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The 50 Best Albums of 2022: Staff List

While every year of the streaming era — maybe every year of the post-Napster era — has brought with it concerns about the health of the full-album format, 2022 ended up making a pretty convincing argument that the LP could still be just as vital in the culture as it was during Tower Records’ heyday. Huge stars came through with enormous albums this past year, dominating discussion, drawing rave reviews, changing careers, and (in at least one or two cases) putting up numbers that previously seemed close to impossible at this point in pop history. (And thanks to a renewed interest in CD packaging and the continued growth of the vinyl market, fans were spending money on actual physical copies of many of these albums, a practice that seemed to be going nearly extinct not that long ago.)

But it wasn’t just the already-big going (and getting) bigger in 2022. Some new and still-rising artists found their voices in unexpected and thrilling ways, scoring breakout hits and connecting with new audiences. Some veteran artists continued to hone their trademark craft, making satisfying and well-received comebacks that made us wish they hadn’t left us for so long beforehand. And some of our preeminent hitmakers continued to evolve and challenge audiences with unexpected shifts in their sound and vision, resulting in returns that were less commercially explosive but even more artistically rewarding.

Here are our 50 favorite albums from this year — sets which both made us nostalgic for the format’s past, and excited about its future.

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RM Gets Stuck in Time in ‘Still Life’ Music Video: Watch

Fans wondering when a second video from RM‘s Indigo would be released did not have to wait long. On Tuesday (Dec. 6), the BTS rapper dropped a visual to accompany “Still Life (with Anderson .Paak),” which quite literally sees the K-pop idol suspended in time.

RM starts off the video sitting in a train, reading from a journal. But as soon as the song’s lyrics kicks in, the setting around him starts to freeze — first the outside landscape and people on the train, then an empty coffee cup, and then figures of himself as he moves through the train and raps the poppy track. The series of events appear to be a dream as a train attendant asks him if he requires assistance; the still landscape and people on the train begin moving again.

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The Indigo album cycle has been a whirlwind so far for the BTS star. The video for the album’s lead single “Wild Flower” arrived with the 10-song set, and hours later, he appeared on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series to perform tracks from the album.

Speaking about Indigo on Suchwita, Suga of BTS’ sit-down talk show, RM said, “It’s been 15 years [since we started pursuing music] and yet in a sense, this is my first album. So after 15 long years I finally have a chance to prove to myself in the form of a solo album. That’s what I felt.”

RM also added that he was happy to have the chance to make a statement about who he is as an artist now on Indigo, because “to be honest, in my Mono album, I had doubts and concerns for about half the songs in there, but I don’t think that’s going to be the case for this album.”

Watch the video for “Still Life” above.

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Morgan Wallen Extends 2023 Tour With More Concerts

Morgan Wallen‘s stacked 2023 tour just got even busier, with the singer-songwriter adding 14 new shows across 13 cities to his massive 2023 One Night at a Time World Tour, making for back-to-back nights at 10 stadium shows.

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The outing will visit 26 stadiums, plus arenas, amphitheaters and festivals over four countries and two continents. The tour launches overseas March 15 with concerts in New Zealand and Australia (featuring HARDY), before the trek returns to the United States starting April 14 with a show at Milwaukee’s American Family Field (also featuring HARDY).

The tour will also visit New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Boston’s Fenway Park with Parker McCollum, before concluding Oct. 7 at Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Wash. ERNEST and Bailey Zimmerman will open shows across all tour dates, U.S. and internationally.

Wallen also recently released the three-song sampler One Thing at a Time, which includes the tracks “One Thing at a Time,” “Tennessee Fan,” and “Days That End in Why.” He also has a new single at country radio, with “Thought You Should Know” residing in the top 20 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart.

New 2023 Tour Dates include:

  • April 14: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
  • May 19: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  • June 1: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
  • June 8: Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater, Virginia Beach, VA
  • June 14: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
  • June 22: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
  • June 29: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
  • July 6: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
  • July 14: Petco Park, San Diego, CA
  • July 19: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
  • Aug. 17: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
  • Sept. 14: Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON
  • Sept. 15: Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON
  • Oct. 3: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
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KWTO News

Westbound I-44 Shut Down Between Chestnut Expressway and James River Freeway Exits West of Springfield

Both lanes of westbound I-44 have been shut down west of the Springfield city limits at the 69.2 mile marker following a crash early Tuesday morning.

We had reports that emergency vehicles were blocking the left lane of eastbound I-44 in that area, but that lane closure is no longer in effect as of 7:30 a.m.

Westbound traffic is being forced to exit at the Chestnut Expressway exit.

KOLR-10 is reporting two crashes in that area Tuesday morning, with one of them involving a car where the passenger had to be extricated, and another involving a semi-tractor unit and two dump trucks.

