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“You make me laugh and I like it/ You get away with murder so innocent/ But when you throw a moody/ You’re all claws and you bite/ That’s all right!” To those unfamiliar, these may seem like lyrics written by a loving pet parent — and they’d be right. Those sweet and amusing words were penned by none other than the late, great, cat-loving rock icon Freddie Mercury of Queen, for the band’s Innuendo track “Delilah,” which is about his beloved feline of the same name.So, musicians — they’re just like us! Or is it that we, the normies, are just like them? After all, which of us with furry family members hasn’t made up silly little ditties to sing to our much-adored dogs and cats? (Granted, we don’t get to record them for Billboard-charting albums, but whatever.) Billboard staffers are no different. Not only do we love our four-legged pals, we sing to them, and sometimes, even name them after our favorite musicians!
There’s staff writer Hannah Dailey, who has an adorable kitty named after her “songwriting hero” Stevie Nicks. “Stevie is the first pet I ever owned by myself, so I wanted to give her a name that was particularly special,” she says. “And because she makes me so happy, it only felt right for her to share a name with someone whose music has also added so much to my life.”
Senior photo editor Jenny Regan nearly named her mini goldendoodle Robert Plant because the pooch’s golden locks resembled those of the Led Zeppelin singer in his youth. “But [we] didn’t like ‘Robert’ for a dog,” she shares, noting that her husband is a fan of the band. So the pup was named after another member — Jimmy Page.
While not everyone on our staff has a pet named after a famous artist, some of our furbabies do have their own favorite (and least favorite!) songs and musicians. Take kitty Boba, who prefers to never hear Alvin and the Chipmunks’ cover of “I Gotta Feeling” ever again; good boy Riggins, who is partial to Bad Bunny; regal Paco, who prefers Norah Jones’ soothing tunes during thunderstorms; or Murphy, who’s a huge Swiftie, just like her mom.
Want to meet and learn more about the Billboard staff’s beloved pets? Keep pawing down!
Howie
Parent: Jenny Sargent, Photography DirectorHometown: Los AngelesBreed: Lhasa ApsoAge: 15 yearsFavorite food: Eggs, bacon, popcorn, anything that humans get to eat.Fun fact: His haircuts are more expensive and often than his human’sFavorite nap spot: On the balcony in the sunPet Rescue: Bichons and Buddies
Benito
Parent: Ingrid Fajardo, Senior Social Media Manager & Staff Writer, LatinHometown: MiamiBreed: PomeranianAge: 5 yearsFavorite toy: Birthday Party Lamb ChopHow does your pet react when you’re playing music? Depends on the mood, he either makes a dance around me or gives me the side-eye look!
Tangy & Zeke
Parent: Samantha Xu, Deputy Photo DirectorHometown: Hackensack, N.J.Age: 4 years (Tangy) and 1.5 years (Zeke)How does your pet react when you’re playing music? Tangy is a girly princess who loves to nap and luxuriate, so she prefers music with lo-fi chill vibes and female vocals. Zeke is a very active social boy who is not bothered by loud or fast music — it helps him get hyped for playtime!Favorite music/song: Tangy loves SZA, Lana Del Rey, Alt R&B, Lofi Girl Radio on Youtube. Zeke loves Turnstile, Power Trip, thrash metal, hardcore punk, jock jams.Pet Rescue: Rock n’ Rescue (Tangy) and East Coast Maine Coon Rescue (Zeke)
Riggins
Parent: Josh Glicksman, Deputy Managing EditorHometown: DallasBreed: Australian cattle dog/American pit bull terrier mixAge: 1.5 yearsFavorite music/song: Bad Bunny. Any time he sees Bad Bunny on TV or hears his music, he’s completely enthralled.Favorite nap spot: Sunbathing and taking a snooze on his dog bed next to our record player.Fun fact: Riggins was a member of Team Fluff on Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl XX.Pet Rescue: Heart & Bones Rescue
Gaia & Terra
Parent: Eric Renner Brown, Senior EditorHometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.Breed: dilute tortieAge: 3 yearsFavorite nap spot: Gaia’s favorite spot is the coveted cat tree hammock or, when mischievous, the turntable!Favorite food: Terra’s favorite food is any human food she isn’t supposed to be eating!Pet Rescue: Whiskers-A-GoGo
Jimmy Page
Parent: Jenny Regan, Senior Photo EditorHometown: upstate New YorkBreed: mini goldendoodleAge: 4 yearsFavorite food: Cheese or anything on our platesFavorite toy: Stolen socksFavorite nap spot: Hanging halfway off the couchHow does your pet react when you’re playing music? He jumps up to give you a hug and slow dance with you.
