Music News

30 Nov 2022

Rolling Stones Prepping Definitive Live Collection, ‘GRRR Live!,’ Featuring Lady Gaga, Black Keys, Bruce Springsteen

The Rolling Stones announced a new definitive live album on Wednesday (Nov. 30), the 24-track GRRR Live! The collection due out on Feb. 10 via Mercury Studios features the biggest hits from throughout the legendary band’s 60-year career, including “Honky Tonk Women,” “Start Me Up,” “Get Off of My Cloud,,” “Paint it Black” and “Miss You.”

The album, which will be available in a variety of formats — 3LP black, 3LP colored white, 3LP red, 2CD, DVD + 2CD, BluRay + 2CD — with the BluRay and digital versions including Dolby Atmos. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2012 and 2013 on the 30-show 50 & Counting Tour, which included a Dec. 15, 2012 show at Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center that featured a number of special guests.

Some of those performances are chronicled on the album, including collabs with the Black Keys (“Who Do You Love?”), Lady Gaga (“Gimme Shelter”), Gary Clark Jr. and John Mayer (“Going Down”), former guitarist Mick Taylor (“Midnight Rambler”) and Bruce Springsteen (“Tumbling Dice.”) After its original airing on pay-per-view in 2012, recordings of the anniversary shows have not been available to fans until now. According to a release, the concert has been re-edited and remixed, with three songs from the Dec. 13 gig in Newark available as bonus features on the DVD and BluRay: “Respectable” (featuring Mayer), “Around and Around” and “Gimme Shelter.”

Check out the track listing for GRRR Live! below.

CD1

  1. “Get Off Of My Cloud”
  2. “The Last Time”
  3. “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)” 
  4. “Paint It Black”
  5. “Gimme Shelter” (with Lady Gaga) 
  6. “Wild Horses”
  7. “Going Down” (with John Mayer and Gary Clark Jr) 
  8.  “Dead Flowers”
  9. “Who Do You Love?” (with The Black Keys)
  10.  “Doom And Gloom”
  11.  “One More Shot”
  12.  “Miss You”
  13.  “Honky Tonk Women” 
  14. Band Introductions

CD2

  1. “Before They Make Me Run” 
  2. “Happy”
  3. “Midnight Rambler” (with Mick Taylor)
  4. “Start Me Up” 
  5. “Tumbling Dice” (with Bruce Springsteen)
  6. “Brown Sugar”
  7. “Sympathy For the Devil”
  8. “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
  9. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”
  10. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”

30 Nov 2022

How to Find Your Spotify Wrapped 2022

‘Tis the season for Spotify Wrapped, a.k.a. the day of the year where you find out your music listening habits of 2022.

On Wednesday (Nov. 30) the streaming service unveiled its annual colorful, Instagrammable package in which it calculates all your personal data to serve up a custom accounting of your top artists, songs and playlists from the past year.

While Spotify Wrapped is available for anyone with an account, sometimes it can be hard to find. Don’t worry, though, Billboard‘s got your back. Like last year, the 2022 Spotify Wrapped is only accessible on the Spotify mobile app. So if you go to spotify.com/wrapped like usual, you’ll be directed to download the app.

Once you’ve logged in on mobile, your personalized look back at 2022 should appear right on the home screen with the message “Your 2022 Wrapped is here” beneath your six most recent listens. This year’s version also chronicles how users listening habits have changed throughout the day, breaking down what kind of music you stream over the course of the morning, noon and night via the “Audio Day” feature.

The latest Wrapped wrinkle is the “music personality” feature, a kind of Myers-Briggs-style personality test using four-letter codes that breaks down how you listen to music while assigning you one of 16 categories, including “Specialist,” “The Replayer,” “Early Adopter,” “Voyager,” “Adventurer” or “Fanclubber,” with each Personality getting its own colorful card perfect for sharing on socials. Spotify is also including messages from artists including Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift, in which they thank fans for listening to their music enough to get them in the Wrapped mix.

