Top Albums of 2022

After another year of reviews, active listening, and a plethora of new releases, it’s finally time to yet again recap the best albums of the year. 2022 was one of the most prolific and impressive years of music in recent memory with great albums releasing across all genres, making it incredibly difficult for me to narrow my selection down to only 10 projects. After careful consideration, I’m glad to say my list is complete. Before we jump right into the long-awaited selections, I need to shout out some fantastic records that didn’t quite make this year’s cut, but are absolute must-listens.

Here are my honorable mentions for 2022: Cheat Codes is Danger Mouse and Black Thought at their most cutting and nuanced, providing insightful bars over scrumptious instrumentals. (SCORE: 8/10.) Most recently, SZA’s triumphant return sophomore album SOS showcases her abilities as both a rapper and R&B superstar, even if the project suffers slightly due to its overextended tracklist (SCORE: 8/10.) Pusha T’s It’s Almost Dry serves as a statement to the rest of the hip-hop community that Pusha doesn’t mince words, but also that Pharrell and Ye’s production are still phenomenal (SCORE: 8/10.) The Weeknd’s Dawn FM demonstrates Abel’s willingness to evolve and grow, leaning more into 80s synth ballad aesthetics than ever before (SCORE: 8/10.) Father John Misty’s Chloë and the Next 20th Century is a theatrical and classy pastiche that both criticizes and praises the genre it pulls its inspiration from (SCORE: 8/10.) Conway the Machine’s God Don’t Make Mistakes features some of the most revealing and vulnerable lyricism that rap has seen in a very long time (SCORE: 8/10). Perfume Genius’s Ugly Season uses experimentation to its advantage over its entire tracklist, pairing perfectly with the dance piece that it’s meant to accompany (SCORE: 8/10.) Finally, Natalia Lafourcade proves yet again that her balladry and poetic lyricism are unmatched on the gorgeous De Todas las Flores (SCORE: 8/10.) I loved every single one of these projects, but not enough to call them one of my 10 favorite albums of year - a prestigious title belonging only to the best of the best.

10. Once Twice Melody - Beach House

Once Twice Melody is just as much of a feeling as it is an album. Its palpable, gleaming instrumentation and panoramic vocal layering encapsulate its listener into a warm, soothing array of tracks. Surprisingly, the album remains cohesive without overstaying its welcome with a runtime of almost 90 minutes. Beach House’s aesthetic is well-established at this point, and Once Twice Melody doesn’t challenge that status quo. Instead, their sonic universe is expanded over 18 dazzling songs, with “Pink Funeral” and “ESP” serving as standouts for me. (SCORE: 8/10)

9. Melt My Eyez See Your Future - Denzel Curry

Denzel Curry has proven time and time again that he has what it takes to keep up with the best rappers in the world. On Melt My Eyes See Your Future, though, Curry proves for the first time that he’s capable of true self-reflection. A cinematic and cohesive experience, this album utilizes its instrumentals, features, and Curry’s bars excellently to respond to a world in strife while tastefully pulling inspiration from other versed creators and artists. “Walkin” and “Ain’t No Way (Feat. 6LACK, Rico Nasty, J.I.D, Jasiah, Kitty Ca$h)” are the two songs I return to most often on this inventive and boundary-pushing project. (SCORE: 8/10)

8. I Didn’t Mean To Haunt You - Quadeca

I was initially very surprised by the lead singles that led up to the release of I Didn’t Mean To Haunt You. While Quadeca had previously released promising tracks like his viral and acclaimed “Sisyphus”, his foundations as a YouTube rapper clouded my judgement of his artistic validity. Any of those doubts were quickly extinguished with the release of his newest album, which is told from the perspective of a ghost who is grieving those he has left behind. The harrowing beauty, haunting creativity, and heartbreaking lyricism and instrumentation on this project are entirely unique and unlike anything I’ve heard before. “Born Yesterday” and “Knots” are the two tracks I return to most often, but this entire project is an experience that will leave any listener in contemplation. (SCORE: 8/10)

7. NO THANK YOU - Little Simz

Firstly, we need to acknowledge that Little Simz has made all music publications re-think when they schedule and release their end-of-year lists. The follow-up to last year’s stunning Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, NO THANK YOU comes just over a year after Simz’ previous release. Its lightning quick rollout and 10-song tracklisting were promising, but part of me expected a project of SIMBI B-sides. I couldn’t have been more wrong. NO THANK YOU is just as well-thought-out of a project as anything Simz has released so far, albeit not as conceptually thematic. Instead, stripped back but catchy instrumentals allow Simz to deliver some of the most concise, confident, and genius bars I’ve heard this year. NO THANK YOU feels like both a victory lap and a “fuck you” to anyone has doubted her unparalleled skill along the way to fame. The entire project is a must-listen, but so far my favorite tracks are “Gorilla”, “Heart On Fire”, and “Broken”. (SCORE: 9/10)

