’ [Editor’s note: !!! at the latter].
Take a look at Altiyan‘s video for ‘Ordinary Man’, which was directed by Peter Ireland who has admittedly done far more exquisite clips for Aussie artists like Brendan Maclean (‘Cold and Happy’) and Scott Spark (‘Fail Like You Mean It’):
Kelly Clarkson‘s ‘Mr Know It All’ isn’t exactly moving in the right direction. The lovely new piece slips to #28 here this week while over in the US, it registers a worrying drop from its #18 debut last week to #35. You’ve all seen the nice-ish screen grabs from the forthcoming music video, right? Let’s hope the whole thing surfaces soon enough.
Dev‘s ‘In The Dark’ ascends to #46 in Australia this week, making this her first solo appearance here. The single also rose to #16 over in the US, which is probably sufficient to help the girl shed her feature creature persona. You wanna have hits of your own, don’t you? Meanwhile, a similarly styled track – ‘Mr Saxobeat’ by Alexandra Stan – makes a belated leap to #19 in Australia this week, carving itself a new peak while over in the States, success is mirrored in a new position of #29 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Side bar: call it premonition but I sense something wicked this way comes. If some Dev and Havana Brown collabo is to eventuate over the next 12 months, please remember you heard it here first. Dev‘s next appearance will be on Demi Levato‘s single ‘Who’s That Boy’.
Check out Dev‘s stylish video for ‘In The Dark’ here:
Havana Brown‘s bilious new single ‘Get It’ sinks to #47 in its second week. The unimaginative club stomper is once again produced by More Mega and co-written by Cassie Davis, the team who delivered excellence in her breakthrough single ‘We Run The Night’. The video for ‘Get It’ is set to drop this week and with any luck, the DJ-ing memaw might win me over with her stunning video vixenry once again. If these glowing words of review have inspired you to find out more about Ms Havana, please don’t hesitate to check out this interview she did with my friends at auspOp.
Alexis Jordan returns to our Top 50 via Sean Paul‘s ‘Got 2 Luv U’ this week at #48, almost a month ahead of its UK release. The single also managed to debut at #99 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Look, I’m really not wild about this song in any way shape or form. I still don’t get how the world slept on her stunning last single ‘Hush Hush’ but as far as I’m concerned, we’re done with Ms Jordan’s album. Well, apparently it’s not up to me because the project’s yielding its fourth single ‘How You Like Me Now’ in the next month or so. There you go.
Wynter Gordon‘s flawless ‘Buy My Love’ is set to hit the UK on 24 October while the long-awaited With The Music I Die album arrives 7 November. Both single and album are nowhere to be found in our Aussie Top 100 at the moment which is extremely tragic. Just like Alexis, Ms Diana Gordon found solo success in Australia with her first two singles, went to notch a Top 50 charting collabo, but failed to see their ace third singles do better. I refuse to believe it’s the end of an era for With The Music I Die here but I feel like I might be only one left stanning.
Florence + The Machine‘s roof-raising new single ‘Shake It Out’ becomes the fourth most added new song to Aussie radios this week. By the looks of things, this should have no problem bettering the success of its predecessor ‘What The Water Gave Me’. The flame-haired warbler will launch her sophomore Ceremonials next month.
Y’all can listen to ‘Shake It Out’ here:
N Dubz‘s Dappy enters the UK charts at #1 this week with his debut solo single ‘No Regrets’. He’s been fast working on his solo album while the group’s on hiatus [Editor’s note: his cousin and band mate Tulisa is a judge on X Factor, in case you’ve been living under a boulder the size of Ghana]. The spanking new entry is yet another week of scorn for Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera‘s ‘Moves Like Jagger’, who’s still fighting hard at #2 just like they are here in Australia. Will they ever ascend to the top?
Jason DeRulo‘s cringeworthy ‘It Girl’ enters at #4 in the UK, ahead of his sophomore album’s arrival. Future History will come out in stages around the globe – first arriving in Australia last Friday, then it’ll hit US stores tomorrow, before finally coming to UK audiences on 10 October.
The Saturdays‘ ‘All Fired Up’ tumbles to #15 in the UK this week. Look, I didn’t actually expect for it to stick around the Top 20 for this long, given the band’s reputation as front-heavy sellers. The girls’ next move is said to be a track titled ‘Heart Takes Over’. Meanwhile, Sugababes4.0 seem to have given up on their ‘Freedom’ campaign, offering the single up for a free download. The tale of two British girl bands – watch this space.
Nicola Roberts‘ utterly irresistable new single ‘Lucky Day’ debuts at #40 on the UK charts, easily becoming the lowest charting solo Girls Aloud release since Nadine‘s ‘Sweetest High’ which by the way didn’t enter any Top 100 whatsoever. This embarrassing floppage really shouldn’t be happening. I see Team Ginge going hard on promo with various TV appearances but with virtually no radio support for ‘Lucky Day’, it’s no surprise that it charted where it did. Nicola’s Cinderella’s Eyes comes out in the UK today and despite being one of the best pop album’s I’ve heard all year, I’m really not holding my breath for a Top 20 entry. I don’t think my heart can handle charting this era any more. I’m just gonna excuse myself now and rock back ‘n’ forth in a corner listening to ‘Yo Yo’ on repeat.
Check out Nicola‘s G-A-Y performance of ‘Beat of My Drum’ last Saturday. It kicks in at the 1:30 mark or so.
UK X Factor has once again rejuvenated interest in some forgotten gems with their hit auditions. Damien Rice‘s ‘Cannonball’ bullets to #9 this week, Jennifer Hudson‘s Dreamgirls classic ‘Love You I Do’ charts for the first time at #80, while K-Ci and JoJo‘s 90’s anthem ‘All My Life’ returns at #89.
Kasabian‘s Velociraptor enters the UK charts at #1 this week, leading a string of notable new album entries – ie: Tony Bennett‘s Duets II (#5 – his much-hyped Amy Winehouse collabo ‘Body & Soul’ sits at #67 there and debuts at #97 in Australia this week), Christina Perri‘s completely forgettable Lovestrong (#9) and Tori Amos‘ rather orchestral Night of Hunters (#27).
