Music News

Luke Combs Teases New Song ‘Love You Anyway’ With a Snippet: Listen

Luke Combs has been steadily letting fans in on new music, including his latest teaser of a new song titled “Love You Anyway.”

The ballad muses that even if he knew from the beginning that his current relationship would ultimately break his heart, his love is strong enough that he knows he would do it anyway.

“If your touch shattered me like glass/ I’d be in pieces trying to make a breakin’ last/ If it took one look to turn my days to nights/ At least I’d have the stars that sparkle in your eyes,” Combs sings. “There’s just some things that leave a man no choice, like a compass needle needin’ its true north/ Even if I knew the day we met, you’d be the reason this heart breaks/ Oh I’d love you anyway.”

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This isn’t the first time Combs has shared a bit of this ballad, having previously released audio from a work tape of the song back in 2020.

Combs recently revealed he has a new, 18-song album coming March 24; it will be the reigning Country Music Association entertainer of the year’s fourth full-length studio album. The project follows his 2022 album Growin’ Up, which landed on Billboard‘s list of the best albums of 2022, as well as Billboard‘s best country albums of 2022.

Growin’ Up is nominated for best country album at the upcoming Grammy Awards on Feb. 5, which is slated to be held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Combs is also nominated for best country duo/group performance for “Outrunnin’ Your Memory” with Miranda Lambert, as well as best country song (“Doin’ This,” which he wrote with Drew Parker and Robert Williford).

Rihanna & A$AP Rocky Bring New Meaning to ‘Fashionably Late’ for Golden Globes Date Night: Photos

Only Rihanna and A$AP Rocky could skip the Golden Globes red carpet, arrive partway through the ceremony and still be the most talked-about couple at the event.

All eyes were on the couple Tuesday (Jan. 10) as they arrived fashionably late to the awards show, where Ri’s Wakanda Forever song “Lift Me Up” was nominated for best original song, motion picture. Though she lost out to Kala Bhairava, M. M. Keeravani and Rahul Sipligunj’s “Naatu Naatu” from the action film RRR, she and Rocky unofficially won the title of best dressed couple, the two showing up in complementary all-black evening attire.

The Fenty Beauty founder shined bright like a diamond in Cartier jewelry and a custom Schiaparelli gown and cape combo designed by Daniel Roseberry. Rocky — with whom Ri welcomed a baby boy in May — kept it simple in a sleek tuxedo. Their combined elegance was enough to turn heads as the power couple was guided to their seats as White Lotus star Jennifer Coolidge was presenting an award, a moment captured by a video posted to social media.

It wasn’t just Golden Globe attendees who were hyperaware of Rihanna’s presence, though. A handful of stars called out the nine-time Grammy winner from onstage, with Niecy Nash pausing her presentation of the best actress in a musical or comedy TV series award to say, “Rihanna, I love you, and I dressed up as you for Halloween.”

Later, the show’s host Jerrod Carmichael spotted Ri in the audience and took a moment to address her. “Only because I see Rihanna is here, I’m going to say something very controversial I will actually get in trouble for,” he began. “You take all the time you want on that album, girl. Don’t let these fools on the internet pressure you into nothing.”

The soon-to-be Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show headliner took all the shout-outs in stride, smiling graciously with Rocky seated at her side.

See photos of Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s glam night out at the Golden Globes below:

A$AP Rocky Rihanna

A$AP Rocky and Rihanna attend the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 10, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California.

Christopher Polk/NBC via GI

A$AP Rocky Rihanna

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky attend the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 10, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California.

Christopher Polk/NBC via GI

‘The Jennifer Hudson Show’ Renewed for Season 2

Jennifer Hudson is staying put.

Warner Bros. Discovery announced Wednesday that its freshman entry, The Jennifer Hudson Show, would be back on Fox TV Stations for a season two next fall. Hearst Television, along with other station partners, also renewed the Telepictures-produced series. With the freshly-minted EGOT as host, the syndicated show is said to be reaching, on average, 5.2 million weekly viewers — hardly Oprah ratings, but “absolutely deserving,” as Fox TV Stations exec Frank Cicha noted, of a second year.

“Working on this show alongside my incredible team and our amazing partners has been one of the greatest joys of my career. We have been on this journey together from day one and I am so thrilled to take it to the next level,” Hudson said in a statement. “I could not be more grateful to audiences across America for letting me into their homes everyday as we empower and inspire one another. I can’t wait to show you what we have up our sleeves in season two.”

Hudson and her eponymous show have attempted to fill a void left by the departures of daytime staples Ellen and The Wendy Williams Show. To do so, the American Idol alum was paired with Ellen DeGeneres’ longtime producers, Mary Connelly, Andy Lassner and Corey Palent, along with Lisa Kasteler Calio, Graehme Morphy and Walter Williams III as executive producers. But, as DeGeneres acknowledged in her exit interview with THR, daytime is an increasingly “fractured environment”; in fact, asked if she’d launch her show in today’s market, DeGeneres said she probably wouldn’t.

Still, the executives involved with Hudson’s effort used Wednesday’s renewal news as an opportunity to praise the series and its host. “This show is second to none because of her and all of the talented producers and crew who work daily to make every single episode special,” added Warner Bros.’ president of unscripted TV Mike Darnell, who first met Hudson when he was overseeing Idol for Fox. “A season two pick-up this early on proves that this show is here to stay.”

The announcement comes as the same Fox station group revealed it would be re-upping the season’s other new entry as well. Sherri Shepherd’s Sherri is set to return for two more years.

This story was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

Zendaya Reacts to Winning Golden Globe After Missing Ceremony: It’s a ‘Gift’ That Fans Love Rue

Zendaya won her third major award for her portrayal of drug-addicted teen Rue in the gritty drama Euphoria at Tuesday night’s (Jan. 10) 2023 Golden Globe Awards. But, after previously taking home two primetime Emmys for the role, the 26-year-old star was not in the house in Los Angeles to accept her best performance by an actress in a drama television series at last night’s rebooted event, but she did send her fans a heartfelt acceptance note.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to be there tonight, but I just wanted to say thank you to @goldenglobes for this incredible honor. To my fellow nominees, it is a privilege to be named beside you, I admire you all deeply,” she wrote in an Instagram post alongside a moody black and white pic in which she appeared to be dancing in her room.

