20 Albums of '22
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: time for me to consider the music that has come out over 2022 and compile my favourites for all of you!
I’m only one human, and I have only so many hours a day, so my caveat is that I have not listened to everything that deserves a listen; I have no dreams that this list is in any way exhaustive. Feel free to disagree to any degree and continue to send me things I missed here - I may have left them off purposely, or I may never have heard them before.
As I began putting these lists together, there were a lot of Spotify Wrapped stories being shared on the socials, and I couldn’t help but try and categorize some of my tastes based on my listening habits and choices for these year-end lists. I’m confident that if I used Spotify, they would name my primary genre as “Rhythm and Gay” (R&G for short). ;) So if that sounds like it might be even a bit up your alley, you can probably find something for you here.
20. Blue Water Road - Kehlani
I struggled knowing what album to include in this final spot for the year, and although my favourite song from this album was in my 2021 list (“Altar”), the whole album brings a similar sense of mysticism and beauty. Blue Water Road is Kehlani’s most gentle album, kicking itself off with “Little Story,” a soft request to be written into someone’s narrative, and each song approaches its own little stories with reverence and wonder. There were so many good albums this year, but Kehlani continues to stand out in new ways on every project she releases.
Highlight Tracks: Little Story, Altar, Everything
19. Spell 31 - Ibeyi
Ibeyi’s 3rd studio album is named after a spell from the Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. In case you were wondering, the 31st Spell is for protection in the afterlife from crocodiles, and the sisters quote it directly at the conclusion of “Made of Gold”. Apparently they adjusted their usual songwriting style, they had started with piano on their first two records, but this time, they started with the drums. The result is a collection that somehow sounds even more embodied and visceral than before, with lyrics of powerful blessings and prayers and incantations for walking in this world and whatever comes next.
Highlight Tracks: Made of Gold, Creature Perfect, Lavender and Red Roses
18. Special - Lizzo
I have such a mixed relationship to Lizzo’s latest album. Don’t get me wrong, there are some huge bops and bangers here, and I continue to stan Lizzo as an artist and human, no matter what. It partially made this list because it has what is likely my favourite album opener of the year on “The Sign”: “Hi motherfucker, did you miss me? I’ve been at home since 2020.” Haven’t we all?
Special is super polished with a whole lot of major production credits, and somehow I feel a little meh about it. I can’t even imagine the pressures she felt in following up Cuz I Love You … during a pandemic no less … but as a nearly “day 1” Lizzo fan, I miss the rap verses, y’all. This is more poppy than hip hop, so I’m left wanting. Still, there were too many great tracks here to not highlight it.
Highlight Tracks: About Damn Time, 2 Be Loved, Naked, Birthday Girl
17. Candydrip - Lucky Daye
I’ve been loving everything coming from Lucky Daye over the past few years. If Leon Bridges was the modern reincarnation of Sam Cooke, Lucky Daye is what we get if Usher had the sensitive soul of Frank Ocean. Solid R&B all over this record, making it impossible to pick just one standout track. I’ll admit that I trip over the interludes here, but every full-length song on this record is a bop.
Highlight Tracks: Feels Like, Guess, Over.
16. MUNA - MUNA
I went back and forth about how I felt about this album, but I want to make no mistake in saying that this self-titled 3rd album from MUNA is FULL of stand-out tracks with clever, earnest lyrics and ultra polished productions. “Silk Chiffon” already made my 2021 song list, and I was pretty tempted to add “What I Want” to 2022, but in the end there were too many moments that needed to be shared. Special thanks to my bud, Kirbie, for pointing out just how good the songwriting is here, even when I’m more mesmerized by the flashy synths and ultra-tight drum tracks.
Highlight Tracks: Silk Chiffon, What I Want, Anyone But Me, Kind of Girl
15. Hold the Girl - Rina Sawayama
Rina’s first album, SAWAYAMA, was a love letter to the 90s, and touched on virtually every genre that existed during that golden era, but Hold The Girl finds its home solidly in the world of pop music. Ironically, while her first album is self-titled, Hold the Girl is a much more personal exploration of Rina’s own inner child, and what it means to protect and provide self-care. The video of the titular track is the most explicit example of this, and for those fans of her debut, there’s a uber-queer shout out to 90s Country legend, Shania Twain, on “This Hell”, complete with a “let’s go girls” intro.
Highlight Tracks: Hold the Girl, This Hell, Send My Love to John
14. Broken Hearts Club - Syd
Syd had a huge 2023, not only with a writing and production credit on Beyonce’s “Plastic Off the Sofa,” but also with her sophomore solo album 5 years after 2017’s Fin. Broken Hearts Club brings everything I love about Syd’s music and more. She kicks the album off with a Lucky Daye collaboration that feels like a thesis statement of sorts, as the two of them ask a new partner if they’re trustworth on CYBAH, or “Could You Break a Heart?” Syd spends the following 12 tracks exploring the highs and lows of vulnerably offering herself to someone. I can’t think of a current songwriter that gets as “sexy” as Syd, and yet there’s also some sweet romantic moments here (“Sweet”), as well as reminders to not lose her own self-worth as a relationship crumbles in “Missing Out”.
