2022 — I started and ended the year with COVID, left my first job, had a two-year delayed graduation from Harvard, moved to my first solo apartment, saw live wrestling in Mexico City, danced to Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” at Berghain, finally understood why people write those heartwrenching breakup songs, and began to truly reckon with what adulthood is — an endless series of putting out fires, finding refuge in community, love and laughter along the way. For me, music is the center of that refuge always.

I found a lot of refuge in clubbing this year, expanding my music taste to include more music without lyrics (I know — shocker). Music helped me land a new job at Spotify, get my ass out of bed, and process the trials and tribulations of your 20 somethings. It was a year of getting used to change — the uncomfortable, often anguishing process of shedding old skins. Music was the soundtrack to it all — my coping, planning, and growing.

Whether it was Omar Apollo’s Ivory, Beyoncé’s RENAISSANCE, Megan Thee Stallion’s Traumazine or Ravyn Lenae’s HYPNOS, I turned to music for strength, solace and distraction this year. Here are the results — this is my Top 52 Songs of 2022.

Part 2.

20. Sunshine (feat. Fousheé) — Steve Lacy

While it’s always bizarre to witness an artist who has long been a household name in my world blow up beyond imagination, there has been a certain joy in seeing Steve Lacy take over the world with his US #1 smash “Bad Habit” off of his second studio album Gemini Rights. However, a deeper dive into the album reveals even more compelling tracks, the best of which being “Sunshine.” While “Bad Habit” and “Sunshine” share many characteristics — a bluesy, rock n roll base, an infectious guitar, and the emerging foolproof duo that is Foushée and Steve (she co-wrote both tracks), “Sunshine” holds a certain je ne sais quoi.

The tracks sweet refrain embodies the nostalgia of lost love: “Lookin’ like it’s all catchin’ up to you lately/Been a couple months since I told you it’s over.” The track feels like an LA drive, a breezy breakup bop about two people who aren’t quite able to let go. I hoped so badly the song would enjoy the same success as Bad Habit — but I’m happy with it remaining a hidden gem. We get to enjoy it more :)

19. Pressure — Bree Runway

“No matter what you do, you gon’ pay ya respect when a bitch comes through/I don’t make the rules, I just make ’em all gag when I step in the room.” Is there anything left to say?

Bree Runway is one of the most prodigious rising stars of our time. She should be at the top of every chart, every award show — it’s a crime that she is not. However, she hasn’t let that stop her — in fact, you can feel her hunger and desire to perfect her craft in every note, step, and frame. She is a supreme vocalist, foremost MC, and visual god on the level of Missy Elliott (hence the barefaced co-sign).

The track is explosive from beat 1, carried by a hypnotic vocal loop and racing UK afrobeat-baised production. The visual thrusts it up a notch, featuring Bree Runway-lookalike badies in black sunglasses, clad in designer. “Pressure” is a personification of Bree Runway’s career up until this point: “Anywhere I walk is a runway, fuck around, fly out in a one way.” A lot of artists talk shit in their music, but none all of them can back it up — Bree Runway doesn’t have that issue.

18. Caliber — Coco Jones

Nothing is more vindicating than seeing the artist who you’ve been yelling to the rooftops about, who you know has so much more to offer, finally begin to get her flowers.

Coco Jones’ career resurgence is probably top 5 most satisfying pop culture moments for me ever, driven by several inescapable Tik Tok memes which stem from a personal, raw video detailing what really happened to Coco Jones post Disney. The disturbing implications of internet memes stemming from her very personal admission aside, I’m glad it worked. Fast forward to today and Coco is gearing up for season 2 of Fresh Prince reboot Bel-Air on Peacock, and commandeering the R&B airwaves with her recent EP What I Didn’t Tell You. While it pains me not to include the towering, standout ballad “ICU,” this list wouldn’t be an accurate representation of my 2022 airwaves without “Caliber.”

The song is just plain sexy — “til the room stinks,” as the kids on Twitter say. The dark and moody, bounce-R&B (my own genre concoction — see “Waves” by Normani or “Stretch You Out” by Summer Walker for more insight) is a sultry anthem about telling a man to step up to the plate if he wants a taste: “Lowkey I can see your potential/I just wanna see how you handle/Just might bend the rules if you with it/Highkey you can get it so/Get on my caliber.” Coco sits in her lower range, weaving between each bounce with ease and confidence. She is the next R&B it-girl — mark my words.

