FUTURENEVER BECOMES DANIEL JOHNS’ FIRST ARIA #1 SOLO ALBUM
Daniel Johns has made history with FutureNever hitting Number One on the ARIA Album Charts with his critically acclaimed second solo album FutureNever in the 3rd week of release. 7 years after his first solo album Talk made it to #2. This latest chart result takes Daniel’s record to 6 x Number One album’s that have debut at the #1 spot on the ARIA charts, which includes all five Silverchair releases:
Frogstomp, Silverchair - March 1995 #1
Freak Show, Silverchair – February 1997 #1
Neon Ballroom, Silverchair – March 1999 #1
Diorama, Silverchair – March 2002 #1
Young Modern, Silverchair – March 2007 #1
FutureNever, Daniel Johns – May 2022 #1
Making this chart result even more special, it comes 3 weeks after FutureNever’s April 22 release. Week 1 FutureNever debuted at #2 on digital and streams alone, Week 2 FutureNever reached #1 on the ARIA Australian Artist Chart and in Week 3 FutureNever achieves a new peak and sits at the summit of the ARIA Official Album Chart. FutureNever has achieved the rare feat of being a hit with critics and a runaway commercial success.
“I’m genuinely shocked and completely humbled to hear the news that FutureNever is #1 on the ARIA Official Album Chart particularly in the 3rd week of release. I’ve been working so hard on myself over the last 7 weeks that I’ve been a little disconnected from the activity around the album. I believe in this album so much and I cannot convey the level of gratitude I have for the people who are supporting the music in such profound ways. Thank you from the bottom of my heart- I love and miss you all.” Said Daniel Johns.
On the Australian radio front, an impressive three tracks from the album are being supported across all commercial radio networks in the country which include, “I Feel Electric”, “Where Do We Go?” and “Mansions”.
With universal stellar album reviews, FutureNever has proven fans and the public have longed for an album that truly takes you on an epic journey and gives you a deeply personal experience that only Daniel can capture and deliver.
“Within the first 10 minutes, FutureNever erupts with Diorama-level theatrics, busts into a perfectly paced day-glo R&B gem, then comes down hard with a Peking Duk collaboration. As a collection of music, it is unassailable, ambitious, and often brilliant, with the album’s high points sitting among his very best work” – THE GUARDIAN (4-Star Album Review)
“The 12 tracks are by turns surprising, dramatic, cinematic, and more than a little show-offy. The arrangements touch on pop, rock, classical and electronic music, while his vocal performances are stunning” – THE AUSTRALIAN
“There is a vulnerability, curiosity and adventure that makes ‘FutureNever’ unmistakably Johns. That kid who once asked you to wait for tomorrow is living in it today” – NME AUSTRALIA (4-Star Album Review)
“FutureNever is an album unlike anything Daniel Johns' fans have ever heard before, anyone hoping to find Johns at his creative peak, it's manna from heaven” – ROLLING STONE AUSTRALIA
“Johns has chosen not to release any singles, a smart move, because there’s no doubt FutureNever is an album. An immensely rewarding, immersive experience” – STACK MAGAZINE
“Album track “FreakNever” is a truly nightmarish rewriting of the early Silverchair hit Freak. Once a more-or-less defiant response to Johns’ first rush of fame, here it sounds like a festering loop in the brain of a traumatised child. “No more maybes/ The world stole a baby/ Took his soul on tour and/ Made a deal with the devil.” – SYDNEY MORNING HERALD / THE AGE
“Conceptually, tonally, and most importantly emotionally, FutureNever is an album of complete freedom and complete control, at his own pace. In its stylistic range it goes almost everywhere in the Johns repertoire: from slinky R&B and art rock to chilled electro pop; from self-distorting ballads and flamboyant pop to boot-stomping guitar rock, sometimes via knowing and deliberate references to his past”- BERNARD ZUEL
The Number One album FutureNever is out now globally via BMG and available HERE
In addition, visit FutureNeverFund Daniel’s newly created charitable fund to help raise money to create better futures for people and animals in need with a focus on mental health, racial inequality, diversity in the arts and animal welfare. Daniel has kicked the fund off with a $20,000 donation and says contributions will be “supercharged” by additional merch drops and exclusive fundraising events and auctions. Further stating, “After 12 months, as the Fund grows, we will look to broaden the scope and investigate incorporating more charities as a beneficiary of FutureNeverFund. I’d love for you to help contribute in whatever way you feel comfortable, and I’ll be sharing ways you can be part of the mission as we roll this out”.
ABOUT DANIEL JOHNS
As the front man of rock band Silverchair, Johns leads the all-time Australian ARIA Awards tally. Silverchair released five studio albums between the years 1995 – 2007, all of which debuted at #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart and achieved more than 10 million sales worldwide.
Johns was the first songwriter in history to win the prestigious APRA Songwriter of the Year award on three separate occasions, and in 2016 also won a Grammy for co-writing Flume’s ‘Say It’ featuring Tove Lo. Daniel has worked with artists such as Zhu, What So Not and Slumberjack and was also Musical Director for the 2017 Emmy-winning series Beat Bugs. In 2003 Johns teamed up with Australian producer Paul Mac to form the ARIA and MTV award-winning, Gold-certified project The Dissociatives. Daniel released his debut solo album Talk in 2015, which debuted at #2 on the ARIA Album Chart. His collaborative project with Empire of the Sun’s Luke Steele, DREAMS, launched in 2018 and performed at Coachella and Vivid Sydney.
Daniel recently released the #1 Spotify Original podcast Who Is Daniel Johns?, an in-depth, documentary-style podcast on Johns’ life and career. Narrated by Golden Globe nominee Guy Pearce, it features a myriad of A-list celebrities and musicians that have all played crucial roles in Daniel’s life; namely, Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Tom DeLonge (Blink 182, Angels & Airwaves), Kevin Parker (Tame Impala), long-time collaborator Van Dyke Parks and even his ex-wife and close friend Natalie Imbruglia. The podcast was an instant success charting globally and holding the #1 position in Australia for five consecutive weeks late last year.
Check out some key quotes below pulled from the podcast that has been sending fans wild from all over the globe:
“If you’d ask me ‘hey do you think this kid’s got a future?’ I would’ve said no chance in hell” – Billy Corgan
“We came and visited you in your house, and I thought it was awesome you were pushing our equipment upstairs and stuff. You were playing like arenas at the time and we were playing these little clubs” – Tom DeLonge
“Straight up, it was Silverchair. It gave me belief that I could be a teenage rockstar, you know” – Kevin Parker
“It just kind of went on a little bit too long where I think we were both scared, like if you were ever going to get better” – Natalie Imbruglia