In addition to the annual rundown, this year’s Wrapped includes a creator experience for podcasters and artists. And Artist Wrapped, now in its sixth year, rolls out with several new features including “Your Artist Messages,” a dedicated Wrapped video feed, personalized to each listener; and a “Spotlight” on merchandise and ticketing which, for the first time, sees personalized offerings integrated into the Wrapped Hub and promoted to top fans via in-app notifications and other channels.

Click the icon and you’ll be guided through a fun journey revisiting all your favorite music that soundtracked your 2022.

30 Nov 2022

Country Singer Jake Flint Dies at 37, Just Hours After Wedding

Country singer Jake Flint died on Nov. 26 just hours after getting married. According to EW, publicist Clif Doyal confirmed that the 37-year-old up-and-coming singer died in his sleep, with a cause of death not announced at press time.

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The Oklahoma native’s death was announced over the weekend by manager Brenda Cline of Route 66 Entertainment, who wrote on Facebook, “With a broken heart and in deep grief I must announce that Jake Flint has tragically passed away. I’ve tried several times today to make a post, but you can’t comment on what you can’t process. The photo below is when Jake and I excitedly signed our artist management contract. That was the beginning of a wonderful friendship and partnership. Jake was even more than that to me, I loved him much like a son.”

Cline called Flint the “funniest, most hilarious, hardest working, dedicated” artist she’s ever worked with, noting that they were about to embark on some business together after his wedding to wife Brenda, which took place just hours before his passing.

“Yes-yesterday. Jake has a million friends and I’m not sure how everyone will cope with this tragic loss,” Cline wrote. “We need prayers- it’s all so surreal. Please please pray for his new wife Brenda, Jake’s precious mother, his sister and the rest of his family and friends. This is going to be incredibly difficult for so many. We love you Jake and in our hearts forever.”

New wife Brenda also mourned Flint, writing on FB, “We should be going through wedding photos but instead I have to pick out clothes to bury my husband in. People aren’t meant to feel this much pain. My heart is gone and I just really need him to come back. I can’t take much more. I need him here.”

According to “Cowtown” singer Flint’s website, he was born in 1985 and raised in Holdenville, Oklahoma and was best known for his songs Oklahoma Red Dirt-style songs “Fireline” and “Hurry Up and Wait.” Flint pursued music spurred by his late father’s wish to share something with his son. After his dad was diagnosed with ALS, he asked some friends to teach him how to play guitar, leading to the singer “float[ing] through life loving, hating, gaining, losing, experimenting, witnessing, missioning, sinning, breaking the law, paying the consequences while openly and candidly writing about it all.”

Flint’s friend and fellow musician, Mike Hosty, told The Oklahoman that the wedding took place on a remote Oklahoma homestead on Nov. 26, just hours before the singer’s death. “It was rainy, but he’d rented a 40-by-60 circus tent,” Hosty said. “They put up a bunch of carpets over the mud and then got two pieces of three-and-a-quarter-inch plywood and set it on the ground — and that was my stageJake goes, ‘Is that gonna be all right for you?’ And I go, ‘Jake, that’s perfect.’ A piece of plywood or a flatbed trailer is where I shine.”

Hosty called his late friend a “singer-songwriter, through and through, and just a big personality… a big heart, and [he’d] bend over backwards to do anything for you. When any musician asks you to play at their wedding it’s one of those most important days… and it’s always an honor.”

Flint’s most recent album was June 2021’s Live and Socially Distanced at Mercury Lounge, which included the songs “What’s Your Name,” “Drugged, Drunk and Alone/Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “Hard Livin’” and “Cold in This House.” Previous studio releases included a self-titled 2020 album and 2016’s I’m Not OK.

See Cline’s tribute below.

30 Nov 2022

Spotify Wrapped 2022: Bad Bunny, Harry Styles Dominate Year-End Streaming Charts

It’s the time of year — the mercury is diving (or soaring, for those of us in the south), holiday classics are ringing out in the stores, and Spotify unleashes its Wrapped campaign.

Today (Dec. 1), the music streaming giant unveils the songs that kept its 456 million listeners (with 195 million “paid” subscribers) plugged in.

Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny is No. 1 on Spotify’s most-streamed global artists list, with more than 18.5 billion streams in 2022. The rapper becomes the first artist to top the list three consecutive years, and also dominates Spotify’s annual albums chart.

Following the smash hit that was her tenth and latest album, Midnights, Taylor Swift comes in at No. 2 among Spotify’s most-streamed artists, while the top 5 is rounded out by international acts: Drake, The Weeknd, and BTS, respectively.

The biggest single of the year belonged to Harry Styles, whose chart-leader “As It Was” racked up more than 1.6 billion streams. Lifted from the British pop singer’s third solo studio album, Harry’s House, the single this year led the Billboard Hot 100 for a whopping 15 weeks, and reigned over the Official U.K. Singles Chart for 10 weeks.

Styles leads an all-international top 5, ahead of Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves;” The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay;” and Bad Bunny tracks “Me Porto Bonito” and “Me Porto Bonito,” respectively.

The former One Direction artist’s third album Harry’s House went to No. 1 on both sides of the Atlantic, and around the world, and came in at No. 2 on Spotify’s most-streamed global albums list, behind Bad Bunny’s irrepressible Un Verano Sin Ti, which dominated the Billboard 200 in 2022 for 13 weeks.

Also, Spotify drills into its data for insights into those acts whose music is most shared (Taylor Swift), the most-shared lyrics (“Heat Waves”) and most popular podcasts (The Joe Rogan Experience, which Spotify exclusively licenses).

The streaming platform’s annual chart splurge is the entre for its Wrapped experience, which eligible users can access and share from today from Spotify mobile app (iOS and Android).

“This year’s Wrapped is both a celebration of a year gone by and an invitation to join in on the fun,” reads a statement, accompanying the year-end lists.

In addition to the annual rundown, this year’s Wrapped includes a creator experience for podcasters and artists. And Artist Wrapped, now in its sixth year, rolls out with several new features including “Your Artist Messages,” a dedicated Wrapped video feed, personalized to each listener; and a “Spotlight” on merchandise and ticketing which, for the first time, sees personalized offerings integrated into the Wrapped Hub and promoted to top fans via in-app notifications and other channels.

From Dec. 1, the likes of Jack Harlow, Elton John, NIKI, and others will promote Wrapped exclusive merch to their top fans.

Launched in 2017, Artist Wrapped is now available in 36 languages.

Spotify 2022 Wrapped Global Top Lists:

Most-Streamed Artists Globally 

Most-Streamed Songs Globally

  1. “As It Was” by Harry Styles
  2. “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals 
  3. “STAY (with Justin Bieber)” by The Kid LAROI 
  4. “Me Porto Bonito” by Bad Bunny feat. Chencho Corleone
  5. “Tití Me Preguntó” by Bad Bunny

Most-Streamed Albums Globally 

  1. Un Verano Sin Ti, Bad Bunny
  2. Harry’s House, Harry Styles
  3. SOUR, Olivia Rodrigo
  4. =, Ed Sheeran
  5. Planet Her, Doja Cat

Most Popular Podcasts Globally 

Most Viral Artists Globally

Most Shared Lyrics Globally

Spotify 2022 Wrapped U.S. Top Lists

U.S. Most-Streamed Artists

U.S. Most-Streamed Songs

  1. “As It Was” by Harry Styles
  2. “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals 
  3. “Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy 
  4. “Me Porto Bonito” by Bad Bunny feat. Chencho Corleone
  5. “First Class” by Jack Harlow 

U.S. Most-Streamed Albums

  1. Un Verano Sin Ti, Bad Bunny
  2. Harry’s House, Harry Styles
  3. Dangerous: The Double Album, Morgan Wallen 
  4. Midnights, Taylor Swift 
  5. SOUR, Olivia Rodrigo

U.S. Most Popular Podcasts

U.S. Most Popular Audiobooks

29 Nov 2022

Chuu Removed From LOONA Amid Back-and-Forth Reports Between K-Pop Group & Label

Chuu is no longer a member of the K-pop girl group LOONA, and the events surrounding the exit have raised eyebrows in Korea’s media and music industry.