Will Young‘s Echoes is still holding tight to the UK Top 10 as radio support for the album’s first smash ‘Jealousy’ still stays strong. Meanwhile, for those looking ahead, the project’s next single ‘Come On’ will arrive on 21 November. That gives us something to look forward to, right? I secretly want for Will to release ‘I Just Want A Lover’ as a sly club promo. Y’know, just as a little treat on the side while he satiates the adult contemporary crowd with stuff like ‘Come On’? Side bar: ‘Come On’ is a cover of a 2009 Kish Mauve single. The British electro pop duo’s last mainstream crossover was when Kylie covered their track ‘2 Hearts’ some four years ago.
Melanie C appears to have picked the next single to set sail from The Sea [Editor’s note: this album title is the pun-gift that keeps giving, innit?] ‘Weak’ has appeared on the UK release schedule with a drop date of 7 November. This whole era is floundering so bad and frankly, I feel that ‘Burn’ would’ve been the stronger choice of ballad. Why the ominous ‘Weak’?
Check out Old Sporty performing her current single ‘Think About It’ on Alan Tirchmarsh. So very plain.
The Wombats are set to release one of my favourite Modern Glitch tracks ‘1996’ on 7 November in the UK, making it the sixth single launched from this era. What’s their motivation with multiple singles, really? The lead ‘Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)’ managed to go #23 in the UK last year but all its successors haven’t done any better. ‘Jump Into The Fog’ made #35, ‘Anti D’ peaked at #42, ‘Techno Fan’ went #60 and the last one ‘Our Perfect Disease’ was launched last month to no effect.
Leona Lewis scores her very first US Billboard Dance/Club play #1 with ‘Collide’. Meanwhile over in the UK, she drops to #18 on the singles chart and nope, she’s nowhere to be found in our Aussie ARIA Top 100. Thanks for asking, though. I know if it had been adult contemporary slash Ryan Tedder-aided Leona track then Aussie radios would have no problem spinning it but LeLew doing Ibiza-fashioned dance? It’s a tough pitch. Even though our Top 40 is arguably more dance inclined than ever before, it’s a certain sleazy and frenetic kind of dance music that thrives – not the wholesome, euphoric vocal pop variety that ‘Collide’ or even Kylie‘s ‘Put Your Hands Up’ (another US #1 dance smash) is. Side bar: Avicii is set to drop his “version” of ‘Collide’ titled ‘Fade Into Darkness’ next week in the UK – perhaps that will conquer the dance charts over there?
Jennifer Lopez‘s brilliant ‘Papi’ ascends to #19 on the US Billboard Dance/Club play charts. With all hopes dashed for a full scale tour after she signed on for another season of American Idol, I really don’t know what the future holds for ‘Papi’. Let’s hope her delightful set at the iHeartRadio festival yesterday inspired some kind of sales action.
Take a look at her first ever live performance of ‘Papi’. The jury’s still out on whether she’s just getting better with singing live or if it’s merely a pre-recorded live vocals we’re hearing here:
Rihanna‘s ‘California King Bed’ drops to #9 on the US dance charts, expect for it to quickly phase out of the scene now that she’s flogging a new dance pop piece in ‘We Found Love’ (featuring Calvin Harris). Love it or loathe it – that Rihanna reign won’t let up, ho! Elsewhere on the dance charts: Luciana‘s ‘I’m Still Hot’ rises to #3 thanks to buzz from that new Betty White remix, Gloria Estefan‘s ‘Wepa’ moves up to #4, and former Pussycat Doll glamazon Jessica Sutta‘s ‘Show Me’ ascends to #14.
Lady Antebellum‘s Own The Night debuts straight in at #1 in the US this week, dislodging the almighty Adele with 347,000 first week sales. This is the biggest first week sales for a country record America has seen since Taylor Swift‘s Speak Now dropped last year.
Beyoncé‘s gonna have to do something fast – her shit’s sinking like dead weight. The platinum-selling new album 4 took a major drop from #9 to #20 on the US Billboard 200 while the dazzling track ‘Love On Top’ is anything but, plummeting to #96 on the US Billboard Hot 100 after just three weeks. Looking on the US Hip Hop/ R&B charts – things aren’t nearly as dramatic: ‘Best Thing I Never Had’ clings to #4, ‘Party’ moves up to #33, ‘Countdown’ pretty much remains at #80 while ‘Love On Top’ charts at #86. Meanwhile across the Atlantic, ‘Countdown’ and ‘Love On Top’ are both slated for UK release on 30 October.
First we saw a US Top 10 singles chart without Katy Perry for the first time in over a year, now the album’s Top 20 is clear of the pyro-titty popstar too with Teenage Dream plunging from #12 to #38. Her California Dreams tour just wrapped its first North American leg last week and now she’s almost through with her first ever concert dates in South America. The second leg of her US tour will kick off in November with a new opening act – Ellie Goulding – after Jessie J recently pulled out due to prolonged foot injury.
Kelly Rowland needs to motivate record buyers a little harder while she’s on tour with Chris Brown. Her current album Here I Am continues to tumble two months after it was released in the States, landing at #85 this week. She’s not opening for the F.A.M.E. tour at every single North American show due to X Factor commitments but damn, you’d think things would pick up now with ‘Lay It On Me’ on the up and coming, right? The new urban single moves up to #47 on the US Hip Hop/R&B charts.
On the flipside, Kelendria shan’t be denied of British chart action for too long. Her first international Here I Am single, ‘Down For Whatever’, will hit UK stores on 30 October. Let’s pray to Her Holiness Michelle Williams for some Aussie radio success. Speaking of Kelendria and Tenitra, y’all need to check this shot of them former children of Destiny backstage at Kelly‘s show with Ms Jennifer Hudson.
Gotye and Kimbra‘s ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ has risen to claim the top spot this week, making him the first Australian artist to go #1 here since Guy Sebastian‘s ‘Who’s That Girl’ earlier this year. ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ is not only the indie pop purveyor’s first chart topper but his first single to crack the ARIA Top 50. Likewise for his partner in crime Kimbra, who has been the hipster community’s best kept secret up until now. It’s an amazing feat for the pair to rise to #1 in only five weeks, racking up platinum sales and earning the support of commercial stations, where they typically would only get rotation on Triple J. Gotye premiered his forthcoming Making Mirrors album on Triple J last night in full, ahead of its release this Friday. The album, in its pre-order state, is currently charting at #7 on iTunes Australia. Kimbra‘s own album Vows will drop locally on 2 September.