She thanked her whole Euphoria family, saying without them “none of this is possible. Lastly, thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has allowed Rue into theirs. I think everyone knows how much she means to me, but the fact that she can mean something to someone else is a gift. I’m honestly at a loss for words as I type this, all I can say is thank you thank you thank you.”

Z’s first Golden Globe for the show she stars in and executive produces came in a very tight race in which she was up against a number of veteran stars, including Laura Linney (Ozark), Hilary Swank (Alaska Daily) and Imelda Staunton (The Crown); Emma D’Arcy (House of the Dragon) was also nominated in that category.

Check out Zendaya’s post below.

Hot 100 First-Timers: Hotel Ugly Checks In With ‘Shut Up My Moms Calling’

Houston-based duo Hotel Ugly scores its first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated Jan. 14), as the act’s breakthrough hit “Shut Up My Moms Calling” debuts at No. 96.

The duo comprises brothers Chris and Mike Fiscella.

The song, which the pair released independently, debuts on the strength of 5.7 million official U.S. streams (up 11%) in the Dec. 30-Jan. 5 tracking week, according to Luminate. It also re-enters the Hot R&B Songs chart at No. 23 (after reaching No. 11 in November) and rises 44-40 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (after climbing to No. 39 in December).

“Shut Up My Moms Calling” is also scoring success around the world, as it jumps 167-93 on the Billboard Global 200 and re-enters the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart at No. 136, with both placements marking new peaks. The track drew 14.9 million streams worldwide in the tracking week, a boost of 8%.

TikTok has been a big factor in the song’s growing popularity, as the cut has been used in more than 66,000 videos on the platform to date. (TikTok does not presently contribute directly to Billboard‘s charts.)

Hotel Ugly is a newcomer to Billboard’s listings, as the song marks the duo’s first chart appearance.

The act currently reaches the top 20 of the Emerging Artists chart for the first time, jumping 27-19 in its 14th week on the survey.

The song is slated to appear on the group’s upcoming LP, due later this year.

Bad Bunny’s ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ Is Luminate’s Top Album of 2022 in U.S.

Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti wrapped 2022 as the most popular album of the year in the U.S., according to music data tracking firm Luminate. Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby” was the year’s top song by on-demand streams, while Harry Styles’ “As It Was” ruled as both the top-streamed song by on-demand audio streams and the most-heard song on the radio. Meanwhile, total music consumption in the U.S. — as measured in equivalent album units — grew by 9.2% in 2022. (View the U.S. 2022 Luminate Year-End Music Report.)

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See the year’s top 10 albums chart, along with other year-end rankings and overall volume numbers, below.

But first, the fine print:

Equivalent album units – for album titles and chart rankings cited below (but not industry volume numbers) – comprise traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album, or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. Album titles and album chart rankings by equivalent album units do not include user-generated content (UGC) streams, but UGC streams are included in Luminate’s industry volume numbers. (UGC streams are not factored into any of Billboard’s weekly charts.)

For the sake of clarity, equivalent album units do not include listening to music on broadcast radio or digital radio broadcasts. All numbers cited in this story are rounded, and for the U.S. only.

Luminate’s equivalent album unit totals include SEA and TEA for an album’s songs registered before an album’s release, but during the tracking period. For example, Harry Styles’ Harry’s House album unit total includes SEA and TEA for its song “As It Was” from April 1, 2022 (its release day) through May 19, 2022, before the album was released on May 20, 2022.

Luminate began tracking music sales in 1991 when the company was known as SoundScan. Luminate’s sales, streaming and airplay data is used to compile Billboard’s weekly charts. Luminate’s 2022 tracking year ran from Dec. 31, 2021, through Dec. 29, 2022.

Luminate is an independently operated company owned by PME TopCo, a PMC subsidiary and joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and Eldridge.  Billboard is an independently operated company owned by PME Holdings, a subsidiary of PME TopCo.

Highlights from Luminate’s 2022 year-end data:

  • Music consumption in the U.S., as measured by equivalent album units, grew by 9.2%
  • Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti is the first Latin album, all-Spanish-language title, and non-English-language effort to be Luminate’s year-end No. 1 album, since the firm began tracking data in 1991.
  • Children’s music and Latin music had the largest growth among Luminate’s core genres in the U.S., rising 30% and 28.2%, respectively.
  • Overall U.S. on-demand song streams (audio and video combined) increased 12.2% to 1.268 trillion.
  • Yearly U.S. on-demand audio streams surpassed 1 trillion for the first time.
  • 29% of all on-demand audio streams in the U.S. in 2022 were R&B/hip-hop songs.
  • U.S. vinyl album sales outsold CDs for the second year in a row & vinyl sales grew for a 17th consecutive year.
  • 43% of all albums sold in 2022 in the U.S. – across all formats, physical & digital combined – were vinyl LPs.
  • Taylor Swift sold more vinyl albums than any act in 2022 in the U.S., accounting for 1 of every 25 vinyl LPs sold nationwide.
  • Total U.S. album sales for the year (physical and digital download purchases combined) fell by 8.2%
  • Swift’s latest album Midnights sold 1.8 million in traditional album sales in the U.S. in 2022 – the biggest-selling album of any year since 2017, when Swift’s Reputation sold 1.9 million. Further, an album by Swift has been the year’s top seller in three of the last four years: Midnights in 2022, Folklore in 2020 and Lover in 2019.
  • U.S. digital track sales declined for the 10th consecutive year, falling 25% in 2022. And for the first time since 2004, no song sold more than 500,000 downloads in a calendar year. From 2005-21, there was at least one song that sold a million downloads in each year, and from 2006-21, at least one song sold 1 million each year.

Un Verano Sin Ti debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart dated May 21, 2022, and spent 13 nonconsecutive weeks atop the list. That marked the most weeks at No. 1 for any album since Drake’s Views also logged 13 frames at No. 1 in 2016. All 22 new songs on Bad Bunny’s album charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart simultaneously, with the set launching four top 10-charting hits.

