Luke Hemmings’ solo career is off to a blazing start in his homeland.
After scoring four No. 1s with his 5 Seconds of Summer, the singer snags his first solo leader in Australia with When Facing The Things We Turn Away From (Sony).
“Wow. Debuting No. 1 on the ARIA charts on my first solo release means more than I could ever express,” Hemmings says in a statement. “Thank you to my friends, family, and my entire team for making this possible and being patient while I changed my mind a million times.”
Written and recorded during the 2020 lockdown, When Facing The Things We Turn Away From opens at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, and is the 12th domestic leader on the national survey this year.
In a statement, ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd pays tribute to Hemmings and the “immense contribution” he’s made to “the Australian music landscape.”
Also powering into the top tier this week is The Killers’ Pressure Machine (Island/Universal). It’s new at No. 6, for the Las Vegas alternative rock outfit’s ninth appearance in the Top Ten. Pressure Machine is the followup to Imploding The Mirage, which hit No. 1 in Australia just a year ago, in August 2020.
Sydney indie rock outfit Polish Club cook up their first Top 10 appearance with their third studio album, Now We’re Cookin’ (Island/Universal). It arrives at No. 8.
British electronic duo Jungle land a new ARIA Chart peak with Loving In Stereo (AWAL/Inertia), which drops in at No. 10, eclipsing the No. 20 best for their self-titled debut from 2014. Loving In Stereo is Australia’s best-selling vinyl album for the latest chart cycle.
Meanwhile, The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber stay at No. 1 with their hit collaboration. “Stay” (Columbia/Sony) enters a sixth week atop the ARIA Singles Chart, holding off Ed Sheeran’s “Bad Habits” (Atlantic/Warner).
The highest new entry on the national singles survey is a joint effort, as “Cold Heart” (EMI/Universal) warms up at No 7.
Featuring vocals from Elton John and Dua Lipa, the song incorporates lines from several classic songs from the Rocket Man, mashed-up by Sydney trio Pnau. Elton and Pnau previously collaborated on the remix project Good Morning to the Night, which led the Official U.K. Albums Chart in 2012.
