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Kendrick Lamar has officially dominated the ARIA Charts this week, reclaiming the No. 1 spot on both the Albums and Singles rankings.
Following his GRAMMY wins and a high-profile Super Bowl LIX performance, GNX vaults from No. 15 back to the top, while “Not Like Us” returns to No. 1 on the Singles Chart. This marks the first time Lamar has held both positions simultaneously in Australia.
The Compton rapper now boasts three No. 1 albums in the country, with To Pimp A Butterfly (2015) and Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (2022) also reaching the top.
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Meanwhile, Taylor Swift makes her presence known with the debut of Lover – Live From Paris at No. 14. The concert recording, initially released as a Valentine’s Day vinyl exclusive in 2023, gets a fresh boost with its reissue on heart-shaped vinyl this month. With 18 albums making the ARIA Charts throughout her career, Swift has landed at No. 1 an impressive 13 times.
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On the Singles Chart, Australian DJ Dom Dolla scores a Top 40 debut at No. 33 with “Dreamin,” featuring Daya. The ARIA Award-winning producer last cracked the Top 10 with “Saving Up” in 2023. Daya, known for her breakout hit “Hide Away” (No. 6 in 2015) and The Chainsmokers collab “Don’t Let Me Down” (No. 3 in 2016), returns to the Australian charts after nearly a decade.
Bruno Mars continues to rewrite streaming records, becoming the first artist to hit 150 million monthly listeners on Spotify. His collaboration with Rosé, “APT.,” holds steady at No. 2, while his Lady Gaga-assisted track “Die With A Smile” lands at No. 6 this week.
Speaking of Lady Gaga, the pop icon makes magic as “Abracadabra” shoots from No. 50 to No. 12. The track is the latest preview of her upcoming album Mayhem, set to drop next month. If it reaches the Top 10, it will be Gaga’s 15th ARIA Top 10 single.
GRAMMY momentum continues to propel Chappell Roan, who now holds two Top 10 ARIA singles. “Pink Pony Club” gallops from No. 22 to No. 7, while “Good Luck, Babe!”—a former No. 4 hit—remains strong at No. 10.
Tyla tapped Sean Paul for the “Push 2 Start” remix that dropped Friday (Feb. 14). “Everyone loves Sean Paul, there’s so many songs of his that I absolutely loved growing up,” she tells Billboard while singing the hook from his 2003 hit “I’m Still in Love With You.” “All those songs are so nostalgic and […]
Sabrina Carpenter‘s Short n’ Sweet era just got even sweeter. The 25-year-old pop star unveiled the deluxe edition of her Billboard 200 chart-topping album on Friday (Feb. 14) as the ultimate Valentine’s Day gift to her fans. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news She announced the expanded […]
Plans for New York City’s iconic Blue Note Jazz Club to expand to the U.K. could be at risk, with London’s Metropolitan Police Service expressing fears of a potential “uptick in crime”.
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According to The Standard, plans are in place for a 350-seat venue to be established in the basement of the St Martins Lane hotel in Covent Garden. If the application is approved, the venue would be open until 1am, seven days a week.
However, a Licensing Sub-Committee Report from the City of Westminster has outlined a number of objections from the local police enforcement, who have objected to the venue’s construction on the grounds it would undermine the licensing objective of “prevention of crime and disorder”.
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Airing their fears at a hearing with the Council on Thursday (Feb. 13), officers claimed that granting the application for the venue would “expose more people to crime and disorder in the immediate area and further afield”. The report issued by the City of Westminster also included diagrams outlining antisocial behavior, robbery, theft, and violence in the immediate area, with the Metropolitan Police Service stating their belief that the addition of the new venue “could add to crime, disorder and public nuisance within the immediate area”.
“Police are concerned that if the LSC grant this application within the CIZ [the West End Cumulative Impact Zone], there would be an increase in demand on an already overstretched police service and other emergency services,” the report added, noting that despite their objections, police have however met with the applicant to discuss matters.
The report and hearing also included statements from unnamed local residents who shared their concerns and suggestions for the potential venue. These included recommendations that the venue’s operating hours be limited to 11pm in order to limit the “potential for crime and exploitation of vulnerable jazz lovers“
“It is suggested that it is extremely likely that some of the dispersing jazz lovers may be inebriated to a greater [or] lesser extent [or] perhaps slightly disorientated by their emergence in to the cool night air,” one resident wrote. “They will be immediately vulnerable to the gangs of criminals who already prey on similar groups of people in the Soho area. The 1:00 am exit could become a crime hot spot.”
The applicant has however responded to these concerns in the report, noting that a 1am closing time is “integral to the music scheduling in the basement and the viability of the cultural use” of the venue.
If the application for the venue is approved, it would become the latest iteration of the Blue Note Jazz Club to open around the world, and the first in the U.K.. Founded in New York City in 1981, the club has since expanded to other locations throughout the U.S. (including venues in California and Hawaii), and internationally (including Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Milan, Beijing, and Shanghai).
Offset is spending his Valentine’s Day loving his deep pockets on his new single “Ten,” which he dropped on Friday (Feb. 14) via Motown Records. “I don’t need you, I got money/ I don’t miss you, I got money/ Love you, but not like money,” he raps with a mischievous, sing-song cadence. “Ten” arrives two […]
After winning performer of the year (dancehall) at last year’s Caribbean Music Awards, Jamaican reggae sensation Dexta Daps is set on securing the next Valentine’s Day anthem with his new “Lockdown” single. Over waltz-evoking guitars, Dexta forgoes the fete to spend some intimate one-on-one time with his special lady singing, “I’ve been staying home lately […]
The long-awaited joint album from Drake and PartyNextDoor is finally here. The years-in-the-making project, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U hit streaming services on Friday (Feb. 14) to spice up Valentine’s Day for the lovers and hopeless romantics out there. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news $ome $exy $ongs […]
It’s JISOO’s time to shine. The star, who recently celebrated her 30th birthday, unveiled her highly anticipated debut solo mini-album, AMORTAGE, fittingly on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The four-song mini-album includes the tracks “Earthquake,” “Your Love,” “Tears” and “Hugs & Kisses.” […]
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Live Nation Urban, helmed by its president Shawn Gee, announced on Thursday (Feb. 13) an investment partnership in the Breakr platform, which aids creators in marketing their wares. Breakr, founded by a pair of brothers, aims to empower recording labels, online content creators, and related creatives in their marketing endeavors.