Highlight Tracks: CYBAH, Sweet, Control, Out Loud
13. Motomami - Rosalia
Rosalia hits the ground running on “Saoko,” and although there are ballads on Motomami, I don’t get the sense she slows down over the following 15 tracks. There are moments where you can take a breath, but I can promise you’ll still be moving your hips and head. Sometimes I think that’s exactly what she’s going for - there’s an almost whiplashy effect when she goes from a party starter like “Chicken Teriyaki” to the sparse piano track of “Hentai,” and back to the aggressively fun “Bizcochito.” Or when she bounces from accentuated Flamenco vocals to party talk-singing to explicit use of auto-tune. Rosalia refuses to follow any established rules; she makes the album that interests her, and it pays off.
Highlight Tracks: Saoko, Bularías, Chicken Teriyaki
12. Hypnos - Ravyn Lenae
It’s about time we got a full length album from this young, Chicago talent! I’ve loved every EP she’s given us over the last 5 years, but this is the amalgamation of everything I associate with Ravyn, from the house beats to the airy, pitch perfect vocals, from her sexy playful energy to the expertly layered harmonies. She sticks with some of her most successful collaborators here, including Steve Lacy on “Skin Tight,” whom she had worked with on her Crush EP, and Chicago colleague Smino, who adds his buttery verse at the end of “3D.”
Highlight Tracks: Inside Out, Skin Tight, Xtasy, Light Me Up
11. Shape Up - Leikeli47
From the first moments of “Chitty Bang,” I could tell this was going to be a different album from Leikeli47. It’s still full of hard bangers, but the beats are a little more subtle and the lyrics less novel. This is a confidence building record for me, with tracks like “LL Cool J,” “BITM,” and “Jay Walk” (featuring Miss J Alexander) pulsing over contagious beats and clear Ballroom influence. But I appreciate that there’s also softer, more vulnerable tracks like “Free to Love,” or “Hold My Love,” in which she showcases surprising vocal control over her already well-established sense of rhythm and rap. I’m personally a fan of this record leaving the skits and narrative elements of her previous collection (Acrylic) behind. Goes to show that not every great album needs to be heavily conceptual.
Highlight Tracks: LL Cool J, BITM, Jay Walk
10. Few Good Things - Saba
I recommend this album to anyone who is open to some deeply chill and melodic hip hop. The Chicago rapper has always had incredible flow, but here, there’s something much more relaxed about his message, as if he has less of a sense of urgency, but still plenty to say. “If I Had a Dollar” is a big highlight as he reflects on wealth and success, and how they may be less connected than he used to believe. He calls upon some phenomenal collaborators throughout the album, including Mereba, Eryn Allen Kane, 6lack and Krazie Bone. It’s a communal effort, with Saba sharing the spotlight and shining just as bright as anyone.
Highlight Tracks: If I Had a Dollar, Come My Way, A Simpler Time, Few Good Things
9. SOS - SZA
There are only a few artists that I would even consider giving a Dec 10th album release a listen in consideration for this list, but clearly SZA is one of them. I will admit that this is not CTRL, but I wasn’t expecting another perfect album. After a long wait, I was willing to receive anything with her voice and raw honesty, and this collection came through. SOS is full of SZA’s dreams and desires, regardless of whether or how they might be accepted by her listeners and fans. It’s widely reported that SZA wasn’t expecting us to even like this record, but we obviously proved her wrong by setting a new record for first week streams of an R&B album ever. Anyway, this album is all over the place, and I’m here for it. It’s a horny romp complete with a Phoebe Bridgers collaboration (“Ghost in the Machine”), electric guitars (“F2F”) and a murder fantasy (“Kill Bill”), sewn together with the silky voice and confidence of this legendary human.
Highlight Tracks: Gone Girl, Shirt, Good Dayz
8. Hits of Today - The Last Artful, Dodgr
I’m pretty confused about why this collection hasn’t made more lists. Hits of Today seems to have flown under the radar of major music publications even though The Last Artful, Dodgr has been working up to this with a steady stream of singles over the last few years. I had a friend share them with me when I was compiling a Pride playlist of queer artists, and I’ve been following their career ever since. Dodgr’s sense of melody, rhyme and flow is entirely unique and super catchy, and the whole album is a vibe perfect for chilling with the crew. Quit sleeping on this aptly (if a little cockily) titled record, and stream it now.
Highlight Tracks: Hullabaloo, Infinity, Lightwork, Whiteclaw
7. Hold On Baby - King Princess
King Princess’ sophomore album was not one I was highly anticipating. For some reason, most of what she’s released since 2019 had me skeptical that I would still be a fan. I was worried that she’d abandon her innate ability to write a pop song in an attempt to sound “edgy” in a similar way to say, Maggie Rogers. Thankfully and surprisingly, this album blew me away. I put it on initially just to see if there were some highlights and I found myself returning over and over to the whole collection. There’s a bit of maturity and wisdom I wasn’t expecting, but was always present in King’s songwriting since “1950” and “Holy.” Hold On Baby is far more vulnerable and real than its predecessor and I highly recommend this record.
