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ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
BOY SODA covers Panic! At The Disco's ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies' for Like A Version
Eora's RnB wunderkind BOY SODA has transformed a 2000s emo classic into a smooth, sleek and funk-flecked number with his take on Panic! At The Disco's 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies'. When the 2005 original is a maximalist rush of baroque pop complete with cello and singer Brendon Urie's vocal gymnastics, BOY SODA slows things down a little and brings in some gentle drums, velvety, warm bass lines and jazz-y horn trio. The result is still dramatic, especially with BOY SODA's gorgeous falsettos, but much more relaxed. "I hope it finds [people] in the middle of some decompression," he says. How did BOY SODA, real name Brae Luafalealo, land on the Panic! track? He says he heard it in the car shortly after signing up for his first-ever Like A Version, and remembered how much he loved the track as a kid. "It's just one of those childhood songs that I would always sing in the car, and is imprinted in your memory as one of those songs that bring up a lot of nostalgia when you listen to it," he says. "It's nice to bring an RnB spin to a song that everybody knows and that i was screaming at the top of my lungs for my entire childhood." He says matching Brendon's high-pitched falsetto as a kid "plagued him", and he'd spend hours trying to match him. Looks like all those hours paid off. Arriving a few weeks ahead of BOY SODA's debut album Soulstar , this Like A Version marks about five years of the singer's time in the spotlight, including popping up on triple j's Bars of Steel a few years back. Since then, he says he's leaned "less rap and more soul, which feels more me". If this is a sign of what to expect, we can't wait. Catch him chatting about the cover below in a behind-the-scenes video and his rendition of 'Lil Obsession', a track he dropped back in January. Behind BOY SODA's cover of Panic! At The Disco's 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies' for Like A Version Boy Soda - 'Lil Obsession' (like for Like A Version) Posted 15m ago 15 minutes ago Thu 21 Aug 2025 at 10:30pm
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
The Block ratings surge but auction day looms
The Block's most-watched season in years could still unravel on auction day, with television insiders warning all eyes will be on the hammers. Across four nights, the show is drawing combined episode reach totals of more than 8 million, though that includes repeat viewers across episodes. The 2025 season launched with a reach of 2.7 million and continues to dominate Sunday nights with average audiences pushing past 1.4 million amid the shows format change from renovating to building and stronger focus on the contestants stories and building rather than drama. Television and entertainment expert Colin Vickery said The Block's real test is still to come, when the renovated Daylesford homes go under the hammer. 'The Block will always rate well on finale night,' Mr Vickery said. 'But a flop result can leave a sour taste and impact next year's momentum.' Mr Vickery said big-name buyers like Adrian Portelli have played a major role in recent seasons, but 'if they're absent this year', the pressure will shift back to everyday market demand. 'This year, if those buyers sit it out, it'll be interesting to see what happens,' he said. 'The moment the hammer drops still defines how The Block is remembered each year.' Mr Vickery said the show was easily outrating rivals like Channel 7's The Voice and Network 10's Survivor, and credited Nine producers with maintaining audience loyalty by returning to a single-season format and keeping location choices fresh. 'They've got both ends of the calendar locked up, Married At First Sight in the first half of the year, and The Block in the second,' he said. 'It's smart programming.' Block judge and Whitefox director Marty Fox said this season was a 'perfect storm', with casting, location and fairness working in its favour. 'Daylesford is rich in history and lifestyle appeal, and this season feels like a level playing field,' Mr Fox said. 'For the contestants, if you succeed, it's on you. 'If you fail, it's on you, that fairness resonates with viewers.' Mr Fox said a cultural shift was underway in what audiences wanted from reality television in 2025. 'People are tired of toxic drama,' he said. 'They want effort, quality, transformation, and they're getting that this year.' The show has also helped turn Mr Fox into a household name, thanks to his blunt, unscripted critiques, including calling one bathroom an 'up-market abattoir', a line that quickly went viral with fans on forums But, The Block judge told The Herald Sun 'none of it is planned' and his reaction with fellow judges Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer were all in real time. 'It one take, off the cuff, in the moment,' Mr Fox said. 'But people remember it. I had someone stop me at a sushi shop just to talk about a one liner I've said on the show.' Mr Fox said The Block's continued success came down to its ability to cut through as one of the last true appointment-viewing shows on TV. 'You can watch it with your kids and your parents, and all get something out of it,' he said. 'It sparks conversations around the dinner table — that's rare these days.' With more than 33 million viewer engagements already logged this season, expectations for the finale are high. 'They'll wrap the season and analyse what worked,' Mr Fox said. 'But if the finale lands, this could be remembered as one of The Block's best.' The Block 2025 Ratings Episode Audience Reach Average Audience Ep 1 (Launch) 2,700,000 1,303,000 Ep 2 (Mon) 1,919,000 1,100,000 Ep 3 (Tue) 1,898,000 1,120,000 Ep 4 (Wed) 1,836,000 1,029,000 Ep 5 (Sun) 2,497,000 1,312,000 Ep 6 (Mon) 2,050,000 1,082,000 Ep 7 (Tue) 2,025,000 1,079,000 Ep 8 (Wed) 1,926,000 1,061,000 Ep 9 (Sun) 2,617,000 1,412,000 Ep 10 (Mon) 1,952,000 1,074,000 Ep 11 (Tue) 1,711,000 961,000 Ep 12 (Wed) 1,722,000 1,029,000 Ep 13 (Sun) 2,622,000 1,443,000 Ep 14 (Mon) 2,034,000 1,099,000 Ep 15 (Tue) 1,852,000 1,040,000 Ep 16 (Wed) 1,983,000 1,113,000 Average 2.84 million 1.141 million
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Behind BOY SODA's cover of Panic! At The Disco's ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies' for Like A Version
BOY SODA remembers trying to match Brendon Urie's high-pitched voice as a kid, while listening to Panic! At The Disco's 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies'. "Brendon Urie's just an incredible vocalist," says BOY SODA, real name Brae Luafalealo. Brendon's voice in that high register - at the time I heard it, that was kind of a part of my voice that was starting to break and not be very strong. Hearing him and Fall Out Boy, similar bands with that kind of belty voice which has got so much strength and power in that high-register. It was something I really wanted to have so I remember singing this song over and over to get that." "Ironically now we turned it into RnB, with falsettos and all that.... It's nice to bring an RnB spin to a song that everybody knows and that I was screaming at the top of my lungs for my entire childhood." While the 2005 original is a maximalist rush of baroque pop complete with cello and singer Brendon Urie's vocal gymnastics, BOY SODA slows things down a little and brings in some gentle drums, velvety, warm bass lines and jazz-y horn trio. The result is still dramatic, especially with BOY SODA's gorgeous falsettos, but much more relaxed. "I hope it finds [people] in the middle of some decompression," he says. Arriving a few weeks ahead of BOY SODA's debut album Soulstar , this Like A Version marks about five years of the singer's time in the spotlight, including popping up on triple j's Bars of Steel a few years back plus more than a few epiphanies. "Bars of Steel was a different version of myself," he says. "I'm here with less rap and more soul, which feels more me." Brae says he's been fanging for Like A Version since the beginning. "I remember the first time I started making music, I was like I can't wait to do my cover for triple j," he says. He says it felt "very serendipitous" to perform, with everything working out on the day. For him, performing it was like how it sounds: smooth: "The music starts playing and everything else melts away." Posted 24m ago 24 minutes ago Thu 21 Aug 2025 at 10:30pm
