Top 50 Albums of 2022
- Joshua Yoo
- Jan 10, 2023
- 13 min read
By no means an overstatement in any way, 2022 has been one of the most prolific and exceptional years of music in a long time. Coming off the lingering restrictions of the pandemic, artists sitting on months (or years) of original material during lockdown finally had the chance to refine, record, and release it into the world this year, leading to an immense wave of albums to listen to and sift through.
Some of these albums were highly anticipated returns for some of the biggest artists in the industry, breaking their long bouts of silence with culture-shattering album rollouts and virality. Other albums were the catalyst for newer artists at the brim of stardom to finally reach the mainstream space, using the post-lockdown return to normal as a musical fresh start of sorts.
Just in itself, the sheer volume of musical output this year already guaranteed a proportional abundance of amazing albums. But combined with the liberation of all of the post-lockdown turmoil, the bar for musical innovation and creative venture in 2022 was quite possibly the highest it's ever been.
Narrowing down the best albums into a ranking thus became a rather difficult decision. After much consideration and deliberation, these were the top 50 albums that stood out to me the most.
50. SICK! - Earl Sweatshirt
A brief but lyrically dense album that hits at self-acceptance and post-lockdown optimism, SICK! excels due to Earl’s diffuse and ever refined delivery, set over hazy, rich instrumentation that rewards attentive ears.
Link: Lye - Earl Sweatshirt
49. Palaces - Flume
With both chart-topping firepower and wholly inventive electronic production experimentation, Flume offers a total package of tracks that serve as a suitable reminder of his core artistry.
Link: Hollow - Flume (feat. Emma Louise)
48. BAD MODE - Hikaru Utada
Hikaru Utada not only further solidifies the impact of her innovative and genre-blending brand of J-Pop, but also demonstrates exactly how an artist thus far into an established career can continue to reinvent and push his or her sound to new heights.
Link: BAD MODE - Hikaru Utada
47. MAHAL - Toro y Moi
Based around a bright and colorful jeepney found on eBay, MAHAL plays with its ‘60s nostalgia and Chaz’s multi-ethnic influences and transform them into a cute, tight-grooved batch of tracks, or the musical equivalent of a warm, Sunday afternoon walk in the park.
Link: Last Year - Toro y Moi
46. MORE BLACK SUPERHEROES - WESTSIDE BOOGIE
Entrenched in the shortcomings that prevent him from being a “superhero” himself, WESTSIDE BOOGIE outlines the aspiration to overcome his personal weaknesses and overarching plagues in his community, laying out a multitude of focused, thoughtful, and melodic verses in the process.
Link: LOLSMH II - WESTSIDE BOOGIE
45. NOT TiGHT - DOMi & JD BECK
Going from viral YouTube covers to signing with Anderson .Paak under Blue Note Records, DOMi & JD BECK manage to capture their instrumental lightning in a bottle on their debut album, and make some of the most compelling attempts to bridge the current generational and cultural gap for jazz and jazz fusion in younger generations.
Link: TAKE A CHANCE - DOMi & JD BECK
44. Hypnos - Ravyn Lenae
Hypnos reflects the undeniable and boundless potential of Ravyn Lenae as an R&B front-woman, her shimmering vocals and myriad of influences coming together beautifully sweet and light on the ears.
Link: Lullabye - Ravyn Lenae
43. IM NAYEON - NAYEON
The first solo effort from TWICE’s own Nayeon is pure sugary-sweet pop and R&B, a playful and infectiously fun listen that never takes itself seriously, yet still crafts its songs with creativity and attention to detail.
Link: SUNSET - NAYEON
42. Collage 2 - Conor Albert
Besides an immense talent on guitar, Conor Albert demonstrates a knack for turning tight grooves into glimmering, full-fledged songs, exactly what Collage 2 offers in totality.
Link: I Think You Should Know - Conor Albert (feat. Maya Delilah)
41. Dance Fever - Florence + the Machine
As a cathartic release from the pent-up inner demons that haunted stronger during lockdown, Dance Fever lives up to its name in its grand and theatrical soundscapes, untamed attitude, and spellbinding vocals from Florence Welch.
Link: Morning Elvis - Florence + the Machine
40. CRASH - Charli XCX
Even dialed back to just the pop basics, CRASH is still a lesson in earworm hooks and catchy songwriting, with track after track of Charli XCX’s vibrant musical personality shining through.
Link: Yuck - Charli XCX
39. Humble Quest - Maren Morris
Maren Morris possesses a simple and beautiful clarity to her approach to the country genre on Humble Quest, a thematically straightforward yet texturally lush musicality that matches the genre’s breezy nature, and also provides the warmth and depth for those looking for more substance.
