In celebration of Triple J's Hottest 100 of Australian songs, here are some of my picks for Australian artists as drinks.

Gretta Ray is Australian pop music royalty, and she has been writing songs since she was a teenager. At 18, she won Triple J’s Unearthed competition with her hopeful, dreamy song ‘Drive’.

Her first two albums, Begin To Look Around and Positive Spin, masterfully blend sincerity with self-awareness (hence the lemon lime bitters), and are some of my absolute favourites from our local talent. 

Songs I recommend are ‘Human’, ‘Cherish’, and ‘Upgraded’.

Candid and chaotic Peach PRC started on TikTok in 2019/2020 before (re)launching her music career, and she has a knack for frank, bubbly, and upbeat hyper-pop music.

An iced coffee felt like the only drink that accurately matches Peach’s energy, even if she conjures up images of peach iced tea.

Songs I recommend are ‘Kinda Famous’, ‘Forever Drunk’, and if you want to be sad, ‘Touchy Subject’.

Without being a smoothie drinker myself (or a coffee one for that matter), I can just tell Thelma Plum would be a banana smoothie if she was a drink.

Her album Better in Blak artfully encompasses stories of Plum’s Indigenous culture and heritage. Plum says the album was inspired by racist backlash she’s faced, which she turned into a positive body of art.

To me, a banana smoothie has the layers and positive connotations to match Plum’s music. Songs I recommend are ‘Better in Blak’ and ‘Clumsy Love’

Rule was a resourceful 12-year-old when he begged his radio-advertising-executive dad to use a studio to record his first song. 

When he was 14, Ruel was flying around the world to perform for the heads of record labels, and at 15, he secured his first record deal with RCA Records.

He burst into the mainstream with his song ‘Painkiller’ in 2019, and has been making indie dance/pop tunes ever since.

I chose a ginger beer because Ruel’s music feels as refreshing as the first sip of one, which is difficult to explain if you haven’t heard his songs… of which I recommend ‘Painkiller’ and ‘GROWING UP IS ____’.

Lotte Gallagher owns a sound of moody indie pop, but her latest song ‘PTRK’ is far rockier than anything she’s released so far. 

She is a force to be reckoned with in the Australian music scene, learning to sing when she was just two years old, and becoming a finalist in Triple J’s Unearthed Competition with her debut single ‘Adam’ in 2023. 

I chose this drink for Gallagher, because matcha drinkers know exactly what they like and are critical of the perfect drink. Gallagher knows what she’s doing in the arts, as evident in her entire discography. 

Songs I recommend are ‘This Room’, ‘PTRK’, and ‘Can We Talk When It’s Over'.

Dom Dolla is one of Australia’s (many!) major success stories in music and it’s great to see. 

He began DJ’ing at 15 in clubs in Melbourne, despite the fact he had to sneak in, and used music as a way to fit in at school. Later, he turned to producing after leaving his day job at Frontier Touring as a graphic designer to properly pursue music. 

His first hit was ‘Take It’ in 2018, and he has since gone on to play festivals around the world. I’ve chosen a redbull, because that feels like the quintessential club/rave drink.

Songs I recommend are ‘Dreamin (feat. Daya)’, and ‘girl$’.

grentperez, real name Grant Perez, is an indie/alternative/pop artist from Sydney and has amassed a loyal following since his debut single ‘Confusing Girl’. 

His most popular song is ‘Cherry Wine’, which has a very stripped back production and is the perfect song for a quiet night in… with a cup of hot chocolate, rather than wine. 

Songs I recommend are ‘Dandelion’ (which is also by Ruel!) and ‘Cherry Wine’.

Pop rock duo The Veronicas are icons of the Aussie music industry, with many considering their song ‘Untouched’ the unofficial national anthem. 

Jessica Origliasso and Lisa Origliasso formed The Veronicas in 2004 at 18, and took inspiration from Winona Ryder’s line “No, I’m a Veronica” from the film Heathers for their name. 

Coca-Cola suits them because The Veronicas and the brand are classic by design and well-established in their respective industries. And much loved!

Songs I recommend are ‘You Ruin Me’, ‘Everything I’m Not’, and ‘In My Blood’. 

I recommend following venues, artists, local events pages/gig guides and fan-made blogs on social media if you want to keep up with what’s happening in our music industry. 

I hope everyone engaged with the Aussie Hottest 100 in some form, and I implore you all to support your local artists, starting with this list!

Lilya Murray is a third-year student at UNSW, currently completing a Bachelor of Media, majoring in communications and Journalism. You can most likely find her rearranging playlists and listening to a different song on repeat each week, or reading in a book, in which case you won’t find her.