Latest news with #singer-songwriter
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Hozier's Debut Album Hits A New High Point A Decade After Its Release
Hozier's self-titled debut Hozier returns to multiple charts in the U.K., even reaching a new high ... More point on one and debuting on another following its vinyl reissue. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 30: Hozier performs onstage during An Evening with Hozier at GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live on October 30, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by) In 2014, Hozier appeared seemingly out of nowhere and quickly became one of the most exciting new names that the rock genre had seen in years. The Irish singer-songwriter catapulted to the top of charts globally with his single "Take Me to Church," a social commentary on homophobia, particularly in religious communities. That track, featured on his self-titled full-length, turned him into a superstar — and he remains one to this day. The introductory set returns to multiple charts in the United Kingdom and even manages to reach a new high point on one while debuting on another, a decade after it was initially shared with the public. Hozier appears on five albums rankings in the U.K. this frame. It soars on two of them, returns to another two, and debuts on a fifth. The self-titled affair reenters the Official Albums Sales chart at No. 7, coming close to its No. 4 peak position. At the same time, it blasts back onto the Official Physical Albums roster at No. 6. That now stands as Hozier's all-time best placement on this roster. The early career win starts its time on the Official Vinyl Albums chart at No. 3. Despite the fact that the set has been selling well for 10 years, it has never before appeared on the U.K.'s ranking of the bestselling releases on wax alone. This frame, it's beaten only by The Fantasy Life of Poetry & Crime by Peter Doherty (No. 1) and People Like Me & You by The Sherlocks (No. 2). Hozier was recently reissued on vinyl to celebrate 10 years of success. Available in multiple colors as a double LP, some editions quickly sold out, as there was clearly pent-up demand to own the project on a physical format. Those purchases help the title debut and rise across the U.K. charts. As Hozier arrives on the Official Vinyl Albums chart, the singer misses the No. 1 spot for the first time. His only two other placements on that list — Wasteland, Baby! and Unreal Unearth — both spent one frame running the show. Hozier's self-titled effort also climbs on two other rankings. All the attention around this anniversary re-release pushes it a few spots north the Official Albums Streaming chart, where it places at No. 52. While far from a new high point, this frame is still special, as the title has now spent 200 periods somewhere on the roster. The collection leaps up the Official Albums chart — the consumption-based ranking of the most popular titles in the country — where it jumps from No. 65 to No. 21.
CNA
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - From Berklee to SG: Ahikaa Arora's Journey Through Song and Self
CNA938 Rewind 30 mins In 'Culture Club', Melanie Oliveiro speaks with Ahikaa Arora, a 25-year-old Singapore-based singer-songwriter and Berklee College of Music scholarship alumna. Arora describes how she blends storytelling with intimate soundscapes – fusing pop, South Asian melodies and alternative music. She'll explain how her song themes include self-discovery, the human experience, and love – highlighting tracks like Providence, Sea Salt Amber, and Masquerade. Arora will also talk about her other job as a voice teacher.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Watch Sam Ryder's brilliant pared-back Music Box performance of new single ‘OH OK'
British star Sam Ryder performed a special pared-back rendition of his brand new single, 'OH OK', as well as the B side 'Armour'. The singer-songwriter, known for his powerful voice, is back releasing new music as an independent artist, recorded at his own studio out in Nashville. He recently announced his biggest UK show to date taking place later this year, at Wembley Arena on 6 November. Stay tuned to Independent TV for more Music Box featuring the latest acts breaking through, available across desktop, mobile and connected TV, as well as our YouTube channel.
