Top 40 Albums of 2022
2022 has been an incredible year for music, so without wasting any time here are the albums(and a couple of mixtapes) that I felt were the best to come out this year:
Honorable Mentions :
Angel Olsen — Big Time,Billy Woods & Messiah Musik — Church, Bird’s Eye Batang — Flood Format, Black Country, New Road— Ants From Up There, Boldy James & Nicholas Craven — Fair Exchange, No Robbery, Elucid — I Told Bessie, Hikaru Utada — BAD MODE, Joey Bada$$ — 2000, Mavi — Laughing so Hard, it Hurts, Metro Boomin — HEROES & VILLAINS, Natalia Lafourcade — De Todas las Flores, Nilüfer Yanya — PAINLESS, Pusha T — It’s Almost Dry, Ravyn Lenae — HYPNOS, Rina Sawayama — Hold The Girl, Westside Gunn — 10, Whitearmor — In the Abyss: Music for Weddings
40. Boldy James & Futurewave — Mr. Ten08
Boldy James has been on a prolific run since 2020. He is one of the best underground rappers in the world, and his collaboration with producer Futurewave is the best album he has put out this year. Boldy continues to deliver cold-blooded stories over jazz and soul-inspired instrumentals.
39. Ghais Guevara — There Will Be No Super-Slave
As the title may imply, There Will Be No Super-Slave is unapologetically politically charged. With an eclectic range of samples and instrumentals, as well as plenty of room to grow, Ghais Guevara shows why he will undoubtedly be an artist worth paying attention to in the realm of socially conscious experimental hip-hop.
38. Ka — Languish Arts & Woeful Studies
Ka released a pair of sister albums this year, Languish Arts & Woeful Studies, on which he continues to do what he does best with provoking lyricism and subdued flows over abstract instrumentals.
37. beabadoobee — Beatopia
beabadoobee delivers one of the more heartwarming and endearing albums of the year through her charismatic delivery of bedroom pop and 90s-inspired indie rock songs.
36. Beyoncé — RENAISSANCE
Beyonce’s RENAISSANCE is an endlessly danceable take on house music. The bouncy use of samples, flawless transitions, and Bey’s incredible vocals all make for one of the better pop releases of the year.
35. R.A.P. Ferreira — 5 to the Eye with Stars
R.A.P. Ferreira(formerly known as Milo) continues to deliver thought-provoking lyricism in his style, which borders between spoken word and rapping, over fantastic jazz-inspired instrumentals.
34. MIKE — Beware of the Monkey
Beware of the Monkey is a great release from rapper MIKE. The mix is murky, as expected, and the production is rounded out with some really nice samples. Lyrically MIKE appears to be grieving on this painful mixtape.
33. Kendrick Lamar — Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
On his much-anticipated return after 5 years since his last album, Kendrick Lamar takes an introspective look into the mirror, showing the world his flaws and trauma, while dissecting his savior complex.
32. Haru Nemuri — SHUNKA RYOUGEN
SHUNKA RYOUGEN is a bold, versatile, and endlessly exciting Japanese rock album.
31. Alvvays — Blue Rev
Alvvays provides an interesting indie rock album with elements of dream pop and great melodies. The songs on Blue Rev stay stuck in my head, complemented by impressive guitar playing.
30. Black Star & Madlib— No Fear of Time
Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli are some of the most talented rappers to ever grace the microphone, so there is little surprise the two of them rapping over Madlib instrumentals effortlessly ended up as one of the better hip-hop releases of the year.
29. Silvana Estrada — Marchita
This minimalistic Spanish folk album has an emphasis on the vocals, which are both passionate and well-performed. Much of the time only one or two instruments guiding the songs, but in that simplicity is a peaceful bliss.
28. Benny The Butcher — Tana Talk 4
Tana Talk 4 is everything we have come to expect from a Griselda album, executed very well. Benny The Butcher has great presence on the mic, over production from the likes of Alchemist and Daringer. J. Cole, Boldy James, and Conway The Machine all deliver great features to round out another great collection of songs from the Griselda camp.
27. Earl Sweatshirt — SICK!
On SICK!, abstract hip-hop darling Earl Sweatshirt continues to be sharp lyrically with another short to-the-point album, this time incorporating elements of trap and cloud rap into his murky style. Despite not being quite as heavy as Earl’s recent work, he doesn’t sacrifice his sound and is continuing to find new ways to evolve as an artist.
26. Rosalía — MOTOMAMI
MOTOMAMI is a Spanish album that is catchy, bouncy, fun, at times abrasive, and at other times sweet. This album truly packs it all and showcases Rosalía’s impressive range.
25. Mitski — Laurel Hell
Mitski has always been known for her depressing and raw lyrics. On Laurel Hell, she opts to give them a synth-pop backdrop, which proves to be a perfect decision as the album provides some of her most standout songs yet.
