Charli XCX comes in hot on the ARIA Albums Chart, as Music, Fashion, Film debuts at No. 1.
It’s Charli’s fourth appearance in the top 10, a tally that includes No. 1s for Crash in 2022 and the remix release of BRAT in 2024.
With that fast start, the British singer and producer blocks Amy Shark from a fourth consecutive ARIA No. 1 with soft pop, new at No. 2. Shark led the all-genres albums chart with Love Monster in 2018, Cry Forever in 2021 and Sunday Sadness in 2024.
Olivia Rodrigo completes the podium with you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, down 2-3.
Icelandic singer and songwriter Laufey kicks off her seven-date Australian tour Friday night, July 31 in Melbourne, a trek that powers-up her album A Matter Of Time: The Final Hour. The album spikes 39-6 on the ARIA Albums Chart, several places adrift from its No. 2 peak.
Also new to the ARIA Chart, published late Friday, July 31, is the Strokes’ Reality Awaits. It’s new at No. 10, for the New York indie rockers’ sixth top 10 appearance, a run that includes a 2011 leader with Angles.
Close behind is Gentleman, the debut studio album from Australian singer and songwriter Budjerah. Gentleman is new at No. 14.
South African singer Tyla opens her account at No. 28 with A*Pop, her sophomore album. That’s by some distance a new career high, besting the No. 48 peak position for 2024’s Tyla.
Canadian country music superstar Shania Twain enjoys another top 40 appearance with Little Miss Twain, her seventh studio album. It’s new at No. 30. Twain has bagged three ARIA Chart leaders during her glittering career. According to ARIA, 1999’s Come On Over logged 20 weeks at No. 1, while 2002’s Up! and 2017’s Now both checked in for a week at the chart summit.
Meanwhile, Sydney rocker Body Type starts No. 42 with Tally. It’s their third album and first to crack the ARIA Top 50.
Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Ella Langley enters an eighth non-consecutive week at No. 1 with “Choosin’ Texas.” It’s another all-female top three, with Olivia Dean’s “Man I Need” holding at No. 2 and the British singer’s collaboration with Sam Fender, “Rein Me In,” unchanged at No. 3.
The top new release belongs to international girl group Katseye, whose “Animal” debuts at No. 8. Co-written with Ed Sheeran, it’s the act’s fourth top 50 hit here after 2025’s “Gabriela” (No. 27), 2026’s “Pinky Up” (No. 19) and “Iconic By Mistake” (No. 39) with Le Sserafim and Illit. The members of Katseyevisited Australia in May for a series of showcases and fan events. “Animal” is the only fresh cut new top ARIA Top 50.
Bright lights, damp smells, electronic sounds bouncing from the walls. For Generation X, video game arcades were the gateway to dance parties.
PNAU made the leap. And somehow, that trip is fused into AHHCade,the electronic duo’s seventh studio album, out today (July 31) via Sydney-based indie label etcetc, part of TMRW Music.
“We started out this record trying to do something different and trying to make darker music,” co-founder Nick Littlemore explains in a sitdown chat with Billboard. “We talked about the idea of making it quite industrial, going back to my roots.”
That didn’t quite end up happening.
Instead, PNAU, the project of high school buddies Littlemore and Peter Mayes, reached deep into the memory banks, and those formative, dingy rooms that sucked up our pocket money and triggered dopamine dumps.
“Arcades were such an exciting place as kids. I don’t know if they were safe spaces, but they were exciting and they gave us a window to a future that other generations didn’t have,” Littlemore explains. In an earlier, simpler life, the young generation was “going to the arcades, making mixtapes for friends, representing yourself on your pencil case.”
Playing the “Spacies,” as Aussies of a certain vintage have in their vernacular, “the fact they weren’t necessarily that safe is a bit like going to raves. They were the precursor to going into other dark rooms, with dodgy foods being sold somewhere. And blinking lights, mad sounds. And very electronic. You were interfacing with it.”
Those sensory overload rooms were the first to enable youngsters to get a buzz by burying their faces in screens. “Music isn’t work; you don’t work music. Arcades, it’s a play time, isn’t it?,” Littlemore reckons. “There’s a playfulness to it.”
Playtime was “naive back then in a beautiful way. I never want to lose that.”
The new collection houses the previously-released belter “Tu Corazon (Your Heart)” featuring Mexican rock act The Warning; the bubbly single “Nirvana” with EARTHGANG and sadMONTH; and the new single “Serotonin,” which features Kurtis Wells and arrives today. Other features include Master Peace, Kungs, MEDUZA, Maleigh Zan, The Flints, LATASHA, and Marieme.
