Music

In 2019, the Academy of Country Music declared Jason Aldean one of its rare Artists of the Decade, perhaps a sign to some superstars that things might be slowing down. Close to four years later, that’s still not the case for the Peach State native. 

2022 saw Jason release the remainder of his mammoth Macon, Georgia project, adding bonus live versions of his greatest hits to the record named after his hometown. At the same time, his matchup with Carrie Underwood on “If I Didn’t Love You” won Single of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards, and both Video and Collaborative Video of the Year at the CMT Music Awards.

“This double album was our 10th album, which for me just means a lot,” Jason tells ABC Audio. “That I’ve been able to to stick around in the business that long and be able to record that many records.”

“And the people still seem to like what we’re doing and we can still go out there, and be relevant and make music that people want to hear,” he says. “And so to do that this many years into my career, still being nominated for awards and things like that, having songs that were, you know, not just hits, but big hits.”

Indeed, Jason clocked his 27th career number one in 2022.

“‘If I Didn’t Love You,’ I mean, that was a huge song for us. And then ‘Trouble a Heartbreak’ did really well, too,” he points out. “So we’re still out there doing those things this many years into my career, and that means a lot to me for sure.”  

2022 wasn’t without its hiccups for Jason, however: his longtime publicists, The GreenRoom, parted ways with him after his wife, Brittany, made anti-LGBTQ+ comments on social media.

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Taylor Swift‘s Midnights continues to make waves in the music world. It’s the first album since 1987 to sell more vinyl copies than CDs in the United Kingdom.

The Guardian reports Midnights has sold an impressive 800,000 copies on vinyl. It previously set the all-time record for biggest single-week vinyl sales after 575,000 copies flew off the shelves in its first week of release.

As for why fans snatched up so many vinyl copies, it could be due to Taylor’s creative marketing ploy in which she released four different-colored versions of the album. Each vinyl had one-fourth of a clock face printed on the back of its jacket — so collecting all four created a clock. Taylor also craftily sold the hands of the clock to complete the illusion.

Vinyl sales are enjoying a renaissance in the U.K., while CD sales continue to decline. In 2021, vinyl sales grew nearly 25%, whereas CD sales fell by about 4%.

The outlet predicts there will be a wider gap in those sales numbers. We will find out for sure next week, when figures for 2022’s sales are released.

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Nita Strauss got an assist from the football world in getting surgery on her knee.

The guitar virtuoso recently went under the knife to repair a torn meniscus, and the operation was performed by Los Angeles Rams team doctor Michael Banffy.

“Meniscus repair surgery went as well as it could have!” Strauss writes in an Instagram post, adding that she’s “super grateful for the steady hands” of Banffy and “the great staff at the surgery center.”

Strauss already had a connection to the Rams organization, given her gig playing guitar during the team’s home games. She even received a Super Bowl ring after the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI earlier this year.

Aside from having surgery and getting a Super Bowl ring, Strauss’ 2022 included leaving Alice Cooper‘s live band to play with Demi Lovato on tour.

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Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock has shared a statement regarding drummer Jeremiah Green‘s cancer diagnosis.

News of Green’s condition first broke over the holiday weekend with a Facebook post from the drummer’s mother reading, “Please send healing vibes for my son, Jeremiah Green, who is battling stage 4 cancer. He’s is [sic] so strong and so brave and hanging in there!”

In an Instagram post early Wednesday, Brock writes, “Some of you may have already heard, but I figured it would be good to hear the news directly from our camp. Jeremiah was diagnosed with cancer a short while ago, and he’s currently in treatment.”

Brock adds that the treatment “seems to be going smoothly and making a positive difference.”

“Jeremiah, as am I, are believers in the power of positive energy, so if you would be so kind as to send ‘good vibes'( to quote Jeremiah) in the direction of Jeremiah and his family, that’d be great,” the post concludes.

News of Green’s diagnosis comes after he missed a number of shows on Modest Mouse’s recent 25th anniversary The Lonesome Crowded West tour.

Green is a founding member of Modest Mouse, along with Brock and bassist Eric Judy. He’s remained with the band since, save for a yearlong absence between 2003 and 2004.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Fancy New Year’s Eve bashes not your thing? If you prefer to spend December 31 on the couch in your PJs chowing down on takeout, here’s a roundup of which performers will be ringing in the new year on TV:

On NBC, Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party will feature Miley Cyrus and her godmother, Dolly Parton, presiding over performances from Latto, FLETCHER, Sia and Rae Sremmurd, as well as Miley herself. SNL’s Chloe Fineman, Sarah Sherman and the Please Don’t Destroy trio will also appear. That show starts at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT and also streams on Peacock.

On CNN, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen — who may or may not get drunk this year – will host New Year’s Eve Live starting at 8 p.m. ET with Usher, Ellie Goulding, Patti LaBelle, REO Speedwagon, Ava Max, Tenacious D and more. Jean Smart, Cheri Oteri and Don Lemon are also part of the festivities.

