Radio 16

“Led by the powerful vocals of Hannah Joy, the trio deal in infectious indie pop-rock.”

• THE SUNDAY TIMES

“Arena sized rock, masquerading as warm, thoughtful, 1980’s styled indie-rock”

• NEW YORK TIMES

“Radiant, anthemic indie rock, balancing doubt ridden lyrics with clear eyed execution”

• PITCHFORK

“How does a band get this good, this quickly?”

• BILLBOARD

Middle Kids today reveal their boldly titled second album Today We’re The Greatest , their most personal and courageous effort to date, will be released on 19 March. In celebration of the album news, Middle Kids have released a new single and video ‘Questions’ alongside the announcement of an east coast Australian tour throughout May. In Australia, the band will perform unforgettable nights at three of the country’s most stunning seated concert spaces: Brisbane’s QPAC, Melbourne Recital Centre and Sydney’s City Recital Hall.

Today We’re The Greatest is the Sydney-based rock trio’s follow up to their 2018 triple j J Award-winning, debut album Lost Friends, a record which earned support slots with the likes of Bloc Party, War on Drugs and Cold War Kids as well as performances on several US late night shows including Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Late, Late Show with James Corden.

The band (comprised of lead singer and songwriter Hannah Joy, multi-instrumentalist Tim Fitz and drummer Harry Day) recorded the album in Los Angeles with producer Lars Stalfors (St.Vincent, Soccer Mommy, Purity Ring). Moving away from lyrics of a more conceptual nature, Today We’re The Greatest is the open, uninhibited product of fearless collaboration.

Showing a real vulnerability, Joy pulls directly from her own experiences, all the while breaking down barriers she had previously set for herself. About the new record, she says , “I want to make music that loves its listener. Music that makes people feel seen, seen in the tiny little places that hide away in their hearts. I want people to hear our music, and feel a sense of love. And when I say love, it can be challenging, intense and tough. But it’s in the guts.”

To commemorate the album announcement, Middle Kids today share their monumental new single ‘Questions’. Following on from last year’s ‘R U 4 Me?’, ‘Questions’ is a charged three minute odyssey which sees Joy struggle poetically with concepts of honesty and intimacy over an explosive rhythm section and a stunningly orchestrated brass-filled climax.

As Joy explains, ‘Questions’ is about the fallacies of intimate relationships. “I used to drink a lot and most of my previous relationships revolved around this. I don’t think I ever really knew them or they me as a result. ‘Questions’ is about people being around each other but not being close. People who are in intimate relationships can stop asking questions of each other because they are uncomfortable and confusing.”

‘Questions’ is accompanied by a magical and chaotic one-shot video directed by the band’s cinematic collaborator W.A.M Bleakley. Watch HERE.

Also announced today is Middle Kids first headline Australian Tour in almost two years. The Today We’re The Greatest Tour will take in Australia’s east coast beginning at Brisbane’s QPAC Theatre on Friday 13 May, Melbourne Recital Centre on Friday 21 and finishing with a hometown show at City Recital Hall in Sydney on Friday 28 May. Pre-sale begins Tuesday 19 January at 10am local time.

On january 15th you get the chance to meet Denmark’s new boyband Kids In Fashion. The trio consists of lead singer Alex and producers Valentin and Arto (also knonw by the name Yo Johnny). The three members all have different musical backgrounds. Lead singer Alex comes from singer-songwriting and Indie Pop. Arto loves Jazz and Techno, and Valentin is making Pop and Dance music. Due to their mixed musical skills and backgrounds they listen to all kinds of music.

The debut single is called ‘F*** Love’ and is described by the boys as a “bittersweet, modern synth pop universe”. The song is about that special feeling you get when you see your ex after a breakup. You don’t know what to do with yourself, and you try to find that inner peace within yourself trusting that the breakup was the best thing.