There’s been no information released on injuries.

This article is provided by Ozarks News – 93.3 KWTO
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Selena Gomez Is Working on New Music: ‘I’m Ready to Have Some Fun’

If you want something done, ask a busy person. Selena Gomez is that person.

The pop artist and actor has crammed it in of late. She stars in Only Murders in the Building alongside Steve Martin and Martin Short; helms the cooking show Selena + Chef; and takes the lead on the documentary My Mind & Me, a personal story on mental health, seven years in the making.

The Apple TV+ series My Mind & Me spawned a single of the same name, and an official music video.

There’s more music to come, says Gomez, who’s keen to switch gears and get back to a party vibe.

On Monday night (Dec. 5), Gomez stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for a chat about her hectic schedule.

Does the new single suggest there’s more music coming? “That’s accurate,” she tells Fallon. “Finally.”

Gomez’s last studio album was 2020’s Rare, which, like its two predecessors, peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

“I’m so used to writing sad-girl songs,” she tells Fallon, noting recording session are taking place in New York City. “But I’m ready to have some fun and I think people are going to like it.”

Don’t expect 2023 to be a cruise. Filming for season 3 of Only Murders will kick off in January, Gomez admits during her stint on the late-night couch.

Are the two Martins rubbing off on her? Sure, she’s a little snarky, a little grumpy, otherwise not so much. Gomez also recounts her “oh my god” moment when Meryl Streep came over to say “hi” and kiss her hand (“it was such a surreal moment”).

The artist spoke at some length about her charity work and advocacy, and the purpose it gives her. “I do know I won’t stop this fight until the day I die. I think mental health is incredibly important and should be focused on.”

Watch below.

Gomez stuck around to play a round of “Egg Roulette” with Fallon, a game in which the host and guest take turns smashing eggs on their own heads without knowing which are hard-boiled and which are raw.

If she was having flashbacks, the blame could be attributed to playing “Hot Ones” with Fallon in 2019, an eating game, she recounts, that ended with her barfing in her dressing room.

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Fleetwood Mac’s Music Spikes In U.K. Following Christine McVie’s Death

When news of Christine McVie’s death reached the U.K., her fans turned to Fleetwood Mac‘s music.

The English singer and songwriter died last Wednesday (Nov. 30) following a “short illness,” her family explained. She was 79.

Now, based on sales and streaming data captured by the Official Charts Company, the group’s iconic 1977 LP Rumours (Rhino/Warner Bros) is surging, and is on track for a return to the top 10.

The set, which led the chart for a single week following its release, rises 28-9 on the midweek survey, thanks to a 200% week-on-week uplift, the OCC reports. Further down the chart blast, Fleetwood Mac’s hits collection 50 Years – Don’t Stop vaults 29-14.

McVie was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame for her work with Fleetwood Mac, which she joined in 1970.

She wrote and sang lead vocals on a raft of the group’s biggest songs, including “Hold Me,” “Little Lies,” “Don’t Stop,” “Say You Love Me” and “You Make Loving Fun.” 

During her lifetime, she received a Gold Badge of Merit Award from the Ivors Academy, the Ivor Novello Award for lifetime achievement, and two Grammy Awards.

With McVie in the lineup, Fleetwood Mac had 25 Hot 100 hits in the United States, including nine top 10s on the Billboard Hot 100 and one No. 1 smash: “Dreams” in 1977.

In the U.K., the band has ten top 10 singles, including a No. 1 with 1968’s “Albatross” (a pre-McVie lineup), and four No. 1 albums.

The Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Friday.

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Mariah Carey Jingles to Lead on Midweek U.K. Chart

The queen of Christmas is here to reclaim her crown.

Based on midweek data published by the Official U.K. Charts Company, Mariah Carey’s classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (Columbia) is the race leader, lifting 8-1.

Proving that Brits are in the mood for the holiday season, Carey’s “Christmas” leads an all-yuletide top three on the midweek survey, ahead of Wham’s “Last Christmas” (RCA) and Ed Sheeran’s “Merry Christmas” (Atlantic), respectively.

All three singles have led the Official U.K. Singles Chart, with “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and “Last Christmas” taking the long route to the top – and smashing records along the way.

Originally released in 1994, Carey’s “Christmas” finally reached the summit in December 2020 to complete a 26-year journey. According to the OCC, no other song has spent more weeks in the top 40 before reaching the top.

Wham’s enduring pop hit also set a new record when, last Christmas, the single was crowned for the first time in its 36-year history. No other track has taken such a long stroll to the chart apex, an effort that eclipsed the 33-year effort of Tony Christie’s “(Is This The Way To) Amarillo.”