Highlight Tracks: For My Friends, Crowbar, Change the Locks, Sex Shop
6. No Thank You - Little Simz
I still can’t really believe I’m doing this. Am I putting an album that was only just released on Dec 12th, 2022 at #6 for the year? This is the kind of move I would usually only reserve for someone like Beyoncé. But look, I’m fairly sure this record from Little Simz (with some major song-writing and production assists from Sault team, Cleo Sol and Inflo) is perfect. There is this whole vibe journey she takes us on, and because the collaborations are kept within a small team, every song fits in a cohesive package. She takes on some hot topics, mainly mental health and the music industry, and refuses to hold back, with her quintessential hard-hitting lyrics. “I refuse to be on a slave ship, give me all my masters and lower your wages”.
Highlight Tracks: Gorilla, X, No Merci
5. Ivory - Omar Apollo
I was surprised to realize that Ivory is considered Omar Apollo’s debut album! Early on in 2020 I fell hard into Omar’s 10-song project Apolonio (which I guess is considered an EP), and thought I had found a distant cousin of Miguel or Frank Ocean. The comparisons are certainly appropriate, from their shared queerness to their earnest yet stylized approach to songwriting. No wonder I’m obsessed! Ivory is a much more fully fleshed out and polished collection, featuring high profile collaborations from Daniel Caesar (on the journey that is “Invincible” - my favourite track on the album), and Kali Uchis (who also appears on Apolonio). Plus he’s just nabbed the opportunity to open for SZA on her SOS tour, so if you were lucky (and loaded!) enough to get tickets, you should probably catch up!
Highlight Tracks: Invincible, Personally, Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All)
4. YESSIE - Jessie Reyez
I have loved Jessie Reyez through every EP and album until now, yet YESSIE, her second LP, still managed to surprise me. (I had to look it up to be sure it’s only her second LP - she’s put out so many EPs that I’ve loved like albums!) This is by far Reyez’ calmest album so far, but not without biting moments we’ve grown to depend on her for, like in “Mutual Friend” where she belts out the chorus line, “If you died tomorrow I don’t think I’d cry.” Even in Jessie’s harshest statements, there’s a depth of emotion revealing a vulnerability I’m not as used to seeing in her earlier projects. I’m also genuinely happy to hear a few love songs, like “Hittin” and “Only One,” from a usually prickly Jessie.
Highlight Tracks: Hittin, Queen St West, Mutual Friend, Break Me Down
3. Gifted - Koffee
This is another album that has shaped so much of my year since its release in March. We’ve been waiting on this debut LP from Koffee since 2019’s “Toast” became a regular spin for any celebration. From the opener “x10,” a song that calls prayer-like on Bob Marley with a sample of the reggae king’s classic, “Redemption Song,” Koffee’s brand is overwhelmingly positive and uplifting. It was exactly what I needed this year as we all fumbled to figure out what it meant to get back to some semblance of normalcy while still taking the pandemic seriously.
Highlight Tracks: x10, Gifted, West Indies, Pull Up
2. Three Dimensions Deep - Amber Mark
This album came out in January this year, and I’ve returned to it every single month since, only really dipping in play counts for August and September (once Renaissance was released). Amber Mark was one of my very first concerts out of the lockdowns, and it deeply reminded me how much I love live shows. Her performance was electric, and I left feeling high even though I hadn’t had anything more than a beer that night. Every song on this album fits a cohesive vibe, even as it weaves its way through theme and genre, from the reflective melancholy R&B of “What it Is,” to the self-love celebration of “Worth It” (which made my top songs list last year). When this dropped, it was one of my most anticipated albums, and has not disappointed me in the least.
Highlight Tracks: Foreign Things, What It Is, Softly
1. Renaissance - Beyoncé
This should be no surprise to anyone. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have followed along with all my highlights from this record already, so I won’t go through every moment. Basically this is the gayest Beyoncé album ever, and therefore the best release of her (or maybe anyone’s?) career. Yeah, I feel that strongly. The first 5 songs are immaculately mixed into a set, including some of her strongest songs ever, from TikTok sensation “Cuff It” to the anthem of the summer “Break My Soul.”
Her first pause in the album is to introduce my true song of the year, “Church Girl,” which speaks to this recovering church girl at a whole ‘nother level. I don’t think there’s been a song I’ve responded to like this since Frank Ocean’s “Bad Religion” (and yes, I do see the theme there).
Okay, and here I’ve only just touched on the first half of the record - this thing does not slow down. We even get Grace Jones out of hiding on the perfect party-entrance song, “MOVE,” and the queer genius that is “PURE/HONEY”. I am hesitating to single these songs out because I could easily list every single track as a highlight. “PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA” is a vocal marvel, “HEATED” gives us full Ballroom scene vibes, and every single song is a love letter to the Black queers who gave us a beautiful culture and legacy of refusing to apologize for who we are.
The best thing about Renaissance is that once you start it, you just can’t stop. You need to make your way to the last Donna-Summer-loving track, and then 9 times out of 10, you’re just hitting that repeat button.