Un Verano Sin Ti was a streaming powerhouse, with 97% of its total activity in 2022 coming from on-demand streams of its 23 songs. Its tracks generated 4.649 billion on-demand streams in the U.S. in 2022 – easily making it the most-streamed album of the year (equaling 3.314 million in SEA units). The album sold just 70,000 in traditional album sales (CD and digital album download purchases – it was not available in any other format at retail). In terms of straight album sales – Un Verano Sin Ti was the No. 121st biggest-selling album of the year. And, Un Verano Sin Ti’s tracks sold just 148,000 downloads in 2022 – equaling 15,000 in TEA units.

Un Verano Sin Ti is the first Latin album, all-Spanish-language title, and non-English-language effort to be Luminate’s year-end No. 1 album, since the firm began tracking data in 1991.

2022 is the seventh consecutive year a solo male artist has Luminate’s top album by equivalent album units, following Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album (2021), Lil Baby’s My Turn (2020), Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding (2019), Drake’s Scorpion (2018), Ed Sheeran’s ÷ (Divide) (2017) and Drake’s Views (2016). The last time an album not by a solo male was tops for the year was in 2015, when Adele’s 25 ruled.

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2022 IN U.S., BY TOTAL EQUIVALENT ALBUM UNITS
1. Bad Bunny, Un Verano Sin Ti (3.400 million)
2. Taylor Swift, Midnights (3.294 million)
3. Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album (2.405 million)
4. Harry Styles, Harry’s House (2.204 million)
5. The Weeknd, The Highlights (1.879 million)
6. Soundtrack, Encanto (1.839 million)
7. Future, I Never Liked You (1.460 million)
8. Olivia Rodrigo, Sour (1.438 million)
9. Lil Durk, 7220 (1.357 million)
10. Drake, Certified Lover Boy (1.317 million)

Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 31, 2021, through Dec. 29, 2022. UGC streams are not included in this chart, but are included in Luminate’s on-demand streaming charts (below).

The second-biggest album of 2022 by equivalent album units is Taylor Swift’s Midnights, with 3.294 million units earned in just 10 weeks (the album was released on Oct. 21, 2022). Unlike the streaming-powered Un Verano Sin Ti, the Midnights album saw its success distributed more evenly across streaming, album purchases and track sales.

Midnights was by far the top-selling album of 2022, with 1.818 million copies sold – the biggest-selling album of a calendar year since 2017, when Swift’s own Reputation was tops (1.903 million). Midnights’ songs generated 1.854 million on-demand official streams last year, equating to 1.407 million SEA units. And, in terms of tracks sold from the album, Midnights’ collected songs sold 680,000 – resulting in 68,000 TEA units for the set. The album’s “Anti-Hero” is also 2022’s top-selling digital song, with 436,000 sold.

Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album is 2022’s No. 3-biggest album by units (2.405 million). It was 2021’s top album. Harry Styles’ Harry’s House (2.203 million) and The Weeknd’s hits compilation The Highlights (1.879 million) round out Luminate’s top five albums of 2022.

TOTAL ALBUM CONSUMPTION INCREASES 9.2%: Equivalent album units increased by 9.2% in 2022, to 974.9 million (up from 893.1 million in 2021). There were 19 albums that earned at least 1 million equivalent album units in 2022 – down from 26 in 2021.

R&B/HIP-HOP LEADS, LATIN & CHILDRENS MUSIC GAINS: R&B/hip-hop music continues to have the largest share of total album consumption, with 261.7 million units earned in 2022 – accounting for 26.8% of total volume (973.9) last year across all of Luminate’s core genres measured. R&B/hip-hop consumption increased 5.7% in 2022 over its volume in 2021 (247.5 million). (R&B/hip-hop is an umbrella genre for Luminate that contains most titles categorized as either R&B and/or rap.)

2022’s second-largest genre, by total album consumption, was rock with 194.7 million units (up 9% from 178.7 million in 2021). Pop music was third, with 123.7 million (up 6.2% from 116.5 million) and country music was fourth, with 75.7 million (up 4.8% from 72.2 million). The Latin genre rounded out the top five with 61.7 million units (up 28.2%) from 48.2 million in 2021.

Latin music had the second-largest percentage gain among Luminate’s core genres, in terms of total album consumption in 2022, rising 28.2%. Notably, Bad Bunny holds the top four Latin albums of 2022 by units earned: Un Verano Sin Ti (3.398 million units), YHLQMDLG (802,000), El Ultimo Tour del Mundo (577,000) and X 100PRE (386,000). Rauw Alejandro’s Vice Versa is 2022’s No. 5 biggest Latin album, with 375,000 units. (Those five albums, in order, are also the five total Latin albums among the year-end all-genre top 200 albums, ranking at Nos. 1, 40, 83, 179 and 186, respectively.)

2022’s second-largest gain among Luminate’s core genres was children’s music, which increased 30% to 13.4 million units in 2022 (up from 10.3 million in 2021). The genre was got a big boost from the massive success of the soundtrack to the Disney animated film Encanto, which finished the year as the No. 6 album overall with 1.839 million units. The set topped the weekly Billboard 200 chart for nine nonconsecutive weeks – the most weeks at No. 1 for any soundtrack since Disney’s own Frozen ruled for 13 nonconsecutive frames in 2014. The Encanto album – which boasts the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” – also racked up 24 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Kid Albums chart (which ranks the most popular children’s albums of the week).

TAYLOR SWIFT’S ‘MIDNIGHTS’ IS 2022’s TOP-SELLING ALBUM: Taylor Swift’s latest studio album Midnights was a monster sales success in the U.S., closing 2022 as the top-selling album of the year with 1.818 million copies sold across all formats (physical and digital combined: CD, vinyl LP, cassette, digital download album). (See the top 10-selling albums of 2022, below.)

With 1.818 million sold in 2022, Midnights is the biggest-selling album of any year since 2017, when Swift’s Reputation sold 1.903 million. Further, an album by Swift has been the year’s top-seller in three of the last four years: Midnights in 2022, Folklore in 2020 and Lover in 2019. (The top-selling album in 2021 was Adele’s 30, with 1.464 million sold.)

