My Favorite albums of 2022 (Part 1)

There was a lot of music that came out in 2022, in every genre, and most importantly a lot of good music that came out in 2022. I heard a lot of music this year and discovered a lot of new artists that blew me away with the brilliant output they produced throughout the year. In the hope of being more active in the coming year on this page and closing the year on a good note here is the first part of a three-part series of my favorite records that came out this year. 

Honestly, Nevermind

by Drake

A surprise drop from Drake actually took everyone by surprise because we saw Drake exploring something that we have seen glimpses of in his past albums but never expected to get an entire album of i.e. House Music. The highlight of this album was the big-name producers like Black Coffee, Gordo (formerly known as Carnage), Alex Lustig, and many more. This may not be the best album of the year (even by Drake) but it introduced a lot of people to a new genre and Drake deserves his flowers for taking a risk and experimenting with something different. 

Return Of The Dream Canteen

by Red Hot Chilli Peppers

We got treated to not one but two records from the legendary band. While the first one was a decent record, the second took things us to the right space and the things that we love about this band. This album is filled with beautiful guitar riffs, experimentation, and eccentric vocals. The record is littered with references to the ‘70s and ‘80s, making it the perfect nostalgia ride for fans. The Rick Rubin sessions have given us a lot of good music in the past and the future looks no different with the maestro looking to collaborate with a lot of new and old acts. 

Herbert

by Ab-Soul

Ab-Soul is known for his phenomenal talent of breaking down complex spiritual, political, and historical ideas into smoothly rapped tracks over the finest beats, Herbert shows this quality in the best possible way. With 16 tracks and a runtime clocking above the One Hour mark, Ab-Soul makes up for his absence from the scene and leaves fans delighted about his return. 

2000

by Joey Bada$$

Joey Badass comes back to the scene with a new album in 5 years after his last one and the MC shows no signs of holding back. He spits some of his finest bars over some of his most luscious beats. Joey thrives as he pushes the gas to full throttle and raps in full control. Linking this to his decade-old mixtape, 1999, the record shows his improvement and solidifies his legacy as a talented rapper. 

Actual Life 3

by Fred Again

Fred Again is an artist who has taken the homely feeling of house music into perfect use by using it as a scrapbook collaging together voice notes from friends, Instagram videos, and samples of important records from his life, offering a personal peek at the comings and goings of things he considers important. Actual Life 3 has moments of brilliance that will certainly connect with his boiler room audience, festival crowds, and even the people who have tuned to listen to it on their headphones.

I Never Liked You

By Future

I Never Liked You is packed with highlights that we expect from the king of toxic rap. We got what we want from Future with great cover art, some toxic bangers, good features, and some brooding self-introspection that make us relate to his music in a way we wouldn’t relate to anyone else. The trap rap legend came out with yet another star-studded album that gave us glimpses of the peak Future that we all like making this an enjoyable listen. 

Midnights

By Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift broke every record on the planet with her latest album and rightly so because this album sounds incredible. ‘Midnights’ sees Taylor Swift introspect on the consequences of situations and decisions she’s made in her illustrious career and profound life. Recorded entirely with, Jack Antonoff, this has some of the catchiest pop tunes that Taylor has made and is a more mature-sounding record than anything from her past. The record sets an atmosphere with its vintage synths and Taylor’s self-introspective vocals. Even though this was not as profound as her last two albums, this still shows the pop prowess of Taylor Swift and her ability to create catchy tunes. 

I Didn’t Mean To Haunt You

by Quadeca

It’s insane how well Quadeca has shed off the tag of a youtube rapper and this record will further cement his identity as one of the best rappers to come out of the YouTube scene. Quadeca not just taps into his love for hip-hop but channels his love for other genres into a fully formulated record that revolves around a narrative that is played out from the perspective of a ghost. This is a fully fleshed-out record and I’m excited to see what Quadeca does in the future. For the best experience, I advise everyone to watch it with the film that goes with this. 

MOTOMAMI

by Rosalia

My first time hearing Rosalia was through a feature on Blinding Lights remix and I was hooked on her charismatic voice. Even though I have little to no understanding of Spanish, MOTOMAMI has me hooked with the brilliant soundscape and the phenomenal vocals of Rosalia. It feels rare to hear an album that’s so experimental, that aspires to stretch itself out across genres and styles and yet dominate the charts. This is a delightful listen and in my constant rotation.

You Can’t Kill Me

by 070 Shake

You Can’t Kill me the sophomore album of 070 Shake is an honest and striking body of work. The 14 tracks are a reflection of Shake’s talent as a lyricist and the use of euphoric synths and instrumentation could easily evoke goosebumps. With Mike Dean in the mix, the synths are dense and often transcendental. The album encapsulates Shake’s feelings towards her partner with romantic lyricism expressed throughout. It’s a tribute to love in turbulent times. 

Hard Drive Vol 1

by Raftaar

Finally, Raftaar ditches all the pop shit and grabs the microphone to spit hardcore bars over the finest trap beats in the DHH scene. Hard Drive Vol 1 shows Raftaar in a role I’ve been waiting to see him in, a rapper who knows his craft. The flows are phenomenal, the beats are incredible and with just 7 tracks there is no skip on the record. The features fit the soundscape and Raftaar brings out the best of everyone featured on the album and it shows the fun side of hip-hop. Raftaar, with his friends, is having fun in the studio, and that is what makes this record an enjoyable listen. 

Tana Talk 4

by Benny The Butcher

Tana Talk 4 gets a mention into the best albums of the year just with its phenomenal opener, Johnny P’s Caddy, but the album being great in its entirety is the icing on the cake. The album doesn’t lose the girt and grime we expect from the Gresilda music universe and maintains the street cred that the other three installments had with phenomenal production, flows, and bars. Tana Talk 4 solidifies Benny as one of the best rappers in the game right now and is a worthy successor in the Tana Talk series. 

I Love You Jennifer B

by Jockstrap

After listening to their EP, ‘Wicked Games’, in 2020 I was excited to see what this duo from the UK had to offer on their debut full-length album and the output is beautiful. Jockstrap builds on creaky foundations, layering processed vocals and synthesized melodies that sound straight out of a well-made Sci-Fi movie. The cuts are layered with twists like a perfect thriller, just when you think you know this is how it’s going, Jockstrap flips into something completely different and gives you an even more interesting sound than you had imagined. 

No Thank You

By Little Simz

Little Simz is a phenomenal artist that keeps delivering with everything that she puts out. No Thank You is the perfect follow-up of the incredible 2021 record, ‘Sometimes I might be introvert’, and cements Simz and Inflo as an unbreakable and unstoppable duo in Hip Hop. Simz channels her pain and frustration through her pen and creates intricate rhyme schemes that talk about deep-rooted trauma in a phenomenal way. This would have been much higher on my list if this released earlier but the little time I got with it makes it enough for me to include it on my favorite albums of the year.

SOS

by SZA

SZA’s announcement of a new album took the internet by storm as she was coming back with a new record 5 years since her critically and commercially acclaimed record ‘CTRL’ was released in 2017. To the delight of the fans, this record was an hour long and packed with 23 tracks and boy does each of them deliver. If had spent more time with this record it would have been much higher on my list as well. This record is luxurious and ambitious in its production and songwriting. SZA has definitely mastered the art of storytelling by transforming deeply personal accounts into soulful tracks. SZA creates a theatrical world through warbled melodies that throw modern R&B and pop song structure out the window and lets her voice weave in, over, and through the beats in a way she finds best. 

Thank you for checking my year end list. Do let me know what you think about my list and what would you pick in the spots of 35-29. Stay tuned for the other two parts.