Singles
No movement in the top three this week with Saint Jhn again at #1, holding out The Weeknd at #2 and Drake spending a third week at #3.
The sole change to the top 10 was the chart’s highest new entry, and one of four tunes new to the top 50 – Travis Scott and Kid Cudi with The Scotts The Scotts which was previewed during Fortnite performance recently. While Scott was in the chart with Highest in the Room at #3 last October, it’s been a while between drinks for Kid Cuti. The Cleveland performer and producer last charted top 50 singles with Just What I Am in October 2012. He did collaborate with Kayne West on the 2018 album Kids See Ghosts which peaked at #4.
Dua Lipa celebrates six months on the chart with Don’t Start Now. The single is still top 10 at #6 after 26 weeks with a peak at #2. Her #1 album Future Nostalgia spends another week at #2 after five weeks on the chart.
This weeks other top 50 chart debuts:
#15 Juice Wrld with Righteous. A posthumous release for the rapper who died in December last year after suffering a seizure at a Chicago Airport.
#42 Surf Mesa with Ily. An electronic soundscape created by young producer/DJ Surf Mesa with vocals by Emilee.
#45 Travis Scott with Goosebumps. A 2016 tune from Scott enjoying new exposure after his recent online Fortnite performance.
Albums
A relatively quite week on the chart with three new top 50 arrivals. One managed to debut at #1 – Birds of Tokyo with their sixth album Human Design making it another Aussie #1 – the sixth this year. This is the Perth band’s second #1 after March Fires topped the chart in 2013. Their previous album Brace peaked at #3 in 2016.
Birds Of Tokyo’s Adam Weston said: “We’re so happy to receive the news that Human Design has topped the ARIA charts! Thanks to everyone who got behind us during such a crazy time. It has been an incredible journey making this very cathartic record and it couldn’t have been done without the support of many who work closely with us and of course our fans who allow us to continue doing what we do. We can’t wait to tour where we can further bring these songs to life.”
ARIA CEO Dan Rosen added: “Massive congratulations to Birds Of Tokyo and their entire team on their #1 album Human Design. It comes off the back of a stirring performance of hit song Unbreakable with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra for the Music From The Home Front concert. Even in isolation the band are still pushing boundaries, and their stirring anthems are just what the country needs in these challenging times. It is so great to see another Australian act top the ARIA Chart, and proves that in this time of crisis Australian music fans are looking to our local artists for comfort and entertainment more than ever.”
We mentioned last week how The Smith Street Band worked their fans to buy their new album at the right time. It worked. They scored a #1 a week ago, and it has crashed out of the chart this week.
The second top 10 for the week is from Trivium with What the Dead Men Say at #5. The ninth studio album from the Florida metal band is their sixth to crack the top 10.
RVG debut at #28 with Feral. First time in the top 50 for the Melbourne rockers with their second album, three years after their debut Quality of Mercy.
Another chart milestone for Taylor Swift this week as her former #1 album 1969 notches up 200 weeks on the chart. The album has sold over 500,000 copies. The only other album on the chart to achieve that status is Ed Sheeran’s Divide which sits at #17 this week after 165 weeks.
ARIA noted this week how the Michael Gudinski/Jimmy Barnes Music From The Home Front show on the Nine Network pushed a number of Aussie artists up the top 50 including Tame Impala’s The Slow Rush (up four to #19), Tones And I’s The Kids Are Coming – EP (up seven to #27), Cold Chisel’s The Best Of Cold Chisel: All For You (re-entry at #38), G Flip’s About Us (re-entry at 42) and Paul Kelly’s Songs From The South: Paul Kelly’s Greatest Hits 1985-2019 (re-entry at #48).