Jessica Mauboy‘s ‘Inescapable’ shoots up to #4 this week, making this her first Top 5 hit since ‘Burn’ ascended to #1 in 2009. I know, right? But it’s not like everything in between has flopped or anything. J Mally’s singles are always well-timed and mostly well-supported by Aussie radios, which naturally results in high charting positions. In fact, all her singles have gone Top 20 bar ‘Let Me Be Me’, which was the sixth and final single from Been Waiting (could we blame anyone for not caring?). Keep an eye on next week’s chart to see where the album peaks with the arrival of its deluxe incarnation. If you’re trying to decide if it’s worth your pennies or not, here’s a preview of some new Get ‘Em Girls tracks and my thoughts on the lot. In the two days that counted, Get ‘Em Girls Deluxe has managed to bring the album back to #19 on the Australian Urban charts.
Watch J Mally perform ‘Inescapable’ on Australia’s Got Talent:
Lady Gaga‘s ‘You And I’ is the most added new song to Aussie radios this week. The music video is set to premiere this Thursday. I know she’s always hyping up her latest video to be her best work yet but really, wouldn’t it be impressive if her best video truly was for the single nobody counted on? Elsewhere, Rihanna‘s ‘Cheers (Drink To That)’ rises to #18 in Australia this week, making it her fifth consecutive Top 20 smash here. Every single off the Loud album – bar ‘Man Down’, which wasn’t even serviced to Aussie radios, was it? – has gone Top 20 in Australia, a feat no other RiRi album has ever achieved. Not even the mega Good Girl Gone Bad. Over in the States, ‘Cheers’ shoots up to #50 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Marvin Priest and mah gurl Wynter Gordon‘s ‘Take Me Away’ has finally cracked the Top 50 this week at #32 after a few weeks in the wilderness. The song is getting a bit more radio support so it’s fitting to see it do what it’s doing now. Wynter’s own single ‘Buy My Love’ is set to be released and issued to Aussie radios on 22 August – let’s pray the uptake on that is even greater than what it has been for ‘Take Me Away’.
Watch Marvin Priest and Wynter Gordon‘s ‘Take Me Away’ video. My gurl is looking absolutely smokin’ hawt in it:
Selena Gomez & The Scene‘s ‘Love You Like A Love Song’ cracks the Aussie Top 50 this week at #48. This is actually the Disney pop princess’s second time ever charting this high in our country – ‘Naturally’ made #46 last year. While she’s never really had the same level of radio support as she has in the States and around Asia, Selena’s latest album When The Sun Goes Down managed to debut at #14 here – signifying that she’s most definitely a force to be reckoned with. I don’t know about commercial stations turning the corner to embrace Godmez but Australian gay and lesbian station JOY 94.9 has certainly kept ‘Love You Like A Love Song’ on daytime rotation for a while now. The single also makes a huge jump in the UK, going from #141 to #72 this week. Get ready for the take over.
Boy & Bear‘s Moonfire debuts at #2 in Australia to become the highest selling new album this week, beating the almighty Jay-Z and Kanye West‘s Watch The Throne which came in at #3. The Sydney-based indie rockers have been on the scene for a good year or so now and this is actually a pretty impressive debut for their first album. Last year, they probably piqued a few interests when they opened for Mumford & Sons on their Australian tour and the gang’s EP at the time With Emperor Antarctica managed to chart as high as #63.
Check out Boy & Bear‘s new single ‘Milk & Sticks’:
Zoë Badwi‘s Zoë album debuts at #35 on the ARIA chart and #22 on the digital side this week. I think that’s pretty much expected for an artist that has her heels firmly planted in the dance scene with one crossover single. I look forward to seeing our girl sustain the sales with some heavy touring over the next two months. What’s important is Ms Badwi taking her music out to the scene where it needs to be, where it was designed to be. I’m sure it’d be nice to have another mega radio smash like ‘Freefallin’ – queens, y’all know that I’m eyeballing the next single ‘Until You’re Over Me’ – but at the end of the day, the Zoë album was made to cater for dance audiences. It shall fulfill its destiny accordingly and anything beyond that would be a bonus.
Amy Winehouse and Adele continue their airtight reign of the UK Top 5 this week with the late Wino’s Back to Black still holding on to #1 and Adele’s 21 placed firmly at #2. Frank and 19 are holding down #4 and #5 positions respectively.
Jay-Z & Kanye West‘s Watch The Throne debuts at #3 in the UK, making it the highest selling new album there this week. Watch The Throne was definitely the most downloaded album in the UK and Australia this week, topping the digital charts in both territories. The hip hop moguls’ current single ‘Otis’ slips to #40 in the UK while their Beysus-annointed future single ‘Lift Off’ starts charting at #48. ‘Lift Off’ will be launched to American urban stations next Tuesday.
Cheryl Cole‘s 3 Words album has copped a surprise sale boost this week, re-entering the UK Top 100 at #80 after it had already sold over 900,000 copies in its prime. Nuhdeen will be steady sticking pins in her Chezza voodoo doll now. Speaking of the Geordie Goddess, there’s this delicious piece of goss that she has apparentlyrecorded a will.i.am track originally intended for Cher Lloyd‘s album. What a sneaky ho. Do you see the way she’s thieving away at people’s opportunities? Trust me, she may be laying low after losing her X Factor judging seat but Ms Cole is planning something far bigger and more sinister than Nadine 2.0. We haven’t seen the last of this bitch. All of us stanning for a Girls Aloud reunion will have to topple Cheryl’s empire first.
Dub step duo Nero score their first ever UK #1 hit this week with ‘Promises’. They first caught mainstream media attention after making the shortlist for BBC’s prestigious Sound of 2011 in December alongside other lauded breaking talents like James Blake and Clare Maguire (the winner was Jessie J and look what a year it has been for her). Their chart-topping new entry could not have come at a more surprising juncture with X Factor pop acts JLS and Cher Lloyd having occupied the top spot in previous weeks. So what gives?
