Carlos’s Top 25 Albums of 2022
For me, this year in music felt like there were some really big highlights and not much in the middle. I recall a lot of songs and singles that I really enjoyed, but found it difficult to find full albums that captivated me. Let’s focus on the amazing, though, because there were some very high highs in 2022. These 25 albums have incredible singles that carry the rest of the LP, well-produced works, and finally some albums where it would be a sin to even think about skipping a track. I noticed that my favorite albums featured some of my already favorite artists trying out new things with their sounds that fit perfectly, as if they had always done that before. Here are my favorite albums of 2022.
25.
Three Dimensions Deep | Amber Mark
R&B
Since first hearing Amber Mark’s Conexão EP and the single “Mixer” a few years ago, I’ve been looking forward to hearing more of her sound in a full-length album. She delivered a 17-track, hour-long album this year that scatters some great sounds and some new grooves that remind me of those earlier works. This album is easy to listen to and fill into.
Favorite song: “Foreign Things”
24.
Dance Fever | Florence + The Machine
Pop
This was a case of one I was really looking forward to based on the singles and generally liking Florence. When she released “Free” and “My Love” in the middle of spring as the sun was coming out more and the temperatures were warming up, I really felt like this could deliver great summer hits. Well, those singles are so good that they carry the album into this list.
Favorite song: “My Love”
23.
El Big Blue | Bandalos Chinos
Indie rock / Synth pop
This indie pop/rock band from Argentina has always been producing catchy, groovy little hits that fill up Spotify’s Latin Indie playlists. This album feels like an excellent addition to that repertoire and makes for a great one to put on when you wake up early on Saturday morning to clean the house. Anda a limpiar, pibe.
Favorite song: “Una Propuesta”
22.
Sunday In Heaven | Zella Day
Pop
I feel like the albums in this range have had a theme of expectations that ultimately fell short. I heard Zella Day release “Golden” last year and got really excited when she announced the album. While I wish there were more songs like that one, I still enjoyed a lot of the catchiness from other tracks, even when they drifted away from that style. Still, “Golden” is such a great hit and worth listening to the rest of the album.
Favorite song: “Golden”
21.
Midnights | Taylor Swift
Pop
So many people were saying “she did it again”. Did what, produce a forgettable flop like Lover? And then it started growing on me a little bit. My biggest criticism at first was the corny lyrics and that Taylor labeled this as a “concept album” without a concept. But she does know how to create pop songs that end up having you groove along. While it didn’t capture me like her indie folk era, Midnights does have some highlights that I see myself coming back to often.
Favorite songs: “Lavender Haze” and “Anti-Hero”
20.
Candydrip | Lucky Daye
R&B
Lucky Daye knows how to craft a smooth track. The singles from this album hooked me into the rest of the album and his voice are a perfect fit for the production. The pace is really gentle, so at times it’s easy to lose track of where you are in the album. But when you pick it back up, you remember why you fell in in the first place. Great follow-up to his last EP.
Favorite song: “Over”
19.
CRASH | Charli XCX
Pop / Electro pop
Gordon Ramsay voice: Finally, some good fucking pop. That in-your-face pop. That turn it up in the rideshare (no free ads) after the pre-game pop. That close your eyes, pick a song, and make a scene in public pop. That’s what this is.
Favorite song: “Good Ones”
18.
Paprika | La Bien Querida
Spanish indie pop
This album generally has a gentle pop feel that works really well with Ana Fernández-Villaverde’s singing. It has a good selection of catchy tunes. An easy-listening Spanish album from an artist I like, especially for her recent single “El Gato”.
Favorite songs: “La Voz De Su Amo”
17.
Tu Historia | Julieta Venegas
Latin pop
If you know Latin pop, you know that Julieta Venegas can make catchy songs that get you swinging your hips out of nowhere. In this album, Julieta sticks to a pop sound that fits the direction of today’s Latin indie pop. From the start, the first song is an earworm that I can see myself adding to every kind of playlist in the next year. Toward the middle of the album, it even feels nostalgic to earlier Julieta Venegas that we heard from Limón y Sal.
Favorite song: “En Tu Orilla", “Mismo Amor"
16.
The Forever Story | JID
Hip hop
I kept hearing different songs at different times from this album thanks to Spotify radio. It took a while for me to find the album, and it delivered in a big way. JID is so artful in his flow, smoothing things out just right in slower moments and hitting briskly when he needs. This is the kind of album where an artist really shows off their range in all aspects of their craft, which kind of feels really present in “Surround Sound”. The features on here are great not just for their names, but the way they add to the experience. And of course, impactful and funny lines that are definitely worth coming back to listen to.
