These Are The Best Songs of 2022 (Human Pursuits 26/12/22)
Thirty of the year's biggest, shiniest CHUNES, hand-chosen with a little help
VANCOUVER – It can be hard to narrow down a year’s worth of music into just a handful of tracks. I briefly debated sitting 2022 out, deferring to the Conde Naste verticals, allowing the brand-name music websites to once again dictate the cultural conversation. But where’s the fun in that? But in order to offer a thorough survey of 2022’s musical landscape, I needed help. So I turned to two trusted sources: Peyton Murphy, for the Gen Z perspective, and Martin “Postcrunk” Bell, for all things rap and hip-hop. Together we’ve compiled thirty of our favourite songs from the past 357 days. The result is a genre-defying compilation that deserves to be played loud and to be played often (ideally, on shuffle).
I promise, it’s nothing but Proper Chunes.
Listen to our picks here, and read our Extremely Good takes below.
Martin “Postcrunk” Bell
Johnny P’s Caddy – Benny The Butcher, J. Cole
Griselda Records killed it in 2022. As soon as you hear that “Griselda” tag, you know it’s gonna be fire. Alchemist comes through with a beautiful & wistful chopped vocal sample beat. Benny keeps it real from the jump when he declares “this shit don't feel as good as it look.” J. Cole’s theory of relativity bar is one for the books. Best track of the year. Easily.
Walkin – Denzel Curry
Over a dreamy vocal melody and galloping drums, Denzel Curry spits facts about this dirty, filthy, rotten, nasty little world we call our home. It was refreshing to hear him on a more minimal/old school sounding beat.
Aquamarine – Danger Mouse, Black Thought, Michael Kiwanuka
Michael Kiwanuka’s haunting chorus of “everything’s burning down when I close my eyes again” hooks you instantly. Black Thought’s urgent cadence demands you heed his message. The Danger Mouse beat is hazy and symphonic. Cheat Codes is one of 2022’s best albums.
Count Me Out – Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick comes at us with this confessional track. He relentlessly switches up flows as he speaks of trauma, disillusionment, and self-forgiveness. Painful, cathartic, and powerful.
Monterey Jack – Nicholas Craven, Boldy James
The looming strings of this track are unforgivingly cold. Nicholas Craven crafted a crate-digging, ‘drumless beat’ masterpiece with Fair Exchange No Robbery. Paired with Boldy James’ weighty, deliberate baritone delivery the album is an instant classic.
Gold Rings – Freddie Gibbs, Pusha T
The contrast of hard coke bars over a delicate harp sample is perfection. Freddie oozes confidence and bravado. Pusha, as usual, whips up vivid imagery about his years in the dope game. Hilarious outro by Slink Johnson.
Head High – Joey Bada$$
Joey reflects on mortality, getting trapped in cycles, and growing up. Statik Selektah with a head-nodding throwback groove. “Huggin the block but the block ain't hug em back” is a solid hook.
Brambleton – Pusha T
Pharrell and Pusha are an unmatched combo going back to 2002’s legendary track “Grindin’’” from the now defunct Clipse. On Brambleton, ethereal synths are punctuated by booming bass and punchy rim shots. Pusha is nothing short of poetic when describing ‘coppin quarter pounds from border towns’ and champagne super soakers.
In Too Deep – Rome Streetz
Once again, Griselda Records absolutely killed it in 2022. Rome Streetz’s Griselda debut, Kiss The Ring, was no exception. Conductor Williams' production is at once nostalgic and fresh. On “In Too Deep”, Rome spits icy bars about movin weight & hittin licks over what sounds like a dreamy, hypnotic marimba sample.
PUFFIN ON ZOOTIEZ – Future
The initial cold, low-key synths. The driving mechanical trap beat. Future’s effortlessly razor-like cadence. The sudden swell of operatic vocals. The triumphant melody. This is Future at the top of his game.