17. Tomorrow 2 (feat. Cardi B) — GloRilla

Guest Write-Up: Xavier Washington

One of the biggest artists to emerge in 2022, GloRilla has been on a war path towards stardom — and who better to collab with than cultural icon, Cardi B, with their top 10 hit remix “Tomorrow 2.”

“Tomorrow 2” is one of those songs where you just immediately get hype as fuck when the beat drops. It’s powered by an infectious, dark and grungy bassline with repetitive melodies playing in the background, reminding me of classic southern hip hop anthems like “Knuck If You Buck.” Glo’s distinctive voice booms throughout the first half of the song and the lyrics take you right to church — striking the perfect balance of inspirational and cocky in the best way. Then Cardi takes us home with one of the best verses this year, brimming with all of the iconic braggadocio and witty bars we know and love her for. Both women ooze pure confidence, motivation, and authenticity — and they remind us that talking your shit doesn’t mean everything is always ok. Rather, it’s an invitation to maintain your confidence even when times are tough, because there are always new possibilities ahead.

So after what has been a hell of year, I can confidently say that one of my mantras for 2023 will absolutely be: “Every day the sun won’t shine, but that’s why I love tomorrows.” — Xavier W.

16. Cinema — Harry Styles

I try to give every smash pop album at least one listen, especially when I like one of the singles, and one listen of Harry’s House was all it took for “Cinema” to grab me by the throat. While “As It Was” was the breakout hit of Harry’s House, topping the charts in 35 countries and becoming one of the most successful singles of all time, “Cinema” expanded my view of Harry Styles’ artistry.

The track is delectably groovy — it’s hairy-coochie-rum-and-coke-in-the-air, hips-gyrating-at-the-BBQ-as-the-mosquitos-emerge music at its finest: “I just think you’re cool/I dig your cinema/Do you think I’m cool too?/Or am I too into you?” I’m not sure how Harry found the formula, but his talent is clearly boundless. The return of the 80s trend that has slowly began dominating music since 2020 (see Silk Sonic, Lizzo and Dua Lipa) has made pop music so much more interesting, and “Cinema” is another addition to the archive.

15. tangerine — Kehlani

I’ve probably written this in every review since I’ve started doing these, but songs about eating pussy consistently end up being better than other songs, especially the sapphic ones. Kehlani furthered my theory this year with “tangerine” from their critically acclaimed fourth studio album, blue water road. The warm and buoyant percussion-filled track is upbeat yet serene, like a perfect spring day. Dressed with a filtered guitar, Kehlani uses fruits and other sweet imagery to draw metaphors about sex with their lover: “My sugar cane dangerous/Nectar on my face again, oh/I like it ’cause it’s/Raspberry tangerine, honey/Vanilla bean, so sweet.” There’s a synth-heavy, robotic vocal layering on the chorus that recalls early Imogen Heap, driving home the peaceful energy of the track. The outro brings us home, like the final stretch of a brief, beautiful drive: “So don’t tell nobody what’s done in the garden/The fruits you can harvest, they grow where you water.” The song is built around the same cheeky, clever metaphor from start to finish, yet never feels overplayed — one of Kehlani’s superpowers as a songwriter. “tangerine” is a fantastic highlight off of a fantastic album.

14. Surprise — Chloë

All year, I’ve seen extended think pieces about Chloë’s musical direction, and what she should and shouldn’t do. Meanwhile, the exact track y’all want is right in front of your faces! Somebody lying.

“Surprise” is Chloë’s best solo track yet, and not by a small margin. The sultry record is built around 1980s reverbed synths and a simple refrain — the result is intoxicating: “If you be good to me, then I’ma be great to you/If you stay down for me, then I’ll stay awake for you/Surprise, slip my panties to the side.” Chloë is a young artist exploring her sexuality alongside her music, and her lyrical and vocal sophistication are growing with her.

The track is simple and straight forward, while still giving Chloë the opportunity to show off her magnificent voice. And one thing about Ms. Bailey, she is going to rap, even if it’s just a few bars: “Yeah, we both winnin’, I give you the business/But you’re the one wearin’ the tie.” The track is effortlessly satisfying, and while the content is compelling too, Chloë could sing about folding her clothes and I’d be hooked. I sincerely hope Chloë follows this sound as she continues developing her sound as a solo artist — and I hope y’all stream it instead of complaining so her label gets on board too.

