“It’s a great time to be a lemon”: BMG Australia’s Heath Johns on #2 album debut for Angus Stone

It’s been a good week for Aussie artists on the ARIA Albums Chart.

Angus Stone’s solo moniker Dope Lemon debuted at #2 with Smooth Big Cat, a well-deserved result for the Sydney singer-songwriter and his label BMG Australia.

Featuring first single ‘Hey You’, and album track ‘Salt & Pepper’, the sophmore album was recorded over three months at Belafonte, the studio on his ranch.

Stone played every instrument on the record, and produced and mixed every song.

“When Angus and his manager Tim [Manton] played us the early Smooth Big Cat music we knew this was a record that BMG needed to release,” BMG Australia managing director Heath Johns told TMN from Splendour on Saturday.

Smooth Big Cat also landed the #1 spot on the new Vinyl chart courtesy of a collectors edition.

“The whole BMG global team has mobilised to create a memorable campaign including tattoo parlour takeovers, custom Dope Lemon jewellery and animated vinyl that we can’t keep on the shelves,” says Johns.

“I don’t use this term often, but Angus is a genius and we have been so honoured to have him invite the whole BMG team into his unique world.

“Angus has delivered one of the biggest sales weeks for an Australian artist in a while on the ARIA Chart, some great international results coming in including a Top 40 on the German mid-weeks and a mammoth Splendour show planned for Saturday night.

“It’s a great time to be a lemon.”

Watch ‘Hey You’ by Dope Lemon:

Warner Music Australia’s Thelma Plum also landed in the Top 10 at with Better in Blak (#4), while UNFD-signed Adelaide rapper Allday arrived at #7 with his third studio album, Starry Night Over the Phone.

But it was multi-platinum British hitmaker Ed Sheeran who debuted on top with No.6 Collaborations Project, his fourth album to land the coveted #1 spot in Australia.

Home to an all-star cast of Sheeran’s favourite artists, the 15-track album features 22 collaborators including Cardi B, Camila Cabello, Khalid, Eminem, Travis Scott, Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars and Stormzy.

There was one other album that debuted in the Top 10 this week.

The much-hyped soundtrack from The Lion King at #10, featuring new recordings of the original songs written by Elton John and Tim Rice.

View this week’s charts on the official ARIA website.