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The queen of Christmas is crowned on Australia’s chart, while SZA makes her presence felt on both main surveys with her sophomore album and several singles from it.
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Nothing can top Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (via Columbia/Sony) at this time of year. The 1994 holiday classic lifts 3-1 on the ARIA Singles Chart, published Dec. 16, ahead of former leaders “Unholy” (Capitol/Universal), by Sam Smith & Kim Petras; and “Anti-Hero” (Universal) by Taylor Swift, respectively.
Carey’s seasonal number finally cracked the summit in 2018. It has returned there each December, like clockwork.
SZA’s long-anticipated second album SOS (RCA/Sony) has been well-received by Aussie fans, as album track “Kill Bill” bows at No. 5 on the singles survey, “Nobody Gets Me” arrives at No. 16, “Blind” drops at No. 27, “Low” appears at No. 34, and “Seek and Destroy” starts at No. 38.
Indeed, the U.S. R&B singer is responsible for the only tracks to debut in the top 40 on the latest cycle.
It’s that most wonderful time of the year, again, and Christmas is the big story on the ARIA Singles Chart, where perennial hits by Wham (“Last Christmas” up 11-6 via RCA/Sony) and Michael Buble (“It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” up 13-11 via Reprise/Warner), Brenda Lee (“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” up 15-12 via Universal), Ariana Grande (“Santa Tell Me” up 17-15 via Universal) and Bobby Helms (“Jingle Bell Rock” up 21-19 via Universal) climb the top 20.
SZA’s SOS, meanwhile, enjoys the highest debut on the ARIA Albums Chart at No. 2, behind Swift’s long-reigning Midnights.
The top five on the albums list is rounded out by Songs of Disappearance – Australian Frog Calls (MGM), which stays put at No. 3, and respective former best-sellers from Jimmy Barnes (Blue Christmas via Liberation/Universal) and Harry Styles (Harry’s House via Columbia/Sony).
Finally, Coterie makes a splash with their self-titled debut LP. The four-piece Australian-New Zealand band blasts in at No. 13 on the ARIA Albums Chart with Coterie (Sony), one of just two new releases to crack the top 50, after SZA’s latest LP.
BRISBANE, Australia — Universal Music Australia taps Sean Warner for the top job, which will vacated by the incumbent George Ash at year’s end.
Announced Tuesday (Dec. 13), Warner is promoted to president, Universal Music Australia & New Zealand, with effect from Jan. 1, 2023.
The incoming chief is a UMA stalwart with 15 years’ experience leading the company’s commercial business, both physical and digital.
Warner joined UMA in 2007 as national sales manager and has served on its senior management team in recent years, most recently as senior vice president of commercial, with duties for the commercial growth, innovation and digital development for UMA & New Zealand.
During his time with Universal, Warner has overseen the commercial strategy in Southeast Asia (SEA), launched the Bravado merchandise and licensing interests on both sides of the Tasman, and developed UMA’s eCommerce activities.
Prior to joining the music major, Warner held senior roles with BMG Interactive, Sony PlayStation, DMX Music and Foxtel. Also, he serves as chair of the AMTD fundraising committee for the music industry charity organization Support Act.
“Sean’s deep understanding of the Australian market combined with his operational experience and the respect he has earned from his UMG colleagues and artists—both domestic and international—makes him the ideal executive to take on the role of president,” comments Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of UMG.
“I’m confident he will expand our track record of creative and commercial success in a market that so culturally important.”
Warner will succeed UMA’s long-time leader Ash, who, as previously reported, plans to retire from his position at UMA.
Ash, who led the company as president since 2010, marked the end of an era in the Australian music industry when he announced his departure on Monday (Dec. 12).
“The time is right for me to step down from Universal,” Ash explained in a separate statement. “I feel confident that with the brilliant leadership group we have now, the organization will continue to grow and thrive.”
As previously reported, Ash last year initiated an investigation into workplace culture at UMA, and engaged Darren Perry at law firm Seyfarth Shaw to conduct the probe.
“As the region’s leading music company, we will continue to innovate and evolve our businesses,” says Warner in a statement, “and support our artists and labels as they deliver the very best music and culture to fans.”
Paul Kelly scores an early Christmas gift, as the veteran Australian singer, songwriter and wordsmith bags the chart crown with his holiday collection.
Kelly’s “2022 Edition” of Christmas Train (GAWD/EMI) stops at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, published Dec. 9. That’s one better than Christmas Train’s No. 2 debut and peak position following its original release in 2021, an effort that made it the highest-charting Christmas album of the year in Australia.
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Christmas Train collects a batch of classics, and features a new recording of Ron Sexsmith’s “Maybe This Christmas” — recorded with Kelly’s live band at Soundpark Studios in Melbourne — and, of course, Kelly’s own holiday standard, “How to Make Gravy,” a tale of a prisoner reflecting on the friends and family he’ll miss while he’s locked up for Christmas.
Guest vocalists on the LP include Marlon Williams, Waleed Aly, Lior, Emma Donovan, Kasey Chambers, Kate Miller-Heidke, Vika & Linda Bull, and more.
With another Aussie Christmas set blazing to No. 1 last week, Jimmy Barnes’ Blue Christmas (down 4-1 this cycle), ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd is calling the result “amazing” and “one more thing to celebrate as we enter the festive season. Congratulations to Paul for his success, it’s fantastic to see such an accomplished and important national storyteller continue to reach new heights.”