24. Hatchie — Giving The World Away
Hatchie’s bright and artsy style of pop music is on full display here. Filled with dazzling synths and pretty vocal passages, Giving The World Away is an absolute must-listen for alternative pop fans and cements Hatchie as an artist to watch in her lane of music.
23. Björk— Fossora
Björk is an artist who needs no introduction at this point in her career. The way she manages to continue to push boundaries over 25 years into her career is impressive, and she does it again with Fossora, which is a stunning meditation on grief and motherhood.
22. Shygirl — Nymph
if Nymph does nothing else, it at least shows Shygirl’s endless potential with her unique blend of UK bass and alternative r&b. Luckily, this album isn’t just potential, it is also the host of some of my favorite songs this year, with bold tracks such as the intro “Woe” and “Firefly.”
21. Nas & Hit-Boy— King’s Disease III
King’s Disease III is Nas and Hit-Boy’s 4th collaborative album in the past 3 years, and arguably their best yet. As their chemistry continues to improve, Hit-Boy provides Nas with hard-hitting modern boom-bap instrumentals that allow Nas to deliver some of his best rapping in years, and a lot of it too. This album doesn’t have a single feature, further giving Nas room to prove why he is one of the greatest to ever rap.
20. leroy — Dariacore 3… At Least I Think That’s What It’s Called?
Working under an alternate name, Jane Remover, as “leroy,” makes EDM music for zoomers who hate EDM. This album is laced with irony, first spotted from the absurd track titles. Musically it pushes EDM standards to a brutal extreme, turning some of the most inescapable(and at times outdated) pop songs of the past decade into brilliantly catchy clusters of experimentation. An incredibly fun listen for anyone who isn’t scared of a little noise.
19. Beach House — Once Twice Melody
on Once Twice Melody Beach House continues with their signature spacey dream pop sound, but with a larger-than-life presentation that guides the listeners through some of the most gorgeous songs of the year.
18. death’s dynamic shroud — Darklife
death’s dynamic shroud has an interesting way of bending samples to their will, and Darklife is no different. The combination of electronic music, pop, and plunderphonics is brilliant.
17. Freddie Gibbs — $oul $old $eparately
Freddie Gibbs employs an impressive list of features, producers, and celebrity guests to help him create one of the most personality-driven hip-hop records of the year. Freddie Gibbs raps incredibly well and cleverly, as expected at this point in his career, across an array of memorable tracks.
16. Kilo Kish — AMERICAN GURL
With how bright this album sounds and the arcade sounds sprinkled throughout reinforcing the 80s-inspired synth-pop sound, it would be easy to miss the political punch Kilo Kish brings to this album. AMERICAN GURL is the perfect crossroad between fun electric sounding music with meaningful undertones throughout the album’s lyrics.
15. Sudan Archives — Natural Brown Prom Queen
While primarily a soul-inspired album, Sudan Archives excellently uses a variety of genres and styles to create an album that is sensual, spiritual, bold, and completely unforgettable.
14. Billy Woods & Preservation — Aethiopes
Aethiopes is dark and eerie even by Billy Woods’ standards. Preservation provides a dissonant instrumental background as Woods delivers some of his most challenging lyrics yet with his signature wonky delivery. This album is lyrically dense, brutal, and harrowing.
13. Carly Rae Jepsen — The Loneliest Time
Carley Rae Jepsen continues to deliver pop perfection with The Loneliest Time. From over-the-top ballads to the catchy choruses throughout, and all the sweet songs in between, this album is everything Carly Rae Jepsen fans could want and expect.
12. Big Thief — Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
At about 20 tracks and 80 minutes, it is easy to feel intimidated by the length of Big Thief’s latest record, but this album flies by like a breeze in the best way possible. The songs are unbelievably soft and pretty, and singer-songwriter Adrianne Lenker delivers enchanting lyrics. Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You is one the most beautiful folk albums to come out in a long time.
11. YAYA KIM — a.k.a YAYA
a.k.a YAYA is an ambitious triple-disc, triple language album from singer, songwriter, and so much more YAYA KIM. The massive album combines elements of jazz, art pop, trip-hop, and more for one of the most dynamic albums of the year.
10. The Comet Is Coming — Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam
On Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam, The Comet Is Coming bring together the worlds of jazz and dance music in a surprisingly cohesive way. The pounding bass paired with stellar saxophone playing work to create one of the most unique jazz experiences to come out in recent memory.
9. Weyes Blood — And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow
Weyes Blood follows up her 2019 masterpiece, Titanic Rising, with And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow, an album that wows in a lot of the same ways as its predecessor. There is lush, soft instrumentation, gorgeous vocals, emotional gut punches, and downright incredible songwriting all around.