Boba
Parent: Naomy Pedroza, Assistant Photo EditorHometown: Providence, R.I.Breed: BombayAge: 4.5 yearsHow does your pet react when you’re playing your music? Boba is a true music critic — she is very vocal about the songs she loves and the songs she loathes.Favorite music/song: “Right Where You Left Me” by Taylor Swift, but she’s also partial to Boygenius, Norah Jones and Vampire Weekend.Fun fact: Boba’s least favorite song is a cover of “I Gotta Feeling” by famed rodents Alvin & the Chipmunks.Pet Rescue: Dixie Girl Dog Rescue
Mortimer
Parent: Michael Calcagno, Photo ResearcherHometown: Yuma, Ariz.Age: 1.5 yearsFavorite toy: Squeaky pizza toy (courtesy of Billboard‘s own Anna Chan)Favorite music/song: “Angel of My Dreams” by JADE. My wife and I were obsessed with the song around when we adopted him, and we sing it to him all the time now.Pet’s best friend: His grandma. She sneaks him what we’ve dubbed as “cute treats” (i.e., treats for just looking cute and not doing anything), and also loves slipping him McDonald’s fries.Pet Rescue: Friends for Life Animal Rescue
Mabel & Bean
Parent: Anna Chan, Deputy Editor, DigitalHometown: Seattle (Mabel) & New York (Bean)Age: 19 years (Mabel) and 9 years (Bean)How did your pet come into your life? With Mabel, I was volunteering at PAWS in Seattle when I peeked into a cage and found the most brilliant pair of sparkling blue peepers — aka White Walker Eyes — staring back at me from behind the litterbox. The moment we locked eyes, I knew Mabel was mine.It’s a similar story with Bean: I was doing my weekly volunteer shift at Best Friends when I spotted the cutest Resting Bitch Face of my life. I sat down to pet the little petite black cat, who immediately began to purr — then slapped me quickly and repeatedly with her tiny paw. I was in love with Bean from that moment on.Pet Rescue: PAWS (Mabel) and Best Friends Animal Society (Bean)
Paco
Parent: Dan Rys, Director, Business NewsHometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.Breed: Boston terrierAge: 12 yearsFavorite toy: Noise ball because he’s blindFavorite music/song: Norah Jones when he’s scared or nervous from thunderFavorite nap spot: On the bed underneath a fur blanket
Tucker
Parent: Becky Kaminsky, Director, Social MediaHometown: GeorgiaBreed: SupermuttAge: 6Favorite food: Beef lungs and beef sticksFavorite toy: Benebone wishbone and Nylabone footballHow does your pet react when you’re playing your music? He gets very hyped if the vibes are there. We always have music playing if we’re cooking or cleaning, and he’ll partake in a dance break with us. He’ll stand up on his hind legs (which makes him almost as tall as me) and two-step with me.What is your pet’s favorite music or song? Probably all the jingles I make up for him on a daily basis. It’s a full catalog at this point.Pet Rescue: Puppies and More Rescue
Stella “Grumble Grumble” & Ace “Soggy Paws”
Parent: Taylor Mims, Senior EditorHometown: Long Beach, CABreed: French bulldogAge: 13 years (Stella) and 4 years (Ace)Favorite nap spot: Anywhere in the sun for StellaFun fact: Stella loves to go paddleboardingHow does your pet react when you’re playing music? Stella snores … very loudly!Favorite music/song: Ace’s is “Aquí Te Cuido” by Reyna TropicalFavorite food: Ace’s are rocks, that’s why he’s so heavy!Pet’s best friend: Ace’s is sister Stella, but she does not feel the same way.
