When it comes to top-tier albums, 2022 is one of the most competitive years in recent memory. In all genres, established artists returned with music that enhanced their discography with creativity and critical acclaim. As the year comes to a close, the Showbiz Cheat Sheet takes a look at the biggest hit releases of 2022 and picks the nominees for The Bizzies, Showbiz’s annual awards show. Here are the best albums from 2022, selected by Showbiz music writers.
‘A summer without you’, Bad Bunny
“The Grammy Awards disregard for non-English speaking artists is nothing new, so A summer without you becoming the first project in Spanish nominated for Album of the Year? Very exciting, shocking and fully guaranteed. This is perhaps the most universally enjoyed album of 2022, with bad bunny expanding his discography to explore bachata, salsa, bossa nova and even indie pop. He effortlessly introduced emerging artists, while remaining true to his reggaeton roots. Even kissing her at the VMAs had the internet in a frenzy.” – julia dzurillay
‘REBIRTH’, Beyoncé
“There was so much hype surrounding Beyoncé’s seventh studio album that it’s no wonder RENAISSANCE garnered over 1 billion streams on Spotify within three months of its release. It’s been 6 long years since Lemonade. People were ready for anything Beyoncé was willing to give them. And of course, she exceeded expectations. Written and recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, Renaissance it’s meant to be a joyous escape and homage to the black and queer pioneers of the genres featured on the album. In a message about her website, the artist posted: ‘My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free from perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom.’ Mission accomplished. We have been screaming and dancing since July 29, 2022.” – Kelsey Goers
Dirty woman,‘ I took it
“Swedish singer Tove Lo is now an independent artist, and her fifth album dirty woman, released in October, is a great example of what happens when you let an artist just be an artist. Singles ‘No One Dies From Love’ and ‘2 Die 4’ are pop perfection, while tracks like ‘Grapefruit’, ‘Attention Whore’ and ‘Pineapple Slice’ offer listeners something different, including some raw emotions from Tove Lo: She sings about her struggles with eating disorders on ‘Grapefruit’ and doesn’t want to settle into a boring life as a suburban mom on ‘Suburbia.’” – chris malone
‘Harry’s House’, Harry Styles
“Harry Styles is everywhere in 2022, and harry’s house show why. The singer’s third studio album, harry’s house it is a pop record with elements of R&B, funk and soul. Styles’ vocals and narration are strong points across the compact 13 tracks, and it’s a cohesive listen from start to finish. Radio-friendly singles like the universal ‘As It Was’ and deep cut single like ‘Cinema’ shine equally. Each track improves on the last, culminating in the album’s fitting close to ‘Love of My Life.’ – eryn murphy
‘Sunrise FM’, The Weeknd
“The Weeknd continues his trend towards ’80s synth-pop with this funky, fresh album. Sunrise FM recreates late-night radio from the 1980s, fully accompanied by radio outros and Jim Carrey interludes. It’s a shade lighter than After hoursand includes many of The Weeknd’s catchiest and most relaxing tracks, such as ‘Out of Time’, ‘Sacrifice’ and ‘Less Than Zero’. This is supposedly the second in a trilogy, so it will be exciting to see what else The Weeknd has in store.” – ross tanenbaum
‘Revolver (Super Deluxe),’ The Beatles
“The Beatles are well documented. However, Peter Jackson The Beatles: Come Back and the new Revolver (Super Deluxe) They have shown that there are still many things to discover. Every few years The Beatles remaster their back catalogue, but they’re never too innovative and tend to leave fans wondering what’s changed. Revolver (Super Deluxe) leaves no one dissatisfied. The 2022 mixes of all 14 tracks are sharper than ever. Every instrument and letter is present. Discs 2 and 3 reveal a lot. There are interesting early takes on ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’, ‘Got To Get You Into My Life’, ‘Love You To’, ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’, ‘I’m Only Sleeping’ and ‘She Said She Said’. ‘ However, ‘Yellow Submarine’ Has the Best Outtakes super deluxe. All the essential stages of the song are there, from John Lennon’s first take, the first take of him with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr’s fourth take without sound effects, and another variation with highlighted sound effects. Even traditionalists will love Revolver (Super Deluxe).” – Hannah Wigandt
‘Laurell Hell’, Mitski
“Pop song lyrics have a reputation for being disposable. Despite this, Mitsky laurel hell combines raw poetry with top 40-worthy hooks. Mitski makes unpleasant experiences like feeling left out, dealing with uncertainty, and romantic despair sound beautiful. I wish all pop singers were this relatable.” – matt trzcinski
‘Reset’, Panda Bear and Sonic Boom
“Does 21st century electronics come back from the 60s? That’s the nut chart for Restart. The two frequent collaborators (Sonic produced two Panda Bear albums; Panda Bear sang backup on Sonic’s 2020 solo effort) eventually share the account. The wild synth squiggles and digital effects that define their music are still here, but throw them into the sweet-pop framework of the 1960s. ‘Edge of the Edge’ (with doo-wop vocal elements), ‘Livin’ in the After’ (and its oddly appropriate string sample) and shared vocal duties on ‘Everything’s Been Leading to This’ are the highlights, but hardly the best. only worthwhile tracks. Opener ‘Gettin’ to the Point’ features Panda Bear’s melodic vocal line, while ‘Go On’ uses a simple two-chord riff as its first building block. ‘In My Body’ is a ballad (so to speak), and ‘Whirlpool’ and ‘I’m in Danger’ bring handclaps into the mix. Hardly a trivia genre exercise, Restart stands its ground against the other Panda Bear and Sonic Boom collaborations that fall squarely into their shared wheelhouse.” – jason rossi
Stay tuned to find out which album Showbiz Cheat Sheet selects as the best album of 2022 for The bizzies!