The Top Five Albums of 2022

This past year in music was a blockbuster year full of outstanding releases from members of music royalty, dropping projects that are sure to be seen as classics in the future. This is one of the most diverse lists I've made yet, truly tapping a little bit of everything I love. To close out this amazing musical year let's pay tribute to the best of 2022 by counting down the five best albums that defined the year!

Let's get going!

#5: Midnights - Taylor Swift (44 minutes, Pop/Singer-Songwriter)

Taylor Swift’s most recent album is both a nostalgic exercise in the pure pop dominance she showed in the last decade and a fusion of Jack Antonoff’s glittery, glistening synth-pop production and her razor sharp and heartfelt lyricism, taking the skills she pioneered on her twin folk-pop records and applying it to a new poppier sound. This Swift album is the best of both worlds for fans of her new, more intelligent and witty brand of lyricism but also lovers of the big brassy pop choruses she used to relish. Every track here packs a memorable punch that will keep you coming back, whether it be a withering, introspective punchline or a sweeping, melodic chorus hook. While this might not rank among her best ever projects, this shows that Taylor Swift is nigh incapable of putting out a project that doesn’t garner well deserved interest. The smartest and most rewarding pure pop record of the year.

Key Tracks: "You're On Your Own, Kid", "Anti-Hero" and "Maroon"

#4: Lucifer on the Sofa - Spoon (38 minutes, Alternative/Rock)

Spoon is the most consistent rock and roll band working today and this record is a testament to their skill and staying power. Their tenth record and they sound fresh as ever, putting down the most guitar heavy set of their career, packing in heavy riffs and shout along arena-ready choruses which make them sound like an indie-version of The Rolling Stones back in their prime. The songs are some of the most propulsive and energetic of the year, led by Britt Daniel’s most emphatic singing in a long time, shouting his impressionistic lyrics like his life depends on it. Spoon is a band that never stops evolving, no two albums ever sound quite the same and this is a key example. Arena rock Spoon and I couldn’t mean that in a better sense. This is a blockbuster record, the best rock of the year.

Key Tracks: "The Devil and Mr. Jones", "On the Radio" and "The Hardest Cut"

#3: The Car - Arctic Monkeys (37 minutes, Indie/Art-Rock)

The Arctic Monkeys don’t play by anyone’s rules but their own, and on this new album they double down on the most polarizing choice of their career, leaning harder than ever before into the plush, piano-driven lounge sound that split audiences on their last record and still eschewing the energetic indie rock that made them superstars. If “Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino” was their first stab at this sound, a David Bowie-esque space opera full of wicked sarcasm and eerie arrangements, this is them perfecting the sound, with both Alex Turner’s vocals becoming far more expressive and haunting sounding less like an affect than before, with the entire band playing more of a part, fleshing out these effervescent lounge ballads and spirited funky rockers with more verve than before. The crescendoes on each song alone are to die for, with each piece building to masterful, deserved climaxes. While this is far from an album that is built for mass appeal, for those who are willing to accept more uncharacteristic weirdness from Turner and company, this is an excellent, painterly piece of work.

Key Tracks: "There'd Better Be a Mirrorball", "I Ain't Quite Where I Think I Am" and "Body Paint"

#2: Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers" - Kendrick Lamar (1 hour and 13 minutes, Conscious Rap)

Kendrick Lamar’s latest record is painful, it cuts deep and explores wildly uncomfortable and raw topics but it does so in a truly beautiful, expressive manner where Lamar’s unique, intelligent lyrical voice truly takes center stage for some of his most affecting performances of his career. While this lacks that strong musicality of his earlier work, the sparse piano-driven beats spotlight his wildly innovative lyricism and the way he stretches his voice to make each song sound distinct and unique. He explores some of the most viscerally affecting material of his career through the idea of a double album length therapy session, replete with breakthroughs and deep dives into his past traumas. You will never hear topics as diverse and raw as father issues, long term relationship woes, being protective of his children, his inability to live up to the standards his audience has set for him, savior complexes, a gorgeously introspective pro-LGBT statement, and most guttingly a history of sexual assault in his family all in concise, unsettling but powerful statements. While this is far from an easy listen, it is one of Lamar’s most powerful artistic statements. He lays himself bare and that alone deserves to be lauded.

Key Tracks: "United in Grief", "Father Time", "Mirror" and "Mother I Sober"

#1: Renaissance - Beyoncé (1 hour and 2 minutes, Dance/House)

Every time Beyoncé puts out an album it is guaranteed to dominate the conversation, that’s just who she is as a performer, born to be the center of attention, and this album takes advantage of that fact to create one of her most enjoyable, relistenable projects in a storied career. Beyoncé embraces the textures and song structures of house music, the dance music of the 90s creating an album that revels in its retro futuristic aesthetic as well as plays on Beyoncé’s larger than life status to craft an hour of wildly fun, danceable music where you feel as if you are in the club for the most fun night of your life. Dance music is rarely an album genre, but there are no skips here, with each track bleeding into the next in a way that makes singling out songs almost feel sacrilegious as it is meant to be enjoyed as an hour of pure adrenaline. Beyoncé delivers fabulous spins on keyboard driven house stompers, fabulous soul samples chopped and screwed to perfection, and fluttery vocal melodies all to craft a nocturnal expression of joy. No other album felt quite like a party that everyone was invited to like this one. A musical celebration.

Key Tracks: "Cuff It", "Virgo's Groove", "Church Girl" and "Summer Renaissance"

Thanks for going on this musical journey through 2022 with me to celebrate this outstanding year in music! LA big thank you to every artist who made the list and many more who could have (honorable mentions below)! Happy 2022 in music and I hope 2023 brings us even more excellent records!

Honorable Mentions:

Harry's House - Harry Styles (41 minutes, Pop/Indie)

The Tipping Point - Tears for Fears (42 minutes, Art-Rock/New Wave)

The Boy Named If - Elvis Costello & The Imposters (52 minutes, Singer-Songwriter/Alternative)