8. Soccer Mommy — Sometimes, Forever
Soccer Mommy teaming up with Oneohtrix Point Never for the production of an entire album may seem like an unlikely collaboration, but it truly is a match made in heaven. The crop of indie rock songs here has impressive attention to detail to match their emotional bite.
7. The Weeknd — Dawn FM
Dawn FM is The Weeknd’s best project since his highly lauded mixtape trilogy. Abel has finally perfected the 80s-style pop sound he has been going for, this time with a flawlessly executed concept album(with the help of Jim Carrey’s narration). On this cohesive masterpiece, the endless synth-heavy pop songs set the perfect soundtrack for moving on to the afterlife.
6. Black Thought & Danger Mouse — Cheat Codes
Black Thought teams up with producer Danger Mouse for his most complete album without The Roots yet. about 30 years in, Black Thought seems to be on a mission to prove why he is one of the strongest lyricists of all time. The features all show due respect and give wonderful verses as well, the verse from the late great DOOM is particularly a highlight. Everyone brings full effort here though, even Russ delivers a solid verse. The production provided here is sure to make any hip-hop head swoon as well as Danger Mouse provides an A+ selection of instrumentals.
5. FKA Twigs — CAPRISONGS
Perhaps FKA Twigs’ best work yet, Caprisongs is also her most loose. Twigs sounds like she had a ton of fun making this mixtape-style collection of songs, but the unwavering quality from track to track is impressive. whether it be the minimalistic yet beautiful “meta angel,” the danceable “tears in the club” with its awesome Weeknd feature, or the sensual “careless” with Daniel Caesar, there isn’t a single bad song here. This mixtape is emotional, fun, and incredibly consistent.
4. Conway The Machine — God Don’t Make Mistakes
I’ll come right out and say God Don’t Make Mistakes is one of the best albums to come out of the Griselda camp. This is a high-effort release, with a ton of attention paid to the production, which sounds as pristine as ever while still balancing the grittiness Griselda has become known for. The Features do not fail to disappoint either, with a combination of rap legends like Lil Wayne, as well as Griselda mainstays here all delivering great verses. The star of the show, of course, is Conway The Machine, who is locked in lyrically bringing some of his hardest verses yet. This album is also quite emotional, with Conway opening up about PTSD among other things, as well as bringing some great storytelling on the final track which ties the album up flawlessly.
3. JID — The Forever Story
Coming into this project, I had high hopes for JID. His previous releases showed some potential but there was still a lot of room to grow in terms of crafting a great album. I had no way to predict that JID would completely fulfill that potential with The Forever Story, taking not only the next step I had hoped for but many more. JID honed in on his storytelling ability to create this album, which is tied together by running themes about family and his circumstances growing up. The beat selection here is also much improved, with beat switches at every turn that keeps everything interesting, which perfectly complements JID’s ever-changing flows which have always been a strength of his. This is a must-listen for every hip-hop fan in the world right now.
Side note, check out the extended version if you have not already. “Lauder Too” is a great track and a fine closer in its own right, but “2007” further wraps up the album with some great storytelling about JID’s life and come up in the music industry.
2. Lupe Fiasco — Drill Music in Zion
Super-lyricist Lupe Fiasco completed Drill Music in Zion in a mere 72 hours. Considering Fiasco is known for his in-depth lyricism and high-detail concepts, one could be skeptical going into this record, but finishing the album in such a short timeframe forces him to master the art of directness. The lyricism is not at all sacrificed here, but more balanced than in his previous works allowing the messages of these songs to come through more clearly than ever. This is one of the most thought-provoking albums I have heard in a long time. Hard-to-talk-about-topics are addressed, such as gun violence, consumerism, incarceration, and so much more. The jazzy production is noteworthy as well, proving the album is more than just words thrown at the wall. It may still be too early to call it, but Drill Music in Zion may be Lupe Fiasco’s best work yet.
1. Quadeca — I Didn’t Mean To Haunt You
Going into this year, who would have expected Quadeca, an artist primarily known as a YouTuber and then a rapper, to make an album like this? I Didn’t Mean To Haunt You is hard to pin down to a single genre, combining elements of folk, electronic, art pop, and experimental hip hop in a unique but effective way. Also, it has to be mentioned how dark this album is, I won’t spoil too much but the album follows a concept dealing heavily with themes such as suicide and grief. Given that this album is a concept album, and what the concept is about, it is also surprisingly catchy at moments, The stunning single “born yesterday” has not left my brain since I first heard it. There is also an unbelievable Danny Brown feature here that perfectly fits into the concept, as well as a gorgeous contribution from the Sunday Service Choir just a few tracks later. I Didn’t Mean To Haunt You is not only musically impressive, but it has gripped me emotionally in a way that few albums ever have, and for that reason, it is the 2022 album of the year.