13. Shirt — SZA

Guest Write-Up — Logan Lewis

Somewhere in LA, Sean Bankhead, Normani, and the ghost of Aaliyah are kat-kat’ing and booky-booky-boo’ing to SZA’s long-awaited “Shirt.” With its neck-breaking percussion and throbbing instrumentation, “Shirt” joins the ranks of the deadbeat-deading, gay-gagging smashes produced* by Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, like “Say My Name” and “He Wasn’t Man Enough.”

Backed by opulent, fall-off-the-bone production, SZA emerges as our long-lost anti-hero on “Shirt.” Some fans had resigned themselves to CTRL being The Last SZA Album. When she finally released SOS, she delivered a true genre jungle, with tracks like the Disney-tinged and rock-infused “F2F” and Tuscan Leather-reminiscent “SOS” putting Taylor Swift and Drake on notice, respectively and respectfully. But “Shirt” is SZA-core, sonically, lyrically, and thematically: She’s in her bag, and it’s messy.

In her characteristic self-awareness, SZA writes from the depths of chaos and the tranquility of acceptance, declaring herself: “In the dark right now / Feeling lost, but I like it / Comfort in my sins.” She’s battling the same demons that first endeared us to her in 2017, writing: “Damn bitch you so thirsty / Still don’t know my worth, still stressing perfection.” Having witnessed her successes and fallen for her softness, we’re as vexed by her state in “Shirt” as she is.

Ultimately, the stark contrast between the song’s immense successes and the profound failures detailed in its subject matter feels extremely timely. This year was yet another dumpster fire; but the music was breathtaking— Logan L.

*Production credits are shared by Darkchild and Freaky Rob

12. Crazy — Doechii

Guest Write-Up — Tsebiyah

In a Hot97 interview, Doechii recalls that “all my life people have been calling me crazy” — for choosing music, for moving to New York alone with no money, for following her faith, her calling, her gut instead of what might appear more logical to onlookers. But of course, all of that Crazy is exactly what folded her into the soundtrack of our lives. Doechii, I see your Crazy.

When I first saw clips of the music video for Doechii’s “Crazy” floating around on my Twitter feed, I lost and found my mind. I was instantly arrested by the imagery and unhinged energy of it all. The word “crazy” is so familiar it’s almost home. I’ve come to wear it as a badge of honor; a shield of nonconformity; of forward-thinking liberation. Not following any path seen as regular by anybody wanting to align with normalcy.

The term “crazy” is extra loaded for Black women. It conjures the long war effort for the Black American woman to be fully and freely themself, to reject our constrictive social and professional roles. It elicits centuries of stories and depictions of Black women at their wits end, no longer standing for abusive or sub-par treatment from partners, bosses, coworkers, friends, or family. I’m talking Bernadine (Angela Bassett) dumping all her husband’s shit into his car and setting it on fire in her driveway in Waiting to Exhale; Helen (Kimberly Elise) dumping her paralyzed (ex?)husband into the bathtub in Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Minny (Octavia Spencer) baking shit into a pie in The Help. We get pushed to the brink by unspoken rules of engagement in society, but we are forced to keep the lid on the pot. Then everyone is suddenly shocked at our resulting outbusts.

So when I saw Doechii whispering “crazy, amazing, coo-coo, nuts,” over that volcanic, alt-rock head-banging hip-hop beat, in all her naked, non-sexualized glory, something clicked. When I heard her yelling that “none of these hatin’ ass bitches gon’ phase me” hook on top of rave-ready, percussive bass-thumping production, declaring without a shadow of a doubt her own existence, influence and unbothered-ness — I was shook in the best way. This is the freedom I strive to build a life out of.

James Baldwin, said, “to be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.” To be in a rage almost all the time… might look a little crazy from the outside, no matter how justified. To choose your own path unflinchingly, despite logistical obstacles like money, resources and location… might look a little crazy from the outside, no matter how justified.

But thank god I’m crazy. It means I’m alive. Fighting back, and making decisions for myself.

