The Best Songs of 2022 So Far

Drawing comparisons to hip-hop legends Lil Kim and Queen Latifah, Megan Thee Stallion’s performance on “Plan B” reminds us why she is rap’s Great Hot Hope. Over a highly specific sample ripped straight from the Nineties — Jodeci feat. Raekwon and Ghostface Killah’s “Freek ‘N You (Mr. Dalvin’s Freek Mix),” Megan lays a thick layer of shame onto an ain’t-shit man: “The only accolade you ever made is that I fucked you.” —M.C.

After years of anticipation, fans finally got to see Becky G and Karol G join forces ​​— and their collaboration resulted in one of the most deliciously cutting breakup anthems of the year. The two singers trade biting lyrics about no-good boyfriends and empower each other over a reggaeton beat with a few Mexican gritos thrown into the production — a touch Becky G championed herself to give the song extra power. —J.L.

The delirium-tinged second single from the Isle of Wight’s biggest indie-rock export Wet Leg balances giddiness and ennui as it tells a self-regarding paramour to take his Buffalo 66 DVD and stick it anywhere else. “Wet Dream” — which got the Harry Styles seal of approval when he covered it at a BBC session this spring — is a high-octane kiss-off song that will inspire fed-up young women for years to come. —M.J.    

On her first song since 2020, Leikeli47 came back with straight fire: Over a beat both thunderous and hook-y, the masked Brooklyn rapper drops a fierce statement of purpose, hating on imitators and lames with abandon. The result is one of 2022’s best bangers, no pun intended. —C.H.

A respite from the fast-paced front half of the Weeknd’s Dawn FM, “Out of Time” slows things down and looks inward, inspired by Japanese city pop from the early Eighties and sampling Tomoko Aran’s “Midnight Pretenders.” “The last few months I’ve been working on me, baby/There’s so much trauma in my life,” Abel Tesfaye laments. Sure, Dawn FM is loaded with uptempo earworms, but time and time again, the Weeknd shines at his darkest and most introspective. —W.A.

Gunna and Future’s “Pushin’ P” is all rhythmic alliteration, and the two trade stanzas as they unfurl a mishmash of obvious words (“peace”) and made-up nonsense (“pesbian”) before giving way to a mush-mouthed cameo from Young Thug. Wheezy’s keyboard beat approximates a glissando piano rhythm, carrying the three ATL rappers along on this unlikeliest of hit singles. —M.R.

Migos men Quavo and Takeoff make this banger the first shot from their new rap duo, Unc and Phew. (Quavo is Takeoff’s real-life uncle.) The status of Migos might be unclear, but “Hotel Lobby” has trippy guitar and one of the year’s funniest videos, inspired by Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. —R.S.

Tyler, the Creator and 21 Savage going head to head on Pharrell’s headbanger of a beat is the making of a strong Song of the Summer contender. Proving themselves masters of the art of the flex, they deliver addicting verses — I dare you to only listen once. —M.C.

Leiber and Stoller wrote it, Big Mama Thornton sang it, Elvis covered it — and who better than Doja Cat to rewrite the whole tangled history of American pop music by remaking “Hound Dog” in her own uproariously raw style? Snapping rapid-fire insults at a down-bad dude while Thornton’s voice wails in a sample, she’s an avenging angel with bars for days. —S.V.L.

Nicki and Lil Baby teamed up for two hit duets this winter: “Do We Have a Problem?” and this metal-machine groove. “Bussin’” has Nicki talking sex (“Like to look back when he h-h-h-hit that/Ass and thighs, that’s where I’m thick at”), showing her Barbie tattoo, and flossing in her Strawberry Ferrari. —R.S.

Ever seen that meme where it’s a dark, creepy house next to a bright pink one? This song is both houses. At first, “Sidelines” sounds like it could be about the saddest thing you’ve ever heard. Listen deeper and you’ll hear an airy optimism as Bridgers croons about relatable stuff like going back to school and taking care of houseplants. If “Sidelines” is any indication, her next LP might be another classic. —W.A.

With lines like “Did you stop smoking weed/Or trying to please your dad?” the latest King Princess single is a cheeky pop gem — the kind that can shine long after you’ve exhausted your “play” button. Mikaela Straus weaves the melodies of Savage Garden with the ferocity of Temple of the Dog for one messy web of Nineties nostalgia, and we mean that in the best way. —A.M.