Kelly had to wait for his first No. 1. It finally came in 2017 with Life Is Fine, his 23rd studio album. Its followup, 2018’s Nature, also scaled the summit.
A smattering of Christmas gifts are placed on the ARIA Charts, including Michael Bublé’s Christmas (Reprise/Warner), up 36-8 on the albums survey, and the Bocellis’ A Family Christmas (Decca/Universal), which holds at No. 9.
Leaping in at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart, just behind Taylor Swift’s Midnights (Universal), is Australian Frog Calls: Songs of Disappearance (via MGM), an album that features calls from 43 of Australia’s most threatened frogs.
The set is a collaborative project of Australia Museum FrogID project, the Bowerbird Collective, Listening Earth and Mervyn Street of Mangkaja Arts, and aims to raise awareness for Australia’s declining frog population. Currently, one in six Australian native frog species are threatened.
The amphibian benefit recording is from the same well as Australian Bird Calls: Songs of Disappearance, an album of bird songs that reached No. 2 on the national chart in 2021.
Also new to the ARIA Albums Chart is Metro Boomin’s Heroes & Villains (Republic/Universal), new at No. 5, while BTS star RM’s starts at No. 26 with his solo debut Indigo (Interscope/Universal), and Magic Dirt singer Adalita bows at No. 29 with Inland (Liberation/Universal).
Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Sam Smith & Kim Petras’ “Unholy” (Capitol/Universal) unseats “Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” (Universal) after six weeks, while Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (Columbia/Sony) races 11-3.
Metro Boomin’ has the top debut on the singles survey with his Heroes & Villains release, “Creepin’” featuring the Weeknd and 21 Savage. It’s new at No. 8.
BRISBANE, Australia — Australian dance music fans have two new charts to add to their weekly diet.
The fresh surveys, the Australian Dance Singles Chart, a countdown of the top 20 dance singles, and the Australian Dance Albums Chart, a tally of the top 10 dance albums, will publish each Friday starting this week.
Both charts will sit alongside ARIA’s other Australia-focused albums and singles charts, which include Australian Hip- Hop/R&B, Country, and Top 20 Singles and Albums, and more.
“ARIA is determined to find ways to showcase Australian music from all who create it, this is another step in the right direction as we endeavor to provide a transparent scoreboard for our industry and music fans alike to understand how local music is being streamed, purchased and engaged with,” explains the trade body’s CEO Annabelle Herd.
ARIA’s suite of charts are calculated with a combination of streams, physical and digital sales, with the exception of the ARIA Club Chart, which is based on reports by working DJs across Australia. None of those “official” tallies collate radio airplay information.
“It makes total sense to have Australian Dance Charts in addition to our regular Dance Charts, you only have to look at this year’s ARIA Awards featuring Rüfüs Du Sol, Luude and Flume to see that dance music plays such an important role in Australian music culture,” comments Herd.
“It represents many of our most-loved acts across the globe and countless DJs filling clubs across the country on a nightly basis. We’re determined to work with the dance music community to find ways to ensure established and up-and-coming producers are recognized for their contribution to this culture, and provide a greater spotlight as nightlife across Australia continues to recover.”
In June, the labels body and charts compiler rolled out its first new survey in three years — the New Release Chart, a weekly examination of the most popular new local and international singles on a four-month cycle. Earlier in the year, ARIA’s main charts began incorporating data on music consumption from YouTube.
Next year, 2023, marks the 40th anniversary of the ARIA Singles and Albums Charts.
Three rising rappers from the land Down Under are getting their shot at NBA 2K23.
ARIA Award-nominated hip-hop artist Chillinit, teen vocalist Sahxl, and Barkaa, a Malyangapa, Barkindji woman from western New South Wales, have contributed fresh tracks which will be ingested into the game.
The three artists were challenged to incorporate sound effects from the court into their creations — the bounce of the ball, shoe squeaks, the stomping of fans’ feet.
With points on the board, in the form of “Big Swish” (Chillinit), “The One” (Sahxl) and “Ball ‘on Em” (Barkaa), the music makers are living a hoop dream.
“I have always been a huge fan of the NBA and the video game, as a kid I would play for hours, then fast forward years later to see my own billboard within the game while I play with my own little brothers is surreal,” comments Chillinit (real name Blake Turnell), whose Family Ties (via 420 Family/Virgin Music Australia) was nominated at the 2022 ARIA Awards in the best hip-hop/rap release category.
“It’s been such an honor to work with the team at 2K and to be a part of a game that I genuinely love and grew up playing. I can’t thank the team enough and can’t wait to welcome you all to the 2K with‘Big Swish’”.
According to reps, it’s the first time NBA 2K has engaged with artists who’ve specifically written tracks and utilized sounds from the basketball court.
The original songs enjoy a lift away from the virtual court with music videos, which feature in a new hip-hop-meets-ball “cultural” forum, Court in Session.
Helming the clips is Gabriel Gasparinatos, the music video and commercial director who has cut ads and campaigns for Adidas, Beats by Dre, Spotify and Google.
The hip-hop trio make the journey from Australia to NBA 2K23, as a wave of Aussie athletes impact the Association, a growing list that includes young guns Josh Giddey, Josh Green, and Dyson Daniels, veterans Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova and Joe Ingles, and three-times All-Star Ben Simmons.
The Court in Session campaign was powered by BRING Universal Music for Brands for 2K23, developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports.