Power Pick 17/08/26: Benny Morrell - 'Easier'

Tyler Jenke

This week's The Music Power Pick revealed.

Benny Morrell's 'Easier' Artwork
Benny Morrell's 'Easier' Artwork(Credit: Supplied/Giulia Giannini McGauran)
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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), Matty Morris (Super Radio Network nights announcer), and Matt O’Gorman (Triple M Homegrown host).

It’s been a minute since fans last heard new music from Melbourne musician Benny Morrell, but the wait has been more than worth it.

Having made an auspicious debut around 2019, Morrell’s output has been consistent and impactful, with his remarkable blend of pop, indie, and soul managing to draw in a vast and ever-growing fanbase.

With local and international airplay to his name, and viral fame thanks to platforms such as TikTok, last October saw Morrell unleash his latest EP, All That’s Left, with writing sessions in Los Angeles and Nashville closing out the huge period for the rising star.

Now, he’s flying high from the release of last month’s Easier, his first new single of the year. A soaring, catchy piece of work that is as impactful as it is hooky, the underlying message behind it is one of perseverance.

“Made this song knowing I could never afford to do much but I wanted to try,” Morrell said of the track on social media, later adding, “I made this song when I was incredibly down bad as a reminder to myself that nothing lasts forever.”

CHART UPDATE

There haven’t been too many climbs on the cards for Aussie acts this week on the Radio Monitor Hot 100 chart, but it’s still a strong showing of local talent.

At the top end of things, Taylor Swift and Alex Warren swap positions with I Knew It, I Knew You and Fever Dream at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, while Olivia Rodrigo’s Stupid Song jumps over the highest-charting Aussie, leaving G Flip to take out the No. 4 position with Bed On Fire.

Josh Fawaz’s controversial rework of Madonna’s Like A Prayer, which attracted attention thanks to the artist’s recent admission of AI usage, has fallen down to No. 8, while Sonny Fodera’s Let Me Be In Your Arms closes out the top ten.

Fodera shows up again at No. 24, with previous chart-topper Think About Us holding steady for another week, while a previous Power Pick – Ninajirachi & Porter Robinson's WannaCry – is our first local riser, jumping three spots to No. 35.

Tame Impala's perennial top ten single Dracula falls further to No. 37, while DMA'S' Killing Time jumps two spots to No. 41. There's not much more local gear on the bill for this week, with Tkay Maidza's Jenevieve-featuring Romanticize jumping one spot to No. 45, and Spacey Jane's East Village falling one spot to close out the top 50.

Over on the ARIA charts, there's a bit of local movement, with Tame Impala's Loser debuting at No. 11, while Dracula falls down to No. 18, closing out the only Aussies in the top 50.