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SYDNEY, Australia — Indie rockers the Rions have struck a global publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing Australia, Billboard can exclusively reveal.
It’s full steam ahead for the Sydney band, whose debut EP Minivan is due out Aug. 11. Featuring fan fave “Scary Movies” and the title track, Minivan was recorded with producer Chris Collins (Matt Corby, Skeggs, Middle Kids) in the Byron Bay hinterlands.
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“They’re a brilliant young band with a lot of heart and soul, writing great songs and we have no doubt they will be captivating audiences for a long time,” comments Sony Music Publishing managing director Damian Trotter, the publishing veteran who signed Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker.
Hailing from the Northern Beaches, the Rions was formed in 2016 by schoolmates Noah Blockley (lead vocals, bass guitar), Harley Wilson (guitar), Asher McLean (guitar) and Tom Partington (drums).
The lads got their break with first prize in Triple J’s 2021 Unearthed High competition, for their song “Night Light”. The track would land at No. 51 on triple j’s Hottest 100 countdown for 2021, and they’d follow it up with “Anakin,” which appeared at No. 64 in the national youth network’s annual countdown for 2022.
Support slots came with Lime Cordiale and Boy & Bear, then festival spots at Grapevine Gathering, Party In the Paddock and Festival of the Sun, and, more recently, a sold-out 10-date national tour in support of “Scary Movies.”
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Coming up, a spot on the bill for the two-day Yours & Owls Festival 2023 this October, headlined by Bakar, Broods and Chet Faker.
The Rions are managed by Steve de Wilde at UNIFIED Artist Management. “We’re really excited to partner with Sony Publishing in the next phase of this incredible band’s career,” he enthuses. “Damian and the team have such an impressive track record, and I can’t wait to see what this pairing of creative minds can unlock on a global scale.”
Courtney Barnett’s next release won’t feature any vocals.
End Of The Day is due out Sept. 8, and is said to be an instrumental affair, a “meditative, slow-burning and beautiful record,” reads a statement, “prioritizing atmosphere, tone and texture over traditional song structures and melodic hooks.”
The collection spans 17 tracks, originally created as part of the score to Danny Cohen‘s documentary Anonymous Club. Three cuts arrive early on streaming services, “Start Somewhere,” “Life Balance” and “First Slow,” accompanied with a visual shot by filmmaker Claire Marie Vogel.
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Barnett’s instrumental improvisations took shape in May 2021 with collaborator and producer Stella Mozgawa, who had worked on the Aussie singer and songwriters’ third studio album, Things Take Time, Take Time, released that year.
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End Of The Day will arrive via Milk! Records, and will be one of the final releases on the label, which will wrap-up at the end of 2023.
The label was established by Barnett and Jen Cloher in 2012 as a vehicle for the release of Barnett’s debut EP, I’ve Got a Friend Called Emily Ferris. The label’s roster would grow to include Cloher, Liz Stringer, East Brunswick All Girls Choir, Loose Tooth, Hachiku, Tiny Ruins, The Finks, Hand Habits, Bachelor and Sleater-Kinney, releasing over 70 albums, compilations and collaborations.
Based in Melbourne, Milk has won the AIR Award for best independent label on two occasions, in 2015 and 2018.
“It has been one of the great honors of my life to be a part of this incredible community and to work alongside so many amazing artists,” says Barnett of the Milk closure. “Thank you to every single person who has been part of the Milk! Records journey, it wouldn’t be the same without you.”
Barnett has been one of Australia’s leading indie exports of the past decade. Her debut full-length album from 2015, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, peaked at No. 4 in Australia, No. 16 in the United Kingdom and No. 20 in the United States, and won the Australian Music Prize, a trio of ARIA Awards and a nomination for best international female at the BRIT Awards. Her solo follow-up cracked the top 10 in the United Kingdom, led several Billboard charts and peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard 200.
A collaborative project with Kurt Vile, 2017’s Lotta Sea Lice, hit No. 5 in Australia, No. 11 in the U.K., and No. 51 in the U.S.