As Christmas playlists around the country get a solid work out, holiday tunes flood the chart blast, including top 10 reentries for Brenda Lee (“Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” up 19-7 via MCA), Michael Buble (“It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” up 24-8 via Reprise) and Shakin’ Stevens (“Merry Christmas Everyone” up 29-10 via RCA), while musical gifts from the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl, Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson and Band Aid, Bobby Helms and Chris Rea are eying the top 20.

The highest new entry on the chart blast belongs to Lewis Capaldi with “Pointless” (Vertigo), at No. 18. Co-written with Ed Sheeran, it’s the second single taken from his upcoming studio LP Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent, and it should give the Scottish artist his seventh top 40 appearance.

The Official U.K. Singles Chart is published late Friday.

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Olly Murs On Track For U.K. Chart Crown With ‘Marry Me’

Olly MursMarry Me (via EMI) is walking up the aisle for a U.K. No. 1.

The English pop singer’s seventh studio LP leads the midweek chart, and is heading for a fifth U.K. No. 1 following In Case You Didn’t Know (from 2011), Right Place Right Time (2012), Never Been Better (2014) and 24 HRS (2016).

The X Factor alum has brushed off controversy surrounding the lyrics to Marry Me song “I Hate You When You’re Drunk,” to take pole position on the Official Chart Update, ahead of Taylor Swift’s Midnights (EMI) and Cliff Richard’s Christmas With Cliff (EastWest/Rhino), respectively.

Meanwhile, Atlanta hip-hop producer Metro Boomin could score a career-best with Heroes & Villains (Republic Records), his sophomore solo studio album. It’s new at No. 4 on the Official Chart Update.

Metro Boomin (real name Leland Tyler Wayne) previously impacted the chart with 2018’s Not All Heroes Wear Capes (No. 16) and 2020’s Savage Mode II with 21 Savage (No. 10).

Veteran British electronic music duo Leftfield could snag a fourth top 10 with This Is What We Do (Virgin Music), their first new studio record in seven years. It’s new at No. 8 on the chart blast. The duo of Neil Barnes and Adam Wren hit No. 3 with their classic debut from 1995, Leftism; No. 1 with 1999’s Rhythm And Stealth; and No. 6 with 2015’s Alternative Light Source.

BTS star RM’s solo debut Indigo (BigHit Entertainment) could enter the top 40 at the first attempt. It’s new at No. 27 on the chart blast. As a member of BTS, the South Korean rapper has enjoyed U.K. No. 1s with Map Of The Soul – Persona in 2019, and Map Of The Soul – 7 in 2020.

Christmas has already arrived on the U.K. charts, with several titles making an impression on the midweek albums survey.

Behind Cliff Richard’s first yuletide offering in almost 20 years is Michael Bublé’s Christmas (Reprise), which is on track for its annual return to the top 5, up 11-5; Andrea, Matteo and Virginia Bocelli’s A Family Christmas (Decca) dips 6-5; Andre Rieu & Johann Strauss Orchestra’s Silver Bells (Decca) is up 10-7; Aled Jones & Russell Watson’s Christmas With Aled & Russell (BMG) lifts 37-29; and the Corrs’ lead vocalist Andrea Corr could grab a solo career-best with The Christmas Album (Atlantic), new at No. 32 on the midweek chart.

Finally, Fleetwood Mac is staging a return to the top ten, following Christine McVie’s death Nov. 30, aged 79. The Rock Hall inductees’ 1977 LP Rumours (Rhino/Warner Bros) experiences a 200% week-on-week gain, and is on track for a top 10 return, up 28-9; while 50 Years – Don’t Stop (Rhino) could lift 29-14.

All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Friday.

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Jim Stewart, Founder of Stax Records, Dies at 92

Jim Stewart, the founder of Stax Records, the iconic Memphis, TN label that launched the careers of Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, the Bar-Kays and many others, and shaped the sound of soul music, died Monday (Dec. 5) at the age of 92.

Stax Records (formerly Satellite) was founded in 1957 by sibling Stewart and Estelle Axton, and would go on to trigger the “Soul Explosion,” a movement that rumbles on to this day.

Born July 29, 1930, in Middletown, TN, Stewart relocated to Memphis as a young man. He served for two years in the armed forces, then tried his hand at music.

Playing in a band wasn’t his strong suit, but Stewart would forge a home and career with music. An allrounder, he was a producer and engineer in the studio, a record label executive, a promotions man on the go, and, importantly, a team player.

As a producer, he oversaw sessions for Carla Thomas’ “Gee Whiz” (1961), Sam & Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Comin’” (1966) and Rufus Thomas’ “Walking the Dog” (1963), and worked on such albums as Booker T. & The M.G.’s Green Onions (1962), Redding’s Pain in My Heart and Albert King’s Born Under a Bad Sign (1967).