Link: The Furthest Thing - Maren Morris
38. Un Verano Sin Ti - Bad Bunny
For the ambition of a 23-track album, it takes the unmatched originality and confidence of Bad Bunny to deliver an engaging experience for the entire 80 minutes, with a variety of hits that expand reggaeton in different compelling directions and prove that his chart dominance is well warranted.
Link: Otro Atardecer - Bad Bunny
37. blue water road - Kehlani
The poise Kehlani has at this stage of their career is heartening to hear, a transformed artist that reaches new levels of confidence, composure, and happiness and puts it all into the expansive, grander styles of R&B explored on blue water road.
Link: more than i should - Kehlani (feat. Jessie Reyez)
36. MUNA - MUNA
MUNA sounds exactly like the freedom they’re experiencing post RCA record label, extending that freedom to the love and politics that the queer-identified band continues to push against through their infectious brand of soaring synth-pop and Y2K pop-rock.
Link: Silk Chiffon - MUNA (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)
35. I Didn't Mean To Haunt You - Quadeca
It’s inspiring to see Quadeca continue to evolve his artistry to greater and greater heights, as his wholly inventive mix of alternative folk, hip-hop, and electronic presented on I Didn’t Mean To Haunt You further establishes him as a full-fledged artist coming into his own.
Link: picking up hands - Quadeca
34. The Modern Western World - Vansire
The team of Josh Augustin and Sam Winemiller expand the scope of their sound far beyond their Midwestern hometown, yet still retain the dreamy air of their indie pop roots that makes The Modern Western World a beautiful escapist listening experience.
Link: Night Vision - Vansire (feat. Barrie)
33. Few Good Things - Saba
Few Good Things finds Saba in a much better place than his previous record, and thus reflects more of the personal triumphs and worldly joys he wants to focus on through a more diverse and vibrant palette of instrumentals and flows, all which succeed due to his ever-sharpened focus as a generational lyricist.
Link: Come My Way - Saba (feat. Krayzie Bone)
32. 2000 - Joey Bada$$
Following up his critical darling 1999 was never going to be an easy task, but Joey Bada$$ comes through with a breezy yet mature collection of tracks that more than showcases his knack for sharp songwriting and established rapping ability well beyond his years.
Link: Show Me - Joey Bada$$
31. Everything I Know About Love - Laufey
With Everything I Know About Love, Laufey is as close as it gets to the beloved jazz ballads of the past, wearing her influences proudly on her sleeve as she charms her way track-to-track through experiences with romance for the first time, and it’s impossible not to get swept up in the lovestruck mood.
Link: I've Never Been In Love Before - Laufey
30. Gemini Rights - Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy’s brand of DIY-style R&B gets a cleaner polish on Gemini Rights, as his overnight stardom proves convincingly, but it’s rather the breadth of sounds explored on the album that impresses in their temerity and execution, displaying an exciting potential to further elaborate on any one of them.
Link: Give You the World - Steve Lacy
29. five seconds flat - Lizzy McAlpine
While still firmly rooted in Lizzy’s warm and cozy acoustics, five seconds flat fully conceptualizes her remarkable ear for songwriting applied to greater musical ambition, turning out a potent mix of pop that has a ton of heart, and equally as much fun with its young musings on love.
Link: ceilings - Lizzy McAlpine
28. NO THANK YOU - Little Simz
Even if NO THANK YOU presents itself as a sort of victory lap for the overwhelming success of her previous release, the album still definitively demonstrates the immensely high echelon that Little Simz operates at as a proficient lyricist and well-rounded artist.
Link: Angel - Little Simz
27. And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow - Weyes Blood
Amidst the heavenly vocal harmonies and luscious, enveloping musical atmospheres is an ultimately uplifting tale of existential struggle and self-preservation, which makes the album experience not just a sonically enchanting one, but a valuable one as well for those looking for similar solace.
Link: Hearts Aglow - Weyes Blood
26. King's Disease III - Nas
It’s quite rare to see an artist with such an established legacy continue to meaningfully add to it this far into a career, but the third installation in the King's Disease series shows just how much incredible talent and blossoming creativity Nas still has left in the tank, a rap great truly connecting to an entirely new generation with the same classic artistry.
Link: Once a Man, Twice a Child - Nas
25. MOTOMAMI - ROSALÍA
ROSALÍA has never been one to accept artistic complacency, but MOTOMAMI shows just how brilliantly ambitious her musical sights are set at, returning a collection of truly thrilling and disorienting bangers and ballads that reinvent just as much as they bump.
Link: DELIRIO DE GRANDEZA - ROSALÍA
24. HEROES & VILLAINS - Metro Boomin
The bold and dark theatrics of Metro Boomin’s latest collaborative rap-blockbuster project is a great reminder of how simple yet effective the trap-rap formula can be without sacrificing creativity, taking some of the biggest names in the genre and pushing the best out of each of their respective artistry.
