Sons of Zion | |
---|---|
Origin | Pakuranga, Auckland, New Zealand |
Genres | |
Years active | 2007–present |
Labels | Sony Music New Zealand |
Members | Samuel Eriwata Rio Panapa Joel Latimer Matt Sadgrove Ross Nansen Caleb Haapu [1] |
Past members | Dylan Stewart Tawhiri Littlejohn Harlem McKenzie Phil Peters Curtis Wiringi Marika Hodgson Zane Graham Les Watene Thabani Gapara Christian Mausia [2] [3] |
Sons of Zion is a six-member New Zealand reggae band who formed in 2007 in Pakuranga, Auckland. They became widely famous in New Zealand in early 2018, due to the popularity of their single "Drift Away". [2] [1]
Band members Sam Eriwata and Joel Latimer grew up together in Auckland. They formed a youth band together when they attended Edgewater College in Pakuranga. [2] The trio met Rio Panapa, originally from Rotorua, through joint church services where bands from different chapters of their church performed. [2] Eventually Panapa moved to Auckland and joined Samuel Eriwata's youth band. [2]
The original line-up featured Rio Panapa as lead vocalist and guitarist, Samuel Eriwata on drums, Joel Latimer on keyboards and Dylan Stewart, a bassist who moved from Whangārei to Auckland to join the band. [2] The band won a competition to be the opening act at the Soundsplash Festival 2007 in Raglan, and hurriedly recorded an extended play so that they could release it at the festival. [2] Panapa had difficulties with the range of some of the songs during these sessions, so Eriwata also became a vocalist for the band. [2] The band later added Tawhiri Littlejohn as a permanent drummer as Eriwata took over more of the vocal duties, and Harlem McKenzie as a lead guitarist. [2]
In October 2009, the band released their self-titled debut album, and spent the next few years extensively touring New Zealand and Australia. [2] The band's singles "Good Love" (2012) and "Tell Her" (2013) received major radio airplay in New Zealand, [2] becoming their first songs to chart in New Zealand. Their second album Universal Love was a major hit, reaching number three in New Zealand. [4] At the 2014 Waiata Māori Music Awards, the video for the band's collaboration with Tomorrow People won the best video award. [2] Later that year, the band covered "Sensitive to a Smile" alongside other local reggae musicians such as Katchafire and Tomorrow People as a charity single to combat child abuse. [2]
The band's 2015 single "Stuck on Stupid" became popular internationally online, [2] especially in locations such as Hawaii where it was a local radio hit. [1] By 2015, the band's line-up had solidified as Eriwata, Panapa, Latimer, bassist Matt Sadgrove, Caleb Haapu of the band L40, and Ross Nansen of the Levites. [2] In the next few years, the band's popularity online was cemented by the includion of their songs such as "I'm Ready", "Fill Me Up" and "Now" featuring on major Australasian reggae Spotify playlists. In 2017, the band produced the Te Reo song "Wairua" by Maimoa, which became a viral hit. [2]
By 2017, the band began to experiment with genres outside of reggae, such as their collaboration "Is That Enough" with Aaradhna. [2] For the band's third album Vantage Point (2018), all members decided to quit their day-jobs to focus entirely on the band. [2] The first single from the album, "Drift Away", became a break-away hit for the group. [2] [1] The album was a success, becoming Platinum certified in New Zealand. [5] The band toured internationally to promote the album. [6]
In 2020, Panapa became the host of the Māori Television show Lifted. [2]
Sons of Zion write, produce and mix all of their music. In 2017, the band created their own recording studio, No Filter Studios in Auckland. [1]
Samuel Eriwata's father is Richard Eriwata, [2] a musician who became famous in the 1980s as a member of the musical theatre television show 12 Bar Rhythm 'n Shoes. Caleb Haapu's brother is singer-songwriter Seth Haapu. [2]
Eriwata, Latimer, Stewart and Littlejohn are of Ngāpuhi descent, while Panapa's background includes Te Arawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Waikato Tainui. [2]
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |
---|---|---|---|---|
NZ [7] | NZ Artist [8] | |||
Sons of Zion | — | — | ||
Universal Love |
| 3 | 3 | |
Vantage Point |
| 18 | 2 | |