Rooney
Parent: Abby Webster, Assistant Social Media EditorAge: 2 yearsFavorite food: Cheddar cheeseHow did your pet come into your life? My roommate needed safety and companionship after a mouse infestation in her first NYC apartment.How does your pet react when you’re playing music? She’s a big music video lover. A recent favorite is “Sports Car” by Tate McRae.
Murphy
Parent: Danielle Pascual, Social Media ManagerHometown: Noti, Ore.Breed: Mini AussiedoodleAge: 4 yearsFavorite toy: Chuckit! squeaker ball — it always has to be near even when sleeping, eating and on walks.Favorite music/song: “Betty” by Taylor Swift, except every instance of “Betty” is changed to “Murphy”Favorite nap spot: Mom’s laundry hamperWhat is the best thing that your pet has changed about your life? Murphy always knows when I’m having a bad day, and through cuddles and kisses, she never fails to make me feel better.
Roman & Elliot
Parent: Evan Burke, Producer/EditorHometown: Los AngelesAge: 5 years (Roman) and 10 years (Elliott)Favorite toy: Roman’s is a catnip filled avocado toastHow did your pet come into your life? Roman was adopted on Christmas Eve of 2020 when I needed something to make being stuck at home more tolerable.Fun fact: Roman is named after Nicki Minaj’s alter ego because I would hear “Roman’s Revenge” in my head when he would get the zoomies.Favorite nap spot: Elliot, who is a dachshund terrier, likes to nap next to any humanPet Rescue: Elliot is from the Amanda Foundation
Ziggy
Parent: Ciara Zimring, Director of Strategy & Production, VideoHometown: Los AngelesBreed: goldendoodleAge: 5Favorite Toy: Giant Lamb ChopFavorite music/song: Ziggy loves Noah Kahan!What is the most important lesson your pet has taught you? She’s taught us to stop, slow down and enjoy the present moment. Sometimes life and work can get so hectic, but taking a pause and being in the moment with her has taught us to slow down.Fun fact: She’s freakishly good at catching any ball that you throw at her. I keep telling her we’re going to put her in the Puppy Olympics!
Murray
Parent: Jason Lipshutz, Executive Director, MusicHometown: Madison, N.J.Breed: Treeing Walker coonhoundAge: 6 yearsHow did your pet come into your life? We rescued Murray in December 2019 — he was a sweet boy who simply needed a family. We coordinated an elaborate system of dog walkers while we were at work, but then in less than three months, we were home every day due to the pandemic!What is the most important lesson your pet has taught you? Murray can be loud, overexcited, needy and destructive, but for every trying moment, there are 100 happy memories. Just like with anyone you love unconditionally, we have adapted to Murray’s rhythms, and our lives are fuller for it.Pet Rescue: St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center
Bandit
Parent: Dave Brooks, Senior Director, Touring/LiveHometown: Long Beach, Calif.Breed: terrierAge: 13Favorite food: hot dogsFavorite nap spot: Living room couch with front door cracked so he can bark at the mailman.Fun fact: Bandit has completed extensive training with obedience, obstacle courses and tricks. He can still do tricks, even at 13!What is the most important lesson your pet has taught you? Dogs are better than people in nearly all measurable categories.Pet Rescue: Long Beach SPCA
Stevie Nicks
Parent: Hannah Dailey, Staff WriterHometown: Bloomington, Ind.Breed: torbieAge: 4 yearsFavorite food: dry ass kibbleFavorite toy: my chargersFavorite music/song: Not even kidding, Stevie hates music. Whenever I start singing, she jumps on me and bites me. She’s a hater.Who is your pet’s best friend? Her little stuffed elephant I bought for her at IKEA. She drags him around everywhere. His name is Mr. Elephant.