PNAU formed in Sydney in the mid-1990s, the golden era of Australia’s underground electronic music scene. Their debut album, Sambanova, dropped in 1999, and won an ARIA Award for best dance release. More would come, as would AIR Awards. Long-overdue international recognition came when PNAU joined forces with Elton John on the Rocket Man’s 2012 remix album Good Morning to the Night, which went to No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart. PNAU and Elton teamed up again for the 2021 remix “Cold Heart” with Dua Lipa, and landed a bonafide global monster.
PNAU will support the new release with a national tour, kicking off Sept. 19 for Brisbane’s Night at the Parkland event. Littlemore, one half of Empire of the Sun, is a reluctant touring artist. “I want to wind up my personal touring by the end of the year. Ideally. I tried to do it last year. But I would like to move just purely into production and composition,” he insists. “I’ve been making a classical album, with an amazing arranger, and all these modular synths. Oh, my God. No one’s gonna listen to her, but I’m really enjoying making it.”
Littlemore admits he and Mayes and have “100s of songs and ideas” on standby. “Songs are spells. They’re wishes and they’re spells, and you want to put good spells in the universe,” he insists. “There are enough bad spells out there, anyway.”
AHHCade brings some balance to the equation. Eleven good spells, a half-hour playtime.
Glenn A. Baker, for generations a familiar name in Australian media for his work as a music historian, author, presenter and pundit, and a long-time Billboard correspondent, died Friday morning, July 31. He was 74.
“Glenn’s contribution to the Australian rock ’n’ roll music landscape was immense, but his family remembers him as a loving father of six and grandfather of thirteen,” reads a statement posted on his official social channels.
“Glenn’s passion for music, travel, food and his family (still not entirely sure of the order) was, like his personality, larger than life.”
Born in Sydney, New South Wales, in 1952, the eldest of four children, Baker left school aged 15 to support his family and was “galvanized” by seeing the Beatles on TV.
In the mid-‘70s, Baker launched his radio career as part of a research team whose work led to the creation of 2JJ, which would became triple j, the national youth network within the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Baker always cut a flamboyant figure on TV, which was often, in the 1970s through to recent times. A true music allrounder, Baker managed the band Ol’55 and, in 1979, co-founded the Australian record label Raven Records. He topped the BBC’s “Rock Brain of the Universe” on three occasions during the 1980s, and twice won the Australian Travel Writer of the Year Award twice (1995 and 2000).
A prolific writer, Baker penned 17 books, sleeve notes for more than 600 albums, and served as Billboard’s Australia correspondent for over 20 years.
His knowledge of music was as vast as his collection of records. In 2024, Baker, through Lloyds Auctions, put his immense haul under the hammer. Over 80,000 items were put up for sale, including over 50,000 LPs “primarily representing rock’n’roll and popular music of the second half of the 20th century,” the listing stated.
Winarch Group’s founder and director Paul Lambess bought the goods.
Speaking with 702 ABC Sydney, Baker’s son Orson revealed that his father had experienced a “period of illness,” was “declining for a while” and had experienced a stroke.
His dad was “somebody who absolutely grabbed life, throttled it, and did everything that he wanted to do”.
As news of his passing spread, the music community reached out.
“I am very sorry to hear of the passing of Glenn A Baker today,” writes Iva Davies, spearhead of ICEHOUSE. “Glenn was someone who lived life on his own terms – his passion for music and for the industry made him a force for discovery of new artists and to advocate with business and government to improve conditions for creators.”
Cold Chisel frontman Jimmy Barnes remembered Baker as “the first person I’d turn to whenever I needed to know anything about our music history. He was always ready to help, drawing on his vast knowledge of popular music.” It was Baker who sent Barnes the Easybeats song “Good Times” when the rocker was looking for a song to record with INXS. “I’ll miss his insights, his incredible knowledge, and our conversations about music whenever we met.”
ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Marcia Hines reflects on Baker as “a man to whom music was more than music. It was part of his life blood. His big, beautiful brain held the keys to a treasure trove of deep cuts that he rejoiced in and wrote about with the same prolific passion that is usually reserved for what readers/listeners would usually view as ‘the hits.’”
Baker had celebrated his birthday just three days earlier. “While the family wishes for privacy,” reads the family statement, “if you do wish to honor Glenn or continue his legacy in some way, have a passionate conversation today with somebody about your favorite Australian muso or band. Rock on Glenn! You will be missed.”
Billboard’sFriday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to New Music Friday’s most essential releases each week — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
Last week, we featured Charli xcx, Tyla, Morgan Wallen and more.
