Australia's biggest annual music poll, Triple J's Hottest 100, is set to take place on Saturday, but this year's countdown will be markedly different due to the pandemic. With only 350 votes separating the first and second-placed songs, competition is fierce and no clear favourite has emerged.
UK band Glass Animals are tipped to take the top spot with their track 'Heat Waves', according to prediction site 100 Warm Tunas. The atmospheric dance song has enjoyed particular success in Australia, reaching the ARIA top 20. The band have promised to get an outline of Australia tattooed on their buttocks if they win, providing added incentive for fans to vote.
Two Australian acts are also projected to reach pole position: Perth's Spacey Jane with 'Booster Seat' and Brisbane's Ball Park Music with 'Cherub'. Both bands had stellar years, with Spacey Jane's debut album winning Triple J's album of the year poll, and Ball Park Music's eponymous album reaching No 2 on the ARIA charts.
Other artists in contention for the top 10 include Flume, G Flip, Tame Impala, the Jungle Giants, Mallrat, and the Hilltop Hoods, who are poised to equal Foo Fighters and Powderfinger as the act with the most entries in the Hottest 10 history. Despite its viral success, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's 'WAP' is unlikely to secure a top 10 placement.
Last year's winner, Billie Eilish, is expected to crack the top 20 with 'Therefore I Am', while Taylor Swift is less likely to feature despite her 2020 albums. The countdown promises to showcase a diverse range of music, with solo female artists again expected to dominate the upper reaches.
