Year-End
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Singer-songwriter Lauren Daigle is Billboard’s Top Christian Artist of 2023, plus the top female Christian Artist of the year.
“It’s been an incredible year,” Daigle tells Billboard after hearing that she earned the top honor. “New creative collaborators, a new producer, new writers and most of all new friends. Our fans on the road have been so incredible and we can feel their love and their energy every single night, and for me that connection (to our music) is inspiring. I am so unbelievably grateful to them, to be able to do what I love and look forward to so much more in ’24.”
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In 2023, we saw new music from Lauren Daigle for the first time since 2018. On May 12, Daigle released a 10-song self-titled album with the promise that the deluxe version with 10 more tracks would come later. The LP paired the 32-year-old Daigle with new producer Mike Elizondo and was also her first through Atlantic Records, which her longtime label, Centricity, formed a partnership with in January.
The new set was her first new music since Look Up Child, which opened at the Top Christian Albums summit in September 2018 and proceeded to ring up a record 102 frames at No. 1. It was bolstered by the crossover smash “You Say,” which dominated Hot Christian Songs for an also unprecedented 132 weeks starting in July 2018.
On Christian Airplay, “You Say” reigned for 18 weeks. It also crossed over, crowning Adult Contemporary for two weeks.
Plus, “You Say” is the No. 1 track of 2023 on Christian Streaming Songs.
Look Up Child remains strong, placing as the No. 2 LP of 2023 on Top Christian Albums, second only to Kanye West’s Donda, which is the lead LP of the year on the Top Christian Albums and Top Gospel Albums tallies.
Daigle’s self-titled set launched at No. 1 on Top Christian Albums list dated May 27 with 25,000 equivalent album units, including 20,000 in album sales, in the May 12-18 tracking frame, according to Luminate. It marked Daigle’s fourth leader on the list.
Daigle returned to the Top Christian Albums penthouse on the May 16-dated survey. Her self-titled set, made available as a deluxe version, added 13 tunes to the original 10-song album.
After the deluxe edition was released Sept. 8, the set (with both versions combined into one chart listing) rebounded 5-1. It earned 13,000 equivalent album units (up 388%), with 8,000 in album sales. On the all-genre Billboard 200, it re-entered at No. 79, after it opened at its No. 21 high in May.
Daigle’s 2023 self-titled album finishes in the top 10. It’s No. 7 on the Top Christian Albums year-end ranking.
Meanwhile, lead single from Lauren Daigle, “Thank God I Do,” is No. 2 on the Hot Christian Songs year-end chart.
“Thank God I Do” became her fifth chart-topper on Christian Airplay, where it dominated for a week in July. On Hot Christian Songs, it awarded Daigle with her sixth No. 1, dominating for its first time in May.
Daigle is the only artist to date who has banked two Hot Christian Songs No. 1s that dominated for 20-weeks or more: “You Say” and “Thank God I Do.”
“Thank God I Do” is also tops on the year-end Christian Digital Song Sales tally.
Brandon Lake Leads: Singer-songwriter Brandon Lake wins a major category for the first time, crowning Billboard’s Top Christian Artists – Male roundup.
To say that Lake had a big year is quite the understatement, as he leads as the top Christian Airplay and Hot Christian Songs artist this year.
Lake’s hit “Gratitude” is the top song of 2023 on Hot Christian Songs. It gave Lake his second No. 1 in February and his first where he’s unaccompanied. Lake co-authored “Gratitude” with Dante Bowe and Benjamin Hastings, while Jacob Sooter produced it.
The artist added his third leader (among five top 10s) when “Praise You Anywhere” hit the Hot Christian Songs pinnacle in November.
On Christian Airplay, Lake added his second No. 1 and fourth top 10 this year. “Gratitude” led the list in March and “Praise You Anywhere” hit No. 3 on Oct. 7.
Elevation Worship Gets High Praise: 2023 marks the first time that Elevation Worship, the music collective based in Charlotte, N.C., leads Billboard’s Top Christian Artists – Duo/Group recap. The act places second in the overall Top Christian Artists category.
On the charts dated Jan. 21, the act earned its second leader on Hot Christian Songs and its third on Christian Airplay as “Same God” topped both surveys.
“Same God” is the No. 12 song of the year on Hot Christian Songs and No. 14 on Christian Airplay.
In June, Can You Imagine?, which includes eight songs, was co-produced by the collective’s frontman Chris Brown along with Steven Furtick. The LP was recorded in front of a live audience at Elevation Church in Charlotte Jan. 13.
Can You Imagine? awarded Elevation Worship with its seventh No. 1 among 13 top 10s on Top Christian Albums.
‘This Is’ Phil Wickham: No. 1 on the year-end Top Christian Airplay Songs tally is is Phil Wickham’s “This is Our God,” which led for two frames staring on the June 3-dated chart. It gave Wickham his fourth chart-topper among 10 top 10s.
The 39-year-old singer-songwriter from San Diego co-penned the song with Pat Barrett, Steven Furtick and Brandon Lake. It was produced by Jonathan Smith.
Wickham places as the No. 5 Top Christian Artists overall and No. 2 in the male category.
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts from Nov. 19, 2022, through Oct. 21, 2023. Rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology detail, and the November-October time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate.
It’s taken a decade, but for the first time, a country artist is No. 1 on Billboard’s year-end Streaming Songs Artists chart.
… and a country song is No. 1 on the year-end Streaming Songs chart.
… and the top 10s of both rankings are chock full of both country artists and songs.
Point is, 2023 was a banner year for country on the streaming charts. And that’s after 2022’s year-end Streaming Songs Artists tally featured a country artist in the top 10 for the very first time in Morgan Wallen.
Oh, right, the No. 1 artist and song of 2023. It’s Wallen.
Explore All of Billboard’s 2023 Year-End Charts
After breaking through as the first act releasing music primarily in the country genre to appear in the Streaming Songs Artists survey’s top 10 at No. 4 in 2022, Wallen leads it in 2023, while his “Last Night” crowns the songs-based list, also marking the first time a country tune ranks atop that chart; both year-end recaps began in 2013, the same year Streaming Songs became a weekly Billboard chart.
“Last Night” was the only song of Wallen’s to reach No. 1 on the weekly Streaming Songs list. But it was far and away the year’s biggest song there, reigning for 19 weeks beginning in March. Barring a return to No. 1, the song concludes its run one week short of the record for most frames atop Streaming Songs, held by Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus.
It was so comparatively massive, in fact, that the next-closest songs released in 2023 in terms of overall weeks at No. 1 were Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything” featuring Kacey Musgraves, and Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers.” Currently, both boast four weeks apiece atop the survey.
