Certainly no stranger to the ARIA Singles Chart, Kylie Minogue takes her tally to forty-three Top 40 Singles with the release of In My Arms.  The new single was co-written and co-produced by Calvin Harris and is the third to be lifted from Minogue’s current album – X.  The previous two are former No.1 single and gold accredited, 2 Hearts (Nov. ’07) and Wow (No.11 Feb. ’08).  Our pop queen is set to embark on a tour of Europe, kicking off this week in Paris. Minogue will also be celebrating her 40th birthday whist on tour landing in Germany that week.

Recently in Australia to host this year’s MTV Australia Awards, Wyclef Jean first shot to fame with the group The Fugees. Best known for their single Killing Me Softly, which spent seven weeks at No.1 in June and July 1996, went triple platinum and was the second highest selling single for 1996.  The Fugees eventually went their separate ways to concentrate on solo careers.  Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill) features Akon, Lil’ Wayne and Niia and samples Wu-Tang Clan’s track C.R.E.A.M. The single can be found on Jean’s new album Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant.

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We have seen school girl Britney (Baby, One More Time – No.1 Feb. ’99), movie star Britney (Lucky – No.3 Sep. ’00) and air hostess Britney (Toxic – No.1 Mar. ’04) and this time cartoon hero Britney in the film clip for Break The Ice.  This is the third release from Spears’ album Blackout, which peaked at No.3 in November last year and has been certified in Australia with platinum sales.  The single was co-written by Keri Hilson, who is featured on Timbaland’s tracks The Way I Are (No.1 Oct. ’07) and Scream (No.20 Mar. ’08).

Australia singer-songwriter, Pete Murray first graced our charts in 2004 with the single, So Beautiful.  It went on to peak at No.9 in February that year.  This was followed up with a handful of Top 50 singles - Please (No.33 Oct. ’04), Better Days (No.13 Sep. ’05) and Opportunity (No.29 Mar. ’06).  After a two year hiatus and a wedding to Amanda Coutts, Murray is set to ignite the charts again with his third studio album Summer At Eureka out next week.

He’s the laidback rapper from St Louis and she is one quarter of the Black Eyed Peas and together they bring you Party People.  This is the first time Nelly and Fergie have collaborated together.  Party People was originally intended to feature on Fergie’s The Dutchess (No.1 July ’07) album, but it did not make the final cut.  But when Nelly heard it he immediately decided to go with the track which is featured on his upcoming album Brass Knuckles.

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Hailing from Melbourne, Kaz James was one half of Bodyrockers who brought you I Like The Way You Move (No.12 June ’05) and is now flying solo for the release of Breathe and his upcoming solo album.  Breathe has already smashed dance floors all over Australia, recently peaking at No.1 on the ARIA Club Chart.  The 25 year old DJ / producer / songwriter now resides in London, but like this week’s No.38, joined Wyclef Jean at the MTV Australia Awards as the official DJ for the event. 

Born in Sydney and raised in Los Angeles, Sam Sparro comes from a long line of musicians.  His great-grandfather was a music professor, his grandfather was a trumpet player for some of the legends of yesteryear including Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr and Sparro’s father is a gospel singer.  So music certainly runs through his veins! Black & Gold was written, produced and arranged by Sparro and is currently No.2 on the UK Singles Chart.  This is also his debut to the ARIA Singles Chart.

It’s good to be Madonna this week! This week she’s No.1 on the singles chart with 4 Minutes while her brand new album, Hard Candy has debuted at No.1 as well and has already gone Gold! Madonna also holds the No.1 spot on the singles and albums charts in the UK this week too. This is her seventh No.1 album in Australia following - I’m Breathless (No.1 May ’90), Erotica (No.1 Oct. ’92) – also went triple platinum, Bedtime Stories (No.1 Oct. ’94) – double platinum, Something To Remember (No.1 Nov. ’95) – quadruple platinum, Ray Of Light (No.1 Mar. ’98) – triple platinum and Confessions On A Dance Floor (No.1 Nov. ’05) – double platinum. Featured on this album are the various talents of Justin Timberlake, Timbaland and Kanye West.

Here is Andre Rieu’s tribute to Australia, and he has Mirusia on board to sing some of the tracks. Mirusia was born in Queensland and is so far the youngest person to win the Dame Joan Sutherland Opera Award which she took out in 2006. She has spent the last few years singing and touring with Rieu. As the title suggests, the album has a few Aussie classics such as I Still Call Australia Home, Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Botany Bay and last but not least Waltzing Matilda. Rieu is scheduled to bring his Stadium Spectacular tour to Australia in November later this year. Rieu has equaled his previous chart peak with The 100 Most Beautiful Melodies reaching No.2 in April this year.

Australian Idol winner Damien Leith has had a busy few years since his 2006 win. This is his third top 10 album, with his first album, The Winners Journey hitting No.1 in December 2006, which was accredited with 4 times platinum sales and his second, Where We Land, which hit No.1 in August 2007, accredited with platinum sales. Featured on the album are Leith’s version of standard hits from the 60’s and 70’s like Catch The Wind, Wild World and Father and Son. On choosing the songs, Leith has this to say; “I've chosen songs that either mean a great deal to me on a personal level or those that I'd just love people to hear."