“It’s bad bitch o’clock,” Lizzo declares on the first single since her 2019 major-label debut, Cuz I Love You, turned the Minneapolis singer, rapper, and occasional flautist into a pop sensation. Over a roller-rink-ready groove, Lizzo shakes off the stresses that have plagued her these past few years, with her insouciant one-liners and carefree vocal performance pulling her out of the muck and into the funk. —M.J.   

A Latin-pop earworm featuring rising star Becerra, “Hasta los Dientes” showcases Cabello’s natural ability to make the sounds of her culture accessible to any audience, regardless of language. Its interplanetary music video — and the song’s sticky chorus — make the collab a standout moment on her new album, Familia. —T.M.

One of the biggest breakout hits of the year didn’t come from a well-poised star. Instead, it’s the work of a little-known family band from Yakima, Washington, led by 15-year-old Yahritza Martinez, who was discovered on TikTok. Tender chords and Yahritza’s voice, raw and evocative, with the ability to transport any listener back to their first moment of heartbreak, was all it took to skyrocket this track to the top of the charts. —J.L.

Singer, songwriter, and producer Amber Mark packs enough psychedelic exploration to fill an album into the three-minute run time of “Bliss,” which surrounds her retelling of infatuation’s thrill with sea-submerged synths, deliberate drums, and heaven-borne backing vocals that further flesh out the off-the-charts delight she’s experiencing. —M.J.

Florida-based R&B singer Muni Long broke through with the sumptuous “Hrs and Hrs,” which frames her acrobatic alto with bursts of piano and a tick-tock groove. “Hrs and Hrs” doesn’t describe full-body passion as much as it depicts it, Long’s delighted vocal runs sounding like the result of her emotions overtaking her entire self. —M.J.  

With his electric-pink hair and outlandish stage presence, Kiko el Crazy is a standout artist in the Dominican Republic’s radical dembow scene.The opening track from his new album, Llego el Domi, is a sunny ode to the Dominican singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra, built off traditional guitars that are meant to be unexpected. —J.L.

Seventeen-year-old Nashville upstart Gayle transformed a list of post-breakup grievances into one of 2022’s most cathartic anthems, a shout-along inversion of “The A.B.C.” made for blaring outside exes’ homes late at night. Versatile enough to spin off an “angrier” version (which amped up its pop-punk energy) and a “chill” version (which shrouded Gayle’s complaints in reverb), among others, “abcdefu” marries high concept and pure emotion. —M.J.  

Let’s face it, we’re living in hell. But you know what makes life on this cursed orb a lot more tolerable? A perfect pop song — like this scorchingly sarcastic anthem about partying through eternal damnation with your comrades of choice. Sawayama lobs defiant declarations of pride and astute media critiques for a glossy, catchy banger that sounds like Shania Twain as reimagined by the wittiest radical in your revolutionary reading group. —S.V.L.

A love song that’s grunged up with feedback and distortion that slightly obscure its head-over-heels emotionalism, “Shotgun” recalls the glory days of Nineties indie rock while sounding firmly grounded in 2022. A singsong melody and Sophie Allison’s faded-Polaroid lyrics only heighten the head-rush feeling of “Shotgun,” as does the fuzz surrounding each musical element. —M.J.  

The memorable, catchy chorus and visual storytelling on “House On Fire” make for an ideal second breakout for to soon-to-be British pop star Mimi Webb. After becoming a TikTok favorite with her slow-rising “Good Without,” the perfectly produced two minutes of “House On Fire” prove that Webb is a force to be reckoned with — and not just because she’ll burn your house down. —T.M.

Over a dreamy melody and soft electric guitar, Marina (formerly Marina and the Diamonds) gives us an image of a dystopic future where the rich “are so fucking blind” to the doom of climate change, and instead opt to continue their lives of luxury in “peace.” With its lyrical ironies and heavenly sounds, “Pink Convertible” (which appears on the deluxe edition of her 2021 album, Ancient Dream in a Modern Land) is a perfect example of her unique brand of brutal honesty. —T.M.

It simply had to be this way. Rap’s newest heartthrob, Jack Harlow, teaming up with the genre’s most storied Casanova, none other than Champagne Papi. “Churchill Downs,” the much-talked-about single from Harlow’s sophomore album, Come Home the Kids Miss You, was easily the project’s highest high, with Drake all but obliterating the upstart Harlow on his own track. An initiation of sorts, and an undeniable hit. —J.I.

