I’ve enjoyed the music of Keith Urban for years. My husband and I cut our wedding cake to “You’re My Better Half” and we consider “Without You” one of ‘our songs’. But it took Keith’s turn on The Voice and the release of a greatest hits album to convince us we needed to make the leap from casual fan to concert goer. And we’re so glad we did.
I’ve got to admit, we missed the Madden brothers’ supporting set. Starting a midweek show way out in Homebush at an early 7:30 is just madness in our books. Pairing country-singing Keith with these pop-punksters also seemed a strange decision, despite their association on The Voice. And so we opted for a leisurely dinner instead. Not being a fan of the Madden music, I don’t think we missed too much.
We were there in the thick of it once Keith took the stage. Our fifth row seats were incredible, but I must admit to feeling a little out of place. Keith fans seem lovely, but boy are they passionate. I bobbed my head in time to songs I was enjoying while they danced and sang with gusto to every tune.
The thing is though, you don’t need to know every song to appreciate Keith’s easy stage presence and incredible guitar skills. You don’t even need to have those seats near the front of the arena; Keith delivered several songs from another stage near the back of the auditorium. The interaction with the fans continued when Keith encouraged three devotees to sing off during “Kiss a Girl.” None of the punters could hold a candle to Keith’s voice, but you had to admire their enthusiasm! All good fun.
Keith and his stellar band were more than enough to keep us entertained, but the appearance of a few choice special guests took the energy in the room up a few notches. Benji and Joel Madden returned to the stage to join Keith for a cover of Oasis’ “Wonderwall.” Keith’s The Voice charge Darren Percival made a not so unexpected appearance later on. But when Jimmy Barnes joined Keith Urban for “Flame Trees” I lost my mind. What a special concert moment it was.
Keith’s Sydney show was pure entertainment. He gave us the right mix of upbeat numbers and heartfelt ballads. He chatted easily to the crowd and seemed genuinely humbled by their support. And he looked pretty damn good while he was doing it. Who could ask for anything more?
Karise Eden remains on top of the ARIA Albums Chart this week, but her fellow Voice finalists have challenged her for the number one possie.
The remaining top four contestants have all enjoyed top ten debuts for their album releases. Runner-up Darren Percival landed at number three with his disc Happy Home, Rachel Leahcar’s Shooting Star sits at number five, while Sarah De Bono shouldn’t feel embarrassed by her number seven debut with No Shame.
In a bumper week for Aussie albums, it’s not just the reality TV stars shining. Angus Stone’s solo endeavour Broken Brights took out the number two spot, while all The Voice action saw Keith Urban’sThe Story So Far pushed down to number eight. Missy Higgins continues to hang on to the top ten by her fingernails. The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle is again at number ten.
In contrast the singles chart looks pretty bare. Why don’t we support homegrown songs? Thank goodness for Justice Crew, who are representing with “Boom Boom.” It sits at number seven.
Karise Eden continues to be a musical force to be reckoned with. Her debut album My Journey retained its top spot on the ARIA chart for the third consecutive week.
Australia seems willing to forgive Chris Brown; his new album Fortune’s jumped in to the number two position. That’s forced the Hillsong Church’s new album Cornerstone and Keith Urban’sThe Story So Far down to the number three and four spots respectively.
Missy Higgins has returned to the top ten this week, but only just. Her album The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle is sitting at the number ten spot.
After his impressive number one debut last week, Reece Mastin’s disappointingly slipped out of the top ten completely. Thankfully we’ve got Justice Crew, with their new single “Boom Boom,” flying the Aussie flag.
It’s not likely to silence critics, but local reality TV show graduates have taken the top spots on Australia’s major ARIA charts. Karise Eden’s My Journey album has maintained its number one possie, while reigning X Factor winner Reece Mastin’s nabbed the top single spot with his newie “Shout It Out.”
Again proving their musical might, the singers from the Hillsong Church have zoomed into the albums charts with their latest release Cornerstone. It sits at number two. Keith Urban’s greatest hits also continues to sell truckloads. The Story So Far holds steady at number three.
Click below for the rest of this week’s ARIA charts.
Without a final flurry of The Voice competition to contend with, the ARIA Chart has returned to an even keel. But that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about the show that gripped the nation. Karise Eden’s debut album My Journey has dethroned Justin Bieber to take out the top spot. Her official first single “You Won’t Let Me” is also the only local single to crack the top 10. It’s currently sitting at number five.
Keith Urban’s greatest hits album also continues to perform well. The Story So Far sits at number three. Missy Higgins’ The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle has started its downward descent, but it hasn’t done badly to land at number seven.
Missy Higgins has maintained her stranglehold on the ARIA Charts. Her new album The Ol’ Razzle Dazle sits at the top of the albums charts for the second week.
Missy’s managed to fend off stiff competition from fellow Aussie Xavier Rudd. His new album Spirit Bird has nevertheless enjoyed an impressive number two debut.
Keith Urban’s greatest hits album The Story So Far is still doing a roaring trade, which has resulted in a number four finish. While he’ll be off our TV screens once The Voice winds down, yesterday’s tour announcement should ensure it continues to sell.
Speaking of The Voice, Karise Eden showed she’s a real contender for the title with her version of “Hallelujah” sitting at number two. That’s the best chart position we’ve seen of any of The Voice hopefuls; no wonder she’s the odds on favourite to clinch the competition.
