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Missy Higgins will be elevated into the ARIA Hall Of Fame later this year, one of the greatest honors in the Australian record industry.
The singer and songwriter will be inducted during the 2024 ARIA Awards, set to be presented Nov. 20 at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion.
Higgins is no stranger to ARIAs glory. Since releasing her debut 2004 LP The Sound of White, which spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the ARIA Chart and is now 12-times platinum certified, the Aussie artist has collected nine ARIA Awards.
“Missy has gone on to become one of the highest selling singer-songwriters of our era, creating some of Australia’s most loved and recognized songs,” reads a statement Thursday, Aug. 15, announcing her induction.
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Her 2007 followup, On A Clear Night, also peaked at No. 1, as did 2012’s The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle. Oz (from 2014) and Solastalgia (2018) both cracked the top three of the national albums tally.
“I feel very honored and grateful,” she comments in a statement. “So many artists I love and admire are in the ARIA Hall Of Fame so it feels a bit surreal to be joining them. This year has already been really special, now this is going to make it even more memorable.”
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To celebrate her salute, Higgins will release her first full length release in six years, The Second Act (via EMI Australia) on Sept. 6, following her biggest Australian tour in nearly 20 years. Higgins has previewed new songs from it on her The Second Act Tour, which has criss-crossed the country for five months, playing 40 sold-out shows. Most of those 80,000 tickets were “snapped up within minutes,” according to Frontier Touring. Missy adds a final Victorian encore show, presented by ALWAYS LIVE and Frontier Touring, at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne on Dec. 6.
“Australia has seen Missy Higgins’ music career go from strength to strength, including nine ARIA Awards, several No. 1 albums, and multiple sell-out national tours,” comments ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd.
The ARIA Hall of Fame “is all about celebrating legendary music talent who leave a unique mark, inspiring not only the industry but Australia and the world. Missy is the absolute epitome of this. We couldn’t be happier to be welcoming one of Australia’s most loved and admired artists, Missy Higgins, into the ARIA Hall of Fame.”
With her induction, Higgins joins a who’s who of great Australian acts, including AC/DC, Cold Chisel, Nick Cave, Kylie Minogue, Archie Roach, Dame Joan Sutherland, Johnny O’Keefe, Slim Dusty, Men at Work, Midnight Oil and others.
More announcements for the 2024 ARIA Awards in partnership with YouTube are “coming very soon,” reps say.
BRISBANE, Australia — Bluesfest Byron Bay will wave bye-bye after its 2025 edition.
The event is an institution on the Australian festivals calendar, staging performances from the likes of Bob Dylan, BB King, Paul Simon, John Mayer, Mary J Blige, and Kendrick Lamar, plus homegrown stars Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil and Crowded House, across its 35-year history.
Its place and time is unique, presented each year over the Easter long weekend, the final fest of the warmer months, doing so from its home of Byron Bay, the picturesque beach town that sits on the most easterly point of Australia.
“To my Dear Bluesfest Family, and after more than 50 years in the music business, Bluesfest has been a labour of love, a celebration of music, community, and the resilient spirit of our fans,” writes Peter Noble, Bluesfest festival director.
After the 2025 fest, “as much as it pains me to say this, it’s time to close this chapter,” he continues.” Next year’s festival is “definitely” happening, “but it will be our last.”
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Bluesfest is one of the most-popular, and longest-running, multi-day shows of its kind in Australia. Its organizers boast a swag of domestic and international awards, including multiple Helpmann and Pollstar trophies.
History apparently means little in a marketplace where the cost-of-living crisis, changing ticket-buying behavior and a slew of factors are crushing the widerfestivals business.
No brand is immune.
This year alone has seen a remarkable lineup of casualties, including Splendour In The Grass, Groovin The Moo, Spilt Milk, Caloundra Music Festival, Harvest Rock and others.
During its heyday, Bluesfest averaged 85,000 attendees. That figure swelled to 102,000 in 2022, when live music returned from the lockdown years. The most recent show, however, counted fewer than 65,000 attendees.
When Bluesfest collected the best festival award at Variety Australia’s Live Biz Breakfast in June, Noble, speaking from the podium, delivered a rallying cry for festival organizers in these particularly tough times.
“We’ve really got to be as one as an industry. We need to speak to government,” he remarked. “We need to say this is the time you support our industry because we are facing an extinction event and that event can be looked at during the times of COVID, government delivered a lot of funding… come on government. Give us a hand up, we don’t want a handout. We can get through this because our industry is worth it.”
The final edition of Bluesfest will be a four-day event, from April 17 to 20, 2025, on the 300-acre Byron Events Farm, about 7 miles north of Byron Bay.
The first artist announcement for Bluesfest 2025 will be made next week. “This final edition is not just the end of an era,” reads a statement, “it’s a celebration of everything that Bluesfest has stood for over the past 35 plus years – music, community, and unforgettable experiences.”
