A Better Entertainment Is Possible.
The second part of our Top 100 favourite songs of the year brings Latin American gender fluid rap; electronica icons in surprise collaborations; British dance crazes; female rap duets; songwriting legends: US indie folk promises; Swedish lo-fi: Flamenco pop; Brazilian drag superstars and Today’s greatest R&B male star alive.
Listen to the Top 100 Tracks of 2022 (positions 75-51) here.
101-NICKY YOURE FEAT. DAZY
Sunroof
(Columbia)
The time to recall our favourite songs of the year has come. Beginning, as it is tradition, with the symbolic 101 position, dedicated to a guilty pleasure of the last twelve months, left bubbling under our selected list. In this case, the catchy bubblegum glory of ‘Sunroof’ by newcomers Nicky Youre feat. Dazy, which showcases the growing power of TikTok as a music discovery provider for the young. The effects of the popular platform have been greatly noticed everywhere. In the charts it may be the main responsible for a fewer number of hits that last longer among the audience´s preferences. Also, its popular Throwback channels are bringing recurrent hits to the charts, from recent enduring ones as The Weeknd´s ‘Blinding Lights’ to all sort of 90s R&B and 00s dance blasts from the past. The sounds of UK garage and 90´s house have been a big influence in many of the year’s top pop hits. A good example is that at least half a dozen of them rescued the iconic sound of Robin S House classic ‘Show Me Love’. TikTok helped reinforced as well those tracks that were back into the spotlight thanks to TV series, the biggest of which has been Kate Bush, having the biggest hit of her career, again, with ‘Running Up That Hill,’ as it profusely featured in the latest season of ‘Strangest Things.’ All this phenomenon of young people looking back at the past, may or may not mean that Today´s pop music is not delivering enough thrills to engage them.
2022 mostly belonged to very few artists: Kendrick Lamar brough another hip-hop masterwork with a very personal, spiritual and therapeutic focus; Beyoncé dazzled everyone once more by collating the sounds of gay black music, from disco to house and ball culture; Big Thief expanded their alternative folk-rock songwriting; Alvvays made indie great again and Rosalía took her blend of flamenco, Latin music and electronica to new groundbreaking heights, controversally creating her own private musical vocabulary in the almost conceptual, strong female empowerment statement of ‘Motomami’ .
And our favourite 50 albums of 2022 are…
The enigmatic British collective SAULT after dropping five full albums at the same time a few weeks ago are the last number #1 in our loop this year with ‘Free,’ from their third opus in the Untitled series subtitled ‘God’. Kendrick Lamar and Rauw Alejandro feat. Playero complete the Top 3.
100 gecs feat. Skrillex are the highest new entry, followed by the latest songs by PinkPantheress; Sudan Archives; The Reds, Pinks and Purples; MIKE feat. Sister Nancy; Rozi Plain; LUNA KI; Baaba Maal; Nas feat. 21 Savage; RM with Erykah Badu; Anitta feat. Lexa, POCAH and Rebecca; Yung Kayo; Quando Rondo & YoungBoy Never Broke Again; Villano Antillano; Adiós Amores; Petite Noir feat. Theo Croker; Morad… and the return of Metal Icons Metallica. Check the last loop of 2022 in full here. We´ll be reviewing the year in the following weeks. Back in 2023. In the meantime, Have a happy time.
The second teaser for Fever Ray´s much anticipated forthcoming album, ‘Carbon Dioxide,’ takes Karin Dreijer´s solo project back to #1 in our loop.’ The latest release by Low, part of the Sleater-Kinney tribute album, and Floating Points complete the Top 3.
Sault are again the highest new entry with a track from another of their recently released five new albums, followed by the latest songs by Floranceee feat. Damien Jurado & Phosphorescent; Fousheé feat. Lil Uzi Vert; serpentwithfeet; Hanakiv feat. Alabaster DePlume; Angelo De Augustine; Liv.e; joe unknown; Boyhood; Sea Lemon… and a new song by Spanish veteran indie singer La Bien Querida. Check this week’s loop in full here.