Favorite song: “Surround Sound (ft. 21 Savage & Baby Tate)”, “Money”
15.
Giving The World Away | Hatchie
Dream pop
At some point, I put this on my “Listen Soon” list. Then I did, and it was a really good idea. A lot of these songs sound like they come from an alt-pop early 90s album (honestly don’t know much about that but it feels like I would probably hear a lot of these pre-9/11). Still, it’s a sound that I want to keep hearing and thankfully this album gave 50 minutes of that which I couldn’t stop playing once I started. I’m really looking forward to hearing more from Hatchie in the future.
Favorite songs: “Quicksand”, “This Enchanted”
14.
Dawn FM | The Weeknd
Synth pop / Funk
This feels like a fairly underrated album. I like that Abel picks up the pace and gets a little more electronic in this album. It’s kind of a concept album that merits listening to the songs in order, but it was pleasantly surprising to hear this kind of sound from someone already so talented.
Favorite songs: “Take My Breath”, “Less Than Zero”
13.
HYPNOS | Ravyn Lenae
R&B
Ravyn Lenae is one of the first artists I discovered when I dove into this genre again a few years ago. I really enjoyed the cloudy but sweet sounds from her first few Eps (Moon Shoes, Midnight Moonlight, and Crush). Ravyn crushes those and makes such an impressive album that is perfect for a cozy weekend morning or a little walk through some city blocks at night. The middle of the album especially goes back-to-back with songs you can’t stop listening to.
Favorite songs: “M.I.A.”, “Skin Tight (ft. Steve Lacy)”
12.
Tiene Que Ser Para Mí | Natalia Lacunza
Spanish indie pop
Absolutely my favorite Spanish pop album of the year. I don’t even remember how I discovered it but I’m so glad I did. This album is loaded with the soft indie pop hits that I generally already love. Lacunza’s writing stands out lyrically, too. The transition from track 3 to track 4, go ahead and give that a Grammy immediately. If you’ve heard of Ruzzi, Daniela Spalla, or Vanessa Zamora, or like songs like “BUENOS AIRES” from Nathy Peluso, you’ll really enjoy this album
Favorite song: “Muchas Cosas”, “Mi Sitio”
11.
I Walked With You A Ways | Plains
Indie folk / Singer-songwriter
Outstanding folk project from two of my favorite singers in the genre, Jess Williamson and Katie Crutchfield, known as Waxahatchee. The album has a wonderful pace that makes it so easy to replay over and over. The songs make me want to put my boots and cowboy hat on for a long ride out west. It hops from fun to nostalgic and all the feelings that are the core of this sound. I especially like Jess Williamson’s singing and I’m happy to see her get recognition. Also, be sure to hear her single “Pictures of Flowers” from 2020.
Favorite songs: “Abilene”, “Problem With It”
10.
The Loneliest Time | Carly Rae Jepsen
Pop
It shocks me when people say they didn’t realize CRJ was still making music when she is delivering some of the poppiest pop of the last decade. Pure energy, pace, and fun lyrics that not a lot of others can do! There isn’t much to add beyond that—the music speaks for itself. If you haven’t already heard this and Dedicated, get to it!
Favorite song: “Talking to Yourself”
9.
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You | Big Thief
Indie folk
No denying that this is one of the best albums of the year. I really enjoyed the singles that came before this album a lot, and they are some of my favorite songs of the year. Following up on the masterpiece of Adrienne Lenker’s solo work from 2020, she brings the band together for more of a folk collection compared to the heavier rock sound that I associate with Big Thief. Lenker’s songwriting is so strong and it’s hard to find a weak spot anywhere in this album if you tried. Ride your bike on a cool, sunny day to this one.
Favorite songs: “Certainty”, “Red Moon”
8.
And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow | Weyes Blood
Indie pop / Singer-songwriter
Definitely a headphones-on, quiet room album. Just like in Titanic Rising, there is an ocean of sound that is so carefully crafted across every track. I appreciate the different sounds that Natalie Mering uses to add to the texture of her music. It’s already so encapsulating and her singing already so delicate that doing so is really showing off an incredible talent. I loved getting lost in this one, and even listening to it again for writing this review, I’m getting swept away.
