Posted on: January 29, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Aussie twin duo The Veronicas have reached gold status for the first time in the U.S. with digital sales of their super-hot track “Untouched.” The first single from the band’s current Sire Records album, Hook Me Up, “Untouched” has sold 528,275 downloads to date. The track has climbed steadily — reaching No. 26 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart, No. 18 on SoundScan’s Top 20 Digital chart, and No. 21 on the Top 40 Radio chart, with no sign of slowing down. Meanwhile, Hook Me Up claims the No. 2 spot this week on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart.

“Untouched” has been building at radio since its release last spring, catching the ears of station directors and fans, thanks to Lisa and Jessica Origliasso’s edgy vocals and the track’s driving electro-rock beat. In December, trend-setting New York pop station Z100’s listeners voted The Veronicas the Best New Artist of 2008. Radio stations across the country have jumped on board, leading “Untouched” to become the most-added song at Top 40 radio with an audience of more than 16 million. The girls’ standout performance on MTV’s TRL over the summer and a recent stint co-hosting MTV’s New Year’s Eve bash with Miley Cyrus have raised their profile as well.

“Untouched” has also benefited from widespread television usage, having been featured in promos for the 2008 MTV Movie Awards and E!’s red carpet coverage during awards season, as well on such television programs as So You Think You Can Dance and The Hills.

The eye-popping video for “Untouched” is currently in rotation on MTV Hits and Fuse. In addition, Nickelodeon’s The N is running a special feature on The Veronicas in February, when the band will be the network’s Artist of the Month. An exclusive webisode feature will also be posted on their website The-N.com.

Already massive stars in their native Australia, where Lisa and Jessica have racked up five Top 10 singles and won a slew of awards, The Veronicas have also connected with American audiences through 2008 tours with Natasha Bedingfield, Hanson, and The Jonas Brothers. Their journey to break in the U.S. was chronicled in UNTOUCHED — a weekly web series that ran exclusively on the band’s Yahoo! Music web channel last year. The episodes will soon be featured as weekly postings on their own website www.theveronicas.com.

Hook Me Up represents a stylistic leap for The Veronicas — swapping the pop-rock leanings of their 2006 debut The Secret Life Of… for a rocking, dance-inspired, beat-driven feel. The bulk of the album was co-written and produced in Los Angeles with their debut album collaborator Toby Gad (Beyoncé’s “If I Were A Boy,” Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry”). Other notable producers include Shelly Peiken (Christina Aguilera), Greg Wells (Katy Perry), John Feldmann (The Used, Good Charlotte), and Billy Steinberg (Madonna).

For more info on The Veronicas, including their official music videos, upcoming tour dates, and more, please visit their official website, www.theveronicas.com.

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