This Week In Pop – 7 September, 2020

Welcome to This Week In Pop.

This week, Metallica and Katy Perry take out the top spots of the Albums Chart. Meanwhile Josh Pyke, Private Function, and Diesel lead local debuts and Cardi B's on top of the Singles Chart again.

This week's album chartifacts

#1: Metallica, San Francisco Symphony ‘S&M2’ – Twenty years on from their first collaboration on 'S&M' (#1 November ’99), Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony top the ARIA Albums Chart again with 'S&M2'. Recorded at San Francisco’s Chase Center in September 2019, the new album features arrangements from the original 'S&M' concerts as well as songs recorded by the metal icons in the two decades since.
#2: Katy Perry ‘Smile’ – Returning with 'Smile', her first album in three years, American pop superstar Katy Perry scores her fourth Top Two album on the ARIA Charts. The follow-up to 'Witness' (#2 June ’17) features the singles ‘Never Really Over’ (#7 June ’19), ‘Harleys In Hawaii’ (#36 October ’19) and ‘Daisies’ (#37 May ’20). Two days before the album's release, Perry gave birth to her daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom. Perry previously topped the Albums Chart with 'Teenage Dream' (#1 September ’10) and 'Prism' (#1 November ’13).
#8: Josh Pyke ‘Rome’ – Josh Pyke claims his sixth Top Ten on the Albums Chart with 'Rome'. The Sydney singer-songwriter’s sixth studio album is his first since 'But For All These Shrinking Hearts' (#2 August ’15). Between studio releases, Pyke charted with 'Live At The Sydney Opera House' (#27 July ’16), a collaboration with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
#9: Private Function ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ – Melbourne punk band Private Function make their ARIA Charts debut with 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?'. It’s the second studio album from the band, coming a year on from their debut album 'St. Anger'. 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' Is #1 on this week’s ARIA Vinyl Albums Chart.
#10: Diesel ‘Sunset Suburbia’ – Veteran Australian singer-songwriter Diesel releases his first studio album in four years with 'Sunset Suburbia'. Four of the album’s tracks were featured across two EPs – 'Sunset Suburbia (Vol. I)' and 'Sunset Suburbia (Vol. II)' – released in the second half of 2019. It becomes his first Top Ten entry since 'Solid State Rhyme' (#10 Nov. ’94).

This week's single chartifacts

#1: Cardi B Feat. Megan Thee Stallion ‘WAP’ – ‘WAP’ by Cardi B makes it three straight weeks at #1 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Of the three female-lead hip hop songs to hit #1 on the chart, only Salt-N-Pepa’s ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’ (#1 January ’92) has spent more time in the top spot with four weeks.

Top 10 Albums

1. 'S&M2' – Metallica, San Francisco Symphony
2. 'Smile' – Katy Perry
3. 'folklore' – Taylor Swift
4. 'Legends Never Die' – Juice WRLD
5. 'Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon' – Pop Smoke
6. 'Fine Line' – Harry Styles
7. 'When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?' – Billie Eilish
8. 'Rome' – Josh Pyke
9. 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' – Private Function
10. 'Sunset Suburbia' – Diesel

Top 10 Singles

1. 'WAP' – Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion
2. 'Mood' – 24kGoldn featuring Iann Dior'
3. 'Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)' – Jawsh 685 x Jason Derulo
4. 'Head & Heart' – Joel Corry, MNEK
5. 'Mood Swings' – Pop Smoke
6. 'Rockstar' – DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch
7. 'Laugh Now Cry Later' – Dark featuring Lil Durk
8. 'Watermelon Sugar' – Harry Styles
9. 'Breaking Me' – Topic featuring A7S
10. 'Blinding Lights' – The Weeknd