BlockBerryCreative, the K-pop girl group’s label, announced through LOONA’s online “fan cafe” on Friday that Chuu had been expelled and withdrawn from the 12-member outfit. The fan cafe post is only available to subscribers of the Korean site, but local media widely shared the news and statement. In the report, the agency cited an investigation that found Chuu using “violent language” and “misuse of power toward staff” (as shared by translations from Soompi).

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BlockBerryCreative and Chuu’s relationship has been a source of concern among fans and prone to media speculation in the past year.

In the spring, rumors surfaced that Chuu took legal action in 2021 to cut parts of her exclusive contract with BlockBerryCreative. By summertime, the stories evolved to Chuu joining a new management label and setting up her own agency. BlockBerryCreative denied any management changes. Still, the 23-year-old did not participate in LOONA’s world tour that visited North America, Europe and Asia from August to October this year or their recent Japanese single “Luminous.” Chuu has stayed busy, with many television appearances, growing a YouTube channel, and releasing solo singles as LOONA’s most visible member.

In the spring, Chuu was rumored to have taken legal action in 2021 to cut parts of her exclusive contract with BlockBerryCreative. By summertime, the stories ranged from Chuu joining a new management label to setting up an agency all on her own. BlockBerryCreative denied that she was transferring management. Still, the 23-year-old did not take part in LOONA’s world tour that visited North America, Europe and Asia from August to October of this year, or their recent Japanese single “Luminous.” Chuu has stayed busy, with many television appearances, growing a YouTube channel and releasing solo singles as LOONA’s most visible member.

On Nov. 28, BlockBerryCreative followed up with another statement saying that the expulsion was not in retaliation. The label said it’s up to the parties involved to share specific evidence. It asked the media to refrain from speculative reporting, after noting articles that doubted BlockBerryCreative’s claims and intentions.

Billboard repeatedly reached out to a BlockBerryCreative representative for comment as the stories unfolded. The rep confirmed Chuu’s removal from LOONA and pointed to previously shared statements.

Several K-pop stars and industry professionals have shown public support for Chuu. Singer Sunmi posted a selfie of her with Chuu after the expulsion news dropped, while Korean music journalist Joy Park shared her memories of Chuu and a signed LOONA album on her Twitter account. Kim Do Heon, another Korean music critic, criticized BlockBerryCreative’s statement through a Twitter post.

For her part, Chuu shared a short statement through an Instagram Story post. On Monday, the star wrote that she was not contacted about nor does she know anything about the recent events. She shared that she would release another statement soon but told fans she hadn’t done anything they would disapprove of.

Another report surfaced on Monday saying that nine of the remaining 11 LOONA members (Heejin, Haseul, Yeojin, Kim Lip, Jinsoul, Choerry, Yves, Go Won and Olivia Hye) were taking legal action to break their contracts with BlockBerryCreative. The agency dismissed the rumor. A BlockBerryCreative representative told Billboard that the report is “groundless.”

LOONA (whose Korean name translates to “Girl of the Month”) began their journey in 2016 with the ambitious plan of introducing each member with her own solo music and splinter units between the members before all 12 members finally came together in August 2018 for the [+ +] EP. LOONA has since earned multiple entries on World Albums and even sent their [12:00] album to the Billboard 200. The group hit No. 1 on World Digital Song Sales with their songs “365” and “Shake It” and also became one of the few K-pop acts to enter the Pop Airplay chart with an English single, “Star.”

29 Nov 2022

Kendrick Lamar Talks Short Film ‘We Cry Together’ & Hopes for Best Live Action Short Nomination at 2023 Oscars

He’s already a 14-time Grammy Award winner, and now Kendrick Lamar is hoping to extend his good fortune to the Oscars.

Leading up to the 2023 Academy Awards — whose shortlist voting takes place next month, Dec. 12-15 — Lamar spoke with Variety in an interview published Tuesday (Nov. 29) about his short film We Cry Together, in which he stars opposite Taylour Paige.

For the rapper, one of the most important things about his short film was to make sure that it felt real. We Cry Together sees Lamar and Paige exploring a relationship that’s equal parts vulnerable and toxic from the confines of a small space. The film, should it secure a nomination, would be up for a spot in the best live action short category at the Academy Awards.

