The dominating music developments of 2022 may solely be summed up by one phrase: sudden.
In a yr the place generational pop divas made lengthy overdue returns to the fray, some outdid expectations (Beyoncé, Dangerous Bunny, Harry Types) and others floundered (Rihanna, Drake, Blackpink). The overdue return of Kendrick Lamar was a perplexing affair, simply as how nobody may have predicted an almost four-decade-old Kate Bush tune to have the yr’s most heartwarming reverse-charting narrative.
BTS went on hiatus. Lizzo proved she may outmaneuver the algorithm. One of many yr’s greatest chart-toppers was referred to as “Unholy,” etching a non-binary singer and a trans-pop icon within the document books.
The self-produced lo-fi guitar funk of Steve Lacy went supernova. Everybody has lastly stopped speaking about Bruno. Taylor Swift proved that she’s extra standard than ever. But not even Taylor dominated the cultural house like Dangerous Bunny, unleashing an album that grew to become one of many top-10 most-streamed albums of all time on Spotify solely 5 months after its launch.
Beneath the Grammy nominations and platinum certifications was the beating coronary heart of our playlists, that includes nice new releases from indie rock strongholds, R&B svengalis, ambient techno gearheads, defining punk bands, and up to date bossa nova revisionists.
There’s not often been an album roundup as sprawling and various as this, however we are able to all agree that this was a yr like no different. Offered in no particular order, listed here are the 50 finest albums of 2022.