Midnights’ sales were bolstered by an array of available versions and variants of the album, including four standard CD editions (each with different cover art, both clean and explicit), four vinyl LP editions (each with a different cover and colored vinyl), a cassette tape and multiple digital iterations (including a “3am Edition” of the set with seven bonus tracks). Target stores also carried an exclusive “Lavender” edition of the album on CD and colored-vinyl, with the CD boasting three bonus tracks.

To further enhance sales, Swift’s official webstore sold signed copies of the four standard CD albums and vinyl LPs during a pre-order window before the album launched. As previously reported when the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, some superfans may have been motivated to purchase all four variants of the album on either CD or vinyl, as the back covers of the albums fit together like a puzzle to display a clock face (a literal reference to Midnights). Swift shared the news through her social media in mid-September, saying: “If you put all the back covers together, she’s a clock. It’s a clock… It makes a clock.” (Swift’s official webstore previously sold hardware to hold the four CDs or the four vinyl LPs together as a wall clock.)

The idea of assembling multiple versions of an album’s back cover (or cover) together to reveal a larger complete image isn’t unique to Swift, as other acts (frequently in the K-pop world) have employed a similar marketing idea.

And, It’s not unusual for many artists to offer collectible variants of a physical album package – from multiple color vinyl editions to collectible CD editions and beyond. (Swift herself has done it for previous releases.) In 2022, acts ranging from Ghost, Ozzy Osbourne and Red Hot Chili Peppers to BLACKPINK, Madonna and Harry Styles all leaned in to the practice of offering multiple iterations of a physical album where usually the only difference is in packaging or the color of a vinyl LP.

Midnights was the only album to sell a million copies in the U.S. in 2022. It’s the fifth year in a row where just one album surpassed 1 million in U.S. sales. In 2021, Adele’s 30 was the only million-seller (1.464 million); in 2020, Swift’s Folklore was tops (1.276 million); in 2019, Swift’s Lover was the lone million-seller (1.085 million), and in 2018 the soundtrack to The Greatest Showman ruled with 1.489 million.

Swift is the only act to have the top-selling album of the year at least six times since Luminate began tracking sales in 1991. (Swift also had the top-seller in 2020, 2019, 2017, 2014 and 2009.)

All but two of the year’s top 10-selling albums were aided by their availability on vinyl LP. Of the top 10, BTS’ Proof and TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Minisode 2: Thursday’s Child were the only titles not available on vinyl (the two K-pop projects were only available as digital download albums and on CD). It’s typical for many K-pop albums to bypass a release on vinyl LP in the U.S.

TOP 10 SELLING ALBUMS OF 2022 IN U.S. (PHYSICAL & DIGITAL SALES COMBINED)
1. Taylor Swift, Midnights (1.818 million)
2. Harry Styles, Harry’s House (757,000)
3. BTS, Proof (422,000)
4. Olivia Rodrigo, Sour (354,000)
5. Beyoncé, Renaissance (335,000)
6. Fleetwood Mac, Rumours (310,000)
7. Adele, 30 (296,000)
8. Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d city (278,000)
9. Michael Jackson, Thriller (236,000)
10. TOMORROW X TOGETHER, Minisode 2: Thursday’s Child (229,000)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 31, 2021, through Dec. 29, 2022.

Taylor Swift sold the most albums in total among all artists in 2022, with 2.928 million sold across her entire catalog and via all formats (physical and digital combined). Harry Styles was the No. 2 biggest-seller with albums, as he sold 1.068 million in 2022.

U.S. ALBUM SALES DECLINE BY 8.2%: Total U.S. album sales fell by 8.2% in 2022 to 100.09 million (down from 108.98 million in 2021). In 2021, album sales posted their first yearly gain in a decade, when sales increased by 6.3%, thanks partly to the release of her hot-selling 30 in that year (2021’s top-selling album). Album sales have declined in every year from 2012-20, and again in 2022, as fans increasingly adopt streaming services as a means to consume music.

Physical album sales (CD, vinyl LP, cassette, etc.) declined by 3.5% to 79.89 million (down from 82.79 million in 2021).

VINYL CONTINUES TO OUTSELL CDS: For the second year in a row, and only the second year since Luminate began tracking music sales in 1991, vinyl albums outsold CD albums. Vinyl continues to be the leading format for album purchases for the second straight year.

Vinyl was the dominant format for album purchases in the U.S. up until the early 1980s. After that, cassettes took hold until the early 1990s, when the CD format blossomed and remained king until 2021.

43.46 million vinyl albums were sold in 2022 (up 4.2% from 41.72 million in 2021). 2022 was the 17th consecutive year vinyl album sales grew in the U.S., and the largest year for vinyl album sales since Luminate began tracking data in 1991. Plus, vinyl LP sales posted their single-largest sales week of the Luminate era when 2.232 million vinyl albums were sold in the week ending Dec. 22.

The top-selling vinyl album of 2022 is Swift’s Midnights, with 945,000 copies sold across all of its vinyl variants and editions (see top 10 list, below). Midnights has the largest yearly sales total for a vinyl album since Luminate began tracking sales in 1991. The set also posted the single-largest sales week for a vinyl LP in Luminate history, when it launched with 575,000 copies in its first week.

Eight of the year-end top 10-selling vinyl albums saw their sales enhanced by their availability across multiple variants (including assorted color-vinyl editions). Among the top 10 vinyl sellers, just Tyler, the Creator’s Call Me If You Get Lost (No. 6) and Igor (No. 8) were only available in one iteration each.

TOP 10 SELLING VINYL ALBUMS OF 2022 IN U.S.
1. Taylor Swift, Midnights (945,000)
2. Harry Styles, Harry’s House (480,000)
3. Olivia Rodrigo, Sour (263,000)
4. Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d city (254,000)
5. Fleetwood Mac, Rumours (243,000)
6. Tyler, the Creator, Call Me If You Get Lost (211,000)
7. Taylor Swift, Folklore (174,000)
8. Tyler, the Creator, Igor (172,000)
9. Michael Jackson, Thriller (168,000)
10. The Beatles, Abbey Road (160,000)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 31, 2021, through Dec. 29, 2022.

Swift sold the most vinyl albums among all acts in 2022 in the U.S., with 1.695 million sold across her entire catalog. (She sold more vinyl LPs last year than the next two biggest-sellers on vinyl combined: Styles with 719,000 and The Beatles with 553,000.) Swift loomed so large on vinyl in 2022, one out of every 25 vinyl LPs sold last year in the U.S. was a Swift album (1.695 million of 43.46 million).

