tay’s favorite albums of 2022
music in the year of the lovers (pt. 2)
the consensus of my 2022 year-end list is that less is more. i listened to a variety of music this year, but i struggled to compile a list of favorites as robust as my prior lists.
so this time, i scaled the number back to 12. i had already made a choice to not correspond the quantity of albums on my list to what year it was —who’s to say i’ll have 30 favorite albums in 2030? this solution is a bit more sustainable and aligns with how i plan to review music monthly moving forward.
in 2022, there were albums that were instant faves for me and quite a few sleeper hits. for instance, if i had listened to the following Ojerime track way earlier in the year, i know it would have been a top 10 song for me. she’s just too smooth.
then, there are some releases i thought i would come back to and never did (sorry Mr Morale & The Big Steppers) and others that i thought would be my favorites fell by the wayside. i’ll come back for the latter eventually. (like, SZA was one of my most listened artists this year, but i ain’t quite ready to sit with SOS like i did Ctrl. 23 tracks is a lot.)
and as with every year, there will be albums from 2022 that i listen to for the first time in 2023 that i wish i would have listened to earlier so they could make this list. you can see from my most played albums which releases from last year were mainstays for me in 2022.1
next, here are some major themes/trends i noticed: retro soul revival (Thee Sacred Souls, Bobby Oroza, Lady Wray), a global electronic dance music revolution (Beyoncé, Drake, Sam Gelliatry, Mura Masa, PinkPantheress, Kaytranada2 and many more), the return of indie sleaze era music stars (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Santigold, Bloc Party, etc), Southern female rappers rising up (GloRilla, TiaCorine, Mercury, Flo Milli, Baby Tate) and personal style/taste influencing music exploration more than other trends (i was more into jazz and electronic this year than usual, but hip-hop, R&B, and psychedelic rock still prevailed).
without further ado, here’s a countdown of my 12 favorite albums this year. i’ll start with a few honorable mentions:
BEFORE WE GO (DEEPER) - India Shawn
the first time i truly listened to India Shawn was many years ago as an undergraduate. i had heard of her from Soundcloud and on this occasion, she had returned to her alma mater to inspire the currently enrolled, while giving us quite a performance from within the student center auditorium. i love seeing artists hit their stride; Shawn is well on her way with a beautiful alternative R&B album that deserves way more shine.
Sault’s 5 albums: Today & Tomorrow, Earth, Untitled (God), 11, Air
to know Sault is to love Sault. but with them releasing 5 albums on one day this past November, i will need a lot more time to spend with their latest work. between these albums and Little Simz’ newest project, producer Inflo has been quite busy. my ears are ready and willing to listen. most recently, i’ve had “The Greatest Smile” on repeat.
Gemini Rights - Steve Lacy
to be fair, i might have enjoyed this album a little more if it came out in a different season. i know it’s called Gemini Rights, but this just did not fit my summertime vibe. i also didn’t really give this full album as many listens as it may have deserved since i identified my fave songs fairly on. and we already know no one can deny the earworm that is “Bad Habit.”
Ivory - Omar Apollo
this is another album that was soooo good upon revisiting it, but it just didn’t really strike me in the season it was released. it’s still a winner though.
Let It Rain - Leven Kali
honestly, this is just a good time from start to finish.
The Forever Story - JID
an Atlanta legend-in-the-making returns to let us know he’s been diligently working on his vocals and that the wordplay is going even wilder than before. this album absolutely deserves your attention!!
Prism - Say She She
this is a very late stage discovery for me. i have the same fervor for this album that i have for Deep Throat Choir’s In Order to Know You from 2021; it would have ranked much higher for me had i heard it earlier as it’s right up my alley.
flora + fana - Fana Hues
i played this a lot while taking baths or while in the kitchen. it’s silky smooth, good listening for anytime — Fana Hues is another R&B artist who needs to be on everyone’s radar if she isn’t already.
Could We Be More - Kokoroko
*“Age of Ascent”, “Dide O”, “We Give Thanks”, “Soul Searching”
what’s pretty fun about this high-energy jazz album is that it starts out pretty instrumental. then about halfway through, members of the British octet come in with some heartfelt lyrics and moving vocal harmonies.
RAMONA PARK BROKE MY HEART - Vince Staples
* “WHEN SPARKS FLY”, “MAGIC”, “AYE! (FREE THE HOMIES)”
Vince Staples doesn’t really have to try at this point. his status as one of the chillest, most talented lyricists and storytellers of rap was cemented years ago. and still, he gave us this banger of an album that kinda fell under the radar this year IMO.
