When a little-known artist takes a shot at the competitive world of commercial radio, it usually goes one of two ways – a failure to fit the bill or a long and painstaking path to glory.
For 21-year-old singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, it was neither.
When Julia Michaels came on board to record a duet version of Kahan’s Hurt Somebody at the start of the year, the song drew an instant connection with MDs and audiences alike, going to #1 on the TMN Hot 100 within three months. Australia has since become Kahan’s biggest market globally.
“Hurt Somebody resonated with us from the moment we heard it,” said Irene Hulme, Hit Network head of music and entertainment partnerships. “It had the same response with the Hit audience; a standout track vocally that draws you in from the moment it starts with a story that’s easy to connect with.”
Scott Baker-Smith, Nova head of music, had no doubt the song would go on to succeed at a commercial level: “We love an outlier – a track that can resonate and go against the grain of the heavy urban cycle that was around when it came out.
“Australian audiences are fantastic at leading and loving a song first,” he added. “There are so many varied examples, from OMI to Portugal. The Man. Fingers crossed the US story matches what has happened here.”
Amy Shark and 5 Seconds Of Summer both rose to the summit of the Hot 100, a feat neither artist had accomplished ever before. I Said Hi and Youngblood captivated radio audiences throughout the quarter, sharing a combined total of five weeks at #1.
Considering it was nearly two years when the last Australian artist topped the Hot 100 before Shark, Q2 2018 was a massive success for local acts. The chart features 23 singles from Australians, including six in the Hot 40. That’s a further improvement on the 20 Aussie singles that featured in last quarter’s chart.
Straddling the line between multiple radio formats, Keith Urban’s Parallel Line was the frontrunner on the TMN Country Airplay Chart for all 13 weeks of the quarter. Urban had massive support from commercial radio along the way, with the single also landing at #57 on the Q2 Hot 100.