“End Of The Day” tracklist:Start SomewhereLife BalanceFirst SlowA to B(Electricity)Two Circles ReflectingEnd Of The DayFloating DownSpring AscendsIntroB to CLike WaterGold RoomSun ThroughRiverGet On With ItEternity Repeat
TOMORROW X TOGETHER‘s highly anticipated entrance into the music industry in 2019 generated immense interest as the latest addition to the esteemed roster of Big Hit Entertainment (now BIGHIT MUSIC), whose strong music history was laid by pop icons BTS, influential singer-songwriter Lee Hyun and ballad-focused boy band 2AM.
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Meanwhile, a cornerstone of TXT’s musical story has been the array of worldwide collaborators including global hip-hop stars (Coi Leray, iann dior, pH-1, Woodie Gochild), rising singer-songwriters (Salem Ilese, Seori, Lilas Ikuta), punk-rock icons (ModSun), EDM heavy-hitters (Alan Walker) and more. With TXT’s prime-for-pop-crossover smash “Do It Like That” alongside the Jonas Brothers, fans saw how the process goes beyond music.
Ahead of the July 7 release of “Do It Like That,” the K-pop stars shared a series of teaser videos to piece together their biggest Top 40 moment yet. Amid the U.S. leg of TXT’s Act: Sweet Mirage world tour, the quintet jetted off to meet OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder in the studio. While the super-producer behind multiple Hot 100 No. 1s already pumped some mainstream magic into the track, adding TXT’s Republic Records label mates in the JoBros expanded the song’s appeal to a broader generation of boy-band fans for maximum pop appeal.
With nearly 20 million views on YouTube since its release, the song is beginning to connect worldwide in its quest to become—as TXT’s eldest member Yeonjun describes it—”the perfect summer track” for 2023.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and HueningKai‘s took a moment to delve into the collaboration with Billboard to share behind-the-scenes anecdotes, aspirations for the song, who would make the best TXT/JoBros sub-unit and the latest message to their fans, affectionately known as MOAs.
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Billboard: Tell us more about how TOMORROW X TOGETHER and the Jonas Brothers came together for “Do It Like That.” Have you ever previously connected with Jonas Brothers, or was anyone a longtime fan?
YEONJUN: It was our first time meeting Jonas Brothers for this collaboration and I had personally been a fan of their music growing up and even practiced with their music as a trainee, so it felt surreal to be working with them. “Do It Like That” seemed like the perfect summer track and when Jonas Brothers also expressed their interest in the single, we met up in the States during the U.S. leg of our world tour in May to make this collaboration happen.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER has collaborated with several artists, but we got to see you meet, interact and record fun content before the song release. What was the vibe like? Any fun stories from the day?
TAEHYUN: From recording the track to shooting content, this collaboration was such a fun project. Jonas Brothers were even cooler in person and their friendliness helped us work together in a chill environment.
BEOMGYU: Jonas Brothers were incredibly welcoming from the moment we met. They were just as enthusiastic as we were about shooting content, which we really appreciated.
YEONJUN: We gifted Jonas Brothers our most recent album The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION! We shot a lot of content together, and I remember being pleasantly surprised by how good they were at filming TikTok videos.
Do you want fans to look out for anything specific in the music video?
HUENINGKAI: Viewers will be able to see how much fun we had on the set if they pay attention to TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Jonas Brothers’ facial expressions and gestures within the music video!
Fans loved Jonas Brothers’ sharing “concept photos” in the style of TOMORROW X TOGETHER on social media. Did you enjoy?
HUENINGKAI: We thought their concept photos turned out really well and felt a sense of pride seeing the positive reactions from fans.
In what ways do TXT and Jonas Brothers have similarities, and in what ways are they different?
TAEHYUN: I’d say TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Jonas Brothers are both artists who have a jam-packed discography with quality music. We, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, are not related by blood like Jonas Brothers, but the five of us are a band of brothers too and a family nonetheless.
What are your personal and professional goals with this single?
SOOBIN: It would be amazing to achieve good results on the Billboard charts with “Do It Like That,” but more importantly we hope that this single acts as a window for more people to discover TOMORROW X TOGETHER and get to know us.
Sometimes K-pop groups split into “sub-units” for certain performances or albums. What would be the best combination if one member of TXT and Jonas Brothers formed a duo?
BEOMGYU: I think HUENINGKAI and Nick Jonas would make the perfect duo because their vocals complement each other very well.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER has a lot of big things coming up: Headlining Lollapalooza 2023, a Disney+ documentary, of course this new single. What’s your message to fans as you roll it all out?