It’s been a case of musical chairs at the top of the ARIA Albums Charts for some time now. This week we see another Aussie artist sitting on top. Missy Higgins has landed another number one with her long-awaited newie The OI’ Razzle Dazzle.
Keith Urban shows his greatest hits have some staying power. His disc The Story So Far is sitting at number two. The Temper Trap have fallen a bit since they enjoyed their stay at the top, but their new self-titled album is still performing well at number five.
The singles charts are a bit sparse on local talent, but The Voice’sDarren Percival is holding the fort. His version of Stevie Wonder’s “I Believe” is sitting at number five, so I guess we can probably assume he’s safe for another week of the competition!
Keith Urban has vacated his top spot on the ARIA chart to make way for fellow Aussies, The Temper Trap. The Melbourne band has achieved the best result of their career with a number one debut for their new self-titled album.
Keith hasn’t fallen too far though. The Voice judge’s greatest hits album, The Story So Far, has dropped to number four. It’s also impressive to see country darlings The MyClymonts debuting at number seven with their newie, Two Worlds Collide.
Thank goodness for The Voice, because otherwise the singles top ten would strictly be an international affair. However Brittany Cairns showed she’s unlikely to go home this week, as her cover of “Different Worlds” is sitting at number seven. Judge Delta Goodrem’s infectiously catchy single “Sitting on Top of the World” holds steady at number ten.
With extended time in Brisbane my chart report’s coming a little late this week. But with Keith Urban’s latest greatest hits The Story So Far album debuting at the number one slot, I figured it was better done late than never.
It’s a great effort for Keith whose previous best effort was a number three peak for Defying Gravity. No doubt all that exposure on The Voice has something to do with this latest chart success.
The good news for The Voice continues on the singles charts. Contestant Karise Eden is the best performing Aussie this week with her cover of “Nothing’s Real But Love” sitting at number nine. With a result like that, there was no way she’d go home this week. Despite the criticism levelled at her it seems plenty of us still love Delta Goodrem too. Her new single “Sitting on Top of the World” occupies the number ten slot.
It’s Valentine’s Day folks, that time of year where the world gets a little bit sappier. I must admit, I’m not immune to this Hallmark holiday. We reject the way restaurants jack up their prices, so I’m preparing to spend the afternoon whipping up a three-course meal. Yep, entrée, main, and even dessert. I have no sweet tooth, yet I’m getting set to create something sugary just for him. If that doesn’t say “I love you,” I don’t know what does.
Given that love is in the air I figured I’d post an Aussie song with a bit of personal meaning for me, “You’re My Better Half” by Keith Urban. We actually cut the cake at our wedding to this song nearly five years ago. We’ve all heard that phrase “better half,” but unless you’ve really been in a good relationship you can’t fully understand what it means. I don’t buy into that idea of a person completing you, but I do think the right one can bring out your very best qualities. People who know me say I’ve blossomed since meeting my husband; I’m more confident and outgoing and generally happier. I like to think I’ve been just as much of an asset to him!
So to my husband Steve, you are my better half. You know how much I love you, but on days like this I get a license to make the public declarations. Here’s to many more Valentine’s Day together!
Lauren Katulka cannot remember a time when music was not a part of her life. Raised on an eclectic diet of Van Morrison, The Eagles, Cold Chisel, and Barbra Streisand, she remembers saving all her pocket money for weeks so she could buy cassettes featuring her favourite singers. At the tender age of 11 she saw her first live concert when Jimmy Barnes took his Soul Deep tour to Newcastle’s Civic Theatre. There was no looking back.
Today Lauren is a happily married freelance writer living on the New South Wales Central Coast. When she's not obsessing about the latest band, or some old favourite, she loves to experiment with new recipes, watch indie films, and cuddle her Devon Rex cat Gizmo.
We were there in the thick of it once Keith took the stage. Our fifth row seats were incredible, but I must admit to feeling a little out of place. Keith fans seem lovely, but boy are they passionate. I bobbed my head in time to songs I was enjoying while they danced and sang with gusto to every tune.
Keith and his stellar band were more than enough to keep us entertained, but the appearance of a few choice special guests took the energy in the room up a few notches. Benji and Joel Madden returned to the stage to join Keith for a cover of Oasis’ “Wonderwall.” Keith’s The Voice charge Darren Percival made a not so unexpected appearance later on. But when Jimmy Barnes joined Keith Urban for “Flame Trees” I lost my mind. What a special concert moment it was.
Keith’s Sydney show was pure entertainment. He gave us the right mix of upbeat numbers and heartfelt ballads. He chatted easily to the crowd and seemed genuinely humbled by their support. And he looked pretty damn good while he was doing it. Who could ask for anything more?
Karise Eden remains on top of the ARIA Albums Chart this week, but her fellow Voice finalists have challenged her for the number one possie.
Keith Urban’s greatest hits album also continues to perform well. The Story So Far sits at number three. Missy Higgins’ The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle has started its downward descent, but it hasn’t done badly to land at number seven.
Missy Higgins has maintained her stranglehold on the ARIA Charts. Her new album The Ol’ Razzle Dazle sits at the top of the albums charts for the second week.
With extended time in Brisbane my chart report’s coming a little late this week. But with Keith Urban’s latest greatest hits The Story So Far album debuting at the number one slot, I figured it was better done late than never.
