The World Cup has found its soundtrack.
Friday has come through with a genuinely strong batch this week, from huge Australian names to a few newer artists well worth getting around.
Here is what we have been listening to.
Empire of the Sun feat. Danny Ocean – ‘Llego’
Empire of the Sun have joined forces with Venezuelan pop star Danny Ocean on ‘Llego’, their first-ever collaboration and a very fitting addition to the official 2026 World Cup album.
It has all the scale you would expect from Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore, but Danny Ocean brings a warmth that makes the whole thing feel properly celebratory.
Tkay Maidza feat. Jenevieve – ‘Romanticize’
Tkay Maidza rarely stays in one lane for long, and ‘Romanticize’ finds her moving beautifully into soul and disco alongside Jenevieve.
The bassline is ridiculously good, the vocals glide, and it all points towards a very exciting new album, with Tkay also heading home for Yours & Owls this October.
Alex Lahey feat. Slowly Slowly – ‘Let’s Go Out’
Alex Lahey is celebrating ten years of B-Grade University by revisiting ‘Let’s Go Out’ with Slowly Slowly, and it is a pairing that makes complete sense.
Ben Stewart and the band give the track a bigger, warmer lift while keeping the scrappy heart of the original firmly intact.
1300 – ILLSAMGONGGONG
1300 have finally dropped their debut album ILLSAMGONGGONG, and it sounds like a group who have spent years figuring out exactly what they want to be.
Hip-hop, punk and electronic music all get thrown into the mix, but it is the friendship and chemistry between the five members that really holds it together.
Oliver Cronin – Lost On The Way To Paradise
Oliver Cronin gets personal on Lost On The Way To Paradise, a seven-track EP that moves between glossy pop, smooth R&B and some very open writing.
Tracks like ‘Closure’, ‘7500 Miles’ and ‘Poor Mallory’ show an artist growing into his sound, while being honest about the slightly messy road it took to get there.
Jessie Altman – ‘For The Hell Of It’
Jessie Altman’s ‘For The Hell Of It’ is bright, playful pop about letting go of the overthinking and doing something simply because it feels good.
It is the latest taste of her second album Lovelight, arriving September 25, and finds Altman sounding confident, romantic and clearly ready for a fresh chapter.
Acid Arrow – ‘Drop Your Shoulders Down’
Naarm duo Acid Arrow hit right in the heart with ‘Drop Your Shoulders Down’, a slow-burning country ballad carried by pedal steel and Brett Marshall’s beautiful baritone.
The pair are taking the track on the road for a run of Victorian and East Coast shows, where it should sound even better live.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source happymag.tv ’