"—" denotes an album that did not chart. |
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |
---|---|---|---|---|
NZ [7] | NZ Artist [8] | |||
First XV |
| 9 | 3 |
Title | EP details | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
NZ Artist [11] | |||
Sons of Zion |
| — | |
The Jukebox Suite |
| 9 | |
"—" denotes an extended play that did not chart. |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NZ [7] | NZ Artist [11] | ||||||
"Waiting Right Here" [13] (featuring Hazadus) | 2009 | — | — | Sons of Zion | |||
"Be With You" [13] | — | — | |||||
"Good Love" [2] | 2012 | — | 7 | Universal Love | |||
"Tell Her" [2] | 2013 | — | 3 | ||||
"Superman" (featuring Tomorrow People) | 17 | 5 | |||||
"The Weekend" | — | — | |||||
"Be My Lady" | 2014 | — | 6 | ||||
"Stuck on Stupid" (featuring Israel Starr) | — | 4 | Non-album singles | ||||
"I'm Ready" | 2015 | — | 4 | ||||
"Fill Me Up" | — | 9 | |||||
"Hungover" | 2016 | — | 18 | ||||
"Now" (featuring Slip-On Stereo) | — | 3 | |||||
"Live It Up" | 2017 | — | — | The Jukebox Suite | |||
"Is That Enough" (featuring Aaradhna) | — | 2 | The Jukebox Suite / Vantage Point | ||||
"Drift Away" | 2018 | 17 | 1 | Vantage Point | |||
"So Bright" [15] | — | — | |||||
"Leave with Me" [16] | — | 13 | |||||
"Come Home" | 2019 | — [A] | 3 |
| First XV | ||
"Road Trip" | — [B] | 10 |
| ||||
"Break Up Song" | 2020 | — [C] | — [D] | Non-album single | |||
"Crazy" | — [E] | — [F] | First XV | ||||
"Love on the Run" (featuring Jackson Owens) | 2021 | 15 | 1 |
| |||
"Come to Bed" [26] | 2022 | — [G] | — [H] | ||||
"One Night" [29] | — [I] | 10 |
| Non-album single | |||
"Be with You" (2022 version) | — [J] | — | Sons of Zion(reissue) | ||||
"Running" (2022 version) | — [K] | — | |||||
"Homey Girl" (2022 version) | — [L] | — | |||||
"On My Way" (featuring The Green) | 2023 | — [M] | 20 | TBA | |||
"I Want More" (featuring Tawaz) | — [N] | 20 | |||||
"See You Like I Do" | 2024 | — [O] | — | ||||
"We Ain't Coming Home" (featuring Corrella) | — [P] | — | |||||
"Waiting by the Bar" | — [Q] | — | |||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NZ [7] | NZ Artist [11] | ||||||
"Be with You [Remix]" [38] (Deach featuring Pieter T, Tomorrow People, K.One, Sons of Zion, Fortafy, Tyree, Donell Lewis & MzJ) | 2013 | — | — | Non-album singles | |||
"Sensitive to a Smile" (among Aotearoa Reggae All Stars) | 2 | 1 |
| ||||
"This Feeling" (Tomorrow People featuring Sons of Zion) | 2017 | — | — | Bass & Bassinets | |||
"Help Me Out" (Kings featuring Sons of Zion) | 2020 | 17 | 6 |
| Raplist | ||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album |
---|---|---|---|---|
NZ Artist [11] | ||||
"Potere Ana / Drift Away" [41] | 2019 | 7 | Waiata / Anthems | |
"He Aroha Hinemoa / Love on the Run" (featuring Jackson Owens) | 2021 | 13 |
| Non-album single |
American singer and songwriter Pink has released nine studio albums, one live album, five video albums, six compilation albums, 59 singles, three charity singles, six promotional singles, and 51 music videos. Throughout her career, Pink has sold 60 million albums, 75 million singles and 2.4 million DVDs worldwide. According to RIAA, she has sold 18 million albums and 13.5 million digital singles. She is also UK's second best-selling female artist of the 21st century. Billboard ranked her as the fifth top female artist of the 2000s, eighth top female artist of the 2010s and the 59th greatest artist of all time. Official Charts Company hailed her as UK's most played female artist of the 21st century.
American pop rock band Maroon 5 has released seven studio albums, three live albums, two compilation albums, one remix album, six extended plays (EPs), 36 singles, eight promotional singles, and 43 music videos. The group originally formed in 1994 as Kara's Flowers while they were still attending high school. With a line-up of Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden and Ryan Dusick, they released their independent album, We Like Digging? in 1994. In 1997, they signed to Reprise Records and released an album, The Fourth World. After a tepid response to the album, the band parted with their record label and attended college. In 2001, the band regrouped and added James Valentine to the lineup, and pursued a new direction under the name Maroon 5.