Vinyl album sales comprised 43.4% of all album sales in the U.S. in 2022 (43.46 million of 100.09 million). Vinyl LPs accounted for 54.4% of all physical album sold last year (43.46 million of 79.89 million). Both sums are Luminate-era records for vinyl’s share of the album sales market in the U.S.

In 2022 there were a total of 88 albums that sold at least 50,000 copies on vinyl – up from 87 in 2021. To compare, only 56 albums on the CD format sold at least 50,000 copies in 2022 (down from 67 in 2021).

CD SALES FALL, K-POP & COLLECTIBLE SETS BOLSTER TOP-SELLERS: 35.87 million CD albums were sold in 2022 (down 11.6% from 40.59 million in 2021), making it the second-most popular format among consumers who bought albums.

The top-selling album on the CD format in 2022 was Midnights with 640,000 copies sold. Swift sold the most CD albums last year, with 923,000 copies sold across her entire catalog of titles. BTS was the No. 2-seller on CD, with 917,000 copies sold.

Notably, of the year’s top 10-selling CD albums (see list, below), seven are K-pop titles (Nos. 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10). K-pop titles sell particularly well on the CD format, as many releases in the genre are issued in collectible CD editions, each usually housed in elaborate packaging with branded paper goods contained inside (sometimes with randomized elements).

There are three non-K-pop titles in the year-end top 10 CD albums ranking: Midnights (No. 1), Harry’s House (No. 4) and Beyoncé’s Renaissance (No. 9). Midnights’ CD sales were bolstered by its availability in multiple collectible editions with different cover art, while Harry’s House was issued in zine-CD and casebook CD editions. All three titles were also available in deluxe boxed sets containing branded T-shirts.

TOP 10 SELLING CD ALBUMS OF 2022 IN U.S.
1. Taylor Swift, Midnights (640,000)
2. BTS, Proof (413,000)
3. TOMORROW X TOGETHER, Minisode 2: Thursday’s Child (227,000)
4. Harry Styles, Harry’s House (219,000)
5. Stray Kids, ODDINARY (204,000)
6. TWICE, Between 1&2 (199,000)
7. Stray Kids, MAXIDENT (177,000)
8. ENHYPEN, Manifesto: Day 1 (173,000)
9. Beyoncé, Renaissance (163,000)
10. NCT 127, 2 Baddies (148,000)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 31, 2021, through Dec. 29, 2022.

Digital album sales were the third-most popular format in 2022 for album purchases, and the category declined by 22.9% in 2022 to 20.2 million (down from 26.17 million in 2021). The top-selling digital album of 2022 was Midnights, with 219,000 sold. Swift was also the top-selling act across digital albums in 2022, with 292,000 download albums sold across her catalog in total. Beyoncé was the second-best selling act in digital album sales in 2022, with 69,000 copies sold.

CASSETTE TAPES SPIN BIG GAIN: In 2022, sales of albums on cassette tape in the U.S. increased by 28% to 440,000 (up from 343,000 in 2021). That’s a robust figure for a format that was mostly non-existent a few years ago, when yearly cassette sales numbered just 74,000 in 2015. Now a niche offering marketed to superfans, cassettes were once the leading format for album purchases in the U.S., from the early 1980s until the early 1990s.

The top-selling album on cassette in 2022 was the soundtrack to Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, with 17,000 copies sold. Two more Guardians-related titles dot the top 10 (at Nos. 3 and 6). As actual cassette mixtapes feature prominently in the Guardians’ storyline, it makes sense that a real-world cassette album offering, mirroring those seen in the films and series, could be a solid seller. (The three Guardians tapes that rank in the year-end top 10 have sold, combined, more than 238,000 since their release a number of years ago.)

TOP 10 SELLING CASSETTE ALBUMS OF 2022 IN U.S.
1. Soundtrack, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2 (17,000)
2. Taylor Swift, Midnights (14,000)
3. Soundtrack, Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 (13,000)
4. Harry Styles, Harry’s House (11,000)
5. Billie Eilish, Happier Than Ever (8,000)
6. Soundtrack, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Mix, Vol. 1 (8,000)
7. Nirvana, Bleach (7,000)
8. Bo Burnham, Inside (The Songs) (5,000)
9. Bad Bunny, YHLQMDLG (5,000)
10. Ghost, Impera (5,000)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 31, 2021, through Dec. 29, 2022.

TOTAL STREAMING INCREASES BY 12.2%: Total U.S. on-demand song streams (audio and video combined, inclusive of UGC streams) grew 12.2% to 1.268 trillion in 2022 (up from 1.130 trillion in 2021). Yearly on-demand audio streams (inclusive of UGC) bolted past the 1 trillion mark for the first time, rising 12.2% to 1.108 trillion in 2022 (up from 988.15 billion in 2021).

The R&B/hip-hop genre accounted for the most on-demand streams (audio and video combined, inclusive of UGC) in 2022, among Luminate’s core genres, with 28.6% of the year’s volume (362.77 billion of 1.268 trillion). In 2021, R&B/hip-hop represented a leading 30.1% of volume.

The rock genre had the second-largest share of on-demand song streams (audio and video combined, inclusive of UGC) in 2022, with 16.7% of the volume (210.71 billion of 1.268 trillion). Pop was third with 13.1% (166.65 billion of 1.268 trillion). Latin overtook country as the fourth-largest genre in on-demand streams, with 7.8% of the volume (99.08 billion of 1.268 trillion), while country was in fifth place with 7.3% (92.52 billion of 1.268 trillion). In 2021, Latin had 77.37 billion streams versus country’s 84.26 billion, when they were in fifth and fourth place, respectively.

In terms of year-over-year growth in total on-demand streams (audio and video combined, inclusive of UGC) among Luminate’s core genres, children’s music had the largest percentage increase in 2022, rising 35.5% (to 17.02 billion, up from 12.56 billion in 2021). World music (an umbrella genre which includes, among its many sounds and styles, most K-pop music), had the second-biggest percentage increase, climbing 28.5% (to 26.98 billion, up from 21.01 billion in 2021). Latin had the third-largest gain, spiking 28.1% (to 99.08 billion, up from 77.37 billion in 2021).

