The 50 Best Albums of 2022

During the weeks when Bad Bunny (Un Verano Sin Ti) loosened his grip around the neck of the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, albums from Beyoncé (Renaissance), Taylor Swift (Midnights), and Harry Styles (Harry’s House) ruled both the charts and the culture at large. Outside of the year’s biggest albums, strong records ranging from Southern Gothic opuses (Ethel Cain’s Preacher’s Daughter) to R&B masterclasses (Robert Glasper’s Black Radio III) made 2022 yet another incredible year for music. Here are the 50 best albums of the year:

Note: For the full ranking, head to Spotify, Apple Music, or TIDAL.

50. I Never Felt Nun (EST Gee)

49. Boy Alone (Omah Lay)

48. I Don’t Give a Fuck About This Rap Shit, Imma Just Drop Until I Don’t Feel Like It Anymore ($ilkmoney)

47. I Never Liked You (Future)

46. Candydrip (Lucky Daye)

45. What Had Happened Was… (DRAM)

44. CRASH (CHARLI XCX)

43. Simple. (IDK)

42. You Still Here, Ho? (Flo Milli)

41. Love, Damini (Burna Boy)

40. Harry’s House (Harry Styles)

39. Gifted (Koffee)

38. Snofall (DJ Drama & Jeezy)

37. Wet Leg (Wet Leg)

36. Watch the Sun (PJ Morton)

35. American Heartbreak (Zach Bryan)

34. Rave & Roses (Rema)

33. Broken Hearts Club (Syd)

32 Traumazine (MEGAN THEE STALLION)

31. Blue Water Road (Kehlani)

30. Black Radio III (Robert Glasper)

29. In These Silent Days (Brandi Carlile)

28. King’s Disease III (Nas)

27. Caprisongs (FKA twigs)

26. Luv 4 Rent (Smino)

25. Today & Tomorrow (SAULT)

24. Dance Fever (Florence + the Machine)

23. Ants from Up There (Black Country, New Road)

22. Sad Romance (Ckay)

Although some of the biggest Stateside afrobeats hits are dance-focused — including his own viral “Love Nwantiti” — Ckay opted to help usher “afro-emo” further into the mainstream with his pristine debut album. Sad Romance, perhaps the most aptly titled release of the year, is, of course, primarily concerned with the more melancholy moments of romance. Throughout the record, Ckay blends the more downcast elements of amapiano and afro-pop with some Future-esque lyrics that cover depression, sex, subtle flexes, and longing all at the same time. Listen to: “Come Closer” & “You Cheated, I Cheated Too”

21. Herbert (Ab-Soul)

Released at the tail end of 2022, Herbert, Ab-Soul’s first album in six years, is one of the year’s best rap records. On Herbert, Ab-Soul welcomes himself home. Through what can only be described as semi-autobiographical hip-hop poetry, Ab floats through musings on the state of the rap game, reflects on his mental health journey over the past six years, and delves deeper into the man behind the moniker than ever before. He’s unabashedly honest with the intent to be vulnerable and real with himself and his fans. Celebrity can cloud a lot of what music is supposed to do, but Herbert rises above those complications to deliver astute reflections on life buried within picturesque metaphors and soundscapes. Listen to: “It Be Like That (with SiR)” & “Go Off (with Russ & Big Sean)”

20. age/sex/location (Ari Lennox)

Three years removed from the cultural dominance of Shea Butter Baby, Ari Lennox reemerged with an even stronger and more consistent record. Led by pitch-perfect singles like “Pressure” and “Hoodie,” age/sex/location finds Ari more confident in the love she can give herself and more willing to delve into the intricacies of her past insecurities. On “POF,” she dissects the deceptive nature of age-old idioms, and on “Queen Space,” she reunites with Summer Walker for a song that moves past the hurt of "Unloyal” into a lane of continuous healing. Not often is personal and artistic growth so palpable on an artist’s sophomore record, but is it any surprise that Ari Lennox delivered? Listen to: “Leak It (with Chlöe)” and “Mean Mug”