This week: Ariana Grande drops her anticipated new album Petal; Cardi B shares a surprise single; Shaboozey’s epic 20-track concept album arrives; and Slayyyter releases her latest single after debuting it during the first night of her tour that kicked off this week… plus much more. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Ariana Grande, Petal
Ariana Grande is as equally talented as she is prolific — fortunately for us fans. From her 2013 debut album through 2020, she released an impressive six albums. And since 2024’s return with Eternal Sunshine, the pop superstar has been churning out new projects at a similar clip, following it up with 2025’s deluxe edition, Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead, and now this year’s petal. Grande’s eighth studio album is a fierce culmination of everything she has lived and learned — all of which she has chronicled across her previous releases. Only now, she’s talking her s–t, and not taking it from anyone else. As Kyle Denis writes in Billboard‘s Tracks Ranked for petal: “It’s pretty much a manicured middle finger aimed directly at the public.” Turns out, Ari can even make rage sound oh so sweet. — LYNDSEY HAVENS
Cardi B, “AH HA”
We may have gotten a brand-new album of bops and bangers from Bardi last year in Am I the Drama?, but the Grammy-winning rap superstar has her eyes set on a last-minute Song of the Summer victory with her new single, “AH HA.” “B—es be swearing they so f—ing bad, I don’t see it/ N—a can’t trap me, I won’t keep it/ B—es really hate me, and so be it/ Bathroom floors and these h—s both heated,” she spits over a club-ready, 808-laden beat that quickly morphs into an anthemic sing-rap chorus that’s sure to soundtrack the remainder of the summer and beyond. — KYLE DENIS
In an ode to their Mexican-American heritage, Selena Gomez and Becky G, along with Benny Blanco as producer, released “Te Olvido (La La),” a Spanish-language track from Blanco’s upcoming studio album Hermoso. Its title, which translates to “I’ll Forget You,” is the second single from the project. It blends a predominant cumbia sound with pop and features a mariachi interlude on which Gomez and G trade lyrics, confronting a love interest who sends mixed signals and acts possessively all while avoiding a serious relationship: “Amor mio/ ¿Qué tienes conmigo?/ Que no me quieres con nadie, pero tampoco contigo. (My love/ What do you want with me?/ You don’t want me with anyone else, but don’t want me for yourself either).” The music video is rooted in Los Angeles’ Chicano culture, featuring emblematic parts of its identity and Mexican immigrant pride, including lowriders, neighborhood street parties and an appearance by beloved Mexican-American actor Danny Trejo as a tribute to his iconic Machete character. — CATA BALZANO
Slayyyter, “BRAND NEW CHANEL$”
Billboard’s current cover artist Slayyyter flexes her star power once more with her new one-off single “Brand New Chanel$.” An apparent response to her hit “Beat Up Chanel$” from her March album Wor$t Girl In America, “Brand New” is a 180 from the dark electro of the first, going in a soaring dance pop anthem direction that matches its themes of empowerment. The song comes with a lush music video directed by Slayyter herself that takes her to same house as in the “Beat Up” video and once again proves her deftness at synthesizing glamour and grit. This one will without a doubt go off during her performance at Lollapalooza this weekend. — KATIE BAIN
Shaboozey, The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales
How does an artist follow up a Hot 100 No. 1 smash such as “A Bar Song (Tipsy)? For Shaboozey, the answer is a 20-track concept album. Across the ambitious album, Boozey tapped a range of collaborators including Gunna, Leon Bridges and Orville Peck to help tell his tall tales. His feature with Kehlani, “Bullets & Blades,” is particularly beautiful and shows off the kind of vocalist and performer Shaboozey is under the rowdiness of a hit like “Bar Song.” See Billboard‘s Tracks Ranked of the album here. — L.H.
Remi Wolf, “Twiggy”
After a notable appearance in the hit series Off Campus (as the performer at a college campus event), Remi Wolf is back with her first new music in two years: the midtempo and melodic “Twiggy.” And true to form, the funky alternative-pop artist showcases yet another, softer, side of her artistry on the single that’s about a messy past relationship — and whether she should dive back in. “You don’t f—ing miss me, you don’t f—ing miss me/ You just miss your mother, you forgot I raised you,” she sings in curated distress. Wolf first previewed the lyrically-winding “Twiggy” during Hayley Williams’ recent Newport Folk Festival set, which you can watch here. — L.H.
Davido, ORIADÉ
Coinciding with the 15th anniversary of his music career, Davido’s newest LP has landed. Titled ORIADÉ, the new set lands as the official follow-up to last year’s Grammy-nominated 5ive, featuring equally intentional and ambitious collaborations with global stars such as Leon Thomas, Black Sherif and Aya Nakamura. A winning return to his Afrobeats roots that still leaves room for introspection, ORIADÉ is yet another jewel in the Nigerian superstar’s dazzling catalog. — K.D.