Looking just at on-demand audio streams for 2022 (inclusive of UGC), R&B/hip-hop led the way with 28.7% of volume (318.02 billion of 1.108 trillion). Rock (17.1%; 190.82 billion of 1.108 trillion), pop (12.5%; 138.97 billion of 1.108 trillion), country (7.8%; 85.91 billion of 1.108 trillion) and Latin (7.3%; 80.35 billion of 1.108 trillion) were Nos. 2-5 for the year, as they were in 2021.

The genres that saw the largest percentage growth in year-over-year on-demand audio streams (inclusive of UGC) were Latin music (up 31.5% to 80.35 billion; up from 61.12 billion in 2021), children’s music (up 30.6% to 14.43 billion; up from 11.05 billion in 2021) and world music (up 27.5% to 21.8 billion; up from 17.09 billion in 2021).

Note: UGC streams are included in Luminate’s industry streaming on-demand volume numbers and its year-end streaming song charts. UGC streams are not factored into any of Billboard’s weekly charts.

‘BABY’ & STYLES LEAD STREAMS: Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s co-billed smash “Industry Baby” was the most-streamed song of 2022 in the U.S., with 877.25 million on-demand audio and video streams combined (inclusive of UGC). “Industry Baby” garnered a sizable number of streams via user-generated video content. The most-streamed song by on-demand audio streams (inclusive of UGC) was Harry Styles’ “As It Was,” with 609.67 million clicks.

The most-streamed song of 2021 was Dua Lipa’s “Levitating,” with 804.71 million on-demand audio and video streams (inclusive of UGC), and it was also the top song by on-demand audio streams (inclusive of UGC) with 626.56 million.

See the top 10 most-streamed songs, below.

TOP 10 MOST STREAMED SONGS OF 2022 IN U.S., ON-DEMAND (AUDIO & VIDEO COMBINED)
1. Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow, “Industry Baby” (877.25 million)
2. Harry Styles, “As It Was” (763.45 million)
3. Glass Animals, “Heat Waves” (758.07 million)
4. Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz & Encanto Cast, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (684.90 million)
5. Imagine Dragons X JID, “Enemy” (627.61 million)
6. The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay” (622.39 million)
7. Kodak Black, “Super Gremlin” (609.88 million)
8. Future featuring Drake & Tems, “Wait for U” (602.69 million)
9. Bad Bunny & Chencho Corleone, “Me Porto Bonito” (565.38 million)
10. Bad Bunny, “Titi Me Pregunto” (551.57 million)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 31, 2021, through Dec. 29, 2022. Includes UGC streams.

TOP 10 MOST STREAMED SONGS OF 2022 IN U.S., ON DEMAND AUDIO
1. Harry Styles, “As It Was” (609.67 million)
2. Glass Animals, “Heat Waves” (528.73 million)
3. Future featuring Drake & Tems, “Wait for U” (507.89 million)
4. Bad Bunny & Chencho Corleone, “Me Porto Bonito” (471.36 million)
5. Kodak Black, “Super Gremlin” (471.15 million)
6. Bad Bunny, “Titi Me Pregunto” (451.12 million)
7. Jack Harlow, “First Class” (433.93 million)
8. Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz & Encanto Cast, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (421.80 million)
9. Steve Lacy, “Bad Habit” (421.09 million)
10. Zach Bryan, “Something In the Orange” (406.79 million)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 31, 2021, through Dec. 29, 2022. Includes UGC streams.

DIGITAL TRACK SALES FALL 25%: For the first time since 2004, no song sold more than 500,000 downloads in a calendar year in the U.S. And, 2022 marked the first year since 2005 that no song sold 1 million.

Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” was the year’s top-selling digital song in 2022, with 436,000 paid downloads. And, total digital track sales declined for a 10th consecutive year, falling 25% in 2022 to 151.90 million sold (down from 202.92 million in 2021).

In 2021, the top-selling digital song was BTS’ “Butter,” with 1.89 million sold.

The last time a year closed without a million-selling digital song was 2005, when Weezer’s “Beverly Hills” was the top-seller with 962,000. The last year without a song surpassing 500,000 was 2004, when Hoobastank’s “The Reason” was the top-selling digital song, with 380,000 sold. (2004 was also the first full year of the iTunes Store, which launched mid-2003.)

TOP 10 SELLING DIGITAL SONGS OF 2022 IN U.S.
1. Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero” (436,000)
2. Lizzo, “About Damn Time” (217,000)
3. Latto, “Big Energy” (206,000)
4. Elton John & Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart” (202,000)
5. Kate Bush, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” (188,000)
6. Harry Styles, “As It Was” (183,000)
7. Nicki Minaj, “Super Freaky Girl” (172,000)
8. Cody Johnson, “Til You Can’t” (145,000)
9. Walker Hayes, “AA” (144,000)
10. Sia, “Unstoppable” (143,000)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 31, 2021 through Dec. 29, 2022.

‘IT WAS’ BIG ON THE RADIO: Harry Styles’ “As It Was” rules 2022 as the biggest song on the radio, as it collected 3.001 billion audience impressions across all monitored radio stations. Audience impressions are measured by cross-referencing plays with Nielsen Audio audience data – i.e., a play of a song on a top-rated New York station at 8 a.m. on a Monday has more listeners (audience) than an overnight weekend play in a smaller city.

TOP 10 RADIO SONGS OF 2022 IN U.S. (BASED ON AUDIENCE IMPRESSIONS)
1. Harry Styles, “As It Was” (3.001 billion)
2. Glass Animals, “Heat Waves” (2.789 billion)
3. The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay” (2.779 billion)
4. Lizzo, “About Damn Time” (2.344 billion)
5. Justin Bieber, “Ghost” (2.325 billion)
6. Latto, “Big Energy” (2.205 billion)
7. Lil Nas X, “Thats What I Want” (2.064 billion)
8. Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits” (2.060 billion)
9. Adele, “Easy On Me” (1.963 billion)
10. Jack Harlow, “First Class” (1.859 billion)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 31, 2021, through Dec. 29, 2022.