Dawn FM - The Weeknd
* “Gasoline”, “How Do I Make You Love Me?”, “Take My Breath”, “Out of Time”
count on the artist personally known as Abel Tesfaye to truly commit to a performance art piece. on Dawn FM, he gives us a soundtrack for being suspended in time between the earth side and the cosmic realm. i never really imagined musical purgatory to give me such feels, but The Weeknd managed to do it.
MAHAL - Toro Y Moi
* “Magazine”, “Last Year”, “Days in Love”, “The Loop”
a funky, playful (albeit existential) exploration of love, culture, and possibilities from one of the coolest musicians around.
Radiate Like This - Warpaint
*“Stevie”, “Hips”, “Champion”, “Like Sweetness”, “Send Nudes”
my favorite band returns with nothing less than what we expected. flirty, haze-inducing lyrics and some of the sexiest guitar riffs around.
Not TiGHT - DOMi & JD BECK
* “SMiLE”, “PiLOT”, “NOT TiGHT”, “U DON’T HAVE TO ROB ME”
easy listening and elevated jazz vibes from Anderson .Paak’s proteges. notable features include Thundercat, Herbie Hancock, Snoop Dogg and .Paak himself.
Spirituals - Santigold
*“Ushers of the New World”, “High Priestess”, “My Horror”, “Nothing”, “Shake”, “Fall First”
2022 was special for many reasons, one of them being the highly anticipated return of a Black alt-rock goddess. Spirituals is a solid, tapped-in release from one of my greatest inspirations and a much-needed reminder that we wouldn’t have rock music as it is without Black women.
there’s also something intrinsically familiar about the album, especially the way Santigold does schoolgirl-like refrains on “High Priestess” — it makes you think of playing Rockin’ Robin or Patty Cake on the playground.
5. Natural Brown Prom Queen - Sudan Archives
*“Home Maker”, “Selfish Soul”, “Ciara”, “NBPQ (Topless)”, “Freakalizer”
Brittney Parks has been showing that she’s not the regular degular girl from around the way since she first appeared on the scene as Sudan Archives in 2017 — after all, there aren’t a lot of women simultaneously singing, rapping, and playing the violin with such fluidity as she does. i guess enough people didn’t get the memo because on the title track from her bomb new album, she reminds us with the catchiest refrain that she’s definitely not average.
Hypnos - Ravyn Lenae
*“Skin Tight”, “Light Me Up”, “Venom”, “Where I’m From”, “Inside Out”
this was the debut album we all were waiting on and it definitely did not disappoint. Lenae takes us deeper into her world and invites us to stay awhile, with the unspoken promise and possibility of discovering something new to listen to on each listen.
Luv 4 Rent - Smino
*“Matinee”, “90 Proof”, “Louphoria”, “Lee & Lovie”
sorry to anyone who thinks their *that n***a” — Smino is actually *him*
he does the Midwest proud just by being himself: a well-dressed, too fly for his own good wordsmith. LUV4RENT is solid proof of this: Smino does what he does best and taps on all the right features to achieve a cohesive project. from BLKSWN to now, his artistic vision has always been very clear and consistent.
and according to a recent TikTok trend, he was also found to be one of the kindest celebrities that folks had met. uber-talented and a genuinely good person? love to see it.
RENAISSANCE - Beyoncé
*“Cuff It”, “Heated”, “Alien Superstar”, “Virgo’s Groove” — too many hits to name them all
what can be said about Beyoncé’s dance music masterpiece that hasn’t been said already? as someone who was sentient enough to remember the first iteration of Destiny’s Child, the ongoing ascent of Houston’s very own surprises no one. that being said, this just seems like the album she HAD to make at this point in her career — she’s mature, established, and rich enough to take such creative risks.
RENAISSANCE is unconventional in all the same ways it’s conventional. one of my favorite things about this album was that it was notably her most profane yet. only update i’ll add re: my initial review is that i would absolutely give it a 9/10 where i had given it a 7/10 on first listen.
Get On the Otherside - Bobby Oroza
* “The Otherside”, “Loving Body”, “Sweet Agony”, “My Place, My Time”, “I Got Love”, “Soon Everyone Will Know”
i doubt this album will appear on many other lists, but that’s why this is a favorites list and not a best-of list. this was the music that truly sustained me in 2022.
Get On the Otherside met me where i was this year — it abounds with themes of transition, resistance, acceptance, and the collusion of all three. with his signature 60s soul-inspired aesthetic, Oroza has a way of making the most nostalgic aspects of music sound fresh and hopeful.
i hope you enjoyed my year-end list — i’d be curious to hear about some of your favorites and to see if there’s any projects i missed. before we conclude, here is my handwritten list and the 2(0)22 playlist.
(apple music)
i literally only listened to the Sleep album one time, but it’s 8 hours long
honestly, it’s more like a lot of folks just caught up to Kaytranada