Freddy
Parent: Rob Levine, Editor at LargeHometown: BerlinBreed: CavapooAge: 1 yearFavorite food: Whatever the humans are eating!Favorite toy: Whatever ball is WAY under the couch at any given momentFavorite music/song: “Who Let the Dogs Out”How does your pet react when you’re playing music? Concern about the fairness of streaming royalty rates
Oreo Lola
Parent: Christina Medina, SVP Talent & ProgrammingHometown: West Covina, CalifBreed: shih tzuAge: Oreo Lola went to Doggy Heaven on March 18, 2025, at age 17 yearsFavorite food: wedding cakeFun fact: She loved blueberry facials.Favorite nap spot: Outside in the sun, she loved to sunbathe!
Earlier this week, the soundtrack for Ryan Coogler’s highly anticipated thriller Sinners was announced — with one gap in the tracklist that simply said, “coming soon.” Now, Billboard can exclusively announce that the slot will be filled with an original song titled “Dangerous” by star of the film Hailee Steinfeld, whose contribution to the album marks her first music release in two years.
Arriving April 18 along with the rest of the Sinners soundtrack — which drops the same day the movie premieres in theaters — “Dangerous” finds the Academy Award nominee singing over a tribal drum beat and eerie production that blends in with Ludwig Göransson’s genre-bending, Delta-blues-infusing score for the film. Of penning the tension-filled lyrics with the composer and cowriter Sarah Aarons, Steinfeld tells Billboard, “We were all so tuned into the vision, and because I was both inside the story as an actor, and helping shape it through music, it created this really fluid creative loop.”
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“Blending music and acting like this feels like the fullest expression of who I am,” she continues. “It’s rare to have a project that lets you show up completely — and Sinners gave me that.”
Also starring Michael B. Jordan as twins Smoke and Stack who return to their hometown post-WWI to find that a great evil is waiting for them there, Sinners features the Edge of Seventeen actress as Mary, a married woman who has “unfinished business” with the latter brother. In addition to “Dangerous,” the film’s soundtrack features contributions from Rod Wave, James Blake, Don Toliver, Lars Ulrich, Brittany Howard and more stars.
“Lyrically, I wanted to tap into Mary’s deep desire to be with Stack and (maybe selfishly) not always acknowledging what a dangerous position that puts them in,” Steinfeld says of “Dangerous,” a snippet of which Billboard is premiering below. “That sort of unrequited love. There’s a vulnerability in these characters that I really connected with, and I wanted my voice to reflect that.”
Steinfeld last released music two years ago, dropping “SunKissing” and “Coast” featuring Anderson .Paak in April 2023. “Dangerous” also comes a full decade after the Pitch Perfect 2 star made her musical debut in 2015 with “Love Myself,” which reached No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100, after which she shared EP HAIZ later that year.
The singer-actress has also worked on the soundtracks for a number of her past screen projects, including “Afterlife” for Dickinson and “Back to Life” from Bumblebee.
“Two years might not seem long, but for me, it turned out to be the exact amount of time I needed — to grow, live a little, and step back to reconnect with why I make music in the first place,” says Steinfeld, who got engaged to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in November, of returning to music after her break. “I didn’t want to come back just to fill space. I wanted it to mean something.”
“There was something so raw and emotional about Sinners that pushed me creatively and personally,” she adds. “The music became an extension of that. It felt honest and it felt like me again. I wouldn’t call this a comeback — it’s about returning to the truth, and I’m so grateful to Ryan and Sinners for giving me the opportunity to do that.”
Sinners hits theaters April 18. Check out a snippet of Steinfeld’s “Dangerous” for the soundtrack below.