“My head is heavy, I’ve had awful dreams,” Jake Webb moans on “Proof,” the Australian rock band’s take on the post-Covid world. Methyl Ethel join with singer and fellow Aussie Stella Donnelly to report on a shell-shocked society full of “people walking backwards every day.” —R.S.

The U.K. synth-pop duo dropped “Happy New Year” last winter, just in time to ring in 2022. Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth mourn everything they’ve lost, but they celebrate their friendship. “Happy New Year” looks forward to the future with optimism — an achievement in itself. —R.S.

BENEE had a streaming hit in 2020 with “Supalonely.” But she isn’t lonely anymore. With a hint of “bitchcraft,” the Kiwi songstress’ vibey single “Beach Boy” — with its poolside melodies and Twilight-meets-Eighties-inspired video — is a standout moment from her EP, Lychee. “Beach Boy” successfully mixes an innate sense of nostalgia with a twang of novelty. —T.M.

This glittering pop gem from MUNA’s third, self-titled full-length defines “letting someone down easy.” Katie Gavin’s knotty explanation of why she’s come to the end of the road with a lover is paired with pillowy synth-pop, its pulsing low end mirroring the resolve she’s mustered up in order to plainly if lovingly tell her soon-to-be-ex that they need to get their life right. —M.J.     

The long-awaited return of Sky Ferreira arrives like a NyQuil-induced fever dream, with blankets of heavy synths that keep you sweating for hours. Ferreira delivers dark pop like a lounge singer working a double, and when she sings, “I don’t need to deceive you/I’m the real bad girl,” you don’t question it. —A.M.

This gleaming highlight of Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti comes midway through the breezy, 24-song compendium, when the Puerto Rican superstar teams up with the Colombian electronic duo Bomba Estereo. Li Saumet’s distinctive, lulling vocals blend seamlessly with Bad Bunny’s baritone, and the rhythmic second verse she delivers, full of swag and grace, is the most compelling moment in a song as bright and alluring as the promise of summer. —J.L.

Bea Kristi is one of the brightest young rockers in the game right now, and “Talk” is a real gem from her sophomore album, Beatopia, quipping, “We go together like the gum on my shoes.” Beabadoobee also asks her lover a timeless pop-punk question, via Avril Lavigne: “Why’d you have to be so complicated?” —R.S.

The high-energy Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C. just keep exploding with their third album, Skinty Fia, obsessed with James Joyce and guitars and the Celtic sense of doom. “Jackie Down the Line” is the anthem of a shiftless rambler, with Grian Chatten sneering in his nastiest Dublin brogue. —R.S.

Swaggering bass, menacing mutters, guitar and drums that sound a little like someone gave ZZ Top a buzzcut — this Chicago band knows post-punk never died, it just went underground and then clawed its way back out of the grave again and again. It’s a hell of a teaser for what comes next after their fantastically alienated 2020 album, Just Look at That Sky. —S.V.L.

WE, the first Arcade Fire album in five years, can summon the redemptive glory of their best work. The obvious highlight is “Lightning II,” a classic AF anthem on which Win Butler demands and delivers the kind of cathartic rush these guys have often done just about as well as anyone else in rock history. —J.D.

Britt Daniel’s greatest moment of pure rock & roll hunger and elation? Quite possibly. The nervy groove just builds and builds, the guitars have a relentless caffeinated churn, and when Daniel sings about hearing the call of the wild cutting through the bullshit of modern life, the ecstatic discovery in his voice makes it seem like he’s having a real-time religious epiphany. —J.D.

With Kendrick Lamar leaving TDE, the future of the label is left in the hands of artists like Doechii, who’s signing was announced in March with the release of “Persuasive.” Doechii is not only a fascinating rapper on this song about the thrills of drug use, she is a titillating singer. It looks like TDE gon’ be alright. —M.C.

The highlight from the country singer’s third album, Raised, was this folksy, hand-clapped country personal ad, which shows off the Iowa singer’s knack for homespun humor and everyday pathos. It remains to be seen if it’s too rootsy to become a radio hit, but its singsong chorus and feel-good message make “Everything She Ain’t” a keeper. —J.B.

It was easy to miss this understated ballad on Morris’ dynamic slow-burn of a third album, Humble Quest. But the Nashville star shows off her range as a songwriter and vocalist on this stunning, sultry deep cut, with Morris singing to her partner Ryan Hurd (who sings backup vocals) about feeling a profound connection for a partner despite physical distance. —J.B.