19. Ramona Park Broke My Heart (Vince Staples)

Several months before his hilarious cameo on Abbott Elementary, Vince Staples dropped off a fantastic record in Ramona Park Broke My Heart. The COVID-19 pandemic has gifted us scores of reflective albums, but Ramona Park rises head and shoulders above the rest. A captivating epic that recounts a youth stolen by invisible giants and finds its roots in West Coast hip-hop, Ramona Park is nothing short of a triumph. Featuring contributions from artists ranging from DJ Dahi to Lil Baby, Ramona Park is the rare album that effectively pairs contemplative revelatory lyrics with infectious beats. Listen to: “When Sparks Fly” & “The Blues”

18. Dirt Femme (Tove Lo)

The pendulum appears to be swinging away from “political pop” and back to “poptimism,” but that’s not a problem when you’re a natural master of pop music like Tove Lo. The transcendent voice behind “Habits” and “Talking Body” blessed 2022 with Dirt Femme — a thorough, nuanced, and painfully transparent exploration of femininity, sexuality, and womanhood in the context of marriage. Notes of disco, histrionic pop ballads, and alternative rock color Tove’s introspection, but it’s her unique understanding of the singular power of synths that makes this album such a strong and danceable record. Read the full Dirt Femme here. Listen to: “True Romance” & “I’m to Blame”

17. Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (Kendrick Lamar)

Therapy is messy. Very messy. With his latest set, Kendrick Lamar puts all of the mess — every last bit of it — on full display. Tied together with the sounds of tap dancers and packed with the rawest examinations of everything ranging from the pandemic to queer family members, Morale swings big (and sometimes it misses). After assuming the role of a community leader in past records, Kendrick finds contentment in not being a savior. Morale is, perhaps, most impressive because of how much it is of the current rap scene yet in direct opposition to the genre’s present landscape. The frenetic rave-indebted energy of Baby Keem anchors several tracks, while Kendrick’s penchant for poetic soliloquies and theatrical moments gives the album the bulk of its emotional heft. With gorgeous engineering and foolproof sequencing to boot, Mr. Morale sits nicely among Kendrick’s previous opuses. Listen to: “Mirror” & “Count Me Out”

16. Dawn FM (The Weeknd)

Even though the world practically rejected this album for After Hours and Starboy, Dawn FM deserves its flowers. A cinematic musical odyssey through a purgatory disguised as a techno nightclub, Dawn FM finds The Weeknd operating at a new artistic peak. The attention to detail — check out those seamless transitions and Jim Carey’s narration — elevates the album from a simple collection of dance-inflected R&B and pop songs to a sonic experience that continues the throughline of desolate debauchery in The Weeknd’s discography. Dawn FM isn’t just fifteen versions of “Blinding Lights” as some would have you believe, it’s a truly stunning body of work that adds yet another gorgeous chapter to The Weeknd’s pop star evolution. Read the full Dawn FM review here. Listen to: “Here We Go Again… (with Tyler, the Creator)” & “Is There Someone Else?”

15. Wasteland (Brent Faiyaz)

2022 was lowkey the year of the skit… or at least the year of the comeback of the skit. Wasteland, Brent Faiayaz’s formidable sophomore record, wields the melodrama of skits to anchor the overarching narrative of a damaged man who simply can’t help but damage those who he loves the most. The stakes are high — we’re talking pregnancy, potential suicide, and emotional abuse — and Brent manages to keep the album from collapsing inwards. The record finds him tying his trademark moody atmospheric sound to more traditional R&B stylings courtesy of collaborators ranging from Alicia Keys to Raphael Saadiq. Brent is aware that he doesn’t have the most dynamic vocal range to work with, but he offsets that with expressive vocal performances which highlight the vibrant imagery of his songwriting. Sophomore slump, who? Read the full Wasteland review here. Listen to: “Angel” & “Rolling Stone”