Sen. Bernie Sanders’ “Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here” tour will fire up again this weekend when he brings a roster of heavy hitters with him to Los Angeles’s Gloria Molina Grand Park. In addition to the firebrand Vermont independent, the event will also feature his tour mate, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as Neil Young, Joan Baez and Maggie Rogers.
Others slated to perform at the rally include: Jeff Rosenstock, Dirty Projectors, Indigo De Souza, The Red Pears and the Raise Gospel Choir.
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Sanders has been very vocal in his disdain for the Trump administration’s ruinous tariff policies this week in the midst of a stock market meltdown that has spurred fears of a global recession, or possible depression, as a result of the President’s unpredictable threats and retreats on international trade policy. During a CNN town hall with Anderson Cooper on Wednesday, Sanders lambasted Trump’s pugilistic approach to foreign policy, saying, “We don’t have to hate China. We don’t have to hate other people. Let’s figure out a way to work together.”
With Trump threatening greatly increased tariffs on most countries in the world, then doing a sudden about-face just hours before they were slated to go into effect this week — while boosting tariffs on China to 125% — Sanders, 83, added, “The goal has got to be to break down these barriers that separate us as human beings — come together as Americans and come together globally as human beings.”
The whipsawing of the markets has touched nearly every aspect of the economy, including music stocks, which saw large declines last week after the President’s so-called “Liberation Day” imposition of tariffs on all U.S. trading partners. The ensuing Wall Street bloodbath kicked off a massive decline across a number of stock indices, with a wide range of music stocks suffering major declines ranging from 6.8% for MSG Entertainment to 13.9% for Sphere Entertainment Co. last Thursday.
Sanders and AOC have been barnstorming across the country on their tour, drawing thousands, and in some cases tens of thousands, at rallies in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. At a March 7 event in Kenosha, WI, Sanders invited Laura Jane Grace on stage to perform a new song called “Your God (God’s D–k),” which caused some outrage online about its profane lyrics and religious themes.
in the song, Grace notes that some while religious conservatives are struggling to use the proper pronouns for trans people, they have no problem when it comes to gendering a deity. “Does your god have a big fat d–k?/ ‘Cause it feels like he’s f—ing me,” Grace sings on the track. “Are his b–ls filled with lightning?/ Do they dangle like heaven’s keys?”
Check out the poster for the event below.
Los Angeles: this Saturday join our rally with music from Neil Young, Maggie Rogers, Joan Baez, Dirty Projectors, Jeff Rosenstock, Indigo de Souza, The Red Pears, and Raise Gospel Choir.Doors at 9am. Together, we can defeat the oligarchy. RSVP here: https://t.co/GSszH3hIhG pic.twitter.com/A8svdPCLge— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) April 9, 2025
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Soulja Boy will have to pay his former assistant $4 million in compensatory damages and an additional $250,000 in punitive damages in connection with a civil lawsuit. Jane Doe accused Soulja Boy of assault, sexual battery, and harassment and launched a lawsuit in 2021.
Both Rolling Stone and Pitchfork have extensively covered the case involving Soulja Boy and Jane Doe, with details coming forth that the pair did enter into a consensual physical relationship that later took a turn for the worse, according to Doe.
Speaking with Rolling Stone, Jane Doe said that while she feels vindicated, her hope is that the “Crank That” rapper won’t do this again to anyone else.
“I feel like I got justice. Obviously, it’s not going to return everything I lost. I lost way more than I gained. My hope is he doesn’t do this to any more women,” Doe told the outlet.
In a statement to the outlet, Soulja Boy is vowing to appeal the matter.