“It feels like a roller-coaster. All these different feelings inside you, when you see your ex. I don’t care about you, but I don’t seem to forget you. Who is that guy standing next to you? No, I’m doing fine. He seems nice, your new guy. I need a drink” says Kids In Fashion and adds: “we hope that the song will make people feel invincible on the dance floor, even if they’re sad about their ex.”

Kids In Fashion combines strong pop melodies with productions with an electronic edge, which may remind the listeners of artists like Years & Years or an up-beat Troye Sivan.

‘F*** Love’ will be out January 15th and also comes in a ven explicit version

Today Lana Del Rey releases her new song and visual “Chemtrails Over The Country Club”. The song is co-written by Lana Del Rey and Jack Antonoff, with the visual being directed by BRTHR.

Following the success of her 2019 GRAMMY®-nominated album “Norman Fucking Rockwell”, Lana has announced that March 19th, 2021 is the official release date for her highly anticipated seventh studio album “Chemtrails Over The Country Club”. The album is available now for pre-order via download, CD, cassette, picture disc, including various exclusive vinyl formats that can be found on www.lanadelrey.com and streaming platforms.

This week the band rounds out 12 months of songs with this latest release, which will culminate in the release of their third album, Kaleidoscope Eyes on February 26.

Featuring driving beats and a sing-along chorus it is the perfect addition to the new year airwaves. Written in LA with long-time friend Forest Blakk about getting back to wonder and joy in our lives, the song presents a feeling the world has never been needing more than at the end of this turbulent year.

“Learning to Fly is a tune about getting back in touch with our inner child remembering that sense of wonder that we used to feel when the world was new, and figuring out how to get it back,” said George Sheppard. “When does it happen? When did fun and excitement turn into fear and stress? Learning to Fly is all about throwing away the rule book on what life expects of you and to let that inner child inside of you fly. We wanted to give fans a triumphant anthem to close out our year of releases.”

Learning To Fly has achieved over 500,000 streams in a few weeks, proving its popularity.

“Throughout the rollercoaster that was this year, Sheppard have continued their global rise from their home base in Brisbane, with their previous single ‘Solid Gold’ being announced as next year’s Olympic theme for the NBC network while here at home the band played in front of their biggest ever audience as over 4 million Australians watched their explosive performance at the AFL Grand Final in October.

The band also hit Australian TV screens last week as special guests on Channel 9’s ‘Christmas With Delta’, performing alongside friend and fellow hitmaker Delta Goodrem. With their epic sixteen-track third album now just two months away, pre-orders are now available from www.wearesheppard.com including exclusive merch bundles, pink vinyl, t-shirts and more.

Amy, George and Emma would like to wish all of their fans and supporters all the best for a safe and happy holiday season from their family to yours and look forward to presenting ‘Kaleidoscope Eyes’ in the new year.

Nearly three years in the making, Big Loud/Republic Records’ MULTI-PLATINUM superstar Morgan Wallen is unleashing today “one of Country music’s most anticipated albums of 2021” (Rolling Stone), Dangerous: The Double Album, available everywhere now.

Grounded by the Tennessee native’s gravely, tobacco-tinged voice and rooted in his hometown tendencies, the 30-track double shot pushes boundaries across the board, marrying modern production styles, classic Country lyricism, and Wallen’s wide range of influences on over 90 minutes of new music. GQ raves, “Wallen is that rare country artist with the range to pull off arena rock, easy-vibes Americana and traditional country ballads.”

Doubling down, Wallen tallies 16 credits as a songwriter on the collection, alongside a highlight reel of Nashville’s finest mainstay collaborators – including Ashley Gorley, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Rodney Clawson, and close friend Michael Hardy. Produced entirely by Joey Moi, with co-production on select tracks by Dave Cohen, Matt Dragstrem, Jacob Durrett, and Charlie Handsome, Dangerous is a continuation of the signature sound Wallen and Moi crafted on his PLATINUM-certified #1 debut, If I Know Me.