Streaming was, as a result, a critical component of “Last Night” and its sizable run at No. 1 on the weekly multimetric Billboard Hot 100, reigning for 16 weeks.
But though “Last Night” was Wallen’s only No. 1 of the year, the weekly Streaming Songs tally was dotted with the 30-year-old’s tracks in 2023, both via his monster 2023 LP One Thing at a Time and from previous releases. In all, Wallen appears six times on the 75-song-deep year-end Streaming Songs ranking, with “Last Night” followed by “You Proof” at No. 6.
Country’s hold on Streaming Songs wasn’t limited to Wallen, either. Four of the top 10 on Streaming Songs Artists in 2023 largely released music in the country genre, while a fifth, Taylor Swift, appeared on the weekly survey with country songs a few times via her Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) re-recording. Compare that number to 2022, when six country acts made the entire 25-position Streaming Songs Artists year-end list, Wallen the only one of the group in the top 10.
Joining Wallen in the top 10 are three acts who were part of that group of six last year. Zach Bryan ranks at No. 5, followed by Luke Combs at No. 6 and Bailey Zimmerman rounding out the club at No. 9.
Bryan’s “Something in the Orange,” originally released in 2022 as part of the album American Heartbreak, soared to new heights in 2023 (it was No. 12 on the year-end 2022 Streaming Songs tally), rising to No. 3 the year-end survey. Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” also reaches the top 10 at No. 7, giving country four of the top 10.
Give a shoutout to other genres, too. R&B was well presented by SZA, who ranks at No. 2 on the year-end artists ranking while her “Kill Bill” is the No. 2 song. It became her first No. 1 on the weekly chart (four weeks beginning in December 2022) and helps SZA to her best-ever ranks on either year-end list. Her previous best on Streaming Songs as a lead artist had been “Good Days” in 2021 (No. 29), the same year she appeared at a then-career-best No. 22 on the artists rundown.
And while Bad Bunny didn’t quite retain the dominance he enjoyed in 2022 as the No. 1 on Streaming Songs Artists (chalk that up in part to his latest album, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, only having come out in October, eligible for the 2024 year-end rankings), not only did he still appear at a respectable No. 15 – Latin music was also represented in the top 10 thanks to Peso Pluma, whose meteoric rise caps off with a No. 7 placement. Concurrently, his collaboration with Eslabon Armado, “Ella Baila Sola,” ranks at No. 9 on the year-end Streaming Songs ranking.
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts from Nov. 19, 2022, through Oct. 21, 2023. Rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology detail, and the November-October time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate.
When Bad Bunny dropped his debut album, X100PRE, in 2019, he established a league of his own: The Puerto Rican’s winning chapter endures effortlessly as he caps 2023 as Billboard’s Top Latin Artist for a record fifth consecutive year. No other artist has been the year-end Top Latin Artist five times since the category began in 2011.
Benito jubilantly navigates through a championship he now owns for half a decade. Only one other artist has pulled a back-to-back winning streak since the category launched in 2011: Romeo Santos, who took home the first-place trophy in 2014 and 2015.
Explore All of Billboard’s 2023 Year-End Charts
Unsurprisingly, Benito also echoes his past four years of achievements on the albums front: Thanks to Un Verano Sin Ti’s stronghold, the album wraps at No. 1 on the year-end Top Latin Albums chart for a second consecutive year. Adding to his blockbuster year — with seven awards at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards, including Artist of the Year, Tour of the Year and Global 200 Latin Artist of the Year — Benito also boasts four songs on the year-end Hot Latin Songs rundown, including “Un X100to” with Grupo Frontera at No. 3. His first foray into regional Mexican music became the second regional Mexican track to break the weekly top 10 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Regional Mexican music, however, also fired up the fruitful Latin music narrative. The genre had a sizzling year, unlocking achievements and making notable contributions across Billboard charts with compositions by artists who married the traditional color of the format with unconventional aesthetics. The result is eight regional Mexican acts on the year-end Top Latin Artists chart, with six of them in the top 10.
Peso Pluma, Mexico’s breakout artist, commands the movement. The Zapopan-born singer-songwriter gave a different voice to the underdog format, which has been historically marginalized in the mainstream world. Born Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija, Pluma modernized the culture with a different level of regional diversity, thus crosses the finish line atop the 2023 year-end Top Latin Artist – New survey. When his album Génesis launched at No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200 in July, Pluma made history, achieving the highest charting regional Mexican album ever. Plus, it marked the biggest week, by units earned, for a regional Mexican album ever (dating back to when the tally began ranking by units in December of 2014). On the weekly Top Latin Albums chart, it set spent 15 weeks at No. 1, leading to a bronze medal on the year-end Top Latin Albums ranking.
Eslabon Armado also became a strong regional Mexican player on the charts in 2023, tracing its successes to global achievements. The group’s “Ella Baila Sola” with Pluma, which comfortably rests at No. 1 on the year-end Hot Latin Songs chart, became the first regional Mexican song to dominate the Billboard Global 200 chart (for six weeks). Further, as it scored a top 10 entry on the Hot 100, it became the first regional Mexican tune to achieve the feat in the chart’s 65-year-old history. “We didn’t expect for the song to make so much noise!” Pedro Tovar, lead singer for Eslabon, told Billboard. The group can thank TikTok for helping the song gain traction, the track quickly became a viral hit on the app two days after Tovar previewed it on his Instagram account stories.
In the female realm, Karol G repeats as the only woman to make it to the year-end Top Latin Artists ranking, closing the year at No. 3. While her Mañana Será Bonito album takes the runner-up slot on the year-end Top Latin Albums chart.
Karol G Unmatched: Karol G has become a staple of Latin music since she first broke into Billboard charts in 2016. Although her career-spanning trek is somewhat short, her outsized impact makes her the only Latin woman to snatch a spot on the top 25 of the overall year-end Top Artists list, at No. 23 (the only Latin female artist on the all-genre overall survey), while finishing at No. 6 on the Top Artists-Female ranking. Plus, she snags the highest honor for a woman on the year-end Top Latin Artists tally for a fifth consecutive year, restating her 2021 finale, at No. 3. The Colombian has placed 29 songs on the multimetric Hot Latin Songs chart during the year-end eligibility period, including “TQG,” with Shakira: The song’s No. 4 finish is the highest charting title by a female artist on the year-end Hot Latin Songs chart. The team-up, which also earned both Colombians their first Global 200 No. 1, stems from Karol G’s No. 1 album Mañana Será Bonito, the first all-Spanish-language leader by a woman in the history of the Billboard 200, which dates to 1956.
