It has been quite a year for the music industry – a ‘Renaissance’ in more ways than one. With Spotify Wrapped and Apple Music Replay (where the two music streaming platforms annually psychoanalyse every user’s music taste) fresh out of the oven, it’s time to recap some of the most memorable music that came out this year.
Here are Springtide’s picks for the top 10 albums of 2022.
10. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
Wet Leg’s self-titled debut album is an eagerly smutty, adrenalin-fueled discovery of sexual desire, existential angst, and vindication. The duo has certainly piqued people’s interest, and by directing their sense of humor and stage presence into tracks that are far more subtle and complex than their 2021 single ‘Chais Lounge’, they’ve guaranteed that their debut is well worth your attention.
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9. Ants from Up There – Black Country, New Road
Ants from Up There is only the second studio album by British rock band Black Country, New Road. The record is truly compelling, and up there with some of the most emotionally-honest albums ever released, thanks to its lack of regard for conventional structure coupled with the eloquent, heartfelt lyrics.
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8. Laurel Hell – Mitski
The 31-year-old singer-songwriter returned with her sixth studio album, Laurel Hell, after a two-year hiatus, and it is a revelation. Songs like ‘Stay Soft’ are potentially some of her best examples of expert songwriting. If you’ve been through heartbreak, this record is full of gut-wrenching melodies you can relate to.
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7. God Save The Animals – Alex G
God Save The Animals, Alex G’s ninth studio album, is a diverse 13-track record that elicits unusual magnificence from animal sounds and auto-tunes. There are several voices, instruments and percussion and mysterious references and storylines. It is an album that cannot be digested in a single sitting.
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6. Blue Rev – Alvvays
Alvvays’ first record since 2017 is titled Blue Rev, a shoe-gaze and indie-rock album. The Toronto quintet’s third album promises to be their most demanding yet distinctly alluring work to date. Shawn Everett, a Grammy-winning producer who has worked with artists like The War on Drugs and Kacey Musgraves, helps bend Alvvays’ sound into exhilaratingly kaleidoscopic shapes. The album of 14 songs was put off by a variety of problems, such as demos being stolen, a flood, COVID-19 lockdowns and changing band members.
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5. Midnights – Taylor Swift
The singer first released 13 songs on Midnights before almost immediately dropping another seven on Midnights (3am edition). Throughout the record, we can hear an unfiltered Swift bringing together the best of her previous experiments, quite unlike anything we’ve seen before. Jack Antonoff revives quintessential pop-era Taylor with his production.
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4. Motomami – Rosalia
The Spanish superstar has collaborated with some of the best musicians in the industry for this third album. Rapper and producer Pharrell Williams worked on ‘La Combi Versace’ and ‘HENTAI’, and we also hear Frank Ocean and James Blake at the end of ‘DIABLO’. Motomami is a mixture of diverse genres, blending jazz, reggaeton, bachata, flamenco and pop.
3. Dawn FM – The Weeknd
Everyone was waiting to see how Abel would follow up on After Hours. His strongest lyrical performance to date can be found in Dawn FM, which succeeds by never becoming bogged down in itself. It’s an easy listen that doesn’t demand too much from the listener, while simultaneously showcasing The Weeknd’s emotionally charged vocals and addictive melodies.
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2. Caprisongs – FKA Twigs
FKA Twigs’ dreamy, astro-themed Caprisongs is the follow-up to her critically acclaimed Magdalene. The album features collaborations with The Weeknd on ‘Tears In The Club’ and Pa Salieu on ‘Honda’. Twigs, on the other hand, demonstrates her solo abilities with tracks like ‘Meta Angel’.
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1. Renaissance – Beyoncé
And to no one’s surprise, our top pick for 2022 is Beyoncé’s highly anticipated seventh studio album as a solo artist. She revealed on social media that Renaissance was inspired by her urge for freedom, escape and discovery during the pandemic. The record is a true celebration of dance music, and pays tribute to the black queer pioneers of genres like disco, bounce, house, techno, funk and ballroom. Unlike her previous albums, Renaissance is full of energetic dance-pop songs, but no ballads. The spirit of liberty is predominant throughout the album.
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