Check out the video for ‘Promises’ and rate it for yourselves:
David Guetta and Sia‘s ‘Titanium’ debuts at #16 in the UK and #31 in Australia this week purely off the back of strong digital sales. This epic dance number is already shaping up to be a real contender for Feed Limmy’s Top 10 singles of 2011. I honestly hope the label doesn’t tread too lightly on this success. ‘Titanium’ has the potential to go so much further if it receives the full backing of an official single launch. This needs to be impacting radios already. I’m not content with it being pitched as some digital promo teaser for the album, which I’ll probably hate anyway. ‘Titanium’ is actually turning on pop music fans who aren’t normally inclined to bump Guetta tracks because it’s one of his few singles that aren’t insipidly about getting crunk and picking up chicks. Sista Sia bringeth soul and a hurricane of emotions to the dance floor much in the way Estelle did for Guetta‘s last album gem ‘One Love’.
Jessie J‘s ‘Who’s Laughing Now’ cracks the UK Top 100 this week, entering at #37 after the video surfaced. Expect it to keep rising after the single gets officially released on 21 August. We’re expected to be treated to two new Jessie J tracks in no time, y’all. First up there’s ‘Repeat’, a track on David Guetta‘s forthcoming Nothing But The Beat album, then there’s ‘Domino’ – the Katy Perry-fashioned new summer pop jam slated to hit the States on 30 August (according to Idolator).
Nicole Scherzinger‘s ‘Wet’ rises from #189 to #38 in the UK this week. With any luck, she’ll secure a fourth consecutive Top 3 smash there. Over in the States, ‘Right There’makes a new peak of #15 on the dance/club play charts. Here in Australia, the single hangs tight at its peak of #8. It’s already charting better than its predecessor ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’, which only made it at #17. We can’t really hold that against it, can we? ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’ was most Aussies’ introduction to Nicole’s solo work. It was the perfect appetiser and now that local radios have taken the Scherzinger bait, here comes more.
While we’re on the subject of post-Pussycat Doll work, if you haven’t already inspected Jessica Sutta‘s A-grade new dance/pop single ‘Show Me’ – you absolutely need to. Like, right away. The chorus is giving me life:
Kelly Rowland‘s Here I Am drops 10 places on the US Billboard 200 in its second week to chart at #13. I’ve clocked a couple of stans getting pressed because Kelendria has yet to issue a follow-up single. What is she waiting for? ‘Motivation’, as great as it was for her, has well and truly run its course. Everyone is looking forward to ‘Lay It On Me’ now but there’s still no date set for a radio impact and no sign of a video shoot either. To quote my Twitter friend and beloved pop music fan Richard Eric, ‘Lay It On Me’ is “exactly how Kelly Rowland should sound in 2011: brave, confident, and like somebody who could comfortably lead a group rather than be the second-in-charge like she was back in DC.” Trust.
Greyson Chance – the 13-year old YouTube sensation who rose to fame with his piano-based cover of ‘Paparazzi’ – sees his debut album Hold On ‘Til The Night enter the US Billboard Hot 100 at #29 and digital charts at #14. The album, released through Ellen DeGeneres‘ label eleveneleven, managed to sell 16,185 first week copies in the States off the back of two singles.
Check out his adorable video for ‘Unfriend Me’. It’s the best prepubescent break-up song you’ll ever hear:
Dev‘s second single ‘In The Dark’ has finally cracked the US Billboard Hot 100 at #97. The rent-a-ho for Far East Movement and JLS‘s singles is still hustlin’ hard to get her solo material heard in the States but everything seems to be lining up for her just fine. She’ll gain further exposure as one of the many guests on David Guetta‘s forthcoming album Nothing But The Beat – she’s on a demure, prim and family-friendly track with Timbaland titled ‘I Just Wanna Fuck’. On top of that, Dev‘s debut album The Night The Sun Came Up is set to drop in the UK first on 5 September and later in the US on 20 September.
Kylie Minogue‘s ‘Put Your Hands Up’ shoots up to #2 on the US Dance/Club play charts. So close to reaching #1 and joining the constellation of Aphrodite dance chart toppers. Elsewhere, Britney‘s ‘I Wanna Go’ is the biggest gainer on the club play charts, taking it to a new peak of #3. Wynter Gordon‘s ‘Til Death’ holds tight to the Top 5 placement. Also on the get-go is the new pan-Asian girl band Blush with their debut single ‘Undivided’ featuring Snoop Dogg, ascending to #9 on the dance charts. I am not sold on these ladies, to be honest. But I’ll let you be the judge.
Check out Blush’s beige single ‘Undivided’:
The Wanted‘s ‘Glad You Came’ remains a hot contender on the UK Top 10 but it’s their 2010 debut single ‘All Time Low’ that’s starting to heat up now across the Atlantic. I nearly fell off my chair when I clocked ‘All Time Low’ rising to #21 on the US Billboard Dance/Club charts. I mean, really? Why that mess? I could say the same for Blush. Other surprising dance chart movers include Adele‘s ‘Set Fire to The Rain’ rising to #27 and Jennifer Hudson‘s ‘No One Gonna Love You’ cracking at #47.
Leona Lewis‘ euphoric new single ‘Collide’ debuts at #32 on the US Dance/Club charts this week. Although, I’m not so sure about its future now that Avicii has filed papers to the high court preventing her label, Syco, from releasing ‘Collide’ ahead of his version ‘Fade into Darkness’. To be continued.
Cher Lloyd just inadvertently despatched gigabytes of “fuck you” to all her haters and detractors this morning when her debut single ‘Swagger Jagger’ swooped in to claim the UK #1 spot. The X Factor femmecee’s intensely “disliked” single managed to sell 66,815 copies in its opening week to dislodge fellow show alumni JLS from the top. ‘Swagger Jagger’ was simultaneously released in the US and with chalk all promotion, yet it somehow succeeded in climbing to #992 on the American iTunes charts. Noteworthy, I know. Despite the opening there, Cher told Digital Spy that she isn’t really gagging for a State-side domination (just yet).