Shakira’s Radio Support: The year-end radio tallies see Shakira return in a big way, thanks to a strong push across stations throughout the year, most notably at the pop format. The Colombian becomes the only artist to place three songs in the top 10 on the year-end Latin Airplay Songs chart, starting with “TQG” with Karol G at No. 1. “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53”, her partnership with Argentinian Bizarrap, caused plenty of social media chatter about its content, enough to take the pair to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to perform the song in March. The track’s radio uptick puts it at No. 2 on the year-end radio ranking, while “Monotonía” with Ozuna closes at No. 4. Both songs ruled Latin Airplay for four weeks in 2023, the second-most after Frontera & Bad Bunny’s “Uno X100to” (six weeks atop).
Fresh Faces, New Rewards: Grupo Frontera: Despite placing the highest charting song for a regional Mexican group on the Hot 100 with Bunny’s push (“Un X100to,” No. 5 high in May), the Edinburgh, Texas-based group buoyed its success on cumbia hits “No Se Va” and “Bebe Dame,” with Fuerza Regida. With the latter the group claims a No. 5 finish on the year-end Hot Latin Songs chart and a No. 16 high on the year-end Latin Airplay Songs. The ensemble has become a heavyweight at the format, taking the No. 2 on both, the year-end Top Latin Artist-New and the year-end Latin Airplay-Artists rundown.
Yng Lvcas: Mexico’s trap and reggaetón interpreter Yng Lvcas made his first appearance on a Billboard albums chart when LPM debuted at No. 8 on Top Latin Albums in April, picking up his first top 10 there. The set’s cut “La Bebe,” with Peso Pluma, flourished swiftly on TikTok reaching global audiences with a No. 2 high on both Global charts in April. The song’s staggering popularity gives the 24-year-old a silver medal on the year-end Hot Latin Songs chart and a No. 3 finish on Top Latin Artists-New.
Bizarrap: Aside from his “Vol. 53” with Shakira taking center stage, the popular Latin producer spins another entry on the year-end Latin Airplay Songs chart: “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52” with Quevedo at No. 20. The partnership with the Spaniard rapper earned him a first top 10 on Hot Latin Songs in Nov. 2022. Further, Bizarrap unveiled three more “Music Sessions” on the multimetric tally, enough to become the only Argentinian to score an entry on the year-end Hot Latin Songs Artist recap, at No. 13. All in all, Bizarrap’s bona fides speak for themselves, and nabbing the No. 4 slot on the year-end Top Latin Artists-New is proof.
Young Miko: Puerto Rican Young Miko’s career has been rising with enough velocity that she’s scored four entries on Hot Latin Songs since the top 20 “Classy 101” with Feid in July. The Puerto Rican is the only Latin rhythm female newcomer to conquer the year-end Hot Latin Songs, with the collab at No. 19. Further, the song gives her a top 40 finale on year-end Latin Streaming Songs (at No. 37).
‘Here I Am,’ Says Tropical: Despite a slow takeoff in 2023, Tropical music saw a growth during the year, picking up where it left off with its ever-growing audience. Bachata, especially, made a high-water mark across charts, with songs on the format racking up a spot on Tropical Airplay: Manuel Turizo, Rosalía, Shakira, Ozuna, Prince Royce, Tommy Torres, Chayanne, even Justin Timberlake with his Romeo Santos collab, “Sin Fin,” secured a spot on the list. One artist, however, made a significant achievement among the bachata craze: Luis Figueroa, whose song “Bandido” became the first salsa track to crown Tropical Airplay among the five tropical tunes that notched their first weeks at No. 1 in 2023. The Puerto Rican is the only newcomer to secure two entries on the year-end Tropical Airplay Songs: “La Luz,” at No. 15 and “Fiesta Contigo” at No. 17.
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts from Nov. 19, 2022, through Oct. 21, 2023. Rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology detail, and the November-October time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate.
After Bad Bunny and Harry Styles ruled the 2022 year-end global rankings, 2023 is all about the ladies: Taylor Swift finishes as the No. 1 Billboard Global 200 Artist and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. Artist, while Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” is the No. 1 title on the year-end Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. recaps.
While the 2023 year-end tracking period began with the Nov. 19, 2022-dated chart, Cyrus rang in the calendar year almost immediately, with the Jan. 12 release of “Flowers.” By the end of the month, it debuted atop both global charts, and made itself at home. The song reigned for 13 weeks on Global Excl. U.S. and for 12 on the Global 200, tying Harry Styles’ “As It Was” for the longest run at No. 1 on the former list (dating back to its Sept. 2020 launch).
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Throughout the year, “Flowers” appeared on 39 of Billboard’s Hits of the World charts and topped lists in 26 international territories, including those in Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania. In North America, it crowned the U.S.-based Billboard Hot 100 for eight non-consecutive weeks, winding up No. 2 on its year-end tally.
Eight songs appear in the year-end top 10 of both global lists. In addition to “Flowers,” there’s Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down,” “SZA’s “Kill Bill,” Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero,” The Weeknd & Ariana Grande’s “Die For You,” Sam Smith & Kim Petras’ “Unholy,” David Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue),” and last year’s champion, Harry Styles’ “As It Was.”
The Global 200 top 10 is rounded out by Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage at No. 9 with “Creepin’” and Morgan Wallen at No. 10 with “Last Night.” On Global Excl. U.S., the two final missing pieces are Tom Odell’s “Another Love” at No. 9 and Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto, at No. 10. Last year, both charts’ top 10s contained the same songs, albeit in slightly different order.
Both lists’ top 10s are performed entirely in English. In each of their three annual recaps so far, “Dakiti” by Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez is the only non-English song to hit the top 10, at No. 6 for both in 2021. Still, six non-English songs topped the weekly Global Excl. U.S. survey during the 2023 tracking period, up from four in 2022 and three in 2021. This year’s haul includes the first Japanese-language song the reach the summit, via YOASOBI’s “Idol.”
Bolstered by the hangover success of last year’s Midnights, plus the July release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift finishes as the No. 1 Billboard Global 200 Artist and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. Artist. In all, she landed 54 songs on the former survey and 46 on the latter. In addition to new hits like “Anti-Hero” and “Karma,” featuring Ice Spice, Swift’s year on the charts was bolstered by buzz surrounding The Eras Tour. Though the trek never went beyond North America in the tracking period (the tour continues throughout next year, traveling from continent to continent), global buzz via word-of-mouth and social media spring boarded various hits across Swift’s eras onto the charts.