“Who knew you’d go fucking crazy?” Doechii did! — Tsebiyah D

11. AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM — Beyoncé

Beyoncé stopped the world yet again this year with the release of her 7th album, RENAISSANCE. The album is an ode to dance music, featuring house, techno, afrobeats, disco baked in a pop, hip-hop and R&B bed. It’s a genre-bending masterpiece — and there is no song on the album or in Bey’s discography quite like “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM.”

The track is as much a callback to classic hip-hop as it is a beckon to a futuristic Pop sound that doesn’t quite exist yet. The track opens defiantly with a sample from 90s rapper Kilo Ali’s “Cocaine (America Has A Problem).” His voice booms: “America. America Has A Problem.” What sounds like the beginning to a civil rights era speech quickly takes a turn. The problem in question? Not nearly as macabre as the crack/cocaine epidemic Kilo Ali passionately rapped about in 1990—it’s just Beyoncé being a bad bitch.

And what a problem she is indeed. Razor sharp, infectious flows make the song feel at least 10 BPMs higher than it is: “Twenty, forty, eighty out the trap, hit it with the rap/Put it on the map, then we right back/Call me when you wanna get hi-i-i-igh.” The entire song is about being so iconic that it’s a threat to democracy — how fucking historical. I can just imagine the 90s aunties throwing it to this one. And thanks to the internet, we can see it in real time.

Ripe for mixing (shoutout Sterling Juan Diaz of NYC for that 5am high BPM d+b mix of the track, see 2:52:00), “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM” is dynamic, addictively pestilent, and one of Bey’s best.

Also please listen to this sickening “Jilly From Philly” remix of “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM” by Manny.mp3 — you’re welcome.

10. Taurus & Orion — LEMMONS

LEMMONS is a rising star. She dresses her melodies in honey, reminiscent of Moses Sumney and Lianne La Havas. But comparisons never quite feel right with LEMMONS — she’s in a league of her own. While she graced our list last year with pop-soul anthem “Everyday,” she broke out this year with her debut EP Like The Fruit, supported by the single “Taurus & Orion.”

“Taurus & Orion” is a dreamy cosmic anthem, where LEMMONS imagines what it’s like to float through space and time: “I’m the cap, sail on like The Commodores/Everybody looking at me like they carnivores/Seeing red yet somehow hearing Kinda Blue.” LEMMONS is a lyrical guru, referencing classics and painting futures none of us may ever touch. Her warm alto tone is her paintbrush, her lyrics the paint: “Love in the air coiled and curled/Swirling like smoke over whole world/Swiftly spreading in my lung/Unbroken inhale of song unsung.” While many of her songs bloom from poems, she elevates them with her sonic pairings.

With features this year in Citizen Magazine Issue 002 (covered by Kendrick Lamar) and Hypebae, complemented by an opening slot for Amber Riley in LA in July, LEMMONS is already gearing up for a long career — and we are perched and ready.

9. Xtasy — Ravyn Lenae

Ravyn Lenae had album of the year on lock until RENAISSANCE dropped. Still, HYPNOS, her debut studio album, will remain a classic for years to come and is already one of best R&B releases I’ve heard since I began listening to music.

The album tells the story of love and loss, laced with potent production and unfeigned writing. “Xtasy” is a highlight, the brainchild of the match made-in-heaven of KAYTRANADA and Ravyn. The track is hypnotic from the start, embodying nights in the club where everything is simply flowing. The track is sweet like the hedonism it emits, and feels just like its title: “Ecstasy full of freedom, oh-oh-oh-oh/Turn the heat, can you keep up?”

Ravyn’s reticent soprano tone soothes like herbal tea. Her nascent, shimmery whisper floats over KAYTRANADA’s signature cowbell/snare drum loop effortlessly. The track was brought to yet another level with a Doechii-assisted remix.

“Xtasy” marks a new chapter in Ravyn’s career — she’s at her best, and crafting together cohesive, sonically expansive albums. I truly believe her next album will thrust her into the superstardom she deserves.