Short, sweet, and to the point, Swedish pop belter Tove Styrke’s ode to romance balances the goofily romantic with the unabashedly lustful. Styrke’s soprano is perfectly suited to pop that front-loads emotion and melody, and on “Show Me Love,” she gives a winning performance, fully occupying the song’s center stage as she wails about her deep-seated need for “something more than [her] imagination.” —M.J.

Carpenter’s “Fast Times” is an ode to living in the moment and dealing with the consequences later. This rising pop it-girl has been in demand all year: She has a new fragrance out, just went to the Met Gala, has a whole Samsung deal, and more. Thankfully, she’s still finding time to drop bops as well. —W.A.

FKA Twigs’ mixtape Caprisongs is her most upbeat, liberated project yet, and “Oh My Love” is an especially playful cut, where Twigs coos about how bad she wants someone while slipping in messages of self-worth and self-love. The voice of a friend pipes in during the song, telling Twigs, “Fuck crying over these stupid boys that don’t even recognize the worth in themselves.” —J.L.

The funniest song of the year might be this bright, bubbly roller-rink R&B jam about how annoying it is to be a super-cool pop star with people lining up to date you. “Yuck! That boy’s so mushy/Sending me flowers, I’m just trying to get lucky.” Uh-oh, she’s going to roast us for saying we love this song, isn’t she? Sorry, queen! —S.V.L.

Clangorous, mile-a-minute rob-and-steal rhymes from rising Minneapolis star Zora: “Hello, bitch, it’s me/Gimme the money you owe me or catch these hands for free.” She’s said that the song is really about her frustration waiting for a federal stimulus check, giving this song a very 2020s twist. What’s most impressive, though, is its forward-thinking industrial-electronic production. —S.V.L.

When Canadian EDM producer Sickick made Madonna’s gothiest Ray of Light gem into a chopped-n-screwed TikTok sensation last year, it was only a matter of time before she got in on the fun. By enlisting Nigerian star Fireboy DML to duet with her on this moody, soulful extension of the remix, she showed the same savvy about new currents in global pop that made the original song a hit in ’98. Turns out “Frozen” is forever. —S.V.L.

Raveena has released a few projects full of diaphanous, dreamily constructed R&B, but on “Rush,” she wanted to try something different. The song is an upbeat departure, smooth, warm, and full of movement. It also serves as the centerpiece of Asha’s Awakening, an imaginative album that blends Bollywood influences, throwback pop sounds, and traditional Indian instrumentation while telling the story of a time-traveling Punjabi space princess. —J.L.

On this single from the London-based, Nigeria-born singer’s latest album, Obongjayar takes on the perspective of a past lover, questioning the fate of the doomed relationship. The kaleidoscopic beat is thick with groovy layers, but light with delicate guitar runs and dreamy synths. Its danceability gives Obongjayar’s new vantage point more confidence than sadness. —M.C.

Pheelz is best known as a prominent Nigerian producer, but he worked both the boards and the mic on “Finesse.” He floats across the slinky beat, as does his guest BNXN, formerly known as Buju. With a layered chorus that sounds like a battalion of carefree men, “Finesse” is endlessly catchy and was one of the most Shazamed songs in the world. —M.C.

The Jamaican singer’s ode to shared struggle and communal resistance recalls the greatest golden-age roots reggae, from the earthy swing of its groove to lyrics and vocals that evoke the Wailers. Yet the lithe youthful passion in Chronixx’s voice makes it feel like much more than a reverent throwback. Rather, it’s the sound of a vital artist moving a classic sound forward. —J.D.

Bachata heartthrob Romeo Santos made his return to music this year in the most Romeo way possible: He dropped the baroque, lovesick ballad “Sus Huellas” right on Valentine’s Day. Through deeply emotional, melancholic lyrics, he outlines the lingering ache of a broken heart, mixing his signature falsetto with synth wisps that add a twist to his classic bachata. —J.L.

Canada’s reigning pop doyenne celebrates the glow of California on this sun-dappled love song. Jepsen’s restrained vocals (even as she hits a high note!), a lazy-afternoon beat, and a fluid guitar solo dropped into the middle of “Western Wind” hint at a Laurel Canyon-inspired direction for her still-in-the-works fifth album, although the chorus’s brain-Velcro melody rivals the catchiest bits of Jepsen’s stellar discography. —M.J.