As the tour continues, so likely will her global chart success. Already in the 2024 tracking period, she has hit No. 1 on the Global 200 twice – first, with 2019’s “Cruel Summer,” and then with “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault),” one of 19 top-40 debuts from 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
Aside from Olivia Rodrigo as 2021’s No. 1 year-end Global 200 Artist, Cyrus and Swift are the first artists from the mainland U.S. to crown annual global recaps. BTS (South Korea) and Dua Lipa (U.K.) covered the other three in 2021, and Bad Bunny (Puerto Rico) and Harry Styles (U.K.) reigned over 2022.
Ed Sheeran and The Weeknd appear in the top 10 of both charts’ artist lists for the third year in a row. While global-chart-era hits like “Shivers” and “Save Your Tears” have been key to their sustained success, they’ve each maintained consistent weekly marks for older titles like “Perfect” and “Shape of You” for Sheeran and “The Hills” and “Starboy” for The Weeknd.
Just as Styles repeats in both top 10s with last year’s champ, “As It Was,” Bad Bunny is back on both artist tallies, at No. 2 on Global 200 Artists and No. 3 on Global Excl. U.S. Artists. Like Swift, he is setting himself for a successful 2024, as 19 songs from Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va A Pasar Manana debuted on each chart in the first week of the ’24 tracking period, including “Monaco” at No. 1 on both.
In year-end recaps for 2021 and 2022, Bad Bunny was the only Latin act to reach the top 10 of any of the four global charts. This year, he is joined in the top 10 by Peso Pluma (No. 6 – Global 200 Artists; No. 7 – Global Excl. U.S. Artists), plus Feid and Karol G, at Nos. 8-9, respectively, on Global Excl U.S. Artists.
NewJeans is the highest-ranking K-Pop act, at No. 9 on Global 200 Artists and No. 4 on Global Excl. U.S. Artists.
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts from Nov. 19, 2022, through Oct. 21, 2023. Rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology detail, and the November-October time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate.
Morgan Wallen rules Billboard’s 2023 year-end Hot 100 Artists chart, while his smash crossover single “Last Night” leads the year’s Hot 100 Songs recap.
He is the first artist that primarily records country music to top Hot 100 Artists since 1981, while “Last Night” is the first year-end Hot 100 Songs No. 1 by a solo male to have led the weekly Hot Country Songs list since 1959.
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Wallen commands Billboard’s 2023 year-end Hot 100 Artists chart, with “Last Night” one of 40 songs that he logged on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 during the chart year; five hit the top 10, all from his album One Thing at a Time – the No. 1 title on this year’s Billboard 200 Albums recap.
Notably, Wallen is the first artist that primarily records country music to claim the top Hot 100 Artists title since late legend Kenny Rogers in 1981.
“Last Night” leads the 2023 year-end Hot 100 Songs chart, having topped the weekly ranking, which blends streaming, radio airplay and sales data, for 16 weeks beginning in March – the most for a non-collaboration in the survey’s 65-year history. It led the Country Airplay chart for eight weeks and crossed over to No. 5 peaks on the Pop Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay charts.
The track also crowned the Hot Country Songs chart for 25 weeks. It’s just the third year-end Hot 100 Songs No. 1 to have led the weekly Hot Country Songs list, joining Faith Hill’s “Breathe” in 2000 and Johnny Horton’s “The Battle of New Orleans” in 1959, the only such hit by a male artist.
Meanwhile, with “Last Night” parent LP One Thing at a Time topping the 2023 Billboard 200 Albums recap, the year-end No. 1 on Hot 100 Songs is from the leading title on the Billboard 200 Albums tally for the first time since 2011, when Adele’s 21 and “Rolling in the Deep” doubled up, respectively. Wallen claims the first such twofer by a solo male since 2004, when Usher’s Confessions reigned as the year’s biggest album and its single “Yeah!,” featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, wrapped as the top song. Only two other solo males have achieved the feat: In 2003, 50 Cent finished with the No. 1 Billboard 200 album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, and Hot 100 song, “In Da Club,” after George Michael ruled in 1988 with, respectively, his album Faith and its title track.
“Last Night” is also the No. 1 title on the 2023 year-end Streaming Songs chart.
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SZA claims the No. 2 spot on the 2023 year-end Hot 100 Artists retrospective, thanks to 25 Hot 100 hits during the chart year. She achieved her first two Hot 100 No. 1s in that span, with “Kill Bill,” for a week in April, and as featured on Drake’s “Slime You Out,” for a week in September.
Taylor Swift ranks at No. 3 on Hot 100 Artists, followed by Drake at No. 4 and Luke Combs at No. 5. Swift’s “Anti-Hero” became the longest-leading Hot 100 No. 1 of her career, notching its eighth and last week on top in January; Drake upped his count to 13 No. 1s, thanks to “First Person Shooter,” featuring J. Cole, in October – tying Michael Jackson for the most leaders among solo men; and Combs hit No. 2 on the weekly chart with his cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” outperforming the original’s No. 6 peak in 1988. Combs’ remake ruled Country Airplay for five weeks, Hot Country Songs for four frames and Adult Pop Airplay for two weeks.
Rounding out the 2023 Hot 100 Artists top 10 are Miley Cyrus (No. 6), Zach Bryan (No. 7), 21 Savage (No. 8), Peso Pluma (No. 9) and The Weeknd (No. 10).
Cyrus’ “Flowers” places at No. 2 on the 2023 year-end Hot 100 Songs chart. It also dominates the Radio Songs ranking, having led the weekly list for 18 weeks – the most for a song by a woman since the chart began in 1990. The song, which became Cyrus’ second Hot 100 No. 1, after “Wrecking Ball” in 2013, and reigned for eight weeks from its debut in January, is also No. 1 on the year-end Adult Contemporary Songs and Adult Pop Airplay Songs charts.
SZA’s “Kill Bill” slashes its way to No. 3 on the year-end Hot 100 Songs chart, followed by Swift’s “Anti-Hero,” which leads the Digital Song Sales recap, at No. 4 and Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage’s “Creepin’” at No. 5.
Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” and The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s “Die for You” finish at Nos. 6 and 7, respectively, on the 2023 year-end Hot 100 Songs chart. Notably, both songs were not originally duets – Gomez joined on “Calm Down” and Grande was added to “Die for You” – and both traveled lengthy routes to their chart peaks. “Calm Down” was originally released in February 2022 by Rema; its mix with Gomez arrived that September; and the song hit No. 3 on the weekly Hot 100 this June. It also tops the year-end Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, having run up its record reign to 58 weeks in October, and the Pop Airplay Songs tally.
“Die for You” was even more vintage when it hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 in March, sparked by the arrival of its remix with Grande. It led six years, two months and three weeks after it debuted on the chart in December 2016, then from early interest on The Weeknd’s album Starboy – the longest such run to No. 1 ever among non-holiday songs.