Link: Too Many Nights - Metro Boomin (feat. Don Toliver)
23. A Light for Attracting Attention - The Smile
It’s not surprising at all that the classic Radiohead sound still remains as captivating as ever, as A Light for Attracting Attention captures both the older and newer eras of the band’s sound tastefully with plenty of superb grooves on the side from Tom Skinner.
Link: Skrting On the Surface - The Smile
22. Wet Leg - Wet Leg
For all the albums out there that claim to soundtrack the young adult experience, Wet Leg’s debut album truly captures all of the humor, chaos, doldrums, and fun of their current stage in life in one very amusing and exhilarating package of indie-rock.
Link: Loving You - Wet Leg
21. Being Funny In a Foreign Language - The 1975
If there’s any album to convert non-fans of The 1975, Being Funny In a Foreign Language may just be the best bet, channeling all of the band’s classic sweet and sugary synth-pop and acoustic work, yet carrying a thematic and musical maturity that makes the content gratifyingly accessible.
Link: Happiness - The 1975
20. It's Almost Dry - Pusha T
Pairing Pusha T with split executive production from Pharrell and Kanye is an obvious recipe for success, and amidst the stellar cast of guest features, his ever-sharp writing and focused delivery still manages to stand out and prove his well-deserved status this far into his career.
Link: Dreamin Of The Past - Pusha T (feat. Kanye West)
19. Big Time - Angel Olsen
Of all the directions Angel Olsen has taken her generational songwriting towards, her dreamy, vintage style of country on Big Time is perhaps the most emotionally potent one in her catalogue, as it navigates both grief and hope in beautiful, haunting fashion.
Link: Ghost On - Angel Olsen
18. DRILL MUSIC IN ZION - Lupe Fiasco
Not to mistake the more minimal instrumental approach with minimal substance, DRILL MUSIC IN ZION packs a serious punch of thoughtful introspection and cultural criticism within the density of Lupe Fiasco’s penmanship.
Link: NAOMI - Lupe Fiasco
17. Beatopia - beabadoobee
The imaginary world of Bea’s 7-year-old fantasy houses a wide range of some of the cutest, most accessible and confident indie pop in a while, slowly transforming her ‘90s musical influences into new and creative territory.
Link: Sunny Day - beabadoobee
16. Tana Talk 4 - Benny the Butcher
The fourth installment in the heralded Tana Talk series is clockwork for Benny the Butcher at this point, which is to say another high quality street-rap project that rides over lush, boom-bap production and dives even deeper into his harsh past realities and experiences.
Link: Weekend in the Perry's - Benny the Butcher (feat. Boldy James)
15. Candydrip - Lucky Daye
Of all the voices in contemporary R&B, Lucky Daye stands out as one of the most refreshingly creative and assured, as Candydrip exemplifies his growing stylistic diversity and continual work at his craft through the ultra smooth and buttery sound he captures so easily.
Link: Cherry Forrest - Lucky Daye
14. Marigold - Alex Isley & Jack Dine
The blossoming partnership between Alex Isley and Jack Dine produces a truly stunning and immersive wave of nocturnal R&B on Marigold, enveloping listeners into a trance of lush, atmospheric production and heavenly melodies from one of the most beautiful voices in music today.
Link: Under the Moon - Alex Isley & Jack Dine
13. Melt My Eyez, See Your Future - Denzel Curry
Densely layered with self-reflection and focus on progression, Melt My Eyez, See Your Future lies in its bed of spacious, jazz-infused production for Denzel Curry to explore the more measured, ponderous side of his artistry, all in such a thoughtful and thematically robust way.
Link: Ain't No Way - Denzel Curry (feat. 6LACK, Rico Nasty, JID, Jasiah & Kitty Ca$h)
12. Once Twice Melody - Beach House
It’s such an impressive feat to hear how Beach House embodies their original sound while still finding endless new creative directions to take their sound in, Once Twice Melody convincing proof of just how inventive and breathtaking those directions can be.
Link: New Romance - Beach House
11. God Don't Make Mistakes - Conway the Machine
Of all the quality Griselda camp releases of 2022, Conway’s Shady Records debut is the most revealing, the most thematically heavy, and perhaps the most lyrically impressive, an overall astounding step-up from his already immensely high-level quality of hip-hop.
Link: Tear Gas - Conway the Machine (feat. Rick Ross & Lil Wayne)
10. Dawn FM - The Weeknd
Doubling down on the ‘80s synth-pop aesthetics has brought equally impressive results for Abel, balancing his pursuit of artistic innovation and his achievement of mass appeal and popularity at a caliber comparable to few. As an intricate, thoughtfully-crafted conceptual album with some stunning audio engineering and arrangement, Dawn FM is a perfect example of how innovative pop music can be, and clearly cements The Weeknd as one of the most prolific mainstream artists of this decade.