“Put it this way, I’m not going to run before I can walk. I hate it when people say ‘cracking the US’ – I actually really don’t mind whether I do or not. I’m not living in the US, I didn’t grow up there, and success out there would be lovely, but I want to conquer this part of the world first.” Sensible lass.
Gotye and Kimbra‘s ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ steps up to #3 on the ARIA charts this week. Y’all do realise that these two are now sharing intimate breathing spaces with the likes of Adele, Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera, right? It is remarkable. Safe to say, the key sales propellant in the last week would have been from both Gotye and Kimbra‘s appearance at Splendour in The Grass.
Check them doing ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ live at Splendour:
Jessica Mauboy‘s ‘Inescapable’ may have snuck in at the rectum of the Top 20 last week but it has crawled its way well up the pipes to land at #10 this week. I don’t think she was droppin’ and poppin’ it at Splendour, so I reckon some other equally effective promo work must’ve taken place in the last week. Our Aussie urban pop princess will be doing an in-store signing at Sanity in Sydney’s Narrelan Town Centre on 13 August to celebrate the launch of her Get ‘Em Girls deluxe package. Go say ‘hi’ and have her sign a boob or something. Side bar: is that where all popstars have to go for in-store signings now that Hum Records on Oxford Street has gone belly up?
Jack Vidgen – our nation’s newly crowned teen vocal talent – sees his debut single ‘Yes I Am’ crack our ARIA charts at #35 this week. After snatching the crown on Australia’s Got Talent, the 14-year old warbler inked a deal with Sony Music Australia and released ‘Yes I Am’ – a track he co-wrote with famed vocal coach Erana Clark (whose CV boasts work on Australian Idol and X Factor‘s super girlband Mahogany). I think it’s terrific that he’s co-written his first single. Let’s hope it secures him a decent sum so that if public interest dries up in three months, he’s still got enough lunch money to last him ’til Year 10. Jack’s production line album of covers will pop out on 19 August. You bet it’ll feature that rousing rendition of Adelegend‘s ‘Set Fire to The Rain’.
Watch young Jack bring some Sunday morning gospel realness with ‘Yes I Am’ live at the AGT finale:
Demi Levato‘s ‘Skyscraper’ cracks our ARIA Top 50 at #45 this week, believe it or not, the song fared better in New Zealand where it debuted at #9 last week. ‘Skyscraper’ scrapes in as the tenth most added new song to Aussie radios this week. The last time I saw something I liked come in that low on the local radio addition list, I held my breath and said a prayer. God evidently did not want to be bothered with such trivial shit around because Nicole Scherzinger‘s ‘Poison’ still went largely slept on by the Australian public.
Rihanna‘s sixth Loud single ‘Cheers (Drink To That)’ is the most added song on Australian radios this week. The song also makes its debut on our ARIA charts at #46 but surely with such early radio support, we can expect for it to go well into the Top 30 next Monday. It has always been so effortless for Rihanna to get a Top 20 hit here. She need not bend over and take up a rapper to make her single hot. It just sells. ‘Cheers (Drink To That)’ starts charting at #91 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Lady Gaga‘s cigarette-totting new single ‘You and I’ is the fifth most added song on Australian radios this week. Things may only be heating up for the single at this stage but as of June, Nielsen Soundscan reports that ‘You and I’ had already sold over 124,000 digital downloads in the States – way before it was confirmed to be the fourth Born This Way single. Meanwhile, ‘The Edge of Glory’ ascends to the top of the US Billboard Dance/Club charts becoming Mother Monster’s tenth consecutive #1 dance single. In fact, as you might’ve already guessed, every single Gaga has put out bar ‘Eh Eh’ (which technically wasn’t issued in the States) has gone #1 on the dance charts.
Marvin Priest and Wynter Gordon‘s ‘Take Me Away’ is the fourth most added new song to Aussie radios this week. As y’all know, my gurl has ‘Buy My Love’ lined up as her next solo single but them new side collabos keep sprouting out like daisies on a well-manured garden bed [Editor’s note: peculiar analogy but I’ll let it slide]. Over the weekend, she premiered a new track with Steve Aoki titled ‘Ladi Dadi’, which will be on Steve’s forthcoming album.
While we wait for ‘Buy My Love’ to impact Australian media, here’s a delicious new remix by Loud Manners (who has done club-ready mixes for the likes of Jessica Mauboy and Zoe Badwi). I am totally living for this:
Adele‘s ‘Someone Like You’ may still be reigning on top of the ARIA charts and sending bitches to the bathroom sobbing every time it comes on at work, but its follow up ‘Set Fire to The Rain’ is quietly bowing out. It’s them cursed dance remixes, I tell ya. ‘Set Fire to The Rain’ only managed to so far peak at #45 in Australia – this week, it slides to #50. This might have something to do with radios not ready to move past ‘Someone Like You’ just yet. Over in the US, the Gossip-styled ‘Rumour Has It’ begins charting at #96 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It would make for a very sensible future US single, working off the success of ‘Rolling In The Deep’.
Alexandra Stan‘s ‘Mr Saxobeat’ debuts at #34 on our Australian digital charts. It really helped having the single strategically placed on the iTunes home page all week, y’all. I caught up with the Romanian dance/pop princess last Tuesday and I’m just about ready to let you have our interview chat. [Editor’s note: highlight – “Alexandra, do you work out to your own music?”]
Benny Benassi‘s ‘Cinema’ propels to #28 on the ARIA charts this week while the brilliant Skrillex remix cracks our digital charts at #40. I actually favour the Skrillex remix more than I do the radio/original version, y’guys. Maybe that’s the song’s destined path of entry into my heart. I mean, I didn’t warm to Kelly Rowland‘s ‘Motivation’ until I fell for the Diplo remix. Sometimes, it takes a good remix to turn the ship around.
Listen to the Skrillex remix of Benny Benassi‘s ‘Cinema’:
The Panics‘ fourth studio album Rain on the Humming Wire is the highest selling new album in Australia this week, debuting at #7. The next biggest new release on the line is Falling In Reverse‘s The Drug In Me Is You at #21. All excellent music I should be checking out rather than revisit Victoria Beckham’s discography.