Stax Records — a combination of the first two letters of the owners’ last names — would rent the abandoned Capitol Theater on McLemore Avenue and, from there, make music history.

“Today we lost an important piece of American music history,” comments Michele Smith, vice president of estate & legacy brand management at Craft Recordings and Stax Records.

Stewart’s legacy “will live on through the Stax Records label that he founded, and the artists, musicians, and fans worldwide that love Stax music. I’m not sure if he ever realized the immense impact that he had on soul music across the globe, and he will be sorely missed. Our condolences go out to his friends and family, especially his children and grandchildren.”

The “Soul Explosion” and the Stax philosophy “wasn’t just about penetrating the market with as much music as possible, it was also about releasing the best music possible,” wrote Billboard in 2019, as Stax celebrated a milestone anniversary.

In the segregated south, Stax was something of an artistic oasis, a space for musicians to come together and create.

Among the many artists who bagged hits on Stax and its Volt subsidiary during the 1960s were Rufus and Carla Thomas, Booker T. & the MGs, Sam and Dave, Johnnie Taylor, Albert King, and Redding.

Following the untimely death of Redding in 1967, Stax would recalibrate and unearth a new fresh crop of stars, including Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers, and the Dramatics.

Financial troubles would see Stax enter into involuntary bankruptcy in 1975. Its output during a 15-year golden period, however, would see Stax establish its reputation as a “critical” piece of “American music history,” reads a statement from the label, as “one of the most popular soul music record labels of all time – second only to Motown in sales and influence, but first in gritty, raw, stripped-down soul music.”

During that period, Stax placed more than 167 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and 243 hits on the R&B chart, reads an official statement from the label.

Today, the original Stax property at East McClemore is home to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, with the Stax Music Academy and Soulsville Charter School close by, and many of its classic recordings live on popular culture as samples.

In 2002, the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame celebrated Stewart’s career with the Ahmet Ertegun Award. Also, HBO Documentary Films is said to be in production on STAX, a multiple-part documentary series exploring the legendary label.

Stewart is survived by his wife Evelyn Stewart, sisters Estelle Axton and Mary Lucille McAlpin, three children — Lori Stewart, Shannon Stewart and Jeff Stewart — and by grandchildren Alyssa Luibel and Jennifer Stewart.

Plans for a memorial are pending. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Stax Music Academy, which aims to inspire young people and enhance their academic, cognitive, performance, and leadership skills by utilizing music.

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Here Are All the Performers & Presenters for the 2022 People’s Choice Awards

Lauren Spencer-Smith will perform her hit “Fingers Crossed” on the 2022 People’s Choice Awards, which are set to air on both NBC and E! on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The song reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January.

Shania Twain, this year’s Music Icon Award recipient, will also take the stage at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif., to perform a medley of her hits as well as her new single “Waking Up Dreaming.” The new song is from her upcoming sixth studio album, Queen of Me.

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It’s doubtless just a coincidence, but both singers are Canadian, as is actor and budding director Ryan Reynolds, who will receive the People’s Icon Award. (Spencer-Smith was born in England, but moved to Canada when she was 3.)

Lizzo is set to receive the People’s Champion Award but is not slated to perform.

Kenan Thompson will host the 2022 People’s Choice Awards. Amy Poehler, Billy Porter, David Spade, Ana Gasteyer and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez are among the presenters.

“Live From E!: The 2022 People’s Choice Awards” will air at 7 p.m. ET/PT on E!. Both shows are produced by Den of Thieves, with executive producers Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Barb Bialkowski.

Here’s the complete list of performers and presenters:

Performers:

Lauren Spencer Smith (“Fingers Crossed”)

Shania Twain (“Waking Up Dreaming” and hits medley)

Presenters:

Amy Poehler (Baking It)

Ana Gasteyer (actress, American Auto)

Billy Porter

Colin Hanks (actor, A Friend of the Family)

David Spade (comedian, David Spade: Nothing Personal

Dwyane Wade (NBA champion/entrepreneur)

George Lopez (actor, Lopez vs. Lopez)

Heidi Klum (host, AGT All Stars)

Laverne Cox (host, If We’re Being Honest with Laverne Cox)

Lil Rel Howery (actor/comedian, Get Out, Free Guy and Lil Rel Howery: I Said It, Y’all Thinking It

Mayan Lopez (actress, Lopez vs. Lopez)

McKenna Grace (actress, A Friend of the Family)

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (actress/musician)

Niecy Nash-Betts (actress, The Rookie Feds and Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story)

 Nikki Glaser (comedian, Nikki Glaser: Good Clean Filth and host, FBOY Island) 

 Sarah Hyland (actress, Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin)

 Sarah Michelle Gellar (actress/executive producer, Wolf Pack)

 The Miz & Maryse (WWE Superstars)