Power Pick 18/05/26: Genesis Owusu - 'BIG DOG'

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).

When it comes to highly-anticipated Aussie records in 2026, there’s a good chance that a solid portion of local listeners have been eagerly awaiting the release of Genesis Owusu’s third album, REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE.

Released last week, the record is it's his first new record since his 2023 top five-placing release, Struggler, with a batch of singles having been teasing what was to come since late last year.

Now, with Owusu out on tour in support of the album, and the 14-track collection on track to be one of his biggest releases to date, fans have been dissecting each and every tune on this acclaimed record, which – as Owusu told The Music – is something of a reflection on modernity.

“I started writing this album because I was seeing so much of the world and watching what was happening,” Owusu said in a statement. “I feel like I'm a student of Nina Simone, and she said, ‘the purpose of an artist is to reflect the times they live in’”.

Arguably, one of the new favourites on REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE is its penultimate track, the enthralling BIG DOG, which sees Owusu pairing his hard-hitting lyricism with elements of electronic rock in perfect harmony.

“It's a jam, man,” he explains simply. “Just something to have fun and feel good to. In the context of everything I've been releasing, the political, the disruptive, the punk – it's important to remember what all that fighting is for: we're fighting to be able to live life to the fullest.

“Live, laugh, love and all that. Fight for your right to party, as some wise men once said.”

Richard Kingsmill: After sampling singles like 'STAMPEDE' and 'PIRATE RADIO', I was worried the whole of Genesis's third album might be all up in your face and relentless. It's not.

“Working for the first time with just one producer (Dann Hume), the results are balanced and compelling,” Richard Kingsmill says of the new track. “All the singles make sense within the overall vision. It might be a fractured world that we're living in, as Genesis spells out. But there's just as much hope and humanity within the cultural and environmental destruction around us.

“With that propelling beat and '90s dance synths, BIG DOG is another standout from the album. It's playful in its cheeky defiance of the world's current power struggles. With the wisdom of lived and learnt experience, Genesis sweetly counters it all by singing 'Something's coming up, higher'.”

Tickets to the remaining dates of Owusu’s album launch tour are on sale now.

PREVIOUS POWER PICKS

This week features a slightly disappointing showing for local talent at the top of the Radio Monitor Hot 100 chart, with no Aussies appearing in the top ten for the first time in months.

The highest-placing home-grown track once again belongs to Sonny Fodera's Think About Us, which is down five spots to No. 12, having previously sat in the top spot.

It’s followed closely by Tame Impala’s Dracula, which holds steady at No. 16 for its fourth consecutive week, while Amy Shark's The Biggest Dick jumps to its new peak of No. 17.

Josh Fawaz's Like A Prayer is a new addition, debuting at No. 26, while Rachael Fahim's Deep End again holds at No. 28. Dom Dolla and Tiga's Don't Worry Baby and The Kid LAROI's PIECES hold back-to-back positions at No. 35 and No. 36, leading nicely into the locals-filled region of the 40s.

Larissa Lambert hits No. 40 with I Love You Out Loud, which drops two positions, while DMA'S' Heatin Park jumps 21 spots to No. 40, much like Darcie Haven's Wishbone, which leapt 30 spots to No. 42. Beddy Rays close out the local representation in the top 50, with Morning Light sitting at No. 45 for the second week in a row.