The discography of Foo Fighters, an American rock band formed in 1995 by Dave Grohl, consists of eleven studio albums, fourteen extended plays (EPs), six video albums, one live album, and 57 singles. The current Foo Fighters line-up consists of Grohl, Rami Jaffee (keyboard), Nate Mendel (bass), Chris Shiflett (guitar), Pat Smear (guitar) and Josh Freese (drums).
American pop rock band OneRepublic has released six studio albums, one live album, six extended plays, 39 singles, 10 promotional singles, and 31 music videos. Formed in 2002, OneRepublic first found commercial recognition when their song "Apologize" was released onto Myspace in 2006 and they subsequently became the biggest act on that site. It was remixed by American record producer Timbaland, appearing on his album Shock Value. Released as a single in 2007, the song topped the charts in multiple countries, including Australia and Canada, while also reaching the top three in the United States and the United Kingdom. It has since sold over 3.6 million digital downloads in the United States. The band's debut studio album, Dreaming Out Loud, was released in November 2007. It hit the top ten on the albums charts of countries such as Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. It also peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard 200, earning a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album's second single, "Stop and Stare", peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 while also reaching the top five in Austria and the United Kingdom. The album spawned three more singles: "Say ", "Mercy", and "Come Home".
The discography of Canadian singer Justin Bieber consists of six studio albums, three remix albums, three compilation albums, two extended plays, 76 singles, and 10 promotional singles. Bieber has attained eight number-one hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 and eight number-one albums on the US Billboard 200 charts. As of June 2019, Bieber has sold an estimated 150 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), he has sold 24 million albums and 121 million digital singles units as a lead artist, in the United States. Bieber was named the "Greatest Pop Star of 2016" by Billboard. He was also named the Billboard Year-End Top Male Artist for 2016 and placed number seven on the magazine's Decade-End Top Artists Chart for the 2010s.
Six60 is a New Zealand pop rock band formed in Dunedin, Otago in 2008. The band consists of Matiu Walters, Ji Fraser, Chris Mac, and Marlon Gerbes.
The discography of English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran consists of seven studio albums, two compilation albums, seventeen extended plays, one video album, sixty-five singles, eight promotional singles, one box set, and seventy-one music videos. As of October 2021, Sheeran has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists in history. According to RIAA, Sheeran is the 13th best-selling digital singles artist in the United States with certified sales of 80.5 million.
Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd has released five studio albums, one live album, three compilation albums, three mixtapes, nine extended plays, 79 single releases, and seven promotional singles. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), he has accumulated 18.5 million certified album-equivalent units and 126 million certified digital single units in the US, based on sales and on-demand streaming, as of August 2024.
The American pop rock band Imagine Dragons has released six studio albums, four live albums, one compilation album, ten extended plays, twenty-seven singles, six promotional singles and twenty-three music videos. According to Recording Industry Association of America, they have sold 103.5 million digital singles and 12 million albums in the US. Imagine Dragons has sold 46 million albums and 55 million singles worldwide, including 74 billion global career streams, making them among the best-selling rock bands in history. Billboard named them as the 29th Greatest Adult Alternative artist of all time, as well as the 13th Top Artist of 2010s in the United States.
The American singer, songwriter, and actress Ariana Grande has released seven studio albums, one soundtrack album, one live album, two compilation albums, two extended plays (EPs), fifty-eight singles, and fourteen promotional singles. Throughout her career thus far, Grande has sold over 90 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she has sold over 131 million units, across albums, singles, and features, and 12 million albums and 93.5 million digital singles units as a lead artist. In the U.S., Grande has moved 22.4 million album units, and garnered over 23.6 billion streams across lead artist credits, according to Luminate. Having amassed over 105 billion consumed streams thus far, Grande is the most streamed female artist ever. She is also the most streamed female artist of the 2010s on Spotify and Apple Music. She has amassed 86 chart entries on the Billboard Hot 100—the third most entries for a female artist—including nine number ones and 22 top-10 hits altogether so far. Grande was named the sixth top female artist of the 2010s decade, and was ranked among Billboard's Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Artists, at number 78. Grande is also one of the best selling female artists in the UK, with over 31 million units.
New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde has released three studio albums, four extended plays, 12 singles and 13 music videos. At the age of 13, she was signed to Universal Music Group (UMG) and started to write music. In November 2012, when she was 16 years old, she self-released The Love Club EP via SoundCloud. It was released for sale by UMG in March 2013; a song from the EP, "Royals", topped numerous single charts internationally, including the US Billboard Hot 100. The track sold over 10 million units worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.
