The first week of 2023 is coming to a close and I have spent the majority of that time looking back and reflecting on the year in music that was 2022. Actually, I have spent the entire week unpacking boxes in my new house, but I did listen to a lot of music from last year so maybe I was actually reflecting more than I thought I was. As the days begin to creep us closer and closer to spring and the beginning of music festival season, we will start to see new releases from some of the artists that will be plastered on festival lineups.
Some of music’s heavy hitters have announced releases for the first quarter of the year, including Miley Cyrus, New Found Glory, Smashing Pumpkins, Shania Twain, Paramore, and Lana Del Ray. 2022 served as a year of the comeback with releases from Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, and Björk and the beginning months of the new year are looking to continue that trend.
Before we prepare to listen to Paramore’s new album over and over, let’s take a look at my Favorite 25 Albums of 2022.
My Favorite Albums of 2022
25. Sunflower Bean Headful of Sugar
24. Alvvays Blue Rev
23. Yaya Bey Remember Your North Star
22. Soccer Mommy Sometimes, Forever
21. Ari Lennox age/sex/location
20. Rina Sawayama Hold That Girl
19. J.I.D. The Forever Story
18. Mitski Laurel Hell
17. Lizzo Special
16. Stormzy This Is What I Mean
15. King Princess Hold On Baby
14. Kendrick Lamar Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
13. Pusha T It’s Almost Dry
12. The 1975 Being Funny in a Foreign Language
11. Beyonce Renaissance
10. Sabrina Carpenter emails i can’t send
9. Blackpink Born Pink
8. Charlie XCX Crash
7. Sudan Archives Natural Brown Prom Queen
6. Demi Lovato Holy Fvck
5. FKA Twigs Caprisongs
FKA Twigs continues to release masterpiece after masterpiece and Caprisongs is her most playful record to date. Twigs invited a number of her friends to come collaborate with her including the Weeknd, but her teaming with Jorja Smith on “darjeeling” is the ultimate highlight on one of the greatest releases of the past year. Twigs cadence flashes comparisons to Charlie XCX and Smith’s plush vocals evens the song out.
4. Sault Air/11/Untitled/Earth/Today & Tomorrow
Prince is one of those rare artists that had so much music inside of them that they were able to release multiple quality releases in the same year. That type of artistry is rare in today’s music. British music collective Sault released not one, not two, not three, not four, but five full-length albums that are all individually belonging to anyone’s ‘best of’ list in 2022. The mixture of R&B, house, disco, country, and even classical throughout the five albums is like nothing a listener’s ears has ever heard before.
3. Domi & JD Drake Not Tight
Jazz prodigies Domi & JD Drake quietly released one of the most irresistible albums of the year this summer. Not Tight marked the debut release for the duo and they brought some big names to help share the moment with them. Thundercat, Anderon Pack., Busta Rhymes and Herbie Hancock all lend a helping hand in perfecting the record. The duo was nominated for Best New Artist at this year’s Grammy Awards in a genre that rarely gets that kind of attention on music’s biggest night.
2. Harry Styles Harry’s House
The former One Direction-er’s third album showed how much the singer-turned-movie star has grown since departing his bandmates for a solo career. The much more refined and elegant Harry’s House is a polished synth-pop record that steps firmly into the ‘80s while still sounding current at the same time. Taking a deeper listen and looking into the lyrics of the album, you find yourself feeling as if you’re listening in on a conversation between the singer and his lover.
1. Wet Leg Wet Leg
I knew this would be my favorite album of the year back in September of 2021 when Wet Leg’s infectious debut singe “Chaise Lounge” was released. The Isle of Wright duo launched a sold-out U.S. headlining tour of small venues on the back of that song and the second single “Wet Dream” from an album still months away from release. Despite only having two songs for the world to hear at the time of the tour’s start, that did not stop fans from buying up tickets to see music’s ‘next big thing.’ Their March 2022 Nashville date had to be moved from the Basement to the larger Basement East to satisfy ticket demand. The band’s debut full of 90s and early 00s indie rock kept the fan base growing as it was proven they were more than just two girls who got lucky with the year’s biggest earworm song. That growth was apparent when less than 9 months after their Nashville debut, they returned to sell out the much larger Brooklyn Bowl. 2022 was a year that Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers will never forget and it will be the year that many look back on years from now to tell all of their friends ‘they saw them before they were big.’
Steven McCash is the Lead Music Writer and Utility Man for SoBros Network. Steven is the host of the ‘Drinking With…’ podcast, and the pioneer of New Music Friday, highlighting each week’s new releases in the world of music in addition to the occasional live show review. He also pitches in as a Nashville lifestyle writer and football analyst (hence the ‘Utility Man’ title). Follow on Twitter: @MC_Cash75
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