Peyton Murphy
the perfect pair – beabadoobee
I’ve been a fan of British singer-songwriter Bea Kristi since she released her first EP four years ago. At the time, we were both 18 years old, embarking on adulthood with reluctance. Since then, I’ve enjoyed watching Kristi try on different musical identities in the process of finding her own. And if her latest record, Beatopia, is any indication, it seems as though she has. “The Perfect Pair” is a bonafide boss-nova bop, a track so good that it almost makes up for the fact that Kristi decided to call herself “beabadoobee.”
About You – The 1975
I was introduced to The 1975 nearly ten years ago when I was only 13 years old. Barely a teenager, I was easily spellbound by the band's carefully curated aesthetic. Leather jackets, cigarettes, red wine straight from the bottle. All together it created an aura so cinematic that when listening, I nearly forgot I was a lanky eighth-grader cursed with braces and a love for musical theater. I’m happy to say that a decade later, they’re still creating music that fans can get lost in. “About You” is unabashedly moody, nostalgic, and self-referential. A little corny? Maybe. But you have to admit: there’s simply something special about the type of song that makes you feel as though you’re in a movie.
Special Power – Sadurn
This June, I was wasting yet another unemployed summer day scrolling through TikTok, when something delightful happened: I was introduced to my favourite musical discovery of the year: Sadurn’s debut album Radiator. It was one of those albums that clicked instantly for me, with each track more impressive than the last— but “Special Power” stood out from all the rest. The track is painful, and every lyric that comes out of front-person Genevieve Degroot’s mouth is dripping in earnestness — but somehow, it’s not devoid of optimism. In the midst of singing about their lowest point, Degroot takes a moment to acknowledge that “It’s alright if [they’re] crying.” It’s a grounding moment in a somewhat melodramatic track, and this combination is what makes Sadurn so great.
Lydia Wears a Cross – Julia Jacklin
I’ve always found it interesting that, despite my secular upbringing, I was profoundly influenced by religion as a child. My parents never took us to church or told us to pray, but the allure of religious pageantry led me there of my own volition. “Lydia Wears a Cross” perfectly captures the naive intrigue I felt as a child– enticed by a pretty first communion dress and a tale of grand sacrifice, but “confused by the rest.”
Cuff It – Beyoncé
There’s truly nothing I can say about Renaissance that hasn’t already been said, but I’d be remiss to not include it on my list. “Cuff It” is the type of track that comes on at the club, and inspires a downright intoxicating degree of communal joy. This is especially true in queer spaces, which is where I enjoyed “Cuff It” most this year: dancing at 1 AM, surrounded by friends, feeling absolutely free. That’s Beyoncé.
Hot In It – Tiesto, Charli XCX
This song gives me an excuse to dance my ass off and call myself hot over and over again while using Charli XCX’s delightful British accent. No notes.
happy accident – Tomberlin
“happy accident” is an anthem for overthinkers. Throughout the track, Tomberlin muses about her situationship, questioning the reciprocity of her lover. The looping guitar track is emblematic of the all too common plight of knowing someone is bad for you, but wanting them enough to keep going back again and again. It’s suitable, then, that the track ends exactly where it begins: with Tomberlin asking “what’s the point of this?”
A House In Nebraska – Ethel Cain
As a die-hard Lana Del Rey fan, it’s no surprise that I was immediately enamored with the character of Ethel Cain. Cain isn’t afraid to infuse her musical stories with drama and Americana, and it makes for a beautifully escapist listening experience.
Concorde – Black Country, New Road
Black Country, New Road are somewhat of a deviation from my usual listening habits, but “Concorde” is worth expanding one’s horizons for. An epic, operatic breakup song for the ages.
Planet With Water – Charlie Hickey
At the end of the day, I’m a sucker for a good love song, and that’s exactly what Hickey delivers on “Planet with Water.” As he sings about the cups collecting on his girlfriends bedside table, Hickey accomplishes the difficult task of finding the miraculous within the mundane – and if you ask me, that’s what love is all about.