Closing out the year-end Hot 100 Songs chart’s top 10, Combs’ “Fast Car” ranks at No. 8, SZA’s “Snooze” places at No. 9, and David Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” finishes at No. 10. In addition to Combs’ remake of Chapman’s classic, “Snooze” brought co-writer Babyface back to the weekly Hot 100’s top 10, with his history in the region dating to the ‘80s, while Guetta and Rexha’s collaboration reworks Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee),” a No. 6 hit in 2000.
Meanwhile, thanks to Wallen, Swift and Drake, among other artists, Republic Records tops Billboard’s 2023 year-end Hot 100 Labels chart. The label defends its 2022 title, after it also led in 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014. Plus, Swift rules Hot 100 Songwriters, with writing credits on 44 entries on the weekly ranking during the chart year, while Joey Moi, who produced “Last Night,” wraps at No. 1 on Hot 100 Producers.
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts from Nov. 19, 2022, through Oct. 21, 2023. Rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology detail, and the November-October time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate.
Morgan Wallen claims the year-end No. 1 on 2023 Billboard 200 Albums recap with his monster hit One Thing at a Time, which spent 16 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the weekly Billboard 200. It racked up the most weeks at No. 1 for any album since Adele’s 21 tallied 24 weeks atop the list in 2011-12.
One Thing at a Time was a constant presence after its release on the Billboard 200 during the 2023 chart year (Nov. 19, 2022-Oct. 21, 2023). It debuted at No. 1 on the March 18, 2023, chart and then spent the next 31 weeks of the chart year lodged in the top five of the chart, never dipping below No. 4 in that span of time.
Explore All of Billboard’s 2023 Year-End Charts
Wallen has led the year-end Billboard 200 Albums tally twice. He first triumphed in 2021 with Dangerous: The Double Album, which finishes 2023 as the year’s No. 5 title. It ranked at No. 3 for the year in 2022. It’s the first title to spend three years, consecutive or otherwise, in the year-end Billboard 200 Albums top 10 since the soundtrack to The Sound of Music (1965-67).
As Wallen is No. 1 on the year-end Billboard 200 Albums recap in 2023 with One Thing at a Time, and he led the tally in 2021 with Dangerous: The Double Album, he’s the first artist since 2005 to be No. 1 with two different albums within three years. In 2005, 50 Cent led the year-end Billboard 200 Albums tally with The Massacre, coming hot on the heels of his 2003 win with Get Rich or Die Tryin’.
Further, with both One Thing at a Time and Dangerous: The Double Album categorized as country efforts, Wallen is the first artist to claim two year-end No. 1s on the all-genre Billboard 200 Albums recap with a country album. Before Dangerous won in 2021, the only country efforts to be the year’s top Billboard 200 album were Taylor Swift’s Fearless (2009), Carrie Underwood’s Some Hearts (2006) and Garth Brooks’ Ropin’ the Wind (1992). Country albums are defined as those that are eligible for, or have charted on, Billboard’s weekly Top Country Albums chart.
One Thing at a Time’s crossover hit single “Last Night” crowns the year-end Hot 100 Songs recap. It’s the first time that the same artist has led both the year-end Billboard 200 and Hot 100 tallies since Adele in 2011 (with 21 and “Rolling In the Deep,” respectively).
At No. 2 on the year-end 2023 Billboard 200 Albums ranking is Taylor Swift’s Midnights. The set debuted at No. 1 on the Nov. 5, 2022-dated Billboard 200 and had two weeks of activity (Nov. 5-12, 2022) during the 2022 chart year, which placed the album at No. 4 on the 2022 year-end Billboard 200 Albums ranking. During the 2023 chart year, the album racked up three more weeks at No. 1 (it had two weeks at No. 1 in the 2022 chart year) and never left the weekly top 10 during the 2023 chart year.
Swift has placed at least one title in the year-end top 10 of the Billboard 200 Albums recap in the last six consecutive years, and in 14 of the last 16 years.
At No. 3 on the year-end Billboard 200 Albums recap is SZA’s first Billboard 200 No. 1, SOS. The smash set ruled the weekly chart for 10 weeks – the most of any R&B/hip-hop album or R&B album by a woman since Mariah Carey’s self-titled debut notched 11 in 1991.
Drake and 21 Savage’s Her Loss is No. 4 on the year-end tally, while Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album is No. 5. Metro Boomin’ Heroes & Villains ranks at No. 6, Bad Bunny’s year-end 2022 winner Un Verano Sin Ti is No. 7, while Zach Bryan’s breakthrough album American Heartbreak is No. 8.
Swift’s resurgent Lover album, which was released in 2019 and debuted atop the weekly Billboard 200, closes 2023 at No. 9. (In 2019, it was No. 4 for the year.) It flourished in new popularity in 2023 following the renaissance of its single “Cruel Summer,” which was the first proper song she performed during her much buzzed-about career-spanning The Eras Tour, which played U.S. stadiums from March to August.
Travis Scott’s latest release, Utopia, rounds out the year-end 2023 Billboard 200 Albums ranking at No. 10.
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts from Nov. 19, 2022, through Oct. 21, 2023. Rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology detail, and the November-October time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate.
Zach Bryan closes out 2023 as Billboard’s Top New Artist, the same year he claimed his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (with his self-titled set) and his first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart (“I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves). The 27-year-old singer-songwriter made a mainstream splash in […]
Taylor Swift triumphs atop Billboard’s 2023 year-end Top Artists chart, following her domination across both the Billboard 200 albums and Billboard Hot 100 songs chart this year.
Swift was previously the year-end top artist in 2015 and 2009, making her the first act to finish as the year-end No. 1 artist at least once in three different decades (the 2000s, ‘10s and ‘20s). Plus, she’s just the second act to be the year-end top artist three times, following Adele, in 2016, 2012 and 2011 (dating to the category’s 1981 inception).
Remarkably, she’s ranked among the Top Artists year-end top 10 in 14 of the last 16 years, including the last six in a row.
Explore All of Billboard’s 2023 Year-End Charts
Further demonstrating Swift’s sustained success on Billboard’s charts, the 14-year span from her first win as top artist in 2009 to her third in 2023 is the longest of any act. Previously, Swift and Usher were tied with the longest span of year-end victories, with six years between Swift’s first and second coronations as Top Artists (2009-15) and Usher’s pair of wins (1998-2004).