‘Stranger Things’ Star Finn Wolfhard Drops Urgent Slacker Anthem ‘Pieces of Gold’ From Upcoming Film

Finn Wolfhard goes full method on his latest single. The Stranger Things star and frontman of indie band The Aubreys dropped the Pavement-like slacker anthem “Pieces of Gold” on Tuesday (Jan. 10), a strummy track credited to Ziggy Katz, his character in the upcoming A24 film When You Finish Saving the World.

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The woozy ballad opens with gently plucked bass over a hypnotic, repeating keyboard riff and acoustic guitars as Wolfhard/Katz urgently sings, “Piece of gold, straddling paper/ Owing to nothing and turning to vapor/ The air is thin, the locks are set/ You lift your chin, she feigns regret/ Two high-speed trains on parallel tracks/ Running out of steam not turning back.”

The Jesse Eisenberg written and directed films co-stars Julianne Moore as Ziggy’s uptight mom, and in a description we learn that the high schooler performs his original folks songs for an adoring online fan base from the comfort of his bedroom home studio. “This concept mystifies his formal and uptight mother, Evelyn, who runs a shelter for survivors of domestic abuse,” it reads.

“While Ziggy is busy trying to impress his socially engaged classmate Lila (Alisha Boe) by making his music less bubblegum and more political, Evelyn meets Angie (Eleonore Hendricks) and her teen son, Kyle (Billy Bryk), when they seek refuge at her facility. She observes a bond between the two that she’s missing with her own son, and decides to take Kyle under her wing against her better instincts.”

Eisenberg’s directorial debut (due in theaters on Jan. 20) was adapted from his audio project of the same name and the trailer portrays the sometimes awkward Ziggy getting interrupted by his mom while he livestreams and struggling to maintain a connection to her as she put her focus on Kyle.

A Spotify bio for Katz offers some insight into the singer’s influences, beginning with Elvis, John Lennon and Bob Dylan. “Streaming live from his bedroom in the midwest, Ziggy Katz is a global sensation. Katz burst onto the scene with his hit single, ‘Particles of You,’ a song Pitchfork said, ‘sounded improvised’ and Rolling Stone called, ‘lengthy.’”

The lighthearted origin story adds that Katz followed that first hit up with “Mouth of a Liar” and “Meredith’s Weekend,” a pair of songs that “confirmed Katz’s status as someone who sings and plays guitar all the time.”

Listen to “Pieces of Gold” below.

Eric Church Sets ‘The Outsiders Revival Tour’ for Summer

Eric Church is set to bring his electrifying headlining show to a slate of outdoor venues this summer when he launches his 27-date The Outsiders Revival Tour. The trek launches June 22 in Milwaukee, Wis. Church first revealed the tour to members of his Church Choir fan club on Wednesday morning (Jan. 11).

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Church is going all in on the summer vibes by welcoming more than a dozen of his fellow artists to join him on various show dates, with opening acts Whiskey Myers, Cody Jinks, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde, Koe Wetzel, Lainey Wilson, Midland, Parker McCollum, Travis Tritt, Elle King and Paul Cauthen, plus Jackson Dean, Morgan Wade, Muscadine Bloodline, Shane Smith & The Saints, Hailey Whitters, Ray Wylie Hubbard and The Red Clay Straws.

“When I approach touring, I’m always inspired by a new experience, a new way to gather, to express ourselves sonically and visually. Whether it’s solo, in the round, double down; being able to bring a different perspective has always brought out our best creatively,” Church said in a statement. “Well, we have never done an outdoor summer tour. Never headlined amphitheaters. Never brought a summer experience to your town that featured artists we want to share the summer with. Until now. See you in the season of sunshine with some fellow outsiders that shine brightest when the sun goes down.”

Tickets to all dates go on sale Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster.com, with presale access available to Church Choir members starting Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time.

Church previously teased the tour by blacking out his social media accounts and then posting a brief video clip that incorporated snippets of his own music as well as that of some of the tour’s openers.

See the full list of upcoming shows below (* signifies festival dates)

April 14* – Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Fort Lauderdale Beach Park Tortuga Music Festival
June 17* – Santa Rosa, Calif. / Sonoma County Fairgrounds Country Summer Music Festival
June 22 – Milwaukee, Wisc. / American Family Insurance Amphitheater – Elle King
June 23 – Detroit, Mich. / Pine Knob Music Theatre – Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 24 – Cleveland, Ohio / Blossom Music Center – Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 30 – Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium – Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 1 – Virginia Beach, Va. / Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater – Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 7 – Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage – Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 8 – Pittsburgh, Pa. / The Pavilion at Star Lake – Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 14 – Cincinnati, Ohio / Riverbend Music Center – Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 15 – St. Louis, Mo. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 28 – Dallas, Texas / Dos Equis Pavilion – Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 29 – Austin, Texas / Germania Insurance Amphitheater – Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
Aug. 4 – Raleigh, N.C. / Coastal Credit Union Music Park – Cody Jinks
Aug. 5 – Bristow, Va. / Jiffy Lube Live – Cody Jinks
Aug. 11 – Indianapolis, Ind. / Ruoff Music Center – Cody Jinks
Aug. 12 – Chicago, Ill. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Cody Jinks
Aug. 13* – Des Moines, Iowa / Iowa State Fairgrounds Iowa State Fair
Aug. 18 – Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater – Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 19 – Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater – Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 25 – Holmdel, N.J. / PNC Bank Arts Center – Whiskey Myers
Aug. 26 – Philadelphia, Pa. / Freedom Mortgage Pavilion – Whiskey Myers
Sept. 8 – Portland, Ore. / RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater – Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 9 – George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre – Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 15 – Albuquerque, N.M. / Isleta Amphitheater – Paul Cauthen, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 16 – Phoenix, Ariz. / Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre – Jelly Roll, Paul Cauthen
Sept. 22 – Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre -Whiskey Myers
Sept. 23 – Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion -Whiskey Myers
Sept. 29 – West Palm Beach, Fla. / iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre – Whiskey Myers
Sept. 30 – Tampa, Fla. / MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre – Whiskey Myers
Oct. 7* – Bristol, Tenn. / Bristol Motor Speedway Country Thunder Bristol

U2 to Revisit 40 Classic Tracks on ‘Songs of Surrender’ Collection

U2 will release a compilation entitled Songs of Surender in March containing 40 reworked version of tracks from throughout their 40-plus year career. The collection, a seeming companion to singer Bono’s recent memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, is slated to drop on March 17.