8. Roster — Jazmine Sullivan

Jazmine was definitely my artist of the year in 2021. And while she deservedly slowed her roll in 2022, basking in the glory of her (embarrassingly overdue) inaugural Grammy wins for her EP Heaux Tales, she did release a deluxe version equipped with 5 new tracks. “Roster” is one, a gorgeous, acoustic R&B record about the burden of being too fine to just have one man (very relatable). Jazmine takes an especially stripped down a cappella approach, building the song with soft background vocals, and a consistent, acoustic guitar melody: “Toxic, call me toxic/But you’ll never call me stupid/Got a long list in my pocket/I’ve been told before, I’m ruthless.” She sings passionately about her Roster — and jokes aside, writes seriously about how monogamy disproportionately restricts women. She’s happy for you to call her toxic for her ethos — so long as you remember, at least she ain’t stupid.

7. Blind — SZA

“Blind” was first teased at the end of the video for “Shirt” and immediately became a Tik Tok staple, and crept its way into my head as well.

The full version came with the release of SZA’s long awaited follow-up to the record-breaking, Rolling Stone “500 Best Album of All Time” ranking CTRL. The album raises the bar, as SZA wrestles with many of the same issues she did on CTRL, but with higher stakes, and more dynamism — her reflections cut even deeper as a result. “Blind” is SZA thrusting her head out of her sea of sorrows.

Arguably the most self-aware song on the album, “Blind” is a painstaking admission that SZA knows that what she needs can’t be obtained externally— but she can’t see it inside her: “It’s so embarrassing/All of the love I seek living inside of me/I can’t see, I’m blind.” It answers the questions and critiques many have had of the album: ‘I thought we were all healing together!?’ No babes, we weren’t.

What I love about the track and the album overall is SZA’s awareness of trends in popular music, and her ability to weave those trends into her music seamlessly while not compromising her distinct sound and visionary approach to pop and R&B. The main refrain is a series of “blinds” in differing, increasing pitches, mirroring the sped-up song trend that has emerged so popular that artists are releasing sped-up versions of their songs on streamers (don’t hate the player, hate the game). Unsurprisingly, those high-pitched notes took over Tik Tok instantly after the tease, and while perfectly within the zeitgeist, do not cheapen the song. “Blind” and the entire SOS project have solidified SZA’s position — she’s the It-Girl.

6. Plan B — Megan Thee Stallion

“Dick don’t run me, I run dick, nigga. Youse a bitch.”

I’m sure “Plan B” was easy for Megan to write considering how many pathetic men (and people) have tried to come for her personhood and artistry this year.

And that’s the wild part — it was easy! Lyrics, personas and energy come naturally to Megan, and “Plan B” is a prime example. The track features her most magical combo — open, old-school production with plenty of room for her to ride the beat: “Ladies, love yourself ’cause this shit could get ugly/That’s why it’s Fuck niggas, get money/And I don’t give a fuck if that nigga leave tonight/Because, nigga, that dick don’t run me.” “Plan B” is Megan at her best in a long time. While she has consistently delivered hits since she broke onto the scene, she has lived in the shadow of her older EPs and mixtapes that built her core fanbase. “Plan B” is a reminder that that same hungry, slept-on Megan is still in there, ready to pounce whenever challenged. The song had a flawless rollout, first teased at her Coachella performance earlier this year. The unreleased track was trending on Twitter within hours of the performance, and released shortly thereafter after fervent demand from the internet.

“Plan B” is an unrelenting ode to self-love and radical confidence. It’s a reminder that Megan always has a Plan B, and Plan C too — and she doesn’t need validation from any outsiders to remember.

5. CUFF IT — Beyoncé

“CUFF IT” was my first love off RENAISSANCE. The track is a perfect Pop song, filled with satisfying production shifts and stunning vocals. It feels like a part 2 to the Pharrell-produced “Blow,” except brighter, and even more dazzling. An ode to fucking up the night, its the perfect pre-going out mantra. The song is straight out of the late 70s, with an infectious groove and intentional, crisp backup vocals that carry the entire team on their back.

The track quickly became a Black classic, with videos of folks dancing to the viral “CUFF IT” challenge taking over the world. The lyrics encapsulate jollity and play at the highest level: “Hypersonic, sex erotic/On my body, boy, you got it/Hit them ‘draulics, while I ride it/Got me actin’ hella thotty.” Its transition into the electric “ENERGY” is one of the best on RENAISSANCE, which impressively flows seamlessly between songs as if you’re listening to a DJ set. With writing from Nile Rodgers, and production from the likes of Nova Wav, Raphael Saadiq, and The-Dream, “CUFF IT” is undeniably an instant hit. As the late Whitney Houston once said, “Graduations. Weddings. Funerals.”