“It challenged me to actually live in what I was writing, and really be there and be present with Taylour [Paige],” Lamar said. “And I remember us going back and forth and feeling like, damn, I understand this character even more because I’m evoking the energy from it and the passion from it because it’s alive, and it’s direct.”

Lamar directed the short alongside Dave Free and Jake Schreier; in the interview, Free noted that “when we went into this project, Kendrick was telling me about how he wanted the room to feel thick, and the room to feel intense … He wanted to really address topics that we, as a society, kind of shy away from.”

“The Heart Part 5” rapper added, “So in writing, I say, ‘OK, how can I make this feel personal, but also holding up a mirror as a collective concept, rather than just a personal concept.’ I wanted to bring that drama because, at the end of the day, whether we like it or not — the good, the bad and the ugly, the pros and cons — that’s what makes everything evolve.”

Of the filmmaking process, Lamar stated that it allowed him to have “more freedom, as a person. Being able to run toward my fear and say the things I want to say and do it in an artistic way — it allowed me to live my truth even deeper.”

Only 10 films will make the shortlist for the Oscars’ best live action short category, before being narrowed down to the final five nominees. Lamar — who was previously nominated alongside SZA, Mark “Sounwave” Spears and Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith for an Oscar in 2019 for the Black Panther track “All the Stars” in the best original song category — will learn if We Cry Together made the cut when the shortlist is revealed on Dec. 21.

Lamar and Free are nominated for a Grammy as directors of Lamar’s “The Heart Part 5,” which is up for best music video. Lamar and Free won in that category five years ago for “Humble.,” which they co-directed with Dave Meyers.

29 Nov 2022

Jessie James Decker Addresses Backlash Over Her Kids‘ Abs: ‘Let’s Not Pick & Choose What We Normalize’

Jessie James Decker recently enjoyed a vacation in Mexico with her family, and like many parents, shared some adorable photos of her kids having fun in the sun on Instagram. However, the “I Still Love You” singer received some backlash, with critics claiming that she photoshopped the children’s visible abs or even accusing her and husband Eric Decker of “overtraining” their kids.

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In a follow-up post on Monday (Nov. 28), Jessie addressed the “bonkers” accusations. “Being accused of photoshopping abs on my kids (I can’t help but laugh) or … the polar opposite over ‘overtraining’ our kids makes me realize how bizarre our world has gotten regarding the body and what’s normal and what’s not,” she captioned a series of videos of the couple’s three children — eight-year-old Vivianne, seven-year-old Eric Jr. and four-year-old Forrest — playing outside on the same vacation.

“We preach about body positivity and acceptance but my kids having a mass amount of genetic and built muscle from athletics is ‘weird’?” she continued. “I want to raise my kids to feel proud of their bodies and hard work from either Vivis elite competitive gymnastics to Eric Jr wanting to be like dad as an NFL receiver to little Forrest who spends hours dancing his heart out. Let’s not pick and choose what we normalize regarding bodies and be accepting of all people and children. If we wanna do ‘better’ then do better. I’m proud of my children and encourage them to live their dreams. So we’ll see y’all at the 2032 Olympics, and wearing Bubbys jersey in the stands and dancing at Forrests rock concert.”

Jessie’s husband and NFL wide receiver Eric commented on the post in support, writing, “U get mama bear [raised hands emoji] [lion emoji].”

See her post below.

29 Nov 2022

Paramore, Imagine Dragons, Kane Brown & More to Headline Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest 2023

The 2023 Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest is taking over the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, for its fourth installment and, as usual, the event has a star-studded lineup of performers that were announced on Tuesday (Nov. 29).

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The festival kicks off Thursday night (Feb. 9) with Paramore taking the stage along with a special guest to be announced. On Friday (Feb. 10), Dave Matthews Band will perform and DJ Pee .Wee (Anderson .Paak) will give fans a full DJ set. The three-night music festival wraps on Saturday night (Feb. 11), the day before Super Bowl LVII with performances by Imagine Dragons and Kane Brown.