Another Australian Idol is in Chartifacts this week, with Carl Riseley releasing his debut album. Clearly a favourite, this Australian Navy musician made it through to the top 3 in 2007. On this album Riseley gives us his take on a few Jazz standards like Girl From Ipanema, Let’s Fall In Love and This Guy’s In Love. Australian trumpeter James Morrison features on the album and it was produced by Australian Idol music director Jonathan Foreman.

After a 10 year hiatus, Portishead fans will be happy to know they are back to work! Named after a town near their native Bristol, Portishead comprises of Beth Gibbons, Adrian Utley and Geoff Barrow. This is their third studio album – the first was Dummy which reached No.23 in July 1995, followed by Portishead which reached No.2 in October 1997. In 1998 they released PNYC (No.33 Nov. ’98), a live album recorded with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at the Roseland Ballroom in New York.

Sydney boys Bliss N Eso have just scored their first ARIA Top 10 Album with their latest effort, Flying Colours.  Their previous album, Day Of The Dog peaked at No.45 back in March 2006.  Bliss N Eso comprised of MC Bliss (Jonathan Notley), MC Esoterik (Max MacKinnon) and DJ Izm (Tarik Ejjamai).  They have been jamming together since they were in high school. The group is currently in the middle of their Unified Tour alongside label mates, The Winnie Coopers.

For Ceberano’s latest album, she recorded it in co-producer’s Steve Scanlon’s lounge room – with the aim of keeping both herself and her band relaxed. The band is the same band she toured with for her last album Nine Lime Avenue (No.4 May ’07). Ceberano has given her own spin to many favourite hits, such as Maroon 5’s She Will Be Loved, Kt Tunstall’s Suddenly I See, Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars and Babylon by David Gray. Featured on the album is her It Takes Two partner Russel Robertson – normally a Melbourne AFL star! Ceberano’s chart history spans over nearly 20 years, including some of these classic albums; You’ve Always Got The Blues (No.7 Jun. ’88), Brave (No.2 Aug. ’89), Like Now (No.18 Aug. ’90), Think About It (No.24 Oct. ’91), Kate Ceberano & Friends (No.19 Feb. ’94), Blue Box (No.18 Jul. ’96), Pash (No.23 May ’98), True Romantic (No.9 Jul. ’99) and 19 Days In NY (No.52 Oct. ’04).

Warwick makes a return to the album charts after a few years away. Her last album to chart was The Essential Dionne Warwick which peaked at No.81 in February 2004. Warwick’s career has spanned 4 decades, during which she received 5 Grammy awards! Warwick’s previous albums include Dionne Warwick’s Golden Hits Part 2, I’ll Never Fall In Love Again, Dionne and 20 Greatest Hits.

Canadian rockers – Finger Eleven make their debut to the ARIA Albums Chart with Them Vs. You Vs. Me. The band comprises of Scott Anderson (vocals), James Black (guitar), Rick Jackett (guitar), Sean Anderson (bass) and Rich Beddoe (drums).  For the album the group wrote over one hundred songs, ranging in all different music genres and took them almost two years to finalize the track listing.  The only single to come from the album so far, Paralyzer, is currently sitting at No.14 on the ARIA Singles Chart this week. 

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, the band consists of high school friends Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden.  Formed in 2002 the duo had no intentions on starting a band, but as faith would have it after graduating university, they begun touring extensively.  Oracular Spectacular recently peaked at No.12 on the UK Chart and is MGMT’s debut to the ARIA Albums Chart.

Legend: The Very Best Of Willie Nelson has debuted at No.5 on the country charts this week. Nelson was born in Texas, and from the age of six seemed destined to be a musician. He soon started playing in bands, writing songs and working as a disc jockey at local radio stations. Nelson is well known for his particular brand of country music, fusing jazz, rock and roll, swing and folk. Recently celebrating his 75th birthday, Nelson has released over 50 albums in his career!

You might recognize Sewell from the classical cross-over group Amici Forever, a group he started with his wife Simone Lanham. Originally born in New Zealand, Sewell has lived in several countries working on his impressive voice. This is his first solo album since his 2006 departure from Amici Forever after his daughter was diagnosed with Autism; Sewell wanted to provide a more balanced home life for his family. This album sees Sewell covering such operatic standards as Sole Mio, Nessun Dorma, You’ll Never Walk Alone and How Great Thou Art.  Believe is sitting at No.5 on the classical charts this week.

East Of Everything is about how on the eastern most tip of Australia lays a resort town that has become neglected as time wears on. Art Watkins (played by Richard Roxburgh) returns to say good-bye to his dying mother, only to discover his inheritance lies in needing to make peace with his scheming brother and turning their dying resort into a successful running business. Being an Australian drama, the soundtrack is packed full of great Aussie artists including Lior, Mia Dyson, Machine Translations and Sara Tindley.

The Roots have just snuck in at the end with their debut to the ARIA album charts! Their albums have charted on the Dance Charts with – Do You Want More?!!!??! reaching No.37 in April 1995, Illadelph Halflife peaking at No.36 in November 1996 and Things Fall Apart at No.42 in March 1999. On this their 10th album, the current line-up includes Black Thought (MC), ?uestlove (drums), Kamal (keyboard), F Knuckles (percussion), and Captain Kirk (guitar).