News 28 March 2020

After Hours lands third #1 album for The Weeknd

Debuts for The Smith Street Band, Adam Lambert, Childish Gambino and more!

After Hours lands third #1 album for The Weeknd

Debuts for The Smith Street Band, Adam Lambert, Childish Gambino and more!

Releasing his fourth album, After Hours, Canadian artist The Weekd scores his third #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart. He also the first artist since Billie Eilish in April 2019 to have #1s on the Singles and Albums charts in the same week.
 
Debuts:
 
#1: The Weeknd ‘After Hours’ – Debuting at #1 with After Hours, Canadian artist The Weeknd notches up his third chart-topping album in Australia. His fourth studio album is the first since Starboy (#1 Dec. ’16). Between LPs, The Weeknd released the EP My Dear Melancholy, (#3 Apr. ’18). After Hours includes the #1 single ‘Blinding Lights’ (#1 Jan. ’20), as well as ‘Heartless’ (#10 Dec. ’19) and the title track (#11 Mar. ’20). The Weeknd first hit #1 with Beauty Behind The Madness (#1 Sept. ’15).
 
#4: The Smith Street Band ‘Live At The Triffid’ – Melbourne’s The Smith Street Band take out their second Top Ten entry thanks to Live At The Triffid. Recorded in Brisbane on 22 September 2019, the album has been released by the band in order to be able to pay their crew during the COVID-19 downturn. The Smith Street Band scored their first Top Ten with More Scared Of You Than You Are Of Me (#3 Apr. ’17).
 
#8: Adam Lambert ‘Velvet’ – Adam Lambert returns with his first album in five years, Velvet. The sometime Queen front man last released solo material back in 2015 when The Original High reached #4 – his highest peak to date. Chic leader Nile Rodgers appears on the single ‘Roses’.
 
#10: Kenny Rogers ‘All The Hits And All New Love Songs’ – The late, great Kenny Rogers takes out three spots in this week’s Top 50, with All The Hits And All New Love Songs the highest at #10. He’s also hit the chart with the compilations 21 Number Ones (#38) and The Best Of (#50). Rogers last made appeared in the Top 50 with Endless Love (#17 Sept. ’96). It’s Rogers’ best chart position since 20 Greatest Hits (#2 Mar. ’84).
 
#11: Childish Gambino ‘3.15.20’ – Musician/actor Donald Glover returns under the Childish Gambino moniker with the surprise album 3.15.20. Named after the day it was initially uploaded to the American hip hop/funk artist’s website, it’s the follow-up to Awaken, My Love! (#9 Dec. ’16). Between albums, Glover hit #1 with the standalone single ‘This Is America’ (#1 May 2018), and also had prominent roles in Solo: A Star Wars Story, Spider-Man: Homecoming and the remake of The Lion King.
 
#26: Conan Gray ‘Kid Krow’ – On the back of the Singles Chart success of ‘Maniac’ (#28 Mar. ’20), Conan Gray release Kid Krow. The American singer-songwriter’s debut album comes two years on from the EP Sunset Season. He first came to prominence as a YouTube star. Gray is set to play shows in Australia in September.
 
#27: Kelsea Ballerini ‘Kelsea’ – American country singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerini hits a new chart peak as she releases third album, Kelsea. The follow-up to Unapologetically (#12 Nov. ’17) features collaborations with Halsey and Kenny Chesney. Ballerini first charted with The First Time (#33 Mar. ’16).