As Adele continues her Munich residency, the singer faced a torrential downpour at her show. Keep watching for what she has to say! Narrator: Adele’s residency in Germany has been nothing short of a smash hit! And crossing the halfway mark comes with its own set of issues. During her fifth show, Munich experiences a […]
Billie Eilish ties Imagine Dragons for the most No. 1s – five each – in the 15-year history of Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, as “Birds of a Feather” lifts to the top of the Aug. 17-dated survey.
“Birds of a Feather” reigns via 31.8 million radio audience impressions, 22.4 million official U.S. streams and 4,000 downloads sold in the week ending Aug. 8, according to Luminate.
The song follows “Lunch,” which ruled for a week in June, as Eilish’s second leader from her album Hit Me Hard and Soft, released in May.
Eilish first hit No. 1 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs with “My Future” in 2020 and returned to the top with “Happier Than Ever” in 2021 and “What Was I Made For?” in 2023.
Eilish now shares the record for the most leading titles despite often not being eligible for the tally at the onset of her career, as prior to June 2020, the ranking reflected songs specifically within the confines of the rock genre; since then, it has incorporated alternative music that may have roots in a genre other than rock, such as pop, dance and more.
Most No. 1s, Hot Rock & Alternative Songs:5, Billie Eilish5, Imagine Dragons4, Twenty One Pilots3, Zach Bryan3, Foo Fighters3, Linkin Park
Concurrently, “Birds of a Feather” lifts 2-1 on Hot Alternative Songs, likewise marking her fifth leader. Since the chart began in 2020, only Noah Kahan, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift also boast more than one leader, with two apiece.
As previously reported, “Birds of a Feather” becomes Eilish’s first No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts.
On the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, “Birds of a Feather” leaps 10-7 for a new high as the chart’s top Airplay Gainer.
“Birds of a Feather” debuted at No. 4 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs upon the chart arrival of Hit Me Hard and Soft. It has steadily risen since, with eight weeks at No. 2 prior to its coronation, thanks at first to attention on TikTok, followed by gains on radio, where it’s followed “Lunch” as the LP’s latest promoted single. It jumps 11-8 on the Pop Airplay list dated Aug. 17 and 25-16 on Adult Pop Airplay.
Hit Me Hard and Soft debuted at No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart dated June 1 and has reigned for eight weeks. It has earned 1.2 million equivalent album units to date.
The 2024 Paris Olympics were filled with some of the most memorable moments in music. From Céline Dion’s return to the stage to Snoop Dogg representing the U.S. at several events, let’s take you through our favorites. Tetris Kelly: The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics have come to an end. The Olympics are a time when […]
Piso 21 can cross off a new career milestone thanks to “La Misión,” the group’s first collab with Wisin, which rules Billboard’s Latin Pop Airplay chart. The song, released May 2 via Warner Latina, advances from No. 2 to top the Aug. 17-dated list.
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“Achieving a No. 1 on U.S. radio with a song like ‘La Misión’ is a double triumph for us: collaborating with Wisin was already a dream fulfilled,” Juan David Huertas, better known as El Profe, tells Billboard.
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“La Misión” takes the podium with 4.2 million audience impressions, up 10%, logged in the week ending Aug. 8, according to Luminate. Puerto Rico’s Univision station WKAQ-FM takes the lead among the song’s biggest supporters during the tracking week, while New York’s SBS WSKQ, comes in second.
As “La Misión” lands at the summit on Latin Pop Airplay, Piso 21 achieves its first No. 1 on the tally, and first ruler overall since “Déjala Que Vuelva,” featuring Manuel Turizo, crowned Tropical Airplay for two weeks in March 2022.
“Since ‘Déjala Que Vuelva’ in 2018, we hadn’t reached these heights, and we’re thrilled to be back at the top,” Pablo Mejía, aka, Pablito tells Billboard. “All good things take time, and this is proof once again.”
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Back on Latin Pop Airplay, the Colombians previously secured three other top 10s from 13 total chart appearances, the highest being “Más De La Una” with Maluma for a No. 3 high in 2021.
“We’ve spent many years evolving Piso 21’s sound while staying true to its essence and soul,” David Escobar, who goes by Dim, adds. “‘La Misión’ is a testament to that effort.”
In addition to Piso 21, “La Misión’s” success also secures a Latin Pop Airplay achievement for Wisin, who despite being a reggaetón artist, has become a staple in the ranking with 36 total appearances. Among those, six reached No. 1. The Puerto Rican was last in charge through another Colombian partnership, as “Buenos Días” with Camilo ruled for one week in 2022.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported us in this endeavor; we couldn’t have done it without you,” adds Piso 21’s David Lorduy, known as just Lorduy.