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest on ABC has been going for more than 50 years and it keeps getting bigger: This year, Ryan Seacrest and Liza Koshy are counting down to 2023 in Times Square, but there will also be countdowns from New Orleans, Puerto Rico, Disneyland and Los Angeles.  Performers range from Dove Cameron, Nicky Youre, Armani White and Finneas in LA to Fitz & the Tantrums, Shaggy, Ciara, Lauren Spencer-Smith and Halle Bailey in Disneyland to BTS‘ J-Hope, Duran Duran, New Edition and Jax in Times Square with Seacrest. That starts at 8 p.m. ET and also streams on Hulu+ Live TV.

And if country music is your jam, CBS has New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash with massive stars like Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker, Keslea Ballerini, Brooks & Dunn, Zac Brown Band and Jason Aldean, as well as Elle King, Sheryl Crow, Flo-Rida and rocker Steve Miller. That starts at 8 p.m. ET/PT and will also stream on Paramount+.

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After spending three years in prison on a sex assault charge and a 2021 release when the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court overturned his conviction, Bill Cosby says he’s ready to get back on the road.

In an interview on WGH Talk, host Scott Spears asked Cosby if he planned to “return to the stage.”

Cosby replied, “Yes. Yes. Because there’s so much fun to be had in this storytelling that I do. Years ago, maybe 10 years ago, I found it was better to say it after I write it. And it is better to say it and not try to write it the same way to be read by others.”

Spears, who introduced the comedian as “legendary” and an “icon,” did not ask about the multiple accusations against Cosby, his conviction or his subsequent release. The conversation focused primarily on education and technology.

Cosby had been sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple University employee Andrea Constand in 2004.

Constand was just one of nearly 60 women who accused the former Cosby Show star of sexually assaulting them over decades.

Despite the deluge of allegations against him, Cosby has always maintained that he never engaged in nonconsensual sex.

In December of this year, five new women filed a lawsuit against the comedian and author, making similar claims.

Cosby’s representatives said those women were “unwilling to accept” Cosby being “vindicated” by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

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The 45th annual Kennedy Center Honors, which featured Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder performing in tribute to U2, will air Wednesday on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

The ceremony was held in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. U2 was among the five honorees this year, alongside Gladys Knight, George Clooney, Christian music artist Amy Grant and composer/conductor Tania León.

To celebrate U2, Vedder took the stage to perform the Irish group’s songs “Elevation” and “One.” Hozier also took part in a performance of “Walk On.”

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden welcomed U2 into the Kennedy Center in a speech noting, “For more than 40 years, U2 has changed the world.” 

“Anthems about civil rights, solidarity of workers, the struggle for peace,” Biden said. “Ballads about love and family. Concerts dedicated to ending poverty and disease.”

The president added, “From this Irish American president in a White House designed by … Irish hands, who built this and designed it, I want to thank U2 for all you’ve done and the way you lift people up.”

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This year we were all invited to Harry’s House — Harry Styles‘ house, that is. In addition to releasing a mega successful album, Harry made major moves in Hollywood, starring in two attention-grabbing films. His personal life also made headlines thanks to his much-discussed romance with Olivia Wilde.

Here’s a look at some memorable moments from Harry’s year as it was:

— In April, Harry released “As It Was,” the first single off his album Harry’s House. The song was a massive hit, spending 15 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. It also became the most-streamed song of 2022, according to music tracker Luminate.

— Harry’s House, his third solo album, was released in May. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and spawned two more singles, “Late Night Talking” and “Music for a Sushi Restaurant.”

— Harry kicked off his Love on Tour North American trek in August, featuring a 15-night stint at New York’s Madison Square Garden and 12 nights at LA’s Kia Forum. The North American leg wrapped in November.

— There was much drama ahead of the September release of Harry’s starring turn in the Olivia Wilde-directed Don’t Worry Darling — including rumblings of a feud between Olivia and leading lady Florence Pugh, conflicting reports on why Shia LaBeouf left the project and rumors that Harry spit on co-star Chris Pine at the Venice Film Festival premiere. Yep, it got pretty wild. But it didn’t stop the movie from topping the box office.

— Harry’s other film had a much quieter debut. My Policeman debuted on Prime Video in November. In it, Harry played a 1950s British police officer who embarks on a forbidden affair with a man.

— In November, it was announced that Harry and Olivia were “taking a break.”

— Also in November, Harry scored six Grammy nominations, including the coveted Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Record of the Year. The Grammys air February 5.

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Meek Mill paid the bail of 20 incarcerated women in Philadelphia last week so they could spend the holidays with their families.

An Instagram post from the rapper’s REFORM Alliance nonprofit shared that the women were incarcerated at Riverside Correctional Facility and could not afford bail. Meek not only took care of the bail, but each woman was also given a gift card to purchase groceries or gifts for the holidays.

“For families impacted by the criminal justice system, the holidays can be an extremely challenging time,” the rapper said in a statement on Instagram. “No one should have to spend the holidays in jail simply because they can’t afford bail, and no child should be without their parents during this time if we can do something about it. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help these women be with their families and loved ones during this special time of year.”

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