14. The Car (Arctic Monkeys)

Let’s get this out of the way: a lot of the time no one is quite sure what Alex Turner is singing about. Now that we’ve established that, we can get into just how gorgeous The Car is. Sweeping strings, brooding percussion, and haunting melodies underscore an album that’s less concerned with the cosmos and more concerned with the crippling finality of modernity. The mood is somber, if not mournful. It’s as if the band has truly realized that life on Earth is actually that depressing. The album’s arrangements are painstakingly meticulous, and it’s that level of care that makes The Car such an enrapturing listen. Read the full The Car review here. Listen to: “Body Paint” and “I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am”

13. Palomino (Miranda Lambert)

Miranda Lambert is arguably the most consistent album maker of the past fifteen years. She rarely falters, but when she truly soars, as she does on Palomino, the results are simply beautiful. From cheeky bookends to Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” (“Geraldene”) to wistful contemplations on a final bow (“Carousel”), Palomino diligently works its way through the full spectrum of Miranda’s emotions. After processing her divorce with The Weight of These Wings and picking up the pieces with Wildcard, Palomino gives Miranda an opportunity to think about herself in relation to the world around her — advances, regresses, and all. Read the full Palomino review here. Listen to: “If I Was A Cowboy” & “Carousel”

12. Gemini Rights (Steve Lacy)

Yes, “Bad Habit” had the world going crazy, and there’s even more of where that came from on Gemini Rights. Steve Lacy’s self-assured sophomore record finds the star entering his Prince pocket. A sensual mélange of rock, soul, R&B, and a dash of hip-hop, Gemini Rights is all about the tantalizing feeling of the moments right before release. “Helmet” balances the bleakness of heartbreak with a funk bounce, and frequent collaborator Foushée lends her talents as a vocalist and songwriter on multiple tracks including “Sunshine” and the aforementioned “Bad Habit.” Even though he spends the album somersaulting through a plethora of increasingly volatile emotions, he remains in control — a sense of control that wraps the album’s innumerable moving parts in a quilt of intimacy. Read the full Gemini Rights review here. Listen to: “Helmet” & “Buttons”

11. Tana Talk 4 (Benny the Butcher)

Griselda / Black Soprano Family / Empire

The fourth installment of Benny’s Tana Talk series is yet another winner for Griselda’s finest. On Tana Talk 4, he continues to reveal new layers of his past and psyche, thus adding further nuance to his narratives of drug rap. The Alchemist’s soulful soundscape provides ample space for Benny to reassert his dedication to both the craft of rap and his own journey of maturity and self-reflection. The true triumph of Tana Talk 4, however, is how Benny pulls off the whole affair without sounding preachy or holier than thou. All he’s doing is relaying his story, and what a damn good storyteller he is. Listen to: “10 More Commandments (feat. Diddy)” & “Super Plug”

10. No Thank You (Little Simz)

After reaching a new career high last year with her exquisite Sometimes I Might Be Introvert album, Little Simz has returned with a concise, punchy record that counters the opulence of her previous opus. No Thank You is as much a rejection of the machine of the music industry (“They don’t care if your mental is on the brink of something dark / As long as you’re cutting somebody’s payslip”) as it is a homecoming for Simz. She taps into her rap roots with Inflo-produced soundscapes that pull inspiration from gospel choirs and funky drum breaks. In place of Introvert’s grandiosity, Simz cradles most of the No Thank You’s weight in the lengthy instrumental codas that close several of the album’s songs. Even when her voice is absent from the track, Simz’s soulful intensity courses through each chord. Excellent as both its own body of work and in conversation with Introvert, No Thank You is yet another terrific offering from Little Simz. Listen to: “Gorilla” & “Broken”