SOOBIN: We can’t spoil too much, but including our new single, we have a lot of exciting plans coming up for the rest of the year beyond what you mentioned. It’s a busy time for us, but we’re thankful and working hard to put our best foot forward for the many opportunities to meet our MOA. As always, we would appreciate our MOAs’ excitement and support every step of the way!
Trent Toney puts out fires for a living.
No, not like the IT support in your office. The 30-year-old from Hillsborough, Oregon, close to Portland, is a legit firefighter.
For his audition Tuesday night (July 11) on America’s Got Talent, Toney turned his hand to singing, songwriting and playing the keys.
His day job, however, was never far from the conversation. When Heidi Klum awkwardly asked why he didn’t present to the AGT nation in his firefighter outfit, he immediately put out that fire.
Toney told his backstory, specifically, his split from his wife Faith.
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“I think we were immature,” he explained, “we were both made a lot of mistakes. But I don’t think getting married to her was one of them.”
Does he want her back? Oh yes, that fire still burns. “Yesterday,” he remarked. “I’m still in love with her.” He proved it by performing an original song, written for his ex.
Matters took a different route when, before Toney could sing a note, the crowd bayed for him to call her. Which the judges obliged, dialing up Facetime. Faith took her time to pick up, but when she did, Klum handled the conversation and placed the phone on the judges’ desk, facing the stage.
After stifling some sniffles, Toney got going at the electronic keyboard for a performance of “Always and Lately,” a ballad that would sit nicely on most AC radio playlists.
The crowd loved it, the judges loved it.
“I think you’re so handsome, so lovely, you have the best smile, and a beautiful voice,” remarked Klum.“It was great, it was heartfelt, your voice is amazing you look amazing, it was the perfect audition,” added Sofia Vergara.
“I thought that was very brave, actually,” commented Simon Cowell. “I mean, to tell us all of that. I wouldn’t. I seriously wouldn’t. You know what, people I think are going to like you and I think you’ve got a really, really good voice. This is one of those auditions people are certainly going to about.”
Howie Mandel enthused, “You could feel the emotion in your voice, and I could tell just by looking at her and see how she was reacting to it, that was absolutely beautiful.”
It was four yeses from the judges.
Klum had the final word. As she congratulated the contestant with a hug, she quipped, “if this works out and you have a girl, it better be called Heide, okay.”
As for Faith, and whether the spark is still there, we’ll have to wait and see.
Watch below.
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With the drop of their new album ‘EXIST,’ EXO take over the first five spots on the Hot Trending Songs chart. Kevin Gates reacts to some of his most viral moments on social moments, explains why he decided to re-release his mixtape, and more. The Bellwether is opening its doors in LA today with a […]
LA’s newest music venue The Bellwether is opening its doors in LA today with a performance by Phantogram. Tetris Kelly: The Bellwether is Los Angeles’ hottest new music venue, and Billboard is taking you inside. Musicians like Haim, Tove Lo, Carly Rae Jepsen and so many more are set to take the stage at The […]
Music from EXO’s new album EXIST – The 7th Album dots Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart, powered by Twitter, dated July 15, including four of the top five.
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Billboard’s Hot Trending charts, powered by Twitter, track global music-related trends and conversations in real-time across Twitter, viewable over either the last 24 hours or past seven days. A weekly, 20-position version of the chart, covering activity from Friday through Thursday of each week, posts alongside Billboard’s other weekly charts on Billboard.com each Tuesday, with the latest tracking period running June 30-July 6.
The July 15-dated survey is paced by “Cream Soda,” the album’s leadoff track. The songs “Love Fool,” “No Makeup” and “Private Party” follow at Nos. 2-4, respectively. All four songs were newly announced as part of the wider tracklist reveal on July 2 ahead of the album’s eventual July 10 release.
The reign of “Cream Soda” follows EXO’s previous No. 1, “Let Me In.” Also from EXIST, the song was released in June and led the June 24-dated Hot Trending Songs tally.
The top non-EXO song on the July 15 ranking is FendiDa Rappa’s “Point Me 2,” with Cardi B, which debuts at No. 5. A remix of FendiDa Rappa’s “Point Me to the Slut’s” released last year, the new version was released July 7 after being teased on the rappers’ social media accounts beginning July 3.