Darren Hayes‘ ‘Talk Talk Talk’ moves back up the ARIA Australian charts to #18 this week. Y’know, I see Wes Carr up in here, I see Shannon Noll doing his thing, I even see novelty shit like s.mouse happening but I don’t see Vanessa Amorosi‘s ‘Gossip’. Should we send out a search party? I mean, how dire is the situation? She sent out a cute email to her fans last week about her buying a pony and while it made me think that she should be riding it from town to town purveying her single, I think the more dignified approach would be to do more media appearances. PS – “Popstar Rides Pony to Flog Single” would make for a terrific headline. Just saying.
OK, steering back from that V Mama tangent, s.mouse‘s ‘Slap My Elbow’ has debuted at #21 on the UK independent singles chart while Darren Hayes‘ ‘Talk Talk Talk’ cracks further down the line at #35. Isn’t that scary that Angry Boys is having an impact overseas?
The Wanted is doing a splendid job holding onto Top 3 position in the UK but it shan’t be long before they unveil their plans for global domination. According to our friends at auspOp, the five lads are headed to Australia for the first time next month to talk up the single ‘Glad You Came’ and drum up interest in their music. This should be an interesting watch. As it is with every fresh-faced act cracking a foreign market for the first time, it could go either way. First impressions can be hard to manage. I am instantly reminded of Girls Aloud‘s one and only promo trip here circa ‘Biology’. The Wanted‘s label has pushed back the local release date for ‘Glad You Came’ to this coming Friday. Let the talk, talk, talk begin.
Whet your appetites with this performance of ‘Glad You Came’ live on Tonight’s The Night:
Amy Winehouse enjoys a second week of strong posthumous record sales with Back to Black staying on top of the UK charts and Frank rising to #3. Over on the flip side, her singles are falling rapidly down the charts. I guess it doesn’t matter when they’re still selling that many albums. Here’s something her label might want to do if they want to commemorate Wino’s singles – how about pressing limited edition vinyl singles complete with aged, vintage-style sleeves? It’ll make for a very fetch collector’s item, I’m sure.
Christina Perri‘s ‘Jar of Hearts’ shoots from #46 to #17 in the UK this week while over here in Australia, the single still holds tight to the Top 5. I’m glad she’s making such a splash with this track but does anyone know if this woman has any other potential hits in waiting? I clocked a follow up single – ‘Arms’ – but after five months, it hasn’t moved any further than #94 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The video premiered and nothing happened. The album came out and was preceded with four digital promo singles like they’ve staged for Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and Jennifer Lopez‘s heavily anticipated albums but unlike those campaigns, none of Christina’s tracks charted in the Top 100. I don’t know much about algebra but 1 hit + 5 flops don’t equal success.
David Guetta featuring Taio Cruz and Ludacris‘ ‘Little Bad Girl’ leaps to Top 5 of the UK digital charts this week. Meanwhile, while you’re hitting download on that you might’ve noticed another new Guetta track up for grabs. ‘Titanium’ featuring our Aussie indie pop pin-up Sia was launched as the French DJ’s new digital promo single on Friday. It is truly my obsession right now and I don’t think I’ve fallen so hard and so quickly for any Guetta track since Kelly Rowland‘s ‘Commander’.
Take a listen to ‘Titanium’, throw your hands up in the air and beat your chest like King Kong if need be:
Salt N Pepa‘s classic ‘Push It’ has somehow pussy popped its way back to prominence, leaping from #57 to #38 on the UK urban charts this week. News just broke today that the duo are touring Australia in late November to early December, bringing what’s been pitched as a celebration of their ten year anniversary. ‘Push It’, ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’ and ‘Shoop’ – you best believe you’ll be getting your groove on with these memaws.
Robyn‘s Body Talk Pt. 3 EP is still charting pretty strongly amongst newer and heavier compilations on the UK dance Top 20. I am surprised y’all but all sweet feelings are quickly lost when I think of Robyn not re-scheduling her Aussie tour. The depths of my sadness cannot be fathomed. The Swedish pop minx was seen on Jay Leno last week co-flogging Rye Rye‘s ‘Never Be Mine’, which evidently samples her old hit ‘Be Mine!’. Watch the performance here.
Kelly Rowland‘s Here I Am entered at #3 on the US Billboard 200 last Wednesday with a cracking 77,000 first week sales. This is the highest debuting and highest charting album in Kelendria’s solo discography – there’s bound to be plenty of celebratory “champagne spillin’ from the wall”. I know some stans are pressed that Kelly didn’t do enough promo work to ensure a stronger entry but fuck that ignorance, seriously. As she explained in her That Grape Juice interview, it was a tricky time to secure TV promos because several key shows are off air in between seasons right now. I don’t see it bettering its peak of #3 but what I’m sure Team Kelly will do is keep this album selling hard in the long term. Flash opening week sales aren’t everything, you know. Over here in Australia, Here I Am debuts at #15 on our urban charts and #45 on the digital charts.
Joss Stone‘s new independently released album LP1 debuts at #9 in the US, selling over 30,000 first week copies. She managed to pull off some decent TV performances to fanfare her return – check: Regis and Kelly, Jay Leno and Craig Ferguson. LP1 is Mama Stone’s third consecutive Top 10 album in the States and it’s actually her second highest chart placement since 2007’s Introducing… Joss Stone.
Katy Perry‘s ‘Last Friday Night (TGIF)’ was hyped to snatch the top spot last week instead, it stayed at its current peak of #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100. There’s a bit of pressure for Pyrotitty Kitty to match Michael Jackson‘s record of eight #1 singles from one album and while ‘TGIF’ is only Teenage Dream‘s fifth single, she’s had an untainted run of four consecutive #1s up to this point. They’re not about to break this dream run without a fight so here comes the rabbit out of the hat: a new remix of ‘TGIF’ featuring Missy Elliott.
Yes, boo. They’re rushing this exciting new remix of ‘Last Friday Night’ to US radios today in hopes of propelling the single to the top. I’ve written a nice, intelligent news piece on this remix single phenomenon here.
Listen to Katy Perry featuring Missy Elliott‘s ‘Last Friday Night (TGIF)’:
Jennifer Lopez‘s ‘I’m Into You’ has finally ascended to the US Billboard Top 50. It has only taken 11 weeks to get this far and I know radio support has been strong for it during the summer. Speaking of radio, I am slightly worried by the lack of radio love for ‘Papi’ Down Under. I’m sorry, you guys don’t get to toy with J.Lo fans by loving hard on one single and not the others, OK? This is not acceptable – especially when something as good and promising as ‘Papi’ is on the line. Are there any dance-related programs happening on free-to-air channels at the moment because I sense a good placement.
Personal note:“In the last few weeks, I’ve received loads of nice comments in person and just around the traps about my weekly Chart Feed – I just wanna say ‘thank you’ once again and let you know how much I appreciate your readership, interest and love. It means a lot to me and I’m glad we can share the fun and tea together. Love, Limmy.”
We’re getting a clearer picture of Amy Winehouse‘s posthumous chart impact this week with her massive Back to Black album leading the race back to the top after news dropped of her tragic passing two Saturdays ago. Over in the UK Back to Black ascends to #1 after reappearing at #58 last week (off the back of a full day’s sales resurgence) while its predecessor Frank carves a new peak of #5, bettering its initial peak of #13 back in 2004. On the singles chart, the appropriately sombre ‘Back to Black’ became her biggest seller, reaching #8. Others fall in line accordingly: ‘Tears Dry On Their Own’ (#27), ‘Rehab’ (#29), ‘Love Is A Losing Game’ (#33), ‘You Know I’m No Good’ (#37), ‘Valerie’ (#41) and ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow’ (#62) – the latter being a cover of The Shirelles‘ 1960 hit which Amy did for the Bridget Jones 2 soundtrack.
Check out her classic ‘Back to Black’ video:
Here in Australia, Back to Black soars to #6 on the ARIA album charts while the value pack combo Frank/Back to Black charts for the first time at #18. Even Frank, which was predominantly slept on here, became an overnight commercial success – debuting at #23. Over on the singles chart, ‘Rehab’ returns at #27 and ‘Valerie’ reaches a new peak of #34. Back to Black re-entered the US Billboard album chart at #9 last Wednesday – expect for a higher placement when this week’s chart is revealed.
Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera‘s ‘Moves Like Jagger’ is blowing up big time in Australia. The single climbs to #2 this week, sitting a rank below Adele‘s ‘Someone Like You’. Any hopes of mounting and riding Adelegend‘s titan hit should be quashed because if ‘The Edge of Glory’ couldn’t do it off the back of some generous promo then Adam et al should just pop the champagne now and be happy with this surprise success.
Speaking of surprise hits, Gotye and Kimbra‘s ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ continues its meteoric rise to #5 on the ARIA singles chart this week – now bearing a shiny gold certification badge. Gotye‘s forthcoming album Making Mirrors is set to drop on 19 August while Kimbra‘s long awaited debut album Vows will be released first in New Zealand at the end of this month before arriving in Australia early September.
Calvin Harris and Kelis‘ ‘Bounce’ leaps #1 on the Australian club charts and to #16 on the ARIA singles chart this week, making it the lanky Scottish producer’s first Top 20 commercial hit Down Under since his Dizzee Rascal collabo ‘Dance Wiv Me’ three years ago. As for Kelis, she hasn’t been seen around the upper echelons of the ARIA charts since ‘Bossy’ turned up at #18 five years ago. Y’all remember when her spunky Kelis Was Here album track ‘I Don’t Think So’ suddenly became a hit off the back of our Australian Big Brother series? The track managed to peak at #27 in 2008.
Watch Calvin Harris‘ ‘Bounce’ music video:
Jessica Mauboy‘s joyous new single ‘Inescapable’ debuts at #20 in Australia this week. I see a lot of nervous grins around the room. OK, it’s a pretty decent effort given that she hasn’t started proper promo yet. How many songs do you see debuting straight in the ARIA Top 20 these days anyway? Not to cover her arse or anything but I honestly think it has sold pretty well based on strong radio additions and her eager fan base. J. Mally performed ‘Inescapable’ for the first time last week at the 9th Annual Astra Awards [see: award show irrelevant to poor peasants who can’t afford cable TV].
The young diva is currently rehearsing for her next film project The Sapphires, in which she’ll play a member of an Aboriginal girl group who flies to Vietnam to entertain the Aussie troops. The film should be a nice period film set in the late 60s and will also star the amazing Deborah Mailman. This movie is said to be the next Priscilla. Pretty big call, y’guys – have these ladies got the sequins and feathers to back up the talk?
Pitbull and Marc Anthony‘s ‘Rain on Me’ leaps to #24 on our charts this week. Honestly, y’all need to stop with those jokes of J.Lo dumping Marc’s bony ass because he was too busy asking Pitbull to rain on him. It’s not funny. In fact, it sickens me every time somebody makes a Marc Anthony sex joke. I can’t believe J.Lo ever opened her woohoo to that. Seriously, unless Marc’s penis was a nozzle hooked up to the fountain of youth, I don’t see why Glam Ma Lopez needs to bother herself with this shit. Meanwhile her third Love? single ‘Papi’ is already impacting Australian radios and it’s kinda sad that she has no papi to dance for.
The Living End marvels with a surprisingly hopeful title here: The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating. The album became the highest selling new record on the block this week, debuting at #3 in Australia – understandably behind mega sellers like Adele‘s 21 and Lady Gaga‘s Born This Way.
Pnau is back with a new album Soft Universe, which debuted at #13. I am previewing the tracks on iTunes right now, secretly hoping for a Wynter Gordon appearance. You guys know that they did her timeless future single ‘Still Getting Younger’, right? Honestly, they need to create a record together. It can be a nifty little side project for Wynter like what Fatty Gets A Stylist is to Kate Miller-Heidke.