CBC
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
How Regina musician Andy Shauf developed such a devout fan base
Social Sharing Over the past decade, Andy Shauf has emerged as one of Canada's most celebrated singer-songwriters. The Saskatchewan musician has earned multiple Juno Award nominations, and endorsements from the likes of Barack Obama and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy. As Shauf gets set to release the second album from his band Foxwarren, journalist and podcaster Vish Khanna joins host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to explain how this lowkey musician has developed a fervent fanbase, and how this new record pushes his artistry into new territory. We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player. WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube (this segment begins at 16:22): Elamin: When we think about the singer-songwriter realm, it's a crowded field. It's a crowded field just generally in music right now. What do you think sets Andy Shauf apart from everybody else? Vish: I think there's a few things going on with Andy. First of all, he creates these very orchestral pop soundtracks for his songs. He plays virtually every instrument himself. He's exacting — by his own admission, a bit of a control freak in the studio — and so he likes to do everything himself where possible. And then the songs themselves, or the albums I should say, often have a conceptual framework. The songs are interconnected. They are narrative-based. I think Andy's a really wonderful storyteller. He attacks every album as though it's like a film or a book, and the songs end up feeling like scenes or chapters. I think his dedication to his craft and wanting to be better, and exhibit this ambition, but actually pull it off — I think those are things that are real hallmarks, and some of the reasons why he stands out. Elamin: Yeah, it's one thing for a songwriter to aim to do that. It's another for a songswriter to actually accomplish it…. His album The Party, that's the album that landed on the Polaris Music Prize short list. That song alone generated more than 35 million plays for Andy on Spotify. It's kind of this slow, patient song that sort of feels like a lot of the antithesis of what pop music is right now. Vish, when you think about this song and think about Andy's career, how do you think he's managed to thrive in an environment that is so TikTok-driven, in a way? Vish: I mean, he's authentic, and I think people really pick up on that. He's not social media-shy, necessarily; he's not a Luddite. But I think he often lets the work speak for itself. And I think his fan base is really engaged with him. There's something about Andy. He's very charming. He's very self-effacing. As I said earlier, his storytelling is so riveting that you feel compelled to check out everything he's doing, and also look for little clues and try to figure out, what's he up to?... I think he's very confident, but he's also very unassuming. He's very self-critical. You want to root for him as a fan. Like, he seems very human. I mean, he does do fun things. He handed over the keys to his Instagram to somebody in his orbit, recently…. It's not him. And they're kind of silly. I can't even explain them. They're abstract, and silly and meta…. They're often signed like, "not Andy." You know what I mean? So he's on socials, but I think really the work is what's resonating with people, which is refreshing. It's not about gimmickry. He's just really great at what he does, and people respond to that. Elamin: First of all, the only other fan base that I know of who follows an artist's work and they listen to the music and go, "What are they up to? They're up to something" — that's Taylor Swift, buddy. That's the relationship that you're describing, which is to say, like, living in the work, but maybe in a slightly different kind of dimension. Vish: Well, there's also Beyoncé, the Beyhive, you know? And I will tell you, I engage with Andy's work in public, and I often hear about it from people. More than almost any guest on my own podcast, when Andy's on, I hear — good or bad. People want to tell me what they think. And I think that is also a marker of people's real fanaticism, but also just they love him. They actually love him, and they don't want to see him wronged.
Forbes
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Olivia Rodrigo Reaches A Huge Chart Milestone For The Very First Time
Olivia Rodrigo has been teasing for weeks that she's working on new music. While there's no official timeline yet for when fans will hear from the singer-songwriter again, anticipation continues to build for any mention of a new track, or even a full-length. As fans await whatever is coming next, Rodrigo's first two full-lengths remain hugely popular throughout the United States. One of those releases, the debut that introduced her to the public, brings her to a new milestone. Thanks to the popularity of its many hit singles – as well as continued streaming of the set as a complete project – Sour achieves something Rodrigo has never managed before. Sour appears this week on the Billboard 200, where it sometimes charts along with other rankings. Currently, it only performs well enough to appear on the all-encompassing list of the most consumed full-lengths in the country, dipping three spots to No. 68. With this latest showing, the album reaches 208 weeks on the tally. Sour is Rodrigo's first project to spend four full years on the Billboard 200. None of her other efforts have been out long enough to reach such a landmark, but it may only be a matter of time before she repeats the feat. So far, Sour has spent nearly two and a half times as long on the Billboard 200 as Rodrigo's follow-up, Guts, which is still present on the list. That follow-up is now up to 88 weeks. Rodrigo has sent only one other project to the Billboard 200. In late 2023, the Guts: The Secret Tracks EP spent just one week in the absolute last spot, at No. 200, before disappearing. Speaking of Guts, Rodrigo's sophomore effort is not far behind Sour on the Billboard 200. It slides a few places to No. 82 this frame. Oddly, Guts finds space on both the Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Top Alternative Albums rankings, while Sour does not. This week, the Grammy-nominated project slips slightly to Nos. 19 and 10, respectively, on those tallies. According to Luminate, in the latest tracking period in the U.S., Sour shifted exactly 14,500 equivalent units. Most of that figure came from streaming activity, though it also sold about 1,300 copies. Guts was not far behind, moving 13,500 equivalent units — just 1,000 fewer than its predecessor. A little more than 1,100 of those were actual sales.