“The district attorney never filed charges. I was never charged or convicted of this, criminally. So, to be accused of this civilly is beyond me. I’ve never done any of the things they’re accusing me of. I just feel like this is very unfair,” the rapper born DeAndre Cortez Way said to Rolling Stone.He then added, “I want to make it clear that I’m innocent. This case was never about justice. It was about money and personal gain, and I will not let that stand. I am committed to filing an appeal and fighting for the truth to be revealed.”For victims of sexual assault, domestic partner violence, and abuse, please see the following to find out how to get assistance:
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotlinehttps://www.rainn.org1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text LineSMS: Text “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741
The National Domestic Violence Hotlinehttps://thehotline.org1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
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Paramore fans got a very rare treat this week when singer Hayley Williams performed “Teenagers,” her contribution to the super emo soundtrack to the 2009 Megan Fox horror comedy Jennifer’s Body live for the first time ever. Seated on the floor while strumming an acoustic guitar and rocking green shades, Williams, 36, sang, “I’m gonna go on like I never met you/ And it’ll feel wrong at first, but I think I can forget you/ Ignore the fact that we sleep no more than three feet apart/ I feel you now, you’re all around me, underneath me.”
Bobbing her head and clearly into it, she quick-strummed her way into the chorus: “Well, how was I to know that what we carved in stone/ Would be so temporary?/ Well, how was I to know that my first crack in love/ Would not be the last? It won’t be the last,” she sang.
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The caption to the performance read “#selfserenades wrote this for the jennifer’s body soundtrack when I was still a teenager,” adding to the tale in her Stories, writing, “lore behind this one is so ridiculous i cant tell if tellin it would make the song better or worse anyway, first self-serenade in years… hope its fine by you.”
In case you forgot, the soundtrack to the movie was a who’s who of emo at the time, including tracks from Panic! at the Disco, Dashboard Confessional, Cute Is What We Aim For, Cobra Starship, All Time Low and The Sword, as well as songs from Florence + the Machine, Little Boots, Screeching Weasel, Silversun Pickups and Lissy Trullie.
In addition to the performance, Williams also made an urgent call to action about the climate crisis, noting that the weather in Nashville when she recorded the performance was “glorious” after multiple tornado threats, flooding and “a sleepless night hiding in the basement. have come a little too close to multiple natural disasters this year. they continue to get worse and more frequent.”
Severe storms raked Nashville and Middle Tennessee last week, spawning multiple tornado warnings, one suspected tornado, as well as torrential rains and high winds that caused widespread flooding. Williams pulled no punches in describing the urgency she feels about climate change at a time when the Trump administration is touting efforts to revive the highly polluting coal industry and working to roll back many of the crucial green initiatives passed by the Biden administration to put the country on a path to reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.
“Climate crisis is definitely here and the ppl in power dont give a rats ass,” she wrote. The singer encouraged her fans to follow Mister Rogers’ sage advice to “look for the helpers,” with a shout-out to @supportandfeed, the organization founded by Billie Eilish’s mom, Maggie Baird, that is working to mitigate climate change and increase food security by promoting plant-based food options.
She also gave some love to @reverb_org, which has been striving for more than 20 years to green the touring industry.
Check out Williams’ performance below.
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Eugene “Big U” Henley Jr. has pleaded not guilty to a flurry of charges he’s facing in connection with racketeering, gang violence, and murder. The mother of one of Big U’s alleged murder victims, Rayshawn Williams, believes that the music executive and assumed gang boss committed the crime.
TMZ Hip Hop spoke with the mother and sister of Rayshawn Williams outside of a Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles location in California. Shadonna Brown took questions from the outlet’s reporter regarding Big U’s ongoing case, and she didn’t mince words about her assessment of Henley and his alleged involvement in the death of her son.
Court documents highlight that Henley carried out a hit against Williams, who was a rapper signed to Henley’s Uneek Music label, after a dispute in Las Vegas went awry. FBI agent Andrew Roosa said that Williams was flown to Las Vegas in January 2021 by Henley and was slated to record music, but didn’t show up to the sessions. This appeared to anger Henley, who flew to Las Vegas to oversee the sessions. After that, what occurred remains a mystery.
