Power Pick 16/03/26: Salty - 'TOUCH GRASS'

The Music chooses one song every week as its Power Pick, shining a light on ONE Aussie song that we think has the potential to be the next big Australian chart hit.

Our Power Pick committee consists of Richard Kingsmill (consultant and former triple j Group Music Director), Maddy Rowe (Nova nights announcer), Nic Kelly (Hit Network nights announcer), Ash McGregor (host of Listen Up with Ash McGregor), Kent “Smallzy” Small (Host of ‘The Smallzy Show’ on the Kiis Network), Irene Hulme (radio consultant and host of Game Changers Radio podcast) and Ollie Wards (ex-Head of Music for TikTok Australia).

Having spent the past six years asserting herself as an undeniable force on the Australian pop scene, Sydney’s own Salty has just unleashed her first new song of the year – having shared the energetic TOUCH GRASS just last week.

A self-aware pop anthem that sees her ruminating on the addictive pull of social media and the quiet disconnection it can create, TOUCH GRASS is a euphoric piece of work which features Salty veering into territory occupied by iconic acts such as Charli XCX.

Written and recorded in under six hours alongside collaborators Chelsea Warner and Salty’s partner Cyrus Villanueva (also known as the winner of the 2015 series of The X Factor), it’s a powerful piece of pop that is an undeniable new height in Salty’s already-impressive career.

“TOUCH GRASS is a self-aware pop anthem about confronting my addiction to my phone and social media, and the quiet tension between living life and performing it online,” Salty explained in a statement.

“It captures the moment I realised I was prioritising curated, post-able achievements over genuine, present experiences – and the decision to step outside, reconnect and actually be in my life. Some days I am a slave to the algorithm, but it’s in the moments where I practise that self-control I actually feel the most myself.”

Salty is also currently on tour around Australia supporting Peach PRC, whose track Back To You was also a Power Pick back in January.

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It’s been another big week on the charts for local content, with this week seeing any Aussies beaten to the pointy end of the Radio Monitor Hot 100 by Taylor Swift’s Opalite, Bruno Mars’ I Just Might, and Olivia Dean’s It’s So Easy (To Fall In Love).

However, recent Power Pick artist – Sonny Fodera – undeniably gave these acts a run for their money, with Think About Us occupying the #4 spot, just weeks after it beat out Mars to take out the top position.

Tame Impala rounds out the top ten with Dracula, which reaches an impressive peak after 20 weeks in the chart. It's a far way to go for the next Aussie, however, which is Guy Sebastian at #34 with 100 Times Around The Sun.

Blusher's Rager hits #40, launching a trio of Aussie acts, with Chloe Parche's Silver Bullet and MAY-A's Claws at #41 and #42, respectively.

The top 50 is rounded out with a strong showing of Aussies, however, with FISHER's Rain sitting at #45, Mia Wray's When We Were Young following at #46, and Genesis Owusu's Stampede and CYRIL & Maryjo's Still Into You sitting back-to-back at #48 and #49, respectively.

Presented by Frontier Touring and triple j