The years after the Covid pandemic are like something taken out of an old painting, with so many dimensions to it, but almost never ending. The truth is that soon we will be living the third year after it all started, and it´s finally beginning to clear, it´s maybe the first holidays that haven´t been tainted by news of a new outbreak. And for many people 2022 has been a year of celebration, the ending of quite a dark chapter of modern history, but also the birth of some of the most refined and liberating art anyone can recall.
This is particularly true in the music industry, which has a way of showing people that not only there´s still hope. But also that celebration is a must in such times, allowing people to look at the horizon with renewed hopes. For some about a better life, but also one with renewed music, filled with emotion and of course that touch of resilience many people are expecting in times like these, which paradoxically have seen the last of many great artists, like one of the best drummers out there, no other than Foo Fighters´ drummer, Taylor Hawkins.
But not to worry, not everything that went by these years have been bad news, in fact, musically speaking, 2022 has been one of the best years for music fans out there, with great launches from some relatively new artists, as well as from those renowned stars. We´ve reviewed a good list of 100 new albums, trying to decide a short list of the best five 2022 brought us.
Newcomers, but also some heavy hitters
Of course there are some stars that are taking this celebration and liberation climate going on in the World to expose some of their masterpieces, some been hatched for some two to three years. And those cases might be some of the best, since those musical artists that take time to refine their work sometimes release some of the best albums the world has listened to. There´s also some dismissible examples, but we will leave them be since this is about art.
Leaving some commercial needs aside, some artists really step up their game trying to reach some other dimensions in their listeners. Those are the heavy hitters, like 41 years old Beyoncé, that came out of nowhere with what some call the best album out there released in 2022, as one of the best examples of refining their art. She worked really hard in this album and it really shows, having some of its hits way in the top of streaming apps, as one of the best recognitions an artist can receive.
For those looking for new sounds and royalty free music, 2022 has also been a great year, since it has introduced us to artists like Horsegirl with their album “Versions Of Modern Performance”, which has some great tracks such as “Beautiful Song”, showing what the lead singer can perform, in some darkish but also cheerful music, as some sort of mixture between the Cranberries and Oasis, with a touch of The Cure. Yeah, it sounds quite rad, but it really takes the best of their sounds to create a smooth and pleasing band .
The list
- Beyoncé, Renaissance: Without a doubt, Beyoncé takes the first place with an album that has a lot of work behind it, and it really shows. Recommended for long time fans of a great pop artist, but also for those that what to check her out musically speaking.
- Father John Misty, Chloe and the Next 20th Century: some call Misty one of the best folk rock performers in the World, and he might be so, since this album shows what he´s capable of in a new dimension to his music. Since it´s his fifth album, some expected it to be quite repetitive and maybe dull, but nothing further from truth.
- Saya Gray, 19 Masters: talk about newcomers… a heavy hitter that came out of Toronto, Canada, with a stray guitar that almost sounds out of tempo to some, but that jams perfectly with her sometimes shouting voice, but some other calm and piercing ideas brought by an angelical chorus out of her talented singing.
- Electricity, Ibibio Sound Machine: new sounds, new voices, and languages you might not know, in the voice of the powerful Eno Williams. The first track of album, titled “Protection from Evil” is a great gateway about what is expected in the rest of the tracks, a great mix between electronic pop, with some deep sounds that brings memories from the 70´s and 80´s.
- The Smile, A Light for Attracting Attention: saying Thom Yorke should be enough to know an album should be everything you might expect and more. But even those great artists have some fails, this is not the case, you can trust that the best of them come out with tracks like “You Will Never Work in Television Again”, or “The Smoke”, which really brings some great and pleasant memories of his best years.