Ethan Sawyer
“I’m In Love With You” – The 1975
Their previous album, Notes on a Conditional Form, was an unintentionally perfect pandemic soundtrack, a genre-defying double album’s worth of material that often found frontman Matty Healy focused on death, disorder, and isolation. It’s only fitting, then, that the new one, Being Funny In a Foreign Language, is in many ways the exact opposite – a concise collection of Proper Chunes that centers on the band being in a room together. It’s not the most adventurous cut or the one that blew up on TikTok but, to me, “I’m In Love With You” best embodies the album’s central thesis. The 1975 at their very best.
“Runner” – Alex G.
Leah once referred to Alex G. as “that trendy male artist everyone is obsessed with” and, to be fair, she kinda hit the nail on the head. I had written him off but his appearance on multiple year-end lists persuaded me to give God Save The Animals a spin. While I think the record is pretty good, “Runner” is a stone-cold classic, simultaneously evoking Soul Asylum and Prince. Is that a hint of Jack Johnson I hear? Shaka, brah.
“Easy On Your Own” – Alvvays
Some of my most trusted tastemakers say this record did nothing for them. And, look, I get it. From a distance, the songs seem downright cacophonous, so spaced out they seem at risk of collapse. But there’s a method to the madness. “Easy On Your Own” not only embraces maximalism but tames it and makes it pop, with more than a little help from Molly Rankin’s surging melodies. Catch it on the change room speakers of your nearest Urban Outfitters (and shout to Laura for the recommendation).
“Talking To Yourself” – Carly Rae Jepsen
In 2022, saying you like Carly Rae Jepsen is like saying you enjoy sunshine and puppies. Of course you do – they are objectively good for you! Consider this serotonin bomb of a song. Short and sweet, “Talking To Yourself” seamlessly incorporates dance and pop. And can we talk about that guitar solo?
“Used to Know Me” – Charli XCX
This song clicked with me in Scottsdale. We were drinking rosé and margaritas and listening to some random cable music channel when the “Show Me Love” synth line came over the speakers. Maybe it’s nostalgia talking, but have four notes ever sounded so sweet? Like her one-time collaborator CRJ, Charli’s strength is bridging dance and pop music. The video is also a slay.
“Girls” – The Dare
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I’m not sure that applies when the original gets outshined?? Ripped from some long-lost DFA archive, this massive chune from The Dare distills everything you like about LCD Soundsystem into two perfect minutes. Someone call The Cobrasnake – indie sleaze has never sounded so sweet.
“Reason to Believe” – Joyce Manor
Barry Johnson and co. have always had a knack for writing melodies, but they really outdid themselves with this one. At just 1:25, this is the shortest song on my list, but that doesn’t account for how many times you’ll play it on repeat. It’s like Guided by Voices had a baby with I.R.S-era R.E.M. Jangle pop perfection.
“Resentment (New Feelings Version)” – Madi Diaz, Waxahatchee
Lord knows the world has no shortage of breakup songs. But “Resentment” isn’t a breakup song, it’s an “Are-we-gonna-make-it?” song. And it is devastating. Waxahatchee could sing the phone book and I’d still get misty. The subdued production here lets the harmonies shine.
“Anti-Hero” – Taylor Swift
It took a decade, but Taylor Alison Swift finally released a solid lead single. In fact, it’s better than solid. Swift’s best pop songs (“Blank Space,” “Cruel Summer,” “Getaway Car”) have always embraced her natural flair for the dramatique, and Anti-Hero is no different. Perfect for those of us looking to cry in the club – just ignore that sloppy second verse.
“Rose Street” – Vince Staples
Unlike Swift, the second verse is where this song really shines. Compared to contemporaries like Kendrick and Tyler, Vince can sometimes feel like a quiet workhorse. His discography isn’t flashy, or over the top. And yet there’s no denying his abilities – both in terms of rapping, but also just beat selection. He says “Rose Street” is not a love song, but damn if I don’t love it.
Peyton Murphy is my favourite Gen Z. She lives in Vancouver, BC.
Martin Bell is motherfucking Postcrunk. He lives in Savannah, Georgia.