Favorite songs: “The Worst Is Done”, “Grapevine”
7.
De Todas las Flores | Natalia Lafourcade
Dream pop / Chamber folk
It feels like Natalia just went and created a new type of genre with this album. With little announcement and fanfare, as only the great ones can, she delivered this piece that, when you give it the right time, makes such a deep imprint on you. I’ve seen people describe it as minimalist, cinematic, soothing. It’s all of these and more. This could be one of the most beautiful Mexican albums ever
Favorite song: “De todas las flores”, “Muerte”, “El lugar correcto”
6.
Wet Leg | Wet Leg
Indie rock
From the first time I heard “Chaise Longue”, I knew I wouldn’t stop playing it. Then I heard the rest of this album and it’s simply hit after hit. This is their debut album and Wet Leg came out swinging like they’ve been doing this for a long, long time. Head-banging, grooving, catchy tunes that I’ll be replaying for a long while. I hope they win their big Grammy for Best New Artist, because they certainly were that for me this year.
Favorite song: “Chaise Longue”, “Being In Love”
5.
Laurel Hell | Mitski
Indie rock / Synth pop
I’ll bet I’m not alone in thinking that Mitski songs are generally sad. She knows how to convey strong feelings of reflection, confession, and personal struggle really well. Here, she does so again, but dresses it up in a more glamorous outfit that expands her range in ways I haven’t heard her try before. The more I listened, the more it grew one me, and eventually skyrocketed as I started to pick out all the little details about this new Mitski sound. “The Only Heartbreaker” is the perfect song to do a qualifying lap on an F1 simulator, so I’ve heard.
Favorite songs: “The Only Heartbreaker”, “Love Me More”, “Should’ve Been Me”
4.
Big Time | Angel Olsen
Folk / Alt-country
I’m noticing that the albums I enjoyed the most are the ones where an artist I already loved tries a new sound that is already adjacent to the rest of their discography. Angel Olsen could typically be heard hitting some harder indie- or folk-rock. In this album, she leans into the gentler sounds of country while still hitting with heavy lyrics under that big sky of pedal steel and country chords. And her singing is so great for this. The album is slow paced, but the themes are so strong that it’s hard to even think about skipping any track.
Favorite songs: “All The Good Times”, “This Is How It Works”
3.
RENAISSANCE | Beyoncé
Dance pop / R&B
I keep repeating myself, but artists confidently creating new sounds is so impressive. And yet, it sounds like Beyoncé has been doing this kind of sound for her entire career. She has, she’s done it all, and she can’t miss. With incredibly smooth and sometimes abrupt but nevertheless logical transitions, this album displays a crazy range of different dance pop and R&B rhythms. I can’t stop listening to this on a bike, in a car, at the gym, anywhere. And the fact that she can simply drop this with little fanfare and make it one of the best albums of the year?
Favorite songs: “CUFF IT”, “VIRGO’S GROOVE”
2.
PRE PLEASURE | Julia Jacklin
Indie rock / Singer-songwriter
Julia Jacklin is one of those artists for me that almost anything she drops has a grasp on my attention. I love her lyrics, her arrangements, her performance. It’s hard to describe, but in the indie rock space, her artistry is elite, and it showed again in this album. When she dropped “I Was Neon” as a single before the album, I played the track over and over without stopping. The more I listen to the rest of the album, I find new little lines in the lyrics that hit me harder than any of her previous work. Give it a close listen and I’m sure you’ll love this too.
Favorite song: “I Was Neon”
1.
Un Verano Sin Ti | Bad Bunny
Latin pop / Reggaeton
Last year, I said that 2021 belonged to Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast with the way she produced massive works of art in different media that defined the year for me. Bad Bunny has been doing this annually. With Un Verano Sin Ti, he takes another victory lap as a cultural standard-bearer. I swear, the little keyboard riff at the beginning of “Callaita” was the entire theme of my spring, summer, and fall, and any sunset after that. The way any of these songs immediately lit up a room the second they started playing is not surprising and equally impressive. The versatility of so many of these tracks invites anyone to come in and dance, even if for some reason they had not heard of Bad Bunny before (apparently this is the case in Columbus, Ohio!!). I personally love that he included one of my favorite bands ever, The Marías, to collaborate on what turned out to be my favorite song released all year. I love the attention they got for their own work from this too :)
Favorite songs: “Otro Atardecer (ft. The Marías)”, “Ojitos Lindos (ft. Bomba Estéreo)”