Sam Smith’s ‘Gloria’ Roars to No. 1 In Australia


Sam Smith is on top in the land Down Under, as Gloria (via Capitol/Universal) bows at No. 1 on the ARIA Chart.

Gloria is Smith’s fourth consecutive top 10 album in Australia, and second No. 1 after In The Lonely Hour hit the summit in 2014.

The latest LP enjoyed a lift from Smith’s recent visit to Australia, a brief summer break during which the British singer performed for competition winners and VIPs at the d’Arenberg vineyards at McLaren Vale, outside of Adelaide.

It’s not Smith’s first time atop the leaderboard in Australia this year. “Unholy” featuring Kim Petras, the hit song from Gloria, returned to No. 1 last month on the ARIA Singles Chart for a sixth non-consecutive week.

Smith will return to Australia in October and November 2023 for a run of arena dates, produced by Frontier Touring.

Gloria is one of just three new arrivals on the latest ARIA top 40, published Feb. 3.

Further down the list, Bob Dylan’s Fragments—Time Out of Mind Sessions (1996-1997) The Bootleg Series, Vol. 17 (via Columbia/Legacy) bows at No. 26. The legendary songsmith’s album isn’t quite a new entry, but rather the latest in a series that revisits his Grammy Award-winning 1997 album Time Out of Mind, with a remix of the original set and bonus outtakes, alternate versions and live cuts.

Meanwhile, Lil Yachty sails in at No. 37 on the ARIA Chart with Let’s Start Here (Capitol/Universal), the Atlanta rapper’s fifth album, and a sonic pivot to psychedelic space rock.

Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” (Columbia/Sony) continues to bloom, for a third consecutive week at No. 1.

Australia-bred singer and songwriter The Kid LAROI returns to the national tally, this time with “Love Again” (Columbia/Sony), new at No. 14. It’s the second taste off the Kid’s forthcoming debut album, The First Time, set for release later this year.

After catching fire on TikTok, Coi Leray’s “Players” (Universal) completes the crossover with a top 40 chart appearance in Australia. The Grandmaster Flash-sampling single, a modern-day spin on the 1982 seminal hit “The Message,” arrives at No. 31.

Finally, a raft of tracks enjoy a lift on the national chart following last Saturday’s (Jan. 28) Hottest 100 countdown on triple j. The winner of the poll, Flume and MAY-A’s “Say Nothing” (Future Classic) returns at No. 4, easily eclipsing its peak of No. 16 from February 2022, while tracks from Spacey Jane, Eliza Rose, Steve Lacy and others enjoy a post-Hottest 100 bump.

Lars Brandle

Billboard