“Music and football are core to Bud Light’s DNA, and we’re thrilled to bring our annual Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest to Phoenix,” said Lane Joyce, director of experiential marketing for Bud Light, in a press statement. “Beyond the Super Bowl itself, our three-day festival has become the marquee event of Super Bowl week. This year, we have an all-star line-up of musicians from various genres, ensuring we have something for all fans whether they’re traveling early for the game or live right here In Arizona.”  

“Super Bowl Music Fest is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and Footprint Center is honored to be this year’s host,” added Ralph Marchetta, general manager of Footprint Center. “We look forward to welcoming fans for three nights of incredible music and showcasing downtown Phoenix as an entertainment destination.”

Tickets for the 2023 Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest go on sale Dec. 2 here at 10 a.m. local time. See more information about the event here.

29 Nov 2022

BTS Test Toys & Choose Useless Superpowers in New Episode of ‘Run BTS’

BTS dropped a special episode of their variety web series Run BTS on Tuesday (Nov. 29).

In the nearly 40-minute episode, the K-pop idols take turns hosting their own variety segments while their bandmates chime in with commentary via a shared chatroom.

J-Hope kicked off the proceedings with a silly and absurd round of reviewing toys, starting with — ahem — a pooping pink flamingo. (Don’t worry, “If you are eating right now, please stop right now!!!” flashed onscreen as a hilarious warning before the bird did its business on the accompanying toy toilet.)

“I pooped, I pooped,” the flamingo chirped in its animatronic voice as the boy band members cheered on its, uh, success. Thankfully J-Hope eventually moved on to play with a miniature hair salon, a magic vase that grows a flower when you add water and a child’s play washing machine — though the flamingo stuck around as Hobi’s mascot for the remainder of his segment.

After watching V nearly hit a 300-meter drive in a game of virtual golf, RM took over to host a rapid-fire game of “Ideal Type World Cup,” in which he chose between random, useless superpowers with help from his fellow Bangtan Boys.

Some of the options included becoming the cutest person in the room in any gathering (“It’s like that even now? That’s not a superpower,” Suga argued hilariously), being invisible for five minutes but people can still see your clothes, and constantly flying seven centimeters above the ground. However, the superpower that eventually won the group’s consensus was the ability to rewind time by seven seconds.

While RM will be unveiling his debut album Indigo on Friday (Dec. 2), Jin is reportedly set to become the first member of BTS to begin his mandatory military service in South Korea next month.

Watch the latest episode of Run BTS below.

29 Nov 2022

Kanye West & Kim Kardashian Settle Divorce

Nearly two years after Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from Kanye West after six years of marriage, the former couple’s divorce was finalized on Tuesday (Nov. 29), Billboard can confirm.

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Kardashian and West will get joint custody of their four children, plus “equal access” to them, according to TMZ. Additionally, Ye will pay the SKIMS founder $200,000 a month in child support, and is responsible for 50% of the children’s educational and security expenses.

If there is a dispute involving their children, both parties agreed to participate in mediation, per TMZ. However, if one of them does not participate, the other makes the decision by default. The two reportedly have an extensive prenuptial agreement, and dutifully kept their assets split during the marriage, limiting the complexity of the proceedings.

Upon the divorce filing in 2021, both sides initially said that the split would be amicable, but the relationship between the two superstars has turned increasingly tumultuous.

Throughout 2022, Ye had been sharing his disapproval over Kardashian’s parenting decisions, including allowing nine-year-old North to have a TikTok account. He also alleged that Kardashian did not invite the rapper to attend their younger daughter Chicago’s birthday party.

In February 2022, Kardashian responded to Kanye’s in a lengthy all-text Instagram Stories. “Kanye’s constant attacks on me in interviews and on social media is actually more hurtful than any TikTok North might create,” she began her message, noting she’s the main provider and caregiver for their kids. “I am doing my best to protect our daughter while also allowing her to express her creativity in the medium that she wishes with adult supervision – because it brings her happiness. Divorce is difficult enough on our children and Kanye’s obsession with trying to control and manipulate our situation so negatively and publicly is only causing further pain for all.” 

In March 2022, Kardashian was declared legally single.