During the 2023 chart year, Swift logged 13 albums on the weekly Billboard 200 chart, including two that spent time at No. 1: her 2022 release Midnights and her third re-recorded album, 2023’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). The former finishes as the No. 2 title on the year-end Billboard 200 Albums recap. Meanwhile, her 2019 release Lover is No. 9. The latter, along with her catalog of albums, flourished in 2023 concurrent with her massive career-spanning The Eras Tour concert trek. In total on the year-end Billboard 200 Albums roundup, Swift is at Nos. 2 (Midnights), 9 (Lover), 11 (Speak Now [Taylor’s Version]), 12 (Folklore), 16 (1989), 17 (Red [Taylor’s Version]), 21 (Reputation), 29 (Evermore), 43 (Fearless [Taylor’s Version]) and 115 (Speak Now). Swift is also the year’s top finisher on the Billboard 200 Artists roundup.
On the weekly Hot 100 chart, Swift logged 44 songs during the 2023 chart year. On the year-end Hot 100 Songs ranking, she’s at Nos. 4 (“Anti-Hero”), 18 (“Cruel Summer”), 27 (“Karma,” featuring Ice Spice) and 32 (“Lavender Haze”).
Swift is the overall top female artist for a seventh year, while Morgan Wallen is the top male artist for the first time (No. 2 on the overall Top Artists list). Wallen also claims the year-end No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums recap with his 2023 release One Thing at a Time, which spent 16 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the weekly Billboard 200. The album’s crossover hit “Last Night” crowns the year-end Hot 100 Songs recap. It’s the first time that the same artist has led both the year-end Billboard 200 and Hot 100 tallies since Adele in 2011 (with 21 and “Rolling In the Deep,” respectively).
Wallen’s previous year-end Billboard 200 Albums champ, Dangerous: The Double Album, which topped the recap in 2021, is No. 5 on the 2023 list, after ranking at No. 3 in 2022. It’s the first title to spend three years, consecutive or otherwise, in the year-end Billboard 200 Albums top 10 since the soundtrack to The Sound of Music (1965-67).
Regional Mexican band Fuerza Regida is the top duo/group of 2023 – the first time an act that primarily records in Spanish has achieved the feat. (They are No. 38 on the overall Top Artists recap.) During the chart year, the act placed eight titles on the weekly Hot 100 and a pair of albums on the Billboard 200. Zach Bryan is the year’s top new artist (No. 6 on the overall Top Artists list), having scored his first No. 1s on both the weekly Billboard 200 (with his-self titled set) and Hot 100 (“I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves).
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts from Nov. 19, 2022, through Oct. 21, 2023. Rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology detail, and the November-October time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate. The Top Artists and Top New Artists categories ranks the best-performing overall acts, and new acts, of the year based on activity on the Billboard 200 albums and Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, as well as Billboard Boxscore (touring) data, for the 2023 tracking period.
Much has been written about Bad Bunny‘s remarkable year, but he’s not the only Latin artist who made headlines in 2022. From Karol G‘s record-setting tour to Coachella featuring the most Latin acts ever on the lineup to Daddy Yankee‘s manager going to prison, the year was chock-full of big news in Latin music. Here are the 10 stories that helped define the genre’s biggest year yet.
Year of the Bunny
With a smash-hit album and two back-to-back, record-breaking tours this year, Bad Bunny redefined success for a modern Latin artist. The Puerto Rican hitmaker had his biggest year to date, finishing out 2022 as Billboard’s top artist of the year and releasing the first all-Spanish album (Un Verano Sin Ti) to be ranked No. 1 on the Billboard 200 year-end albums chart. He also finished as the year’s top touring act — making him the first Latin act to do so — with a total gross of $373.5 million from 1.8 million tickets sold across 65 shows (the combination of El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo and World’s Hottest Tour). But the superstar wasn’t done yet, as year-end tracking ended while he was still in the middle of the Latin American leg of World’s Hottest Tour. After finally wrapping that run on Dec. 10 in Mexico City, he closed 2022 with a record-breaking $435 million in tour grosses on the Billboard Boxscore charts. Named Spotify’s most-streamed artist globally for the third consecutive year and Apple Music’s 2022 artist of the year, Bunny’s genre-hopping Un Verano Sin Ti also made history last month when it became the first Spanish-language album ever to be nominated for the Grammy Award for album of the year.
That One Time Latin Music Surpassed Country
In its first streaming week in May, Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti (which spent 13 nonconsecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200) accounted for 18% of all U.S. Latin on-demand streams, pushing the genre’s streaming market share past country for the first time ever and resulting in its highest streaming week to date with over 1.8 billion weekly ODA streams. That’s bigger than any weekly streaming total for the country genre so far, according to Luminate.
Karol G Sets New Touring Record
This year, Colombian powerhouse Karol G made touring history with her ambitious $trip Love Tour. The trek finished its run as the highest U.S.-grossing tour ever by a female Latin act, grossing $69.9 million and selling 410,000 tickets across 33 shows in North America, according to Billboard Boxscore. With $Trip Love, the “Provenza” singer surpassed the totals earned by Jennifer Lopez‘s $50 million grossing It’s My Party World Tour in 2019 and Shakira‘s 2018 El Dorado World Tour, which grossed $28.2 million. Karol’s AEG-produced arena tour followed last year’s Bichota Tour — the superstar’s first-ever headlining trek in the U.S. — which grossed $13.4 million and sold 192,000 tickets across 26 shows in North America.
Postponed Tours
Not all Latin touring efforts ended in success stories. J Balvin, Anuel AA and Ozuna postponed their 2022 tours for a multitude of reasons, from production challenges to personal matters. In April, just seven days before his CMN-produced Jose tour was set to kick off, Balvin took to social media to deliver the news of its cancellation to his millions of followers. “COVID has caused some unforeseen production challenges, and I wouldn’t be able to keep my promise of giving you the absolute best show possible, he wrote in English and Spanish. In July, Anuel announced that he was rescheduling the Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren U.S. tour — presented by CMN and slated to kick off in August — to 2023. In a statement, the Puerto Rican artist explained that he was pushing back the tour to focus on personal matters. “I’ve been thinking that I need to take some time to recharge my batteries,” he said, noting his desire to “reorganize” his personal life and career. (New dates have already been announced for next year.) On the other hand, Ozuna — who announced dates for the U.S. leg of his OzuTochi Tour in May — postponed without giving an official explanation. His and Balvin’s tours have yet to be rescheduled.