The news was announced on Tuesday (Jan. 10) in a minute-long trailer (which featured the word “new” slashed out and replaced with “re-imagined” to describe the album) set to an unplugged, intimate version of the band’s soaring 2000 anthem “Beautiful Day.” The video features a Sgt. Pepper‘s-like animated montage of pictures from throughout the group’s career. At press time the band had not shared the track list for the album.

Sone lucky fans said they got a physical letter (in numbered envelopes) from guitarist The Edge that explained the inspiration behind the album, with some posting what is purported to be a personal message tied to the hashtag #U2SOS40.

“When a song becomes well known, it’s always associated with a particular voice,” The Edge’s handwritten letter begins. “I can’t think of ‘Tangled Up in Blue’ without the reedy timbre of Bob Dylan or ‘All the Time in the World’ without the unique voice of Louis Armstrong. So what happens when a voice develops and experience and maturity give it additional resonance? U2 have been around long enough to know what that is like. It’s true for us all, but it’s particularly true for Bono.”

It goes on to note that most of U2’s songs were written and recorded when the quartet were a bunch of “very young men,” and that they mean something different to the now 61- and 62-year-old members. “Some have grown with us. Some we have outgrown. But we have not lost sight of what propelled us to write those songs in the first place,” he wrote. “The essence of those songs is still in us, but how to reconnect with that essence when we have moved on, and grown so much? Music allows you to time travel and so we started to imagine what it would be like to bring these songs back with us to the present day and give them the benefit or otherwise, of a 21st century re-imagining. What started as an experiment quickly became a personal obsession as so many early U2 songs yielded to a new interpretation.”

The guitarist known for his epic, echoing riffs said the post-punk urgency of the originals has been replaced with intimacy, with new keys, new chords, new tempos and even some new lyrics. “It turns out that great song is kind of indestructible,” he said. “Once we surrendered our reverence for the original version each song started to open up to a new authentic voice of this time, of the people we are, and particularly the singer Bono has become. I hope you like our new direction.”

Bono has been on a cross-country press tour for his memoir in 40 songs, with RS noting that at the end of the book released in Nov. the singer noted that the Surrender sessions happened during the COVID-19 lockdown. He said that the project gave him a chance to “live inside those songs again as I wrote this memoir,” as well as revisit some lyrics that have been “nagging me for some time. The lyrics on a few songs that I’ve always felt were never quite written. They are now. (I think).”

U2’s most recent album was 2017’s Songs of Experience.

See the Songs of Surrender trailer and one of the letters below.

Suspects in XXXTentacion’s Death About to Face Trial

More than four years after gunmen killed emerging rap star XXXTentacion during a robbery outside a South Florida motorcycle shop, three suspects are now scheduled to go on trial. Shooting suspect Michael Boatwright, 28, and his accused accomplices, Dedrick Williams, 26, and Trayvon Newsome, 24, could all receive life sentences if convicted of first-degree murder. They are also charged with armed robbery. They have pleaded not guilty.

A fourth man, Robert Allen, 26, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year and is expected to testify against the other three. Jury selection is set to begin Jan. 18 and is expected to last three weeks. The trial is expected to last into March. In pretrial hearings, the defendants’ attorneys have suggested there were others who had financial and personal motives for killing the singer, including members of his family and other rappers.

“It’s been over four long years in the making. We are excited to take this first step to bringing Dedrick home,” said Mauricio Padilla, Williams’ attorney. The attorneys for Boatwright and Newsome did not respond to emails seeking comment. The COVID-19 pandemic and legal wrangling delayed the start of the trial.

Circuit Judge Michael Usan rejected last week an attempt by Boatwright’s attorney, Joseph Kimok, to have him declared mentally incompetent to stand trial. He also rejected a motion by the defendants’ attorneys to try the three separately.

They argued that evidence presented against just one defendant would be prejudicial to the other two. They also argued that each defense attorney could try to establish his client’s innocence or mitigate his guilt by pointing fingers at the other two suspects — they argued that would unfairly prejudice the jury against the trio. Prosecutor Pascale Achille told Usan that any evidence presented would pertain to all three.

Usan ruled the defense attorneys’ arguments could apply in all trials where there are multiple defendants, but in this case they don’t outweigh the needs of “judicial economy” to not hold three trials if not absolutely required.

XXXTentacion, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, had just left Riva Motorsports in suburban Fort Lauderdale on June 18, 2018, with a friend when his BMW was blocked by an SUV that swerved in front. Two masked gunmen emerged, confronted XXXTentacion at the driver’s window and one shot him. They then grabbed a Louis Vuitton bag containing $50,000 cash the singer had just withdrawn from the bank, got back into the SUV and sped away.

XXXTentacion, 20, died at the hospital shortly after. He pronounced his name “Ex ex ex ten-ta-see-YAWN” and was a platinum-selling rising star who tackled issues including prejudice and depression in his songs. He also drew criticism over bad behavior and multiple arrests, including charges that he severely beat and abused his girlfriend.

Investigators say surveillance video from the store and other evidence links the three defendants and Allen to the killing.

They say video shows the SUV arriving at the motorcycle shop just as XXXTentacion and his friend entered. Williams and Allen followed them inside, with Williams making a small purchase. They then walked back to the SUV. About 10 minutes later, XXXTentacion and his friend tried to leave, but the SUV blocked them. Prosecutors say Boatwright and Newsome were the gunmen who confronted the rapper, with Boatwright firing the fatal shots.

Investigators say Boatwright’s fingerprints were found on the driver’s door of the rapper’s BMW. Williams was identified by a Riva Motorsports clerk, who said he was a regular customer. Williams told investigators he did not know the other three were planning a robbery.

A search of Williams’ social media showed photos of him with Allen, who was then identified from the surveillance video. Williams’ girlfriend told investigators that he told her that the other gunman was Newsome. They say cellphone data also links the defendants to the scene.

Photos of Boatwright and Newsome holding up large amounts of $100 bills, timestamped on the night of the killing, were also found on their phones, prosecutors say.