In celebration of the new release, Wallen will go Live From The Ryman for one night only this Wednesday, January 13, on his YouTube and Facebook pages, performing a full band set of the all-new material. The global livestream event will take fans into Nashville’s mother church for the high-octane concert, starting at 1pm AEDT.

Ending a record-breaking 2020 with a bang, Wallen debuted on Saturday Night Live and was profiled in The New Yorker, called “an Everyman rock star” – read “How Morgan Wallen Became The Most Wanted Man In Country” here.

Current chart-stormer “7 Summers” is “a sign not just of (Wallen’s) own stardom, but of Country’s streaming rise,” (Billboard) continuing its reign in the new year after being named one of the Best Songs of 2020 by the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Rolling Stone and TIME, and surging into Country radio’s Top 25.

ABOUT MORGAN WALLEN:

Morgan Wallen has staked his claim as Country music’s next superstar with over 3.4 BILLION on-demand streams, MULTI-PLATINUM certifications, and four consecutive chart-toppers. The SNL guest’s widely praised sophomore effort, Dangerous: The Double Album (Big Loud/Republic Records), is out now. Featuring 30-tracks, the project includes record-breaking current single and one of TIME’s Top 10 Songs of 2020, “7 Summers” – which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and inside the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 10 – 3X PLATINUM Diplo collaboration, “Heartless,” and recent chart-topper “More Than My Hometown.” As “the most wanted man in Country” (The New Yorker), the Tennessee native has stacked up the accolades, winning 2020’s CMA New Artist of the Year and iHeartRadio’s Best New Country Artist awards, reigning #1 atop Billboard’s 2020 year-end Country Airplay chart with “Chasin’ You,” plus high-profile features in The New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, The Washington Post, Genius, GQ and more.

‘Love Is Back’ by Celeste was released January 1st off the back of her first performance of the song on Jools Holland Hootenanny on UK TV to over 5m viewers.

‘Love Is Back’ is the huge, upbeat focus single from Celeste’s debut album ‘Not Your Muse’ set for release 26th February.

‘Not Your Muse’ features twelve songs, including nine brand new tracks alongside acclaimed singles ‘Strange’, ‘A Little Love’ and ‘Stop This Flame’. The album is now available for pre-order on both CD and vinyl, pre-order here .

“‘Not Your Muse’ is the power I found when I felt powerless…In making this album I have allowed myself to arrive at a place where I feel empowered, fiercely wide-eyed and fulfilled. I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved on my debut album and to be in this position, after the year that has been, I feel nothing but gratitude and excitement. I hope you enjoy it…” Celeste

The release completes what has been a remarkable year for one of 2020’s breakthrough artists, who achieved the double win of BBC Sound of 2020 and the BRITS Rising Star award. Celeste’s spell-binding performance of ‘Strange’ at The BRITS in February placed her firmly in the global spotlight, winning her a legion of new fans blown away by its raw intimacy.

While the ensuing pandemic put paid to all touring and festival plans, the British-Jamaican soul singer and songwriter released a string of captivating songs – the sentiments of which resonate in these uncertain times – including ‘Hear My Voice’ was co-written with Golden Globe®-nominated composer Daniel Pemberton and is the focus track of the Netflix film The Trial of the Chicago 7, written and directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Aaron Sorkin. ‘Hear My Voice’ is tipped as an Oscars contender for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards next year.

Further accolades were bestowed on Celeste with two big announcements in December; YouTube Music named her as the next talent in their Artist On The Rise series, which celebrates and supports the most exciting new artists, then Disney Pixar announced that she lends her vocals to the end credit vocal, ‘It’s Alright’, on the Pixar ‘must see’ film, SOUL. With her phenomenal debut album ‘Not Your Muse’ now confirmed for a February release, 2021 looks set to belong to Celeste too.

