News 2 November 2019

Kanye West scores third #1 album

Debuts for Rex Orange County, James Blunt, Van Morrison and more!

Kanye West scores third #1 album

Debuts for Rex Orange County, James Blunt, Van Morrison and more!

After finally releasing the long-anticipated Jesus Is King, Kanye West snares his third #1 album on the ARIA Charts (more below).
 
Shawn Mendes’ self-titled third album has jumped up eleven spots to #13 in its 57th week in the Top 50.
 
Sydney rapper Chillinit returns to the chart at #18 with his debut album, Women Weed & Wordplay. The release previously debuted and peaked at #41 back in November 2018.
 
Debuts:
 
#1: Kanye West ‘Jesus Is King’ – American hip hop star Kanye West takes out his third #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart with Jesus Is King. After several intended releases dates came and went, West’s ninth solo studio album saw the light of day on 25 October. It features a host of collaborators including Ty Dolla Sign, Kenny G, Clipse, Benny Blanco and Timbaland. West previously hit #1 with ye (#1 Jun. ’18) and Yeezus (#1 Jun. ’13).
 
#4: Rex Orange County ‘Pony’ – Releasing Pony, his third studio album, Rex Orange County makes his ARIA Top 50 debut. The first two albums by the British singer-songwriter also known as Alexander O’Connor were self-released: bcos u will never b free (2016) and Apricot Princess (2017).
 
#5: James Blunt ‘Once Upon A Mind’ – James Blunt scores his seventh Top Ten album on the ARIA Charts with Once Upon A Mind. The sixth album from the English singer-songwriter is the follow-up to The Afterlove (#7 Apr. ’17). James Bunt has topped the chart with Back To Bedlam (#1 Aug. ’05) and All The Lost Souls (#1 Sept. ’07).
 
#11: Van Morrison ‘Three Chords And The Truth’ – Veteran singer-songwriter Van Morrison releases his sixth album in four years, Three Chords And The Truth. Coming just under a year on from The Prophet Speaks (#49 Dec. ’18), the new album is Morrison’s 41st studio album. It features a duet with The Righteous Brothers’ Bill Medley.
 
#14: Airbourne ‘Boneshaker’ – Hard rockers Airbourne notch up their fifth ARIA Top 50 entry as they debut with Boneshaker. The follow-up to Breakin’ Outta Hell (#13 Oct. ’16) is the band’s first album to feature guitarist Matt Harrison, who joined in 2017.
 
#20: Thornhill ‘The Dark Pool’ – Melbourne metalcore band Thornhill hit the chart with their debut album, The Dark Pool. The five-piece first came to prominence when they released the EP Butterfly in February 2018.
 
#27: Desert Sessions ‘Vols. 11 & 12’ – Desert Sessions, the collaborative project masterminded by Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stone Age), returns with its first release in 16 years. Vols. 11 & 12 (respectively known as Arrivederci Despair and Tightwads & Nitwits & Critics & Heels) sees Homme joined by an eclectic cast of players including Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint), Jake Shears (Scissors Sisters) and actor/musician Matt Berry. It’s the first Desert Sessions release to chart in the Top 50 in Australia.
 
#41: King Princess ‘Cheap Queen’ – American singer-songwriter King Princess makes her Albums Chart debut with Cheap Queen. The debut album by the artist born as Mikaela Straus comes just over a year on from her first EP, Made My Bed (#25 Jun. ’18).
 
#45: Bruce Springsteen ‘Western Stars - Songs From The Film’ – Bruce Springsteen picks up his second entry on the ARIA Albums Chart in 2019 with Western Stars - Songs From The Film. It’s the companion soundtrack to the film which sees Springsteen and band perform live versions of the tracks from #1 album Western Stars (#1 Jun. ’19) in a barn on Springsteen’s property.
 
#46: Bad Wolves ‘N.A.T.I.O.N’ – Metal supergroup Bad Wolves score their second ARIA Albums Chart entry with N.A.T.I.O.N. The American band’s second album is the follow-up to last year’s debut, Disobey (#9 May ’18).