Breakr, founded in 2020 by siblings Anthony and Ameer Brown, frames its company as one that “operates at the intersection of music, creators, and technology, empowering music labels, creative agencies, owned media properties, and brands to discover, select, pay, and contract with independent online content creators for promoting songs, products, and services.”
With the backing of Live Nation Urban, Breakr introduced its BreakrPay™️ system, which puts its focus on making paying creatives a seamless process and cutting down on payment delays. In short, BreakrPay™️ is designed to make sure that content creators and influencers, all of whom truly push brands to the forefront, are paid equitably and on time while doing away with the outdated net 30-90 payout structure.
Breakr has broken deals in the past with Sony Music, Interscope, and BMG among other partners in order to push through innovative musicians in the TikTok and Instagram spheres to break their records and reach larger audiences. Breakr has also worked with brands such as Celsius, Samsung, Billboard, and more.
“The creator economy has changed the way we all connect with audiences, driving innovation and economic activity at an unprecedented scale. Breakr is a tech platform that was a core part of Live Nation Urban’s marketing mix for the better part of a year. After meeting the founders and understanding their vision, it was an easy decision for us to invest in Tony and Ameer and their trail-blazing platform,” said Shawn Gee, Founder and President of Live Nation Urban in a statement. “Our investment reflects our belief in the founders and in the transformative power of creators and the technology that empowers them to thrive.”
Anthony Brown, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Breakr added in. the statement, “From Breakr’s founding, projects like our #RoadtoRollingLoud competition with Rolling Loud to our extensive work with indie labels as well as the ‘Big 3,’ we’re committed to creating opportunities, discovering talent, and financially empowering creators and change-makers worldwide. Our partnership with Live Nation Urban and Shawn is the exciting beginning of a new chapter where we can expand our vision further than ever before, particularly with brands.”
“Breakr’s proprietary technology is revolutionizing the way brands and agencies connect with creators, offering seamless campaign management, real-time analytics, and instant payments—all within a single ecosystem. Our white-label infrastructure empowers partners to scale their operations effortlessly while maintaining full control over their campaigns and finances. This partnership with Live Nation Urban will allow us to expand our reach and continue developing industry-leading solutions that drive measurable impact in the creator economy,” shared Ameer Brown, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, of Breakr.
The Live Nation Urban investment will be under a new venture fund known as the Black Lily Capital Fund and has involvement from the larger Live Nation outfit. This fund will grant support to Black founders who work within or are connected to the realm of live music with a special dedication given towards newer businesses.
Learn more about Breakr here.
Source: Live Nation Urban / Breakr
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Photo: Breakr/Live Urban Nation/Getty
Porter Robinson has delivered a little bit of romance, just in time for Valentine’s Day.
The U.S. producer has shared his energetic, pop-influenced take on Irish outfit Fontaines D.C.’s 2024 single “Favourite” as part of his recent appearance on Like a Version, the long-running covers segment from Australian radio station triple j.
Recorded during Robinson’s Australia tour earlier this month but aired on the morning of Friday, Feb. 14 (Australian time), the cover was well-timed to coincide with Valentine’s Day, with the original track even closing out Fontaines D.C.’s Romance album last year.
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The cover is emblematic of Robinson’s recent stylistic shift, with 2024’s Smile! 😀 seeing him move away from his electronic roots and introducing sounds more aligned with the pop-punk and hyperpop genres. The change in sonic focus was a bold move for Robinson, and though the album became his first not to chart on the Billboard 200, it did peak at No. 10 on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart.
Fontaines D.C., meanwhile, also experienced something of a change in sound for their album Romance. While their previous efforts were more post-punk influenced, their fourth LP was somewhat more polished and aligned with the alternative rock genre.
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It was a commercially-successful change, however. It became the band’s first album to reach the Billboard 200 (hitting No. 97), and it earned them two Grammy nominations, including Best Rock Album and Best Alternative Music performance for lead single “Starburster”.
“’Favourite’ was, no pun intended, one of my favorite songs of the last year,” Robinson said in a post-performance interview with triple j. “It was the song that made me a fan of Fontaines D.C. I just love it. I love major-key music. I love music that’s extremely catchy and extremely hooky. And I love the way that this song feels like it’s constantly tumbling forward.”
Robinson’s Like a Version session also featured an original rendition of “Cheerleader”, and adds to a long history of memorable performances on the program.
Having first launched in 2004, the series has gone from being a near-impromptu acoustic affair to featuring larger studio productions. Numerous artists have taken part over the past two decades, with the likes of Billie Eilish, Childish Gambino, Arctic Monkeys, and more reinventing classic tracks in the process. As Robinson explains, the history and impact of the segment was not lost on him.
“I was so nervous to do this [performance], because I really, really do consider it an institution,” he explained. “Like a Version is a musical institution, and I wanted to make sure I put my best foot forward on it, respected the format and gave something that was listenable.
“This isn’t just like a video that lives online, this gets heard and this gets played,” he added. “So I just wanted to respect the listener to be like, ‘Let’s make this as good as it can be’.”