Brown says her “mother’s intuition” is what led her to believe Big U was responsible for her son’s murder. Even further, it appeared that Williams recorded a song dissing his label boss, even down to how he would pass away. Williams was found shot several times in a Nevada landfill, and some suggest that the hit was carried out due to the diss track.
Williams and Henley’s son played football together in high school, highlighting the depth of the bond they seemed to share. Brown has since launched a GoFundMe to relocate for what she says are safety reasons. She also added that Henley never contacted her after the death of her son.
—Photo: Getty
After more than a decade of building one of Australia’s most beloved indie catalogues, Ball Park Music has officially reached the top.
The Brisbane five-piece scores its first-ever No. 1 album on the ARIA Albums Chart with Like Love, debuting at the summit on the chart dated April 11. It’s the band’s eighth studio album — and the first to reach the top spot after a long streak of near-misses. Until now, three of the band’s releases had stalled at No. 2: Puddinghead (2014), Ball Park Music (2020), and Weirder & Weirder (2022). Seven of their albums have landed in the top 10.
Like Love also claims a key milestone as the first Australian-made album to top the ARIA Albums Chart in 2025.
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The last local release to hit No. 1 was Kylie Minogue’s Tension II, which opened at the summit in late October 2024. That was one of six Australian albums to top the chart last year — an achievement that speaks to the rarity of homegrown titles hitting No. 1 in today’s global streaming-dominated landscape.
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The band will celebrate the release of Like Love with a massive 30-date tour across Australia and New Zealand, kicking off May 2 at the Forth Pub in Tasmania. The album was released independently via the band’s own label, and continues their streak of success as a self-managed, self-releasing act — a rarity in an industry dominated by major-label machinery.
In this week’s top three, Ball Park Music holds off strong international competition from Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet at No. 2 and Tate McRae’s So Close to What at No. 3.
Melbourne metalcore band Thornhill enters the ARIA Albums Chart at No. 4 with BODIES, continuing their upward trajectory. The band’s debut album The Dark Road peaked at No. 20 in 2019, followed by Heroine, which hit No. 3 in 2022.
Elton John also enters the chart this week at No. 26 with Who Believes in Angels?, a collaborative collection with Brandi Carlile. It marks his 42nd top 40 album in Australia. His first ARIA top 20 entry dates back to 1971’s Elton John (No. 2), and his last studio effort to crack the top 20 was The Lockdown Sessions, which peaked at No. 2 in 2021.
Folk legend and ARIA Hall of Fame inductee John Williamson also makes a new chart appearance at No. 51 with How Many Songs. The prolific songwriter has released over 20 studio albums and first hit No. 1 in 1989 with Warragul. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010 and remains one of Australia’s most enduring voices in country and folk music.
Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Alex Warren’s breakout hit “Ordinary” holds the No. 1 position for a third straight week, continuing its impressive reign. Rosé and Bruno Mars’ collaborative single “APT” holds steady at No. 2, while Chappell Roan’s viral anthem “Pink Pony Club” climbs to a new peak of No. 3, up one spot from last week.
The highest new entry belongs to Ed Sheeran, whose latest single “Azizam” lands at No. 30. The track — the lead single from his forthcoming album Play — becomes Sheeran’s 51st top 40 single in Australia. He’s already claimed six No. 1 hits on the ARIA Singles Chart across his career.
Despite a strong week for international artists, just one Australian song appears in the ARIA Singles Chart’s top 50: Vance Joy’s enduring 2013 hit “Riptide,” which slips from No. 36 to No. 42.
04/11/2025
These are all officially-licensed products, including pieces inspired by her album cover and by merch sold at her concerts.
04/11/2025
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Two of the 2024’s biggest breakout stars have lent each other a hand for a new springtime single. Five-time Grammy nominee Shaboozey and Brit Award-winning Myles Smith have joined forces for “Blink Twice,” an infectious, folk-inflected track built on twangy finger-picked guitars, pounding drums and raucous stomps and claps. “Oh me, oh my, would you […]