4. Persuasive — Doechii

Song of the year. “Persuasive,” the background noise to many an afters and many a pregame this summer, was Doechii’s second breakout hit after the viral “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” triggered ample support from Spotify and resulted in deals with Top Dawg Entertainment and Capitol Records.

“Persuasive” is the perfect follow-up to Doechii’s warm industry welcome. The song is hard, ripe for the club and demonstrates that Doechii simply gets it. I’m not sure we’ve heard a rapper enter the scene with such a grasp on what it means to be Kunt since Azealia Banks dropped “212” in 2012. I got the opportunity to shoot with Doechii for work this year, and her kind, pure soul and rabid artistic energy made me fall in love with her even more.

“Persuasive” is an ode to working hard and playing hard, to nights that go on too long, and to the moment you look in the mirror during a night out and are assured of your power: “She’s so persuasive, that marijuana/She’s so flirtatious/how does it feel to be you?” The track flirts with house sensibilities, and joins the ranks of the fashion show music genre — perfect for a catwalk, a Revlon commercial, or vogueing in your mirror at home. On the outro Doechii asks: “How does it feel to be that-that bitch?” I think we can all discern that this is a rhetorical question. She definitely knows the answer.

3. HEATED — Beyoncé

I had a rule: 1–2 songs per artist, but obviously Beyoncé was the exception. It’s usually easy to adhere to this because it’s not hard to identify 1–2 songs that reflect an artist’s impact in a year. For Bey, it was quite the opposite, and it speaks to her 2022 impact. Each track on RENAISSANCE can be assigned a memory, a feeling, a seismic shift — and “HEATED” is cardinal.

The track is dense to say the least. I hear a new motif every time I listen. It’s a chockfull of earworm-like ad-libs (“petty-petty-petty-petty-petty”). Co-written by the one and only Aubrey Graham, it has 2016–2017 Drake written all over it. It shares the same ~sub 110 BPM range with “Passionfruit” and “Too Good.” There’s something about the relentless, ricocheting percussion of songs like this that command you through the air, rendering you weightless.

RENAISSANCE is a deeply emotional album. I spoke about this on Tik Tok and it’s most relevant with “HEATED.” The final 1:30 of the song feel so ardently sentimental — which makes sense when you know this track in particular is an ode to Beyoncé’s late Uncle Johnny, who passed from AIDS-related complications and whose thumping disco and house tracks dressed Solange and Beyoncé’s childhood and inspired RENAISSANCE.

The song closes with a series of energetic phrases that are increasingly teased throughout the song. Beyoncé embodies an energetic ballroom announcer: “Tip, tip, tip on hardwood floors/Ten, ten, ten across the board /Give me face, face, face, face, yah/Your face card never declines, my God.” Despite the levity of the lyrics, the chord progression yanks at the heartstrings, creating a consistent build in urgency that explodes at the end. I could cry everytime I hear it — the track means so much in the realm of self-love when you consider who it’s for and who inspires it. 20 years into her career, Beyoncé continues to reinvent herself and popular music at large — it is so deeply inspiring and humbling to witness her at this stage of her career.

2. Skin Tight (feat. Steve Lacy) — Ravyn Lenae

“Skin Tight” was the introduction to the incredible era that is HYPNOS. Joined by Steve Lacy, Ravyn sings hypnotically over a beat that can only be described as a waltz. The steady, 6:8 key signature locks the listener in, akin to how choreography tends to move your feet for you once you’re in a flow.

In my interpretation, the track is written from the perspective of someone who knows hurt and separation are imminent. They ask their lover to hold on and enjoy the feeling while it’s here, understanding that they may deserve someone new: “Hope you understand we won’t go as planned/Hold me while you can, hold me while you can/I’ll still be your friend, you’ll come back again.” The writing is productive and candid — Ravyn communicates ideas about heartbreak with elegance and vigor that few artists can achieve, especially at 24 — I know I can’t. Ravyn writes with the wisdom of an elder.

“Skin Tight” urges you to reckon with other perspectives you may not have previously understood, or that you only understood through the lens of how they hurt you — at least it helped me to. Steve Lacy’s contribution is welcome, as he slides into the choruses with a breathy and light “hold me now, skin tight” that perfectly matches Ravyn’s tone. “Skin Tight” was the collaboration of the year for me — it captures the power and beauty of music, especially R&B, to tackle issues of love and loss with a dynamism that the genre lays fertile ground for. Ravyn Lenae is a breath of fresh air, and one of the most extraordinary artists of our generation.