British singer Benjamin Clementine is this week’s #1 in our loop with ‘Residue’ from his third album ‘And I Have Been.’ R&B starlette Fousheé and veteran US indie icons Yo La Tengo complete the Top 3.
A standout from one of the mammoth five-album-offering released simultaneously to streaming platforms by Sault is the week’s highest entry, followed by the latest songs by Rauw Alejandro feat. Playero; Kendrick Lamar; Margo Price; Bizarrap & Duki; Pharrell Williams feat. Travis Scott; Niño de Elche con ROSALÍA; PinkPantheress; Romy feat. Fred again..; Jenny Hval; Cigarettes After Sex; Tokischa con Natanael Cano; Weyes Blood; Babi; Yazmin Lacey; Fatoumata Diawara feat. Damon Albarn; Lil Tjay; KAROL G feat. Ovy On The Drums; La Húngara… and, every year they come earlier, two chistmas songs by respectively Phoebe Bridgers and Rosie Thomas with Sufjan Stevens. Check this week’s loop in full here.
Two fast-rising stars of progressive R´N´B, RAYE & 070 Shake, join forces in ‘Escapism,’ this week’s #1 in our loop. Indie icon Caroline Polachek and young Spanish electronic flamenco artist Ralphie Choo complete the Top 3.
On a week we had the devastating news of Mimi Parker of Low passing away, their contribution to the Sleater-Kinney covers album is the week’s highest entry, followed by the latest songs by Fever Ray; Floating Points; Ezra Collective feat. Kojey Radical; Sega Bodega; Phoenix; Niño de Elche feat. Yerai Cortés; SAULT; Fleet Foxes feat. Tim Bernardes; Alice Boman feat. Perfume Genius; DeJ Loaf; Cass McCombs and Weak Signal; Nacho Vegas; FINGERGAP feat. Fedor Yury… and a new collaboration between Dragonette feat. The Knocks. Check this week’s loop in full here.
Scoring again another strong candidate for album of the year, BEYONCÉ reaches #1 in the loop paying homage to Donna Summer, House music and queer black culture in ‘Summer Renaissance.’ Weyes Blood, and PVA complete the Top 3.
A new track by alt-R&B artist Yves Tumor is the week’s highest entry, followed by the latest songs by Yo La Tengo; SZA; Benjamin Clementine; Fousheé; Charlotte Adigéry feat. Bolis Pupul; Iggy Pop; Fucked Up; La Roux feat. Baby Tate; Polo G; Ice Spice; Nina Nastasia; Smino with Doechii and Fatman Scoop; Special Interest; Meat Wave; baehyuni; Airbag con J (Los Planetas)… and veteran alternative icons Animal Collective with a track from the soundtrack of ‘The Inspection.’ Check this week’s loop in full here.
The return of The Knife´s Karin Dreijer´s solo project Fever Ray is this week’s #1 in the loop with the ever enigmatic ‘What They Call Us.’ The alt.R&B of Jamila Woods, and the flamenco-infused indie of Travis Birds complete the Top 3.
Returning after a long hiatus, electronica R´n´B artist Kelela is the week’s highest entry, followed by the latest songs by Dawn Richard and Spencer Zahn; Orbital & Sleaford Mods; Lil Yachty; Andrew Bird feat. Phoebe Bridgers; Arctic Monkeys; bar italia; Mdou Moctar; Arooj Aftab feat. Anoushka Shankar; U.S. Girls; Run The Jewels feat. Akapellah; Apache & Pawmps; Burial; Roddy Ricch; IAMDDB; The Men… and another return, veteran Todd Rundgren collaborating with Neil Finn. Check this week’s loop in full here.
Returning with another extraordinary piece of work, Björk, collaborating with Indonesian artist Kasimyn, is this week’s #1 in the loop with ‘Fossora,’ the track her album is named after. Another returning electronic avant-pop legend, Fever Ray, and alt. R&B artist Jamila Woods complete the Top 3.