The track listing for ‘Not Your Muse’ is:

1. Ideal Woman
2. Strange (Edit)
3. Tonight Tonight
4. Stop This Flame
5. Tell Me Something I Don’t Know
6. Not Your Muse
7. Beloved
8. Love is Back
9. A Kiss
10. The Promise
11. A Little Love
12. Some Goodbyes Come with Hellos

Recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, ‘Gasoline’ is the title track off Lucie Tiger’s newest EP – inspired by a love of road trips, muscle cars and the appeal of what’s around the next corner. Brimming with blues-driven verve, it’s a fresh new sound likely to become the soundtrack for your next road trip. The EP was recorded entirely at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, engineered by Grammy nominated John Gifford III and mastered by Grammy nominated Don Srygley.

The open road is where adventure meets spontaneity. It’s about endless stretches of two-lane blacktops and a brand new feeling around every corner. It’s where the stereo is turned up, the windows are rolled down and songs that don’t have you playing drums on the steering wheel are left by the wayside.

Lucie Tiger is the embodiment of all of the above, as she blazes a trail down the highway with her “Road Trip Americana” style of country. She disregards conventions for a Muscle Shoals rhythm-rooted practicality that pulls together the classic and the contemporary. She’s surprising the industry one song at a time, so it’s time to buckle up and tag along for the ride.

Towards the end of 2020 slowthai upped the dwindling good vibe of a generation by announcing details of his second album TYRON. Due for release on February 5th on Method Records, this follow up to his widely acclaimed debut ‘Nothing Great About Britain’ launched with the reflective and poignant current single ‘nhs’ – a track that gave a sombre nod to the struggles of a nation in a tumultuous year, reminding us all to be thankful for what we have when we have it and not to take anything for granted.

Now attentions turn to a new year, a new start and a new injection of visceral verve into proceedings. MAZZA featuring A$AP Rocky is here to push things forward. Premiered as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record only moments ago and confirmed as DJ Target’s Targo Embargo tonight, this track is taken from the more acerbic first half of TYRON and is produced by slowthai and SAMO (‘T N Biscusits’ and ‘nhs’).

Fearless and fervent its bone-shaking bassline brings slowthai’s distinctive sound back into sharp focus. Friend and US label boss Rocky* enhances the track with his recognisable flow – the inspiring swagger of these two trailblazing rappers back to back is seriously impressive stuff. (*TYRON will be released on Rocky’s AWGE label via Interscope in America)

TYRON was formed against the backdrop of an unforgiving climate where judgement, shaming and underdeveloped and simplistic conceptions of other people are fashionable. Instead of succumbing to such simplicity, TYRON presents an artist who is unabashedly complicated and willing to explore themes of loneliness, identity, self-acceptance, and the difficulties in becoming an individual. TYRON is a melodic dive through the expansive landscape of his feelings. His ability to bear his imperfections and contradictions makes TYRON an album that is the antithesis of a culture of purity. A resistance to the rising tide of moral one-upmanship and the pervasive self-righteousness that blinds us to our own fallibility.

What is refreshing about TYRON is that the album doesn’t shy away from the mess. If anything he reminds us to make peace with our own inner junkyard, to evolve, create, and learn from it. The album is an antidote for a world filled with suffocating expectations and manicured virtual lives that are often mistaken for reality. It is a call to aspire to wholeness instead of goodness. Like Ty says, if you can “love the world for its flaws, you’ll never be disappointed”. slowthai shows us that if we stop seeking perfection, we might discover our own treasures, and similarly, if we can find the tragic beauty in imperfection, we might begin to appreciate people for who they are instead of hating them for what they are not.

Global superstar Justin Bieber will ring in the New Year with yet another gift for fans across the world. Today, Bieber announces his new single “Anyone” – co-written and produced by Andrew Watt with a visual directed by Colin Tilley – set for release at 12am EST on January 1, 2021. Fans tuned in to Bieber’s livestreamed New Year’s Eve concert presented by T-Mobile will have the chance to hear “Anyone” performed live for the first time, anywhere.