6. Hellfire - black midi

English rock trio black midi are an indescribable bunch of dementedly talented, shockingly young artists. Lead singer Geordie Greep is the prime example of this youthful spirit, confidently delivering impressive vocal performances throughout the group’s latest album Hellfire. This album isn’t just thematically chaotic or random, but instead has been carefully crafted and constructed to transport its listener via its many ornate and overwhelming soundscapes. The technical and musical prowess needed to create a track like “Sugar/Tzu” is unmatched. The inventiveness necessary to come up with a track as demonic as “Welcome To Hell” is awe-inspiring. black midi is nothing if not different, but this unconventionality is exactly what makes their releases some of the most enticing in all of music right now. (SCORE: 9/10)

5. The Forever Story - JID

Although J. Cole has released some classic hip-hop albums, it very well may prove true that his final legacy will be his innate ability to find and elevate undiscovered talent. Dreamville’s roster is quickly becoming one of the most skilled labels in the industry, and that is in large part due to the meteoric rise of Atlanta’s own JID. The Forever Story is one of the most technically impressive rap performance albums in the past decade, with each of JID’s verses quickly becoming rainbows when his rhyme schemes are highlighted. Full of both bangers and introspective cuts, The Forever Story is the perfect mix of entertaining and insightful. Mark my words: JID will one day be a household name, and for good reason. (SCORE: 9/10)

4. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers - Kendrick Lamar

Hip-hop’s biggest and brightest release of the year belongs to Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. The Pulitzer-prize-winning artist made his long-awaited return to music with this project’s release and its attached “The Heart Part 5” music video. Like all of his projects up until this point, Kendrick’s newest album was an artistic left hook worthy of endless discussion and dissection. Ultimately, it’s an album dedicated to addressing and tackling trauma both recent and intergenerational. A chronological narrative and demonstrates the work needed to grow, evolve, and heal, Kendrick is doing the monumental task of destigmatizing mental health awareness in his community. Sonically, this album is often just as ear-catching and immersive as Kendrick’s best works, with “Father Time (feat. Sampha)” and “Savior” proving the most compelling selections months after this incredible project’s release. (SCORE: 9/10)

3. Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You - Big Thief

That title is still a mouth-full. Big Thief’s Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You was the most surprising album that released in 2022 for me. 20 songs and 80 minutes long, this indie folk epic seems destined to eventually become stale, but instead continually reinvents itself and offers distinct storytelling, unburdened instrumentation, and ambitious beauty. Its sprawling tracklisting spans from humorous and joyful to reflective and sorrowful, laced with humorous quips and insightful reflections. Adrianne Lanker’s vocal delivery is hypnotic, and the band’s ability to cover almost every topic under the sun isn’t lost on me. (SCORE: 9/10)

2. And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow - Weyes Blood

The second release of a confirmed trilogy and follow-up to Titanic Rising, Weyes Blood’s And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow is everything I hoped it would be and more. Frontwoman Natalie Mering is quickly becoming a baroque chamber-pop icon, with an instantly-recognizable voice and exquisite, poetic lyricism. Titanic Rising was incredibly impactful at the time of its release because it seemed urgent, pressing, and a call-to-action to combat a foreboding future. That then hypothetical is now being realized on And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow, which finds Mering and the listener picking up the pieces of the past three years. Angelic, swelling instrumentation is found on every track, no more so than on “Children of the Empire” and “God Turn Me Into a Flower”, the two standouts among many great songs found here. In any other year, this album would likely take the #1 spot on my list, and I can’t wait to see what Mering has in store for us with future releases. (SCORE: 10/10)

1. Ants From Up There - Black Country, New Road

When looking back at my top albums from each year so far this decade, I’ve noticed a pattern. The best of the best has a transcendent quality that makes each of these projects larger than life, greater than the sum of their parts, and elevated by the circumstances that surrounded their releases. For Fiona Apple’s Fetch The Bolt Cutters in 2020, it was the brutishly honest and raw, pent-up nature of her sonics in response to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that made it such a special and memorable listen. For Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders, and the London Symphony Orchesta’s 2021 album Promises, it was the timeless motifs, ethereal quality, and realization that a collaboration of this magnitude was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which was confirmed this year after Pharoah Sanders’ death. Ants From Up There is a perfect album not only because every note is intentional, powerful, and momentous, but because we will never hear the band who made it in the same form ever again. Just days before the project’s release, the band’s lead vocalist Isaac Wood announced his departure from the group, citing mental health as a primary factor that contributed to his difficult decision. With this in mind, many of the album’s themes garnered a new gravity that laced the triumph of the project with an overwhelming sadness. “Concorde” and “Basketball Shoes” are my favorite tracks here, if I had to choose, and demonstrate these themes perfectly. Simply put, Ants From Up There epitomizes bittersweetness. This album reminds us that we grow apart, that life is complicated, and beauty is often confined to the inherently finite nature of our existence. This is not only my favorite album of 2022, but my favorite album of this decade so far, and it isn’t close. (SCORE: 10/10)

I used to think it was silly when I called music one of my hobbies. Everyone enjoys listening to music - it’s a part of the human experience. But making that experience active instead of passive is one of the most invigorating and fulfilling decisions you can make as a listener. Great art wants to be understood. It wants to be analyzed, considered, discussed, and shared with others who will give it that same love and attention it deserves. As an active listener, 2022 has been one of the most incredible years of music in my life, and I’ve looked forward to sharing my best-of list all year. I hope you’ve had the chance to enjoy these projects, or whichever projects have spoken to you, all throughout 2022, and let’s plan to do the same in 2023.