This Week In Pop - 31 August 2021

Welcome to This Week In Pop.

This week, Lorde locks in a third #1 album, while The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber enjoy a seventh week atop the Singles Charts. Ed Sheeran, Holy Holy and Tropical F**k Storm enjoy top ten debuts.

This week's album chartifacts

#1: Lorde ‘Solar Power’ – New Zealand superstar Lorde claims her third #1 album on the ARIA Charts as she returns with 'Solar Power'. The singer-songwriter’s third album comes four years on from 'Melodrama' (#1 June ’17) and includes contributions from Robyn, Jack Antonoff, Marlon Williams, Phoebe Bridgers and more. Two singles from 'Solar Power' have hit the Top 50: the title track (#14 June ’21) and ‘Mood Ring’ (debuting at #29 this week). Lorde first hit #1 with her debut album 'Pure Heroine' (#1 October ’13). She’s scheduled to tour Australia in support of the album in March 2022. 'Solar Power' also debuts at #1 on the ARIA Vinyl Albums Chart this week.
#4: Holy Holy ‘Hello My Beautiful World’ – Holy Holy claim a second ARIA Top Ten album with 'Hello My Beautiful World'. The Australian duo’s fourth album comes two years on from the ARIA Award-nominated 'My Own Pool Of Light' (#14 August ’19). It takes over from 'Paint' (#7 March ’17) as their highest ever chart peak.
#7: Tropical F**k Storm ‘Deep States’ – Melbourne band Tropical F**k Storm takes out a new ARIA Albums Chart peak as they debut at #7 with 'Deep States'. The third studio album from the supergroup made up of members from The Drones, High Tension, MOD CON, Harmony, and Palm Springs is the follow-up to 'Braindrops' (#10 September ’19).
#9: Trippie Redd ‘Trip At Knight’ – Releasing fourth album, Trip At Knight, American rapper Trippie Redd makes his first appearance in the ARIA Albums Chart Top Ten. It’s the follow-up to 2020’s 'Pegasus' and becomes his first entry in the Top 50 since the mixtape 'A Love Letter To You 4' (#47 December ’19). 'Trip At Knight' takes over from 'Life's A Trip' (#14 August ’18) as Redd’s highest peak. The album includes collaborations with Drake, Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti and more.

This week's single chartifacts

#1: The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber ‘Stay’ – The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber make it seven weeks at #1 in the ARIA Singles Chart with their collaboration ‘Stay’. Other singles by Australian artists to spend seven weeks at #1 have been John Farnham’s ‘You’re The Voice’ (#1 November ’86), Pseudo Echo’s ‘Funky Town’ (#1 December ’86) and Kylie Minogue’s ‘Locomotion’ (#1 August ’87). The current record holder for weeks at #1 (by an Australian artist or otherwise) is Tones And I’s ‘Dance Monkey’ (#1 August ’19), which spent 24 weeks in the top spot.
#3: Ed Sheeran ‘Visiting Hours’ – Ed Sheeran takes out his 22nd Top Ten single on the ARIA Charts as he debuts at #3 with ‘Visiting Hours’. The track was released when the British singer-songwriter announced his fifth studio album, '=' (pronounced “equals”), which is due to be dropped on 29 October. ‘Visiting Hours’ was premiered at the state funeral for Michael Gudinski in March and is a tribute to the late Mushroom Records founder. The track includes backing vocals by Kylie Minogue and Jimmy Barnes. It’s Sheeran’s second Top Ten single on the chart this week, with ‘Bad Habits’ sitting at #2.
#4: Elton John & Dua Lipa ‘Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)’ – A week after debuting at #7, Elton John and Dua Lipa’s ‘Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)’ jumps up three spots to hit #4. It becomes Dua Lipa’s sixth Top Five single in Australia. The single sits one spot below the peak reached by Elton John’s duet with George Michael, ‘Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me’ (#3 January ’92).

Top 10 Albums

1. 'Solar Power' – Lorde
2. 'SOUR' – Olivia Rodrigo
3. 'Planet Her' – Doja Cat'
4. 'Hello My Beautiful World' – Holy Holy
5. 'Happier Than Ever' – Billie Eilish
6. 'F*ck Love (Over You)' – The Kid Laroi
7. 'Deep States' – Tropical F**k Storm
8. 'Future Nostalgia' – Dua Lipa
9. 'Trip At Knight' – Trippie Redd
10. 'The Highlights' – The Weeknd

Top 10 Singles

1. 'Stay' – The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber
2. 'Bad Habits' – Ed Sheeran
3. 'Visiting Hours' – Ed Sheeran
4. 'Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)' – Elton John & Dua Lipa
5. 'Industry Baby' – Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow
6. 'Good 4 U' – Olivia Rodrigo
7. 'Beggin' – Maneskin
8. 'Happier Than Ever' – Billie Eilish
9. 'Need To Know' – Doja Cat
10. 'Kiss Me More' – Doja Cat featuring SZA