One Latin Executive Goes to Prison, Another is Due in Court in 2023
In May, Daddy Yankee and Natti Natasha’s manager Raphy Pina was sentenced to three years in prison for illegal possession of firearms. The veteran music executive and producer, who also founded Pina Records in 1996, is currently serving his time in federal prison in Florida. Also making headlines for his legal woes in 2022 was DEL Records CEO Angel del Villar, who was arrested in June for alleged shady dealings. Currently released on bond, del Villar is charged with “conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act,” according to an official statement issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and “conducting business with a Guadalajara-based concert promoter with ties to Mexican drug cartels.” DEL Records is the indie regional Mexican label that’s home to the chart-topping group Eslabon Armado, who in May made history when their album Nostalgia became the first Mexican music album ever to hit the top 10 on the Billboard 200. If convicted of violating the Kingpin Act, Del Villar — whose trial is expected to begin in October 2023 in Los Angeles — could face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
A Shakeup in Jenni Rivera’s Estate
Earlier this year, Jenni Rivera’s daughter Jacqie Rivera took over as head of her mother’s estate — replacing her aunt Rosie Rivera, who had been at the helm since the regional Mexican singer’s untimely death in December 2012. Since taking over, Jacqie tapped Izabel Nicholas as general manager for Jenni Rivera Enterprises, while Oswaldo Rossi has remained the estate’s lawyer and Entotal Agency is handling artist management. When Rivera died ten years ago, at age 43, she was the single most successful woman in regional Mexican on the Billboard charts, boasting over 26 entries on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart. Most recently, Rivera’s children (Chiquis, Jacqie, Michael, Jenicka and Johnny) released “Misión Cumplida,” a song written by their mother in 2008. The song is part of Rivera’s forthcoming album — set to be released by Sony Music U.S. Latin — that will include other unreleased songs the Rivera estate discovered after her death.
Close to That Billion-Dollar Mark
U.S. recorded music revenues were up in the first half of 2022, according to the RIAA, growing 9% in the first six months of the year — but Latin music far surpassed that percentage increase, with revenue growing 23% in the first half of the year for a total of $510 million. Latin music is now on course to generate over $1 billion in the U.S. by year’s end. According to the RIAA’s Latin-specific report, shared exclusively with Billboard Español, music streaming formats were the “fundamental growth driver,” comprising a staggering 97% of total Latin music revenues. Among total streaming revenues, paid subscriptions comprised the biggest source of sales at 71% — accounting for 69% of overall Latin revenues at $350 million.
A Very Latin Coachella
From Karol G to Anitta to Nathy Peluso to Grupo Firme, Latin artists took over Coachella this year. The 2022 edition of the festival — which returned to Indio, Calif. in April after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic — doubled the number of Latin acts from the 2020 roster with more than 20 multi-genre Latin artists. The move reflected the overall demand for Latin artists and the success Latin acts enjoyed once live events resumed. According to data from concert discovery app Bandsintown, between Jan. 2019 and Jan. 2022, the interest of live music fans in the top 16 Latin artists on Coachella’s 2022 lineup grew by 533% on the platform. This included Grupo Firme, who alone saw a 5,294% growth in fan interest on Bandsintown during that timeframe. This year, Firme made history by becoming the first banda to ever perform at Coachella, while Anitta became the first Brazilian to perform a set on the fest’s main stage.
Latin Goes Global
Latin music had a banner year not only in the U.S. but in other markets including Europe, where Latin acts are finally seeing a breakthrough. Artists such as Bad Bunny, Karol G, Rosalía, Maluma, Anitta and Camilo are spearheading the globalization of Latin music on the continent, making inroads in a market that was slow to latch on to the genre just a few years ago. Global touring powerhouse Rosalía has earned $28.1 million (so far) and sold 343,000 tickets across three continents on her Motomami world tour, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, landing her at No. 7 on the year-end Top Latin Tours chart. Also going global was Mexican crooner Marco Antonio Solís, who toured Europe for the first time, holding shows in Paris, Madrid and London as part of his Que Ganas De Verte world tour. Additionally, Camilo had a historic and record-breaking performance in front of the iconic Puerta de Alcalá in Madrid in September, drawing a crowd of more than 80,000 fans.
‘90s Nostalgia
Last year, Los Bukis reunited after 25 years to embark on their historic Una Historia Cantada stadium tour, presented by Live Nation — ultimately landing the group at No. 6 on Billboard’s Top Tours of 2021 with a total gross of $49,667,153. In 2022, they returned with a second leg of the tour, during which they played two back-to-back shows at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. At that venue, the group gathered 100,000 fans over two nights, breaking their previous record at the venue set in 1995. The success of the Los Bukis reunion started something of a nostalgia-driven movement in Latin music this year. This trend included the inaugural Bésame Mucho festival, which took place at Dodger Stadium on Dec. 3 with a ’90s-’00s-inspired lineup of pop, regional Mexican, merengue, cumbia and rock-en-español artists — and sold out in just 12 minutes. This coming February, a ’90s Latin pop concert featuring Magneto, Kabah, Caló, Sentidos Opuestos and more is slated to take place at Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater.
Looking back at the fast-paced year that was 2022, R&B/hip-hop experienced its share of wins from a successful post-pandemic touring season starring The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige to Rihanna’s long-awaited return with new music and the Super Bowl LVII halftime gig. But also sharing headline space were high-profile court cases involving Young Thug and others plus the loss of more young rappers to violence. Here are 10 business stories and trends that resonated during the genres’ tumultuous year.
Building Equity in the Live Music Industry
Moving forward on its mission two years ago to bring more diversity and equity to the live music industry, the Black Promoters Collective finished at No. 13 on Boxscore’s year-end list of top 25 promoters — headed by Live Nation — with a total gross of $100.7 million. The eight-member collective also scored three tours in the top 100 year-end tally: New Edition’s 30-city The Culture Tour with Charlie Wilson and Jodeci (No. 52), Mary J. Blige’s 23-city Good Morning Gorgeous fall outing featuring Ella Mai and Queen Naija (No. 54) and Maxwell’s 25-city The Night Tour with Anthony Hamilton and Joe (No. 86). Among Boxscore’s top 10 tally of R&B/hip-hop tours, New Edition placed sixth grossing $37.7 million and Blige claimed seventh place with $37.2 million. Holding down No. 1 on the list was The Weeknd (gross not revealed), followed by Kendrick Lamar in second place ($70.4 million) and Post Malone in third ($53.5 million). Calling 2022 a banner year for the BPC, CEO Gary Guidry notes, “We’ve only just begun.” Adds CMO Troy Brown, “There needs to be a home for voices of color, owned by voices of color, led by voices of color, steeped in the culture with a keen understanding of creativity, programming, data, insights and innovation.”