English singer Charli XCX has released six studio albums, five mixtapes, three extended plays, one live album, one soundtrack album, one remix album, two DJ mixes, 48 singles, and 13 promotional singles. In 2007, XCX began recording her debut album on a loan granted by her parents. Titled 14, after her age at the time, it received only a restricted public release. Two singles, "!Franchesckaar!" and double A-side "Emelline" / "Art Bitch", were released in late 2008 under Orgy Music. In June 2012, Charli XCX released her first mixtape, titled Heartbreaks and Earthquakes, a one-track file consisting of eight songs. A second mixtape, titled Super Ultra, was released in November of the same year. Charli XCX's major-label debut studio album, True Romance, was released in April 2013, and peaked at number 85 on the UK Albums Chart. While failing to appear on any main album charts internationally, the album reached number five on the Heatseekers Albums chart in the United States and number 11 on the ARIA Hitseekers chart in Australia. The album spawned five singles—"Stay Away", "Nuclear Seasons", "You're the One", "You " and "What I Like". In 2012, Charli XCX was featured on Icona Pop's song "I Love It", which peaked at number one in the UK and reached the top 10 in various countries including the US, Canada, Ireland and Germany.
English singer and songwriter Sam Smith has released four studio albums, one independent album, three live albums, one remix album, one soundtrack, thirteen extended plays, thirty-seven singles, and six promotional singles.
Australian pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer have released five studio albums, three live albums, eight extended plays, 26 singles, four promotional singles, and 31 music videos. All four of their studio albums debuted at number one in Australia and all have debuted at number one, within the top three, and within top 10 on a multitude of charts in many other countries. According to Billboard, since 2014, 5 Seconds of Summer have sold more than ten million albums, sold over two million concert tickets worldwide, and the band's songs streams surpass seven billion, making them one of Australia's most successful musical exports in history.
The discography of Post Malone, an American rapper and singer, consists of six studio albums, one mixtape, one compilation album, 43 singles, and 46 music videos. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), he has sold 13 million albums in the United States and 95 million digital singles, making him the eighth best-selling digital artist of all time. Malone was ranked by Billboard as the tenth top artist of the 2010s. Following the release of August 26 (2016), Malone's debut studio album, Stoney (2016), had reached at number 4 on the US Billboard 200. It also produced the top-10 single, "Congratulations", a single of which had reached at number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100; the album also includes the top-20 single, "White Iverson", the track of which reached at number 14 on the Hot 100.
The American music producer and DJ Marshmello has released six studio albums, four extended plays, forty-five singles, nine other charted songs, sixteen remixes, forty-three music videos and seven production-credited songs. Marshmello's debut studio album Joytime was released through his Joytime Collective record label on January 8, 2016. Despite failing to debut on the Billboard 200, the album peaked on three Billboard charts: Dance/Electronic Albums, Top Heatseekers and Independent Albums, at number five, fourteen and forty-one, respectively.
XXXTentacion was an American rapper who released four studio albums, one compilation album, two mixtapes, four collaborative mixtapes, ten extended plays and 29 singles. As of June 2018, he sold more than 25 million album-equivalent units in the United States. XXXTentacion was awarded for sales of over 20 million records by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). As of October 2020, he has sold more than 75 million records in the United States.
The discography of American rapper Roddy Ricch, consists of two studio albums, two extended plays, three mixtapes, and 55 singles. His debut studio album, Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial (2019), debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. The album includes the singles "Big Stepper", "Start wit Me", "Tip Toe", "The Box", and "High Fashion". "The Box" became Roddy Ricch's highest-charting song worldwide, spending eleven weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100; as well as topping the charts in Canada, New Zealand, Hungary, and peaking at number two in both the United Kingdom and Ireland. His second studio album, Live Life Fast debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200. The album was proceeded with one single, "Late at Night" and Ricch's second studio album was a flop in comparison to his previous album and some people believe that he was another prominent young artist to succumb to the sophomore slump. Through 2021 and 2022 Ricch released a total of ten singles, with only four of those solo.
L.A.B. is a New Zealand reggae band formed in Whakatāne, Bay of Plenty in 2016. Its founding members are Brad Kora and Stuart Kora of the band Kora. They soon engaged Joel Shadbolt on lead vocals and guitar, Ara Adams-Tamatea, formerly of Katchafire, as bassist, and Miharo Gregory as keyboardist. The band mostly composes reggae music, with a mix of electronic, blues, rock and funk music.
Coterie is a four-member Australian-New Zealand band. Formed from four brothers who were born in New Zealand and grew up in Perth, Western Australia, the band received recognition for the 2021 single "Cool It Down", which was a hit in New Zealand.