The fist single from Taylor Swift brand new opus ‘Midnight’ is the week’s highest entry, followed by the latest songs by Devon Cole; Phoenix; Lady Lykez feat. Scratcha DVA; Soleá Morente con La Casa Azul y Las Negris; Chelsea Dinorath; Chesca con Villano Antillano y Corina Smith; MAVI; Oso Oso; Digga D; Westerman; Sobs; Caroline Polachek… and two surprise collaborations, John Cale with Weyes Blood and Shakira with Osuna. Check this week’s loop in full here.
The return of LCD Soundystem with ‘New Body Rhumba;’ theme of the new Noah Baumbach´s film ‘White Noise’ is this week´s #1 in the loop. Bill Callahan and Magdalena Bay complete the Top 3.
A new track by the hyperactive British secret collective SAULT is the week’s highest entry, followed by the latest songs by Hitkidd feat. Gloss Up, K Carbon, Slimeroni and Aleza; PVA; Weyes Blood; Alvvays; Abi Ooze; Christine and the Queens; Ralphie Choo; Martha; Meg Baird; Lucrecia Dalt; Hagop Tchaparian with Four Tet; Methyl Ethel feat. Miya Folick; Mykki Blanco feat. Jónsi; RAYE feat. 070 Shake… and Thundercat‘s reinterpretation of an old Ryuichi Sakamoto track. Check this week’s loop in full here.
Canadian indie pop favourites Alvvays are back on top in our loop with ‘Belinda Says,’ another highlight from their brand new album ‘Blue Rev.’ Hagop Tchaparian and Freddie Gibbs complete the Top 3.
The return of the ever enigmatic Fever Ray is the week’s highest entry, followed by the latest songs by Björk feat. Kasimyn; Jamila Woods; Sharon Van Etten; Bree Runway; Travis Birds; Panda Bear & Sonic Boom; Nicki Mina feat. Skeng; Spice…; Omar Montes con C. Tangana; Jeshi; feat. Obongjayar & WESTSIDE BOOGIE; Shygirl; Nia Archives, Bad Gyal… and Kali Uchis brand new track. Check this week’s loop in full here.
Ashville’s indie rockers Wednesday are this week’s #1 in the loop with their epic, grunge-spirited new track ‘Bull Believer.’ Alizzz and Sam Gellaitry complete the Top 3.
The return of LCD Soundystem with a song from the soundtrack of Noah Baumbach´s adaptation of Don DeLillo´s novel ‘White Noise’ is the week’s highest entry, followed by the latest songs by Bill Callahan; Björk feat. Sindri Eldon; Wisin & Yandel con ROSALÍA; Fred again..; Jamie xx; Christine and the Queens; Alex G; Frankie Cosmos; Vieux Farka Touré feat. Khruangbin; Magdalena Bay; Lucy Dacus; Samia; Rauw Alejandro con Baby Rasta; Smino feat. J. Cole; Hyd; Men I Trust; M.I.A.; Sure Sure; Nisa; Mura Masa feat. Erika de Casier… and a collaboration between Protoje and Jorja Smith. Check this week’s loop in full here.
London duo Jockstrap is this week’s #1 in the loop with ‘Greatest Hits,’ one of the standout tracks from their debut album ‘I Love You Jennifer B’. Weyes Blood and one of the new tracks from the new edition of ROSALÍA‘s ‘Motomami’ complete the Top 3.
Another teaser from Alvvays‘ imminent new album is the highest debut, followed by new tracks by LYZZA; Wet Leg; Lil Nas X; Hagop Tchaparian; Tindersticks; BLEU feat Nicki Minaj; GloRilla with Cardi B; Bad Bunny; Stormzy; The Knocks feat. Peacemode; The Tallest Man On Earth; Valee; Freddie Gibbs; Joy Orbison feat. Overmono & ABRA; Courting… and a collaboration between Sleater-Kinney and Courtney Barnett. Check this week’s loop in full here.