9. Hypnos (Ravyn Lenae)

It’s been quite the year for our favorite alternative R&B faves of the mid-2010s. Hypnos, Ravyn’s debut album, has been cooking for some time now, but it was absolutely worth the wait. Across the record, she muses on self-love and the perils of poor communication with the help of some friends like Smino, Fousheé, Steve Lacy, and more. Ravyn expertly curates a collaborative experience that informs all aspects of the music on this album. Notes of afrobeats, soft rock, house, and neo-soul swirl throughout the record, giving it a bit of edge in the vast sea of recent moody R&B albums. With a tone that enraptures and lyrics that sneakily illuminate uncomfortable universal truths, Hypnos is spell-binding. Listen to: “Wish” & “Mercury”

8. SOS (SZA)

A lengthier review of SZA’s earth-shattering sophomore album is on the way, but, for now, we’ll continue to be in awe at how SOS stormed the Best of 2022 lists with just under a month left on the clock. From the wretched depression of “Special” to the cinematic modulations of “Gone Girl,” SOS is a blues album through and through. Across the record, SZA addresses every crippling low and liberating high that bookmarked the last five years of her life. With improved enunciation and production that pulls from genres as disparate as grunge and boom-bap, SZA’s sophomore album is kaleidoscopic. There’s a song for every mood and experience, yet SOS doesn’t feel like a haphazard hodgepodge — every track is necessary to understanding the full scope of SZA’s healing journey. Featuring standout contributions from the likes of Phoebe Bridgers and Travis Scott, SOS will go down as the album that cemented SZA as a bonafide musical force, both commercially and culturally. Listen to: “Ghost in the Machine (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)” & “Seek & Destroy”

7. The Forever Story (JID)

Even though that D-Day mixtape came and went without so much as a whimper, Dreamville had a pretty strong year. JID’s The Forever Story — an ambitious reflection on his childhood soundtracked by a stunning amalgam of hip-hop, jazz, neo-soul, gospel, and dance — kept Dreamville in the debate about the year’s strongest rap releases. Even though four years have passed since JID last put out a proper album, his technique remains impeccable. Shifting gears between rapid-fire verses and mournful elegies for real-life children, JID displays just how enormous his range is. The Atlanta rapper may have included scores of guests and collaborators (the credits include everyone from KAYTRANADA to Yasiin Bey), but JID remains in control — and effortlessly so. Listen to: “Kody Blu 31” & “Bruddanem (feat. Lil Durk)”

6. It’s Almost Dry (Pusha T)

There’s a beautiful duality within It’s Almost Dry. Pusha T’s fourth solo studio album finds Virginia emcee moving closer to the essence of his songwriting than ever before while simultaneously expanding the variety of his sonic profile. Woeful crooning courtesy of Labrinth squares against revamped samples of Donny Hathway and Beyoncé alike, providing a soulful backbone to Pusha’s continued commitment to chronicling every chapter of his drug-laced past. With production credits split between Kanye West and Pharrell Williams, pristine beats were a given. It’s what Pusha achieves over these beats — how he adapts a sing-songy intonation to match the bounce of the 808s — that makes It’s Almost Dry so impressive. Listen to: “Neck & Wrist (feat. Jay-Z & Pharrell Williams)” & “Call My Buff”

5. This Is What I Mean (Stormzy)

In case you couldn’t tell by now, November and December were Trojan Horses filled with some of the year’s most outstanding rap albums. Stormzy’s This What I Mean, a contemplative and relatively somber addition to his stellar discography, stands as one of the year’s best records. It’s rare that an album can feel so intimate yet so unmistakably like a team effort. Like the master of ceremonies that he is, Stormzy has curated his most immersive listening experience yet with This Is What I Mean. From the subdued groove of “Hide & Seek” to the sacrosanct storytelling of “Holy Spirit,” Stormzy transforms This Is What I Mean into a session of unflinching self-reflection. Listen to: “Give It to the Water” & “Holy Spirit”