1. VIRGO’S GROOVE — Beyoncé

“VIRGO’S GROOVE” is a career best.

Many have long speculated that Beyoncé has a burner Twitter where she reads all the tea and chatter from her fans — which would make sense, since her work is so on the pulse that it feels suspicious. “VIRGO’S GROOVE” is bonafide proof of the burner. In an era where everyone, myself included, has complained about songs being 2 minutes or less and lacking bridges, Beyoncé ignored all of our dwindling attention spans and released a 6 minute song. She really said: take an Adderall, turn off the lights — do whatever you have to do, but you’re gonna sit and listen to the damn song, every riff and run galore. And we obliged. Fast forward — “VIRGO’S GROOVE” is unequivocally the best song of the year.

“VIRGO’S GROOVE” is a 70s disco anthem down — it’s not just hairy coochie music, it’s the follicles on the coochie itself. It feels like a car engine revving up. There are several points where it could end and still be stunning, yet it relentlessly builds and grows.

After a stunning transition from “PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA,” another career best, the beat wastes no time exploding. Threatening, seductive coos commence. “Baby come over…” repeats, as a low-addition to the principal chord plants the production’s roots even deeper. You can tell Beyoncé has 6 minutes. The track is never sluggish or tentative — but she takes her time with the intro, suspending the beat to emphasize key lyrics: “Right here/Right now…/Slow-mo/Coming out my blouse.” While the Beyhive may complain about that man, her husband — thank god for whatever he’s doing. That love is helping Beyoncé create some of the most sublime love songs of our generation.

At 2:50, there’s a curtain call on act I of the track— the notes Bey sings are achingly gorgeous, longing in its purest essence. We start act II at 3:12, Bey patiently milking the perfect production. The vocal dynamism accelerates — we are strapped in for the ride. The track is still building when act III rolls in at 4:20 and a call and response section begins, inviting the listener in for the finale. Before her final trick, we seek refuge at 4:39 with a Motown-style breakdown (similar to one at 2:33): “You’re the love of my life/You’re the love of my life/Your love keeps me high/Your love gives me life.” This refrain aggrandizes as Bey switches octaves. She floats effortlessly in this space, soaring into near-whistle tone territory with a breathy, supported falsetto. And then the finale — career high vocal acrobatics close the song out as she begs her baby to “…love me, love me, love me/And, baby, let me love you back/Touch me, touch me, please me/Kiss me boy/You’re the only love of my life/You are, yeah, you are.”

The song destroys conventions of Pop music — it’s runtime is every radio programmer’s biggest nightmare. But closing with a showcase of vocal gymnastics, introducing a completely new section that emerges as the linchpin of the song 5 and half minutes in— it’s something only an artist who has surpassed all expectations and mastered all conventions can do. At this stage in her career, Beyoncé is solely competing with herself.

Best Albums of 2022:

1. RENAISSANCE — Beyoncé

2. HYPNOS — Ravyn Lenae

3. SOS — SZA

4. Ivory — Omar Apollo

5. CAPRISONGS — FKA Twigs

6. Motomami— ROSALÍA

7. age/sex/location — Ari Lennox

8. Like The Fruit — LEMMONS

9. Traumazine — Megan Thee Stallion

10. she / her / black bitch — Doechii

11. blue water road — Kehlani

12. The Lead — FLO

13. Gemini Rights — Steve Lacy

14. What I Didn’t Tell You — Coco Jones

15. Girls Night Out — Babyface

16. Un Verano Sin Ti — Bad Bunny

17. Asha’s Awakening — Raveena

18. Natural Brown Prom Queen — Sudan Archives

19. Las Ruinas — Rico Nasty

20. <COPINGMECHANISM> — WILLOW

21. Special — Lizzo

22. Candydrip — Lucky Daye

Honorable Track Mentions:

My taste is bias! And I can’t fit all the amazing tracks I loved this year on my list. Check out these fire songs too :)

Ari Lennox: “Tatted,” “Stop By,” “Boy Bye (feat. Lucky Daye),” “POF,” “Waste My Time”