“I can’t think of a better way to close out 2020 and kick off 2021 than celebrating with my fans all over the world and sharing this new music with them,” said Justin. “Music has gotten us all through so much this year, and for me personally it’s been healing and transformative. ‘Anyone’ is such a special, hopeful, anthemic song. It sets the tone for a brighter new year full of hope and possibility.”

Closing out 2020 with three smash singles – “Holy,” “Lonely,” and “Monster” – Justin Bieber reigns as one of the biggest artists in the word: the #1 artist on YouTube with 60mm subscribers, the #2 artist on Spotify globally with over 75mm monthly listeners, over 200mm in combined U.S. radio audience per week, and three Grammy nominations and an American Music Award for his 2020 album Changes.

Changes, the fifth studio album by Grammy Award®-winning global superstar Justin Bieber, debuted at #1 on the U.S. album chart, netting over 1 million in first week global consumption. Bieber’s 7th overall #1 album, Changes also debuted at #1 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart, a career first for him. Underscoring the global dominance of Changes, the album reached #1 in the UK and Canada, and clocked in at #1 iTunes in 85 countries.

Over the course of his career, Justin Bieber has amassed more 50 billion streams and more than 60 million album equivalents worldwide. Justin’s Grammy-winning 2015 album PURPOSE has sold over 21 million copies worldwide.

‘What Kind Of World’ is a soft protest song from Golden Guitar finalists Cornell & Carr questioning what sort of world we have created and are leaving for future generations. This single is the first release from Matt Cornell and Mike Carr since July 2019, and they’ve come out of the blocks with a thought-provoking, ‘FU’ to the year that’s been. It’s not only a look at 2020, but a reflection on everything that’s been happening in the world, and a song of hope, adaptation and optimism.

When two voices, the songwriting talents, and personalities of Matt Cornell and Mike Carr combine, it creates musical magic with these two award-winning artists. Cornell & Carr continue their journey together with the upcoming release of ‘What Kind Of World’, released on January 1. This is the first release under Ian “Dicko” Dickson’s management team and Cornell & Carr are excited to be working with someone they not only respect as a manager, but love as a dear friend.

The Cornell & Carr journey began years ago when they came together for a songwriting session where they discovered a history that went ‘way back’. Both Matt’s musician parents (Wayne Cornell and Cheryl Assange) and Mike’s musician father (Warren Carr) had previously performed together. Matt and Mike later joined Adam Brand and The Outlaws with fellow country music artists Travis Collins and Drew McAlister. This group went on to win the CMC award for ARIA highest selling Australian artist in 2017.

Mike is a two-time ARIA Award winner and a Golden Guitar winner and has written many of Australian country music’s biggest hits including songs for Adam Brand, McAlister Kemp, Adam Harvey, Drew McAlister, Aleyce Simmonds, Kaylee Bell, Kaylens Rain , and Melinda Schneider.

Matt has worked as Adam Brand’s musical director for more than a decade, has opened for international artists including Richard Marx and was a member of iconic rock band The Baby Animals, and has toured and recorded with Richard Clapton, Shannon Noll, Jenny Morris, Damien Leith, Matt Finish and Angry Anderson. He was nominated for two Golden Guitar Awards in 2018, was a 2014 CMC Music Awards New Oz Artist of the Year finalist, and was a finalist again, this time for Male Artist Of The Year at the 2017 CMC Music Awards.

In January 2018, Matt and Mike performed a one-off show together at the Tamworth Country Music Festival and the vibe on stage was such, that they knew they had something musically special between them. Before the year was out, they’d formed Cornell & Carr, and released their debut single, ‘Be In The Band’. They followed this with the album, ‘We Go Way Back’, and have since released two more singles, ‘Town Like This’, and ‘Things I Leave Behind’. ‘We Go Way Back’ garnered the duo two Golden Guitar finalist spots in January 2020.