4. Preacher’s Daughter (Ethel Cain)

There are few things more satisfying than an album that swings big and knocks it out of the park. Preacher’s Daughter, a sprawling epic that follows the narrative of a runaway who meets their demise at the hands of a cannibal, is that album. Clocking in at a little over an hour with myriad forays into tender country balladry, cinematic doom metal, and arena rock anthems, Preacher’s Daughter is quite ambitious. The album finds its center of gravity in Ethel’s honesty; she carefully pulls from her own real-life trauma to wax poetic about the more insidious parts of Americana and organized religion. At once a carefully constructed character and a mirror of the human condition, Ethel Cain bares every crevice of her soul on Preacher’s Daughter, and we should all be grateful. Listen to: “Family Tree” & “Televangelism”

3. Un Verano Sin Ti (Bad Bunny)

Upon release, Un Verano Sin Ti felt a bit safe in comparison to Benito’s previous more expansive records. As the album continued to shape 2022 (and, in turn, be shaped by this tumultuous year), Verano revealed itself to be an enrapturing subversion of a pop star’s imperial phase. We’re in a time when anything Bad Bunny’s Midas Touch is at maximum power. With his fourth solo studio album, he flies through reggaeton, trap, Dominican mambo, bachata, dembow, and psychedelic rock with astonishing ease. It’s an enormous undertaking to bottle up the nostalgia and limitless hope of the summer season into an album that traces several lineages of Afro-Caribbean music, but, if anyone could pull it off, it’s Bad Bunny. As if the sheer scope of the album wasn’t impressive enough, Bad Bunny remains steadfast in his commitment to speaking truth to power with condemnations of gender-based violence (“Andrea”) and anthems of national pride (“El Apagón”). Listen to: “El Apagón” & “Un Verano Sin Ti”

2. MOTOMAMI (ROSALÍA)

Released near the top of the year, Rosalía’s Motomami remains an extraordinary work of art. Her use of industrial imagery juxtaposes nicely against her intensely personal reflection on her own mortality in both the pop music ecosystem and the real world. Her flamenco fusion is still a foundational element of her sonic profile (take “Bulerías,” for example), but she also employs notes of dembow, electronica & R&B to ground her musings. After working almost exclusively in metaphor on her debut album, Rosalía allows herself to be more honest and open than ever before. Fame, and the impermanence of it all, have transformed how Rosalía understands herself and her relationships with God and her family, and it is this maturity that keeps Motomami from crumbling under the weight of its own ambition. Read the full Motomami review here. Listen to: “Como Un G” & “Sakura”

1. RENAISSANCE (Beyoncé)

With nary a visual in sight and two more acts still to come, Beyoncé’s latest era is still (mostly) shrouded in her now-trademark mystery. Renaissance is the absolute zenith of 2022 music, there’s no question about that. It’s easy to say that we’ve said all that we can about Renaissance, but that would be both laughable and a lie. What about the way the lyrics of each track reference lyrics and titles of other songs? How about the way “Move” traces the interlocked lineages of afrobeats, dancehall, and Reese bass? Have we truly dug into the way Beyoncé and her collaborators subvert the cultural, lyrical, and sonic elements of the Kilo Ali sample in “America Has A Problem?” Renaissance is too rich for us to not keep talking about it. Of course, the album owes its excellence and existence to the legacy of Black queer folk, specifically Black trans women, and the transformative universe of dance music and culture they have cultivated over the past few decades. That’s the specific history of resistance and joy that Beyoncé is pulling from on Renaissance — and it’s why the album was such a transcendent answer to the mess that was 2022. As we continue to dig into this sonic feast for the ages, let’s be careful not to call this Beyoncé’s peak. Knowing her, she’ll just keep on finding new ways to top herself. Read the full Renaissance review here. Listen to: “Alien Superstar” & “Summer Renaissance”

The Top 50 Albums of 2022