Babyface: “Simple” (with Coco Jones), “Girls Night Out” (with Doechii)

Baby Tate: “What’s Love”

Beyonce: “I’M THAT GIRL,” “COZY,” “ALIEN SUPERSTAR,” “ENERGY” (feat. Beam), “PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA,” “MOVE” (feat. Grace Jones & Tems), “SUMMER RENAISSANCE”

Bree Runway: “THAT GIRL”

Brent Faiyaz: “PRICE OF FAME”

Capella Grey: “GYALIS (Shemix)” [feat. Chloë]

Cat Burns: “go” (feat. Sam Smith)

Channel Tres: “Just Can’t Get Enough”

Charli XCX: “Yuck,” “Hot Girl (Bodies Bodies Bodies),” “Lighting”

Citizen Queen: “Waste My Time”

Coco Jones: “ICU”

Dani Offline: “I Believe You”

Demi Lovato: “SUBSTANCE,” “SKIN OF MY TEETH,” “HEAVEN”

Doechii: “Bitch I’m Nice,” “Swamp Bitches” (feat. Rico Nasty), “This Bitch Matters,” “STRESSED”

Doja Cat: “Vegas”

Drake: “Calling My Name,” “Sticky,” “Massive”

FKA Twigs: “oh my love,” “jealously,” “papi bones,” “ride the dragon”

FLO: “Not My Job,” “Immature,” “Summertime,” “Feature Me,” “Another Guy — Acoustic”

Flo Milli: “Conceited,” “Bed Time”

Fousheé: “i’m fine,” “simmer down,” “supernova”

Harry Styles: “As It Was”

IDK: “Drugstore”

Ice Spice: “Bikini Bottom”

jaboukie: “ROCKWHYLER”

Jazmine Sullivan: “BPW,” “Hurt Me So Good”

J. Maya: “Sunday Crossword”

Kay Flock: “Shake It” (feat. Cardi B, Dougie B, & Bory 300)

Kehlani: “everything,” “melt,” “wish i never”

King Princess: “Little Bother” (feat. Fousheé)

Leikeli47: “Jay Walk” (feat. Miss J Alexander)

LEMMONS: “Taurus & Orion (Floating),” “Narcissism Interlude”

Little Simz: “Gorilla”

Lizzo: “Special,” “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)”

Lucky Daye: “Feels Like,” “Apply Pressure”

Maggie Rogers: “Horses”

Mai Anna: “Jupiter”

Marzz: “Countless Times”

Megan Thee Stallion: “Ungrateful (feat. Key Glock),” “Star (feat. Lucky Daye)

Nicki Minaj: “We Go Up” (feat. Fivio Foreign)

Omar Apollo: “Endlessly,” “Invincible (feat. Daniel Caesar),” “Tamagotchi,” “No Good Reason,” “Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All)”

PinkPantheress: “Where you are (feat. WILLOW),” “Do you miss me?”

Raveena: “Rush,” “Love Overgrown”

Ravyn Lenae: “Inside Out,” “Like You Do,” “Lullabye,” “Mercury (feat. Fousheé), “3D (feat. Smino),” “Venom”

Rico Nasty: “One On 5” (feat. Bibi Bourelly), “Watch Your Man” (feat. Marshmello)

Rochelle Jordan: “All Along” (Kaytranada Remix)

ROSALÍA: “HENTAI,” “SAOKO,” “CUUUUuuuuuute,” “CHICKEN TERIYAKI”

Ryan Destiny: “How Many”

Sam Smith: “Unholy” (feat. Kim Petras)

Solomon Fox: “Never Let Me Go”

Smino: “Pro Freak” (feat. Doechii and Fatman Scoop), “Blu Billy”

Steve Lacy: “Bad Habit,” “Static,” “Cody Freestyle”

Sudan Archives: “NBPQ (Topless),” “Home Maker”

Syd: “Out Loud” (feat. Kehlani)

SZA: “Nobody Gets Me,” “Kill Bill,” “Love Language,” “Snooze,” “Gone Girl,” “Notice Me,” “Ghost in the Machine” (feat. Phoebe Bridgers), “Tread Carefully”, “Percolator,” “Jonie,” “2AM”

WILLOW: “Perfectly Not Close To Me” (ft. Yves Tumor)