Nearly five years after taking home the best newcomer award at the 2021 ARIA Awards, Budjerah is preparing to step into a new chapter with the release of his first full studio album, Gentleman.
The project, which was produced by Om’Mas Keith (Frank Ocean), is scheduled for release on Friday, July 24 through Warner Music Australia and Warner Records in the United States. The American release follows the partnership agreement made in 2021 aimed at introducing the soul pop artist to a wider audience.
The album is introduced by the recently shared single “Want You Back” along with the title song, which is being released today.
According to the Australian artist, the record reflects the person he hoped to become while growing up. “This album was almost a four-year process for me,” he says. “Between my life at home and life on the road, I experienced so much change and growth. Chasing my dreams I faced new challenges which helped me understand who I wanted to be. Every song on this album holds a piece of me. I hope little Budjerah is proud.”
Budjerah, whose full name is Budjerah Julum Slabb, is already well known across the Australian music scene. The Coodjinburra artist, celebrated for his distinctive voice, continues to establish himself as one of the country’s standout emerging talents with an impressive list of achievements already behind him.
Originally from Fingal Head in New South Wales, Budjerah released his self titled EP in 2021. That same year he became the first recipient of the Michael Gudinski Prize during a lockdown era ARIA Awards ceremony. In 2022 he earned his first APRA Music Award for most performed R&B soul work for “Higher” with Matt Corby and also won the ARIA Award for best soul R&B release.
As a performer, Budjerah joined Ed Sheeran as a support act during the British star’s 2023 stadium tour and also appeared on a remix of Sheeran’s track “2step.” His catalogue has now surpassed 60 million streams even before the arrival of his debut album. In 2023 he also secured representation in the Americas after signing with United Talent Agency. Since then he has continued building momentum through national headline tours.
Before formally revealing the album, Budjerah introduced the project on Wednesday afternoon (March 18), one day after celebrating his birthday, with a special showcase performance at Lazybones Lounge in Marrickville, located in Sydney’s inner west.
Dan Rosen, president of Warner Music Australasia and Southeast Asia, told attendees that this marks the beginning of what he called “the era of the Gentleman.” Speaking to industry guests, he described the album as “is going to be a defining moment in Australian music. We first met Budjerah six years ago with a voice that stopped the nation, a once in a generation talent.” He added that this is a “man who is finally stepping into his power and his full capacity as an artist.”
The 24 year old performer also gave a preview of several songs from the upcoming album, including the closing track “Even At My Worst,” written by Diane Warren, and his 2023 release “Therapy,” which has achieved platinum certification in Australia and has nearly 19 million Spotify streams.
The song “Gentleman” was created with writers Autumn Rowe (Alexis Jordan, Kylie Minogue), Kizzo Keaz (Jon Batiste, Ne Yo), and Philip Lawrence (Bruno Mars) and carries a classic inspired feel. Budjerah says that influence was intentional. “You have to be a gentleman and make sure your girl is treated right,” he explains. “I grew up around a lot of old people, so I was influenced by the music they played as well as watching how they treated each other, and that is what this song is about.”
Check out the Gentleman tracklist below and pre order here.
Gentleman
Want You Back
I Only Remember Your Name
Competition
Could I Be
Sinner
Pretty
Hard Time
Lonely
Let Me Know
Even At My Worst
On AHHCade, PNAU are leaning fully into emotion for their upcoming seventh studio album.
“There’s something deeply connected about music and the path we’ve been on,” PNAU’s Nick Littlemore shares while introducing the new project, which is scheduled to arrive July 31 through Sydney independent label etcetc, under the TMRW Music umbrella.
“We’re creating songs from the heart,” he says. “Even though these tracks are built with electronics and technology, at their core they are emotional expressions. Peter, myself and everyone we worked with wanted to create a feeling of home, whether that’s on the dancefloor or inside the listener’s mind.”
The upcoming record includes the recently unveiled “Tu Corazon (Your Heart)” featuring Mexican rock band The Warning, as well as the energetic new track “Nirvana” with EARTHGANG and sadMONTH, which officially dropped today, May 8.
“Nirvana” pairs PNAU with Atlanta duo EARTHGANG and also marks the first collaboration with sadMONTH, the new creative venture from Littlemore alongside Toronto artist Dom Dias.
Littlemore describes the song as “the beginning of an entirely new chapter. It’s intense, chaotic and taps into a future version of punk electronic music. Expect something restless, rhythmic and completely untamed.”
EARTHGANG added: “With ‘Nirvana,’ we locked into this euphoric and elevated energy together with PNAU and rode that electro wave. Huge love to everyone involved in bringing this track to life and making it hit the way it does.”
Representatives for the group have also hinted that additional unexpected collaborations will be revealed in the near future.
PNAU, made up of longtime friends Littlemore and Peter Mayes, are following up their 2024 release Sambanova. Over the years, the duo have built a career filled with major records and industry recognition. Their global breakthrough came after teaming up with Elton John for the 2012 remix album Good Morning to the Night, which reached No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart. They later reunited with Elton for the 2021 remix Cold Heart featuring Dua Lipa, creating one of the biggest worldwide hits of the decade.
To celebrate the release of the new album, PNAU will launch the Australian run of their Nirvana Tour 2026 next month. The East Coast regional dates begin June 19 at Gilligan's in Cairns before finishing July 4 at Woodport Hotel in Erina.
Stream “Nirvana” below.