It’s Cardi B’s second time at No. 1 on the chart, both times with features on remixes of previously released songs. In April 2023, she led as part of Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor Again.”
More music from EXO plus songs from MISAMO and Jung Kook round out the top 10.
Keep visiting Billboard.com for the constantly evolving Hot Trending Songs rankings, and check in each Tuesday for the latest weekly chart.
Australians love Tina Turner. And they proved it en masse, when almost 6,000 fans showed up at an outback party to dance the “Nutbush,” setting a new record in the process.
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The Big Red Bash in Birdsville, a remote Queensland town 1,000 miles west of the state capital, Brisbane, has raised the record in years past.
But on this occasion, just weeks after Turner’s death, on the 10th anniversary of the festival, and the 50th anniversary of “Nutbush City Limits,” the old mark was squashed.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 5,838 dancers did their thing — many wearing colorful outfits for the occasion. That figure easily eclipses the old mark of 4,084 people, set at the same site in 2022, and the 1,719 people recorded by Guinness World Records in 2018.
“It’s a military operation trying to get them lined up in rows and dancing for five minutes,” says Greg Donovan, founder of the Big Red Bash, held July 4-6.
Helen Taylor, co-founder of the Australian Book of Records, caught all the action.
“Everyone was in the spirit of things today. It was the best I’ve ever seen,” she recounts. “We had people on crutches dancing, there was a girl dancing the Nutbush and hula hooping at the same time.”
The record-setting effort also raised more than A$100,000 for charitable causes.
Australia has a deep, lasting connection with Turner. Her extraordinary solo comeback in 1984 was engineered by Roger Davies, the great Australian artist manager who has guided the careers of Pink, Olivia Newton-John, Janet Jackson, Cher and many others.
The rock icon also starred as Auntie Entity in 1985’s Beyond Thunderdome, the third in George Miller’s Mad Max action movie franchise, and from 1989 to 1995, Turner was the face of the National Rugby League (then the New South Wales Rugby League or NSWRL). Followers of the sport remember Turner as “The Queen of Rugby League.”
Turner died May 24, at the age of 83.
It’s unlikely to be a Swift Sweep, though Taylor Swift is on track to land three singles in the U.K. top 10. With Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) crushing the midweek U.K. albums chart, a trio of her singles are well-placed at the halfway stage. Based on sales and streaming data published by the Official […]
Taylor Swift is in complete control of the U.K. chart race with Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), the third instalment of her “Version” LPs.
Based on midweek sales and streaming data captured by the Official Charts Company, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) has already accumulated 48,0000 combined units (sales and streams), to lead the Official Chart Update.
It’s highly unlikely Swift can be caught. The new set, a rerecording of her third album, 2010’s Speak Now, is outselling the rest of the top 10 combined, the OCC reports.
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Should it hold its spot when the chart proper is published, Swift would nab a tenth consecutive U.K. No. 1. That feat stretches over a little more than a decade, and would extend Swift’s lead as the female solo artist with the second most No. 1 albums in U.K. chart history, behind only Madonna, with 12.
Swift’s chart domination is especially impressive when considering her U.K. leg of The Eras Tour is booked for almost a year from now. Anticipation is sky-high for her live shows in Australia, where Swift currently locks up the entire top five on the ARIA Chart, a never-seen-before phenomenon.
Coming in at a distant No. 2 on the U.K. chart blast is Wham’s retrospective The Singles: Echoes From The Edge of Heaven, which benefits from the debut of the ‘80s pop duo’s Netflix documentary. Echoes should give Wham, comprised of the late George Michael with Andrew Ridgeley, their sixth top 10 album as a duo.
Completing the podium at the midweek stage is California soul trio Gabriels’ debut set Angels & Queens, new at No. 3, while iconic British singer and songwriter PJ Harvey’s I Inside The Old Year Dying is on course to become her first top 10 in seven years (the last was The Hope Six Demolition Project, which summited in 2016). Dying is new at No. 4 on the midweek survey.
Also eying top 10 berths are D-Block Europe’s fresh mixtape DBE World, at No.7, and the Pigeon Detectives’ TV Show, at No. 10, for what could become the alternative rock band their first top 10 showing since 2008.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Friday (July 14).