9. Ants From Up There - Black Country, New Road
Black Country, New Road already burst onto the scene with technical wizardry and plenty of confidence on their debut, but Ants From Up There somehow sounds even more assured from a musical and conceptual standpoint. The softer, more theatrical approach to chamber pop and post-rock suits the group’s strengths so incredibly well, it sounds like the result of a band years into their career, and it also may just take that long to fully appreciate each and every layer of this rich, fulfilling album experience.
8. Luv 4 Rent - Smino
Pick any single track off of Luv 4 Rent and it’s clear exactly what makes Smino such a force in rap today. The super creative and expressive flows that emulate the intricate rhythms of his drummer DNA, the sweet and melodic melodies that tangle influences of R&B and neo-soul, and the sheer charisma and confidence that exudes from someone who’s been working as much as he has, the album is such a breath of fresh air for the genre, and paints a blindingly bright future for Smino and his inventive brand of hip-hop.
7. Sometimes, Forever - Soccer Mommy
The title Sometimes, Forever alludes to the many ways in which the album embodies a paradox, musically reaching both vibrant highs and fatalistic lows, and thematically touching on everything from confessions of love, to criticisms of the music industry machine, to even just driving a truck down the highway. What is ubiquitous, however, is Sophie’s intimate and down-to-earth songwriting, the warm and spacious production, and the sincerity of her performances, audible in every crack and crevice of this full-hearted and refined project.
6. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers - Kendrick Lamar
It’s never easy to unpack grief, let alone transform it into an immensely public form of art for millions to listen to. But Kendrick Lamar wants to be honest about the things that make him human. Over the course of the double album, he builds a cinematic world of visceral spoken-word passages, memorandums from guest interludes, and brilliantly crafted songwriting that entertains just as much as it peels back the veneer of his image. There more than a few hits, but Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is more concerned with its personal messaging, and it’s hard to find a better balance than what Kendrick accomplishes here.
5. Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You - Big Thief
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You undermines its 20-track length with a sense of disarming intimacy so warm and inviting, it almost feels like listening in on their jam session as they sit around the campfire. The band sifts through an array of acoustic-folk and adjacent genres, including beautifully crafted endeavors into folktronica, country-bluegrass, and folk rock to name a few. Their approach to each song is charmingly simple, which makes the whole album experience an extremely accessible one: great to enjoy in the background, but rich in raw emotion and storytelling when given its full, deserved attention.
4. RENAISSANCE - Beyoncé
Amidst the resurgence of dance-pop and house music in 2022, RENAISSANCE not only stands out as the genres’ cream of the crop, but also stands on its own as a wholly empowering, indulgent, and conscious work of art continually unafraid to entwine the larger cultural undertones that Beyoncé has always pioneered in her music. But it’s inexplicably joyous and celebratory at the core of the album, more than apt in providing a musical escape and thrill, and with just how catchy the writing and sticky the rhythms are, it continues to astound how Beyoncé is able to reinvent her artistry, album after album.
3. Cheat Codes - Danger Mouse & Black Thought
When a collaboration between two of the most revered and accomplished figures in rap forms, it’s nothing short of a dream come true. ‘Cheat Codes’ is in every sense a classic hip-hop album, composed at an incredibly high level of creativity and detail. From the brilliantly crafted boom-bap production from Danger Mouse, to the purposive wordplay and remarkable lyricism from Black Thought, to the absolute killer list of rappers featured throughout the album, it’s a deep yet cohesive record that really offers the total package from a rap standpoint.
2. De Todas las Flores - Natalia Lafourcade
It’s hard to believe that De Todas las Flores is Natalia Lafourcade’s first original material since 2015, but listening to the material gives a strong impression of just how much her artistry has evolved. The album is an intensive, sprawling exploration of Latin folklorico, chamber, samba, and acoustic folk led by an incredible team of renown instrumentalists. The sound is intimate yet largely cinematic, diffusing a beautiful overarching mood of love and deep heartbreak, and combined with incredibly curated sound engineering, De Todas las Flores transforms into a truly mystical listening experience.
1. The Forever Story - JID
The long four years since JID’s last album was well worth the wait. The Forever Story is the complete coming together of JID’s technical ability, artistic creativity, and personal identity in one defining body of work, placing family front and center as he explores the intricacies of his childhood, family, and journey. Demonstrating an incredible breadth of flows and vocal deliveries, it beautifully illustrates the sheer amount of work that JID has put into his craft. It’s not only the most impressive and engaging hip-hop record of the year, but will likely stand as one of the greater albums the genre will see this entire decade.
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