Elsewhere, “La Misión” gains territory on the overall Latin Airplay chart, entering the top 20 for the first time, at No. 16. It’s the highest ranking for both acts in over two years.
Jung Kook has officially announced his I AM STILL documentary, releasing soon. Keep watching to see what the film is going to cover! Tetris Kelly: Get your popcorn ready ARMY because Jung Kook is hitting the big screen. His documentary, I AM STILL, hits theaters September 18th and will show his journey as a solo […]
Fuerza Regida’s JOP discusses the band’s new album PERO NO TE ENAMORES, elaborating on the meaning behind the title and the fresh sound that the band is featuring, along with their tour details. JOP also shares insights into his personal journey with DJing, what to expect from him at Latin Music Week, his experience of owning his own record label, and more!
Isabela Raygoza:
Hi, I’m Isabela Raygoza, and I’m here with JOP de Fuerza Regida
JOP:
Yo, what’s cracking? We’re here locked in.
¿Todo bien?
Happy to be here.
Thank you. Pues-
Thank you for having us.
It’s awesome to have you in in New York. You know, I’m also from SoCal, so San Bernardino represent aquí.
I’ve only seen you in Cali.
You’ve only seen me in Cali, and I am from Cali, and I always go back in holidays. But, you know, that’s why I-
Only holidays?
Pues, I know I should go more often.
Yeah, you gotta go more.
Pero hey, yo, let’s talk about your new album, ‘PERO NO TE ENAMORES,’ honestly, dope. I am amazed at the sonic transitions that you’ve done. Pero antes de hablar about the new sounds, let’s talk about the title, ‘PERO NO TE ENAMORES.’
That’s just the vibe right now, I’ve said in a couple interviews already, it’s just a little bit of everything. If you think about the name ‘PERO NO TE ENAMORES,’ that’s what it is.
Okay, okay.
Like in general,
Okay, okay.
All around.
Yeah, that’s the vibe right now. I was also pretty, like, taken aback about, like, how you were able to fuse these two styles, you know, Jersey Club and corridos. You coined Jersey Corridos. How did that mix come together first of all?
Before I answer your question, let me ask you a question. If you’ve been here for 10 years, do you like Jersey?
Keep watching for more!
After a two-week break for the Paris Summer Olympics, America’s Got Talent returned on Aug. 13 with the first of four live quarterfinal rounds.
Eleven acts took the stage, but it was Peoria, IL, native Liv Warfield who stole the show with her powerful rendition of “The Unexpected,” a song written for her by Prince.
Warfield, who had already made waves with her Golden Buzzer-winning audition, brought an emotional intensity to the Pasadena Civic Auditorium that left the judges in awe.
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Backed by her horn-laden band, she delivered a performance that Simon Cowell described as “unbelievable.” “If this was the Olympics for singing, you would have won the gold medal,” Cowell said. “It felt to me like all those years you’ve been climbing the ladder to where you want to be, it all came out in those three minutes.”
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Sofia Vergara was equally impressed, calling Warfield’s performance “Perfection,” and adding, “Your outfit, your voice, the song—it’s amazing to have an artist like you here with us.”
Howie Mandel, a self-proclaimed Prince fan, offered his own high praise. “I’m a huge Prince fan, and he knew what he was doing when he gave you this gem. That was a million-dollar performance. America is crazy if they don’t vote for you, that’s your drop-the-mic moment.”
Warfield’s connection to Prince is both deep and personal. As a former member of his New Power Generation, she was mentored by the legendary artist, who not only shaped her career but also wrote “The Unexpected” specifically for her.
In a heartfelt pre-performance interview, Warfield reflected on her journey: “I’ve been grinding for a long time. Backing up Prince was a dream. But I still haven’t reached the heights I know I can reach. The golden buzzer … when I got home I cried in the car … I cried hard. I didn’t think this would be happening. I’m just everyday people.”
The audience’s response was immediate, with fans taking to social media to voice their support. One commenter noted, “Liv is one of the most talented people that AGT introduced to me,” while another added, “The fact she shared a stage with Prince and sang a song he wrote for her—that alone is amazing. You got my vote.”
As the live rounds continue, Warfield stands out as a top contender, with many eagerly awaiting her next performance.
In addition to her success on AGT, Warfield has made notable achievements on the Billboard charts. Her album The Unexpected reached No. 3 on the Top R&B Albums chart in 2014, and her single “Stay – ‘Soul Lifted’” made an impact on Adult R&B Airplay.
Watch Liv Warfield’s America’s Got Talent performance below.
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With the final leg of her European tour coming this week in London, Taylor Swift has moved her showtimes up and gave an announcement to un-ticketed Swifties. Keep watching for the details. Narrator: After the threat of a terrorist attack and the canceling of three shows in Vienna, Taylor Swift is making some adjustments to […]