Isaiah Falls, LVRS Paradise (Side B)
From a tender Mahalia duet (“Honeybutter”) to a spoken word interlude that doubles as a co-sign from OutKast’s Big Boi, LVRS Paradise (Side B) is a formidable showing from Florida R&B singer-songwriter Isaiah Falls. Arriving via Roc Nation Distribution, Side B is a companion piece to his 2025 LVRS Paradise: Side A debut album, infusing the growing sonic universe with a bit more tempo and rhythm while still retaining its core South Florida aesthetic. — K.D.
Cardi B wants you in the club this summer. The Bronx native returned with her first single of the year on Friday (July 31), as “Ah Ha” arrived on streaming services at midnight ET.
The Bardi Gang went into a frenzy when Cardi previewed the hard-hitting single on Monday (July 27), which saw her rapping while taking a stroll on the beach in a Dominican Republic flag bikini.
Looking to capitalize on the buzz and momentum, Cardi and Atlantic Records didn’t waste any time setting a release date for the catchy single, which the Grammy-winning artist officially announced on Wednesday (July 29).
“A n—a can’t trap me, I won’t keep it/ B—es really hate me, so be it/ Bathroom floors and these hoes both heated/ It goes three, two, to the one in this b—h/ I’ll give a hoe exactly what she want in this b—h,” she raps on the new song.
Cardi also dissed Donald Trump on the track. “Black trucks at the club look like Trump in this b—h, f–k him/ A hoe never played with me once in this b—h,” she spews.
Even without any new music prior to “Ah Ha,” Cardi has been booked and busy so far this year. She kicked off 2026 with the Little Miss Drama Tour, which served as her first headlining North American trek. The 33-year-old also came in at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hottest Female Rappers list for the first half of 2026.
It’s unclear if “Ah Ha” is the launch of a new era or a one-off release. Cardi’s sophomore album, Am I the Drama?, arrived in September 2025 and topped the Billboard 200.
Celebrating the work of both esteemed and emerging artists from U.K and Ireland, the Mercury Prize is awarded annually and recognizes artistic achievement in LPs across a range of genres. Recent winners include Sam Fender (2025), English Teacher (2024), Ezra Collective (2023), Little Simz (2022), and Arlo Parks (2021) The Prize was first awarded in 1992 to Primal Scream for Screamadelica, and winners include collections by Pulp (1996), PJ Harvey (2001, 2011) and Arctic Monkeys (2006).
Among those featured on this year’s 12-strong shortlist are: RAYE for her chart-topping THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE, Olivia Dean for the chart-topping The Art of Loving, and Paul McCartney for his 20th solo studio album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane. It’s the first time that the latter has been nominated for the prize in his storied career.
Completing the lineup is Dave’s The Boy Who Played The Harp; Florence + The Machine’s Everybody Scream; Dove Ellis’ Blizzard; JADE’s THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!; Knats’ A Great Day In Newcastle; Kojey Radical’s Don’t Look Down; Nia Archives’ Emotional Junglist; Suede’s Antidepressants; and War Child compilation HELP(2).
A number of leading artists miss out on the nod, however. Lily Allen’s West End Girl is omitted, as is Lola Young’s I’m Only F****ng Myself‘ Blood Orange’s Essex Honey, The Last Dinner Party’s From The Pyre and Boards of Canada’s Inferno were also not selected for this year’s list.
The prize will be awarded at a ceremony at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena on Oct. 22. The ceremony moved outside of London for the first time in 2025 with hometown hero Sam Fender collecting the prize for his third album, People Watching, which features his No. 1 hit “Rein Me In.” Fans can purchase tickets for the ceremony, which will include a number of performances by the nominated artists, at the awards’ official website.
Albums released between Aug. 30 2025 and July 17, 2026 were eligible for consideration this year. The 12 shortlisted albums were chosen by an independent judging panel chaired by Jeff Smith, head of music, BBC 6 Music & Radio 2.
This year’s committee consisted of: Afrodeutsche – composer & DJ; Danielle Perry – broadcaster & writer; Jamie Cullum – musician & broadcaster; Lea Stonhill – music programming consultant; MistaJam – songwriter, DJ & broadcaster; Phil Alexander – creative director, Kerrang!/contributing editor, Mojo; Sian Eleri – broadcaster & DJ; Will Hodgkinson – chief rock & pop critic, The Times; and Sophie Williams – writer & broadcaster.
2026 Mercury Prize nominees:
Dave, The Boy Who Played the Harp Dove Ellis, Blizzard Florence + The Machine, Everybody Scream JADE, THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY! Knats, A Great Day In Newcastle Kojey Radical, Don’t Look Down Nia Archives, Emotional Junglist Olivia Dean, The Art of Loving Paul McCartney, The Boys of Dungeon Lane RAYE, THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE Suede, Antidepressants War Child Records, HELP(2)