Young Thug, Gunna Indicted on RICO Charges
Atlanta rappers Young Thug and Gunna were among 28 people indicted on May 9 in Georgia on conspiracy to violate the state’s RICO act and street gang charges. According to the indictment, Young Thug is allegedly one of three founders of the Young Slime Life, “a criminal street gang that started in late 2012” with ties to the national Bloods gang. Charges against him, Gunna and other alleged gang members include “preserving, protecting and enhancing the reputation, power and territory of the enterprise through acts of racketeering activity including murder, assault and threats of violence.” Strongly refuting the charges, both rappers have been jailed since May after being denied bond multiple times. In November, a Georgia judge rejected prosecutors’ request for a three-month trial delay until March 27, 2023. Jury selection is set for Jan. 5 with the trial to commence on Jan. 9.
In the latest update: Gunna was released from jail on Dec. 14 after pleading guilty to a single charge against him and was given a time-served, suspended sentence. In a statement released by his lawyers, Gunna said he took the plea deal to “end my personal ordeal.” He also stated, “I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way.”
California Legislates Rap Lyrics Bill
In September, California became the first state in the nation to sign a rap lyrics bill into law. The Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act will restrict when prosecutors can cite rap lyrics as criminal evidence against the artists who wrote them. California’s enactment comes after years of criticism over the practice of citing rap lyrics in court cases, opening the door to unfair racial bias. New York lawmakers came close to passing similar legislation (Senate Bill S7527 or “Rap Music on Trial”) earlier this year and plan to revisit those efforts when they reconvene in January. Democrats also introduced a federal version in the U.S. House of Representatives. The push for state and federal legislation has been fueled by the upcoming trial against Young Thug and Gunna, whose indictments heavily quote from their lyrics. Among artists supporting the need for a rap lyrics bill are Jay-Z, Meek Mill and Killer Mike. 300 Entertainment chairman/CEO Kevin Liles — whose company houses Young Thug’s Young Stoner Life Records imprint — and Atlantic Music Group chairman/CEO Julie Greenwald also launched a Change.org petition, “Rap Music on Trial: A Petition to Protect Black Art.” In their petition, which currently numbers more than 67,500 signatures, the two executives urged signees “to step up, support these efforts, and get this [New York] bill across the finish line.”
Rihanna Returns
Fans may still be awaiting Rihanna’s hotly anticipated next album. But in the meantime, they received a welcome one-two punch. First, when the new mom and Savage X Fenty chief posted a photo of herself holding an NFL-branded football on Instagram to confirm that she’ll be headlining the 2023 Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show on Feb. 12, 2023. And second, when the Grammy-winning artist released her first new single in more than five years: “Lift Me Up” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. Debuting as her eighth No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart — and No. 2 on the Hot 100 — “Lift Me Up” is a newly minted Golden Globes nominee for best original song, motion picture.
Brent Faiyaz, Indie Disruptor
Repping for R&B’s vibrant independent scene, singer-songwriter Brent Faiyaz went head-to-head against Bad Bunny in July — and bowed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with his debut album Wasteland, accumulating 88,000 album-equivalent units. Released on Faiyaz’s Lost Kids label with distribution through indies Stem and Venice, Wasteland features the single “All Mine” which reached No. 4 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. He’s managed by Colture (an acronym for Can Our Leverage Teach Us Real Equity), co-founded by Ty Baisden and Jayne Andrew. “Being able to really do things that even major-label artists haven’t been able to accomplish from an independent perspective is important,” Baisden noted in Billboard’s 2022 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players issue. Added fellow power honoree Andrew, “Colture is for the alternative thinker. We don’t do things the normal way because we aren’t normal, and we like that.”
Changing Lanes
Hip-hop also witnessed some high-profile signings in 2022. Youngboy Never Broke Again signed with Motown (whose chairman/CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam recently announced her impending exit) while Kodak Black (“Super Gremlin”) is headed to Capitol. Youngboy’s move came a year after he entered into a joint venture between his Never Broke Again collective and Motown; his first album for the legendary label is due in 2023. Youngboy and Black were labelmates at Atlantic. Billboard reported in October that Black still had two releases left under his Atlantic agreement, the first of which was the Oct. 28 compilation Kutthroat Bill: Vol 1. It debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200. Meek Mill also exited Atlantic earlier this year and is now an indie artist on his Dream Chaser Records.
Kanye West Officially Loses Billionaire Status
2022 was a turbulent one for Ye. His egregious antisemitic comments from October’s Drink Champs interview resulted in Adidas and Gap terminating their partnerships with the controversial rapper. According to Forbes, those losses shrank Ye’s bank accounts, officially disqualifying his billionaire status. Along with being dropped by Adidas and Gap, Balenciaga and Vogue magazine curtailed their relationships with Ye following the interview. His divorce from Kim Kardashian was finalized in November, with court documents detailing that the former couple will share physical and joint custody of their four children and that Ye must pay $200,000 monthly in child support.
Verzuz Vs. Triller
After making news a year earlier via its March 2021 partnership with Triller — under which they allocated a portion of their equity in the new entity to 43 artists who initially performed on the platform — Verzuz co-founders Swizz Beatz and Timbaland appointed Steve Pamon, former president/COO of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s Parkwood Entertainment, as president. His purview includes overseeing production and logistical operations for the livestream series. Several months later, Beatz and Timbaland sued Triller, alleging that the latter still owed them $28 million from the 2021 sale. Triller countered saying the pair had already been paid “over $50 million in cash and stock to-date” and that the company believed the pair had not yet met certain required thresholds for further payments. The lawsuit was settled amicably in September with no further details revealed.
More Rappers Lost to Gun Violence
Continuing a sad — and preventable — trend, this year witnessed the untimely deaths of several more young rappers owing to gun violence. Among those lost: Migos founding member Takeoff, PnB Rock and Young Dolph. In an article titled “Hip-Hop Needs an Intervention” for The Atlantic, northern California rap pioneers Too $hort and E-40 said, “We just need to find better ways to support each other. This is our generation’s responsibility as much as it is for the young MCs … We have to turn the corner.”
Megan Thee Stallion, Tory Lanez Case Goes to Trial
Two years have elapsed since Tory Lanez was accused of shooting Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion in the foot on July 12, 2020. Now, as the year winds down, the closely watched trial finally got underway with opening statements in a Los Angeles court on Dec. 12. On the second day of the trial (Dec. 13), an emotional Megan took the witness stand before a packed gallery that included Desiree Perez, CEO of Megan’s management company Roc Nation, activist Tamika Mallory, Lanez and his family. Noted a tearful Stallion at one point, “I wish he had just shot and killed me.” On days three and four, Megan’s former friend and assistant Kelsey Harris offered conflicting testimony about the incident. The trial is expected to last eight business days, with a verdict due around Dec. 21.