Categories
Essential Artists

Essential Artists #06: From Olivia Rodrigo to Becca Hatch

This week’s data-driven roundup of artists killing it around the world and in Australia this week

Start next week right by getting across the biggest and the hottest new music around – as usual, I’ve taken a look at which artists are bagging the most spots (especially those punching above their weight) on both the best Australian playlists and on New Music Fridays around the world.

Don’t forget there are two dashboards you can play with via the site if you want to get into the raw data behind it, one for Australia and one for the New Music Friday stuff.

Diving straight into it, the artists you need this week are:

1. The top five global superstars with new releases

2. Five artists punching above their weight around the world this week:

3. In terms of Australian artists, these are the acts seeing playlists at home and abroad making bets that they’ll be taking it to the next level soon:

If you want to know why they’re on my list this week, let’s get going…

The artists killing it on New Music Friday playlists around the world this week

First of all, these are the big five – these are the artists you’ll probably be hearing the most about this week.

The releases that put them on the top of the pile this week:

However, only looking at the big stuff means you can miss the up-and-comers. These are five artists that I think popped out while punching above their weight globally this week:

The releases that put them there this week:

  • ADÉLA – Red Bottoms (single)
    • Slovakian popster builds on last year’s viral co-production with Grimes, the only artist in the top ten with <1m Spotify followers
  • Carlita – Manhattan (single)
    • Sought-after producer and multi-instrumentalist collabs with sofi tukker lands in the top 20, which is really rare
  • Rose Gray – Club To Your Arms (single)
    • The fast-rising artist at the front of the uk dance revival drops a (northern hemisphere!) summer hit, and although it’s about London, it landed all over the world
  • Asha Banks – Come Down (single)
    • This noted british actor moves easily between screen and stereo, and landing adds on both the global and UK New Music Fridays gives her latest track some hefty reach
  • DAMEDAME* – FIRE BURNIN’ THRU THE RAIN (single)
    • The modern r&b outfit from britain continue to establish their postion as rising stars, and land spots on a short but really influential collection of New Music Fridays.

The artists killing it on the best new music playlists in Australia (and globally) this week

First of all, there are three artists who bagged more space on more Australian playlists proportionate to their size, than any others. These are the three artists critics and tastemakers in Australia are betting will break big soon.

These three landed at the top of the list with their latest releases:

Owning the playlists in Australia is one thing but breaking out into international markets is quite another.

Becca Hatch also made waves globally, so I looked into her performance first, but there were also more artists who also jumped out of the data at me as those being given more opportunities to be heard than you’d expect for artists of their size.

These are the artists and releases putting Aussie artists on the radar both at home and abroad this week:

  • Becca Hatch – Daylight Robbery (single)
    • A brilliant performance at home, with some big wins abroad too
  • Radio Free Alice – Lunch Money (single)
    • A strong performance in week two of the latest track, especially abroad 
  • South Summit – RUN IT BACK (album)
    • A cracking build up to their second album release sees strong support
  • Gretta Ray – Swimming, Crying (single)
    • Always popular at home in Oz, but a UK NMF spot adds big international reach
  • The Moving Stills – Rock Band (single)
    • Good mix of indie and major lists in Oz, with some additional global heft
  • Lucy Lamb – Lucy Lamb (album)
    • Strong support from new artist hunters at home and globally
  • Ocean Sleeper – Peace When I’m Dead (single)
    • A big range of lists at home, plus a whopper global genre spot as a bonus

There you have it – the artists from Australia and around the world whose new releases have been pushing buttons for critics and tastemakers at home and abroad.

If you’re into raw data, then there are two new dashboards you can play with on the site for the Australia and the New Music Friday data.

Go and discover something new and amazing 🤘

—

Photo: Becca Hatch at Mary’s Underground, Sydney