Blue Mountains rising star Cass Hopetoun's sophomore single Typical Bride recently toppled Taylor Swift from the top spot on The Music Network Country Hot 50 airplay chart.
It's an accomplishment the performer could never have imagined growing up in Valley Heights. Hopetoun went to Springwood Public School and Winmalee High School, where she performed in many high school musicals including Into The Woods, Westside Story and Les Misérables.
A defiant country sass anthem for girls who want to do things their own way, Hopetoun wrote Typical Bride with Blake Dantier.
On hearing the news it had toppled Swift's Cardigan from top spot two weeks ago, Hopetoun jumped straight on social media: "HOLY MACKEREL! Typical Bride is #1 on The Music Network Country Airplay Chart! Excuse me whilst I go celebrate like there is no tomorrow. Thank you SO SO much Aussie radio!!!"
Widely lauded as the one to watch in 2020, the Blue Mountains artist's debut single Shots landed in March, was added to Spotify and Apple playlists and peaked at number four on The Music Network Country Hot 50 chart.
Hopetoun supported Casey Donovan at the first pandemic-induced drive-in concert in Sydney. TheMusic, who reviewed the gig, celebrated the "set of country-inspired originals [which] will go down in history, along with the first crowd participation using car horns in a cover of Dragon's April Sun In Cuba."
Hopetoun is currently working on her debut album, which will be released in 2021.
The Country Hot 50 takes into account spins from KIX Country, 98.9 FM, Triple M Country, iHeartCountry, ABC Country, Today's Country 94One, Big Country Radio, The Wolf Country Radio, Australian Country Radio and the Hot Country Network, making it the most comprehensive country airplay chart in the history of Australian radio.