Check out Pnau‘s ‘Solid Ground’ music video, taken from the aforementioned new album:
Cold Chisel is sledgehammering through our ARIA charts in a real way this week, why? Their massive back catalogue finally got a digital release and tickets for their new tour is going on sale this Thursday. The nation is positively buzzing with red blooded patriotism and I bet you right now, there’s a lot of air guitar action happening in Holden utes to the sound of ‘Khe Sahn’. Jimmy Barnes has confirmed that there is a brand new Cold Chisel album in the works now, slated for a 2012 release. Meanwhile, let’s check the Chisel damage on the Top 50 this week: the five time platinum hit album East re-enters at #19, The Last Stand at #39, Swingshift at #42, and Circus Animals at #46. The aforementioned classic ‘Khe Sahn’ re-enters at #40 on our singles chart.
Shannon Noll‘s comeback single ‘Switch Me On’ debuts at #16 on our ARIA Australian chart this week. The video, which was shot in Tokyo, got its exclusive premiere on Channel 10 tonight and it should be hitting his official Vevo page soon. Elsewhere, speaking of Aussies, our own teen pop idol Cody Simpson sees his new single ‘All Day’ debut down at #17.
Nicola Roberts‘ utterly bonkers ‘Beat of My Drum’ is well and truly bowing out now, y’guys. Can we please be upstanding as it makes its quiet and dignified exit? The poor thing never did better its debut of #27 despite all the promo and TV appearances Ginge did. ‘Beat of My Drum’ tumbles from #59 to #84 this week. But as the sun sets on the ‘Beat…’, it rises on a new and rather ‘Lucky Day’ [Editor’s note: how long did you work on that one, Limmy?].
Check out the official preview of Nicola’s second single ‘Lucky Day’ – co-written with The Dragonettes. It’s scheduled to be released on 18 September, a week before the album drops in the UK:
JLS featuring Dev‘s insipid new single ‘She Makes Me Wanna’ soars to the top of the UK charts this week, dislodging fellow British boyband The Wanted‘s ‘Glad You Came’. This is the top-selling X Factor alumni’s fifth UK #1 hit and their first track with global hitmaker RedOne. The forthcoming third studio album is lined up for a November release, unsurprisingly so during X Factor peak season.
Kelly Rowland‘s Here I Am album has started charting at #16 on the UK R&B charts and #38 on the digital charts. I expect for it to take off in a real way when the physical copies appear in stores next week and hopefully by then Kelly can slot in some promo for her UK market. But surely you can recognise that this entry is not a bad effort at all given that she has focused all her efforts on America in the last few weeks. Here I Am is slated to sell approximately 75,000 first week copies to debut at #2 in the States this coming Wednesday. Stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed for Kelendria. Here in Australia, Here I Am is currently situated at #10 on our iTunes R&B/Soul charts and #116 on the overall albums chart.
Joss Stone‘s LP1 enters at #22 on the UK digital charts and #36 on the overall albums chart this week, which is a pretty sound effort for an independent record – don’t you reckon? I feel like while soul is definitely the sound of the world right now – judging by Adele‘s ubiquity – the masses have kinda fallen out of touch with Joss. It’s a shame because the bitch is still turning out amazingly timeless records. Elsewhere, Dionne Bromfield – the late Amy Winehouse‘s god daughter – sees her debut album Good For The Soul rise to #73 in the UK this week.
Beyonce is catching up to Kelly over on the US Billboard Hot 100, y’all. ‘Best Thing I Never Had’ finally cracks the Top 20 to be placed at #19 while Kelendria’s ‘Motivation’ makes a new peak of #17. When was the last time we saw these two children of Destiny play together in the US Top 20? Seriously, somebody go research. Well, it’s really not that much of a brainteaser, y’guys, given that Kelly hasn’t had a solo Top 20 smash since ‘Dilemma’. *Clutches pearls and cues canned laughter* Beysus is set to outrank her sister this coming week after some top notch promotional appearances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and The View.
Check out her stellar performance with The Roots on Jimmy Fallon here:
Jay-Z and Kanye West‘s new single ‘Otis’ debuts at #15 US R&B/Hip Hop charts and #47 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Is everyone just kinda holding back because the album drop date is so close anyway? I get that feeling. Watch The Throne is currently charting at #9 on the Australian iTunes chart where it’s still currently down for pre-orders. Expect it to drop at 2pm next Monday nationally on iTunes.
Demi Levato‘s ‘Skyscraper’ had everyone fangurling when it dropped a few weeks ago but what’s going on now? After it made a flash debut at #10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #10, it tumbled to #51 the following week. Interestingly enough, Toby Gad (hit maker behind Fergie‘s ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’), Kerli and Lindy Robbins originally penned the track for Kerli’s sophomore album. Wonder what it would’ve sounded like if the Estonian dance/pop diva had turned it out.
Meanwhile, fellow Disney teen pop sensation Selena Gomez & The Scene‘s new single ‘Love You Like A Love Song’ slips to #44 but I don’t expect for this track to be done just yet as the girl is still touring the country. There’s always hope for better sales when you’re on the road – well, one should hope anyway.
My current K-pop obsession – 2NE1 – scores a surprise global smash with their newly released 2nd Mini Album. The solid six-track EP featuring the ferocious ‘I Am The Best’ and latest anthem ‘Ugly’ managed to climb to #2 on the iTunes electronic albums chart in the US and Italy shortly after it dropped. It also made Top 5 in Australia, New Zealand and Belgium [via The Prophet Blog]. How utterly fantastic is that for a Korean-language record that is only currently getting promoted in their home land? If this is not evidence that K-pop is going global then I don’t know what is. Y’all better be ready for that international record when these bad bitches step out with will.i.am!
Do yourselves a favour and check out 2NE1‘s brilliant new video ‘Ugly’:
Quick peek at the US dance/club play charts – Swedish House Mafia‘s ‘Save The World’ rises to #1, Lady Gaga‘s ‘The Edge of Glory’ moves up to #3, Wynter Gordon‘s ‘Til Death’ remains at #4 and Kylie‘s ‘Put Your Hands Up’ leaps to #6.
Side bar: do you think there’ll be any ‘You and I’ remixes serviced to the clubs? I kinda want Ms Germanotta to keep this one as an adult contemporary/pop fave. You know, just for once, can we not have a Gaga single jacked up for the dance floor? I don’t usually object but I feel strongly about the spirit of this song and I would’ve said the same thing if ‘Speechless’ from The Fame Monster had been drafted for release.
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