Every year, I keep a running list of my favorite music albums in various genres, including folk, country, rock, alternative, pop, R&B and hip hop. This year, that list is 35 records and 17 songs from additional albums. To see that list, one can go to my personal blog. This list pulls from that blog to represent my absolute best of 2022.
10. IN THESE SILENT DAYS IN THE CANYON HAZE by Brandi Carlile. Technically, this album was originally released in the fall of 2021 as In These Silent Days. Somehow, I overlooked it, even though Carlile's 2018 album made my Top Ten list that year. However, this album was re-released with a bonus disc called In the Canyon Haze (2022), which included acoustic covers of the ten, previous songs. The lead single "Right on Time" received three nominations at the 64th Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. Yet, for the 65th Grammy Awards, this album has garnered Carlile seven nominations, including Album of the Year and Best Americana Album. Her second single "You and Me on the Rock" has her up for Record of the Year for the third time.
9. TWELVE CARAT TOOTHACHE by Post Malone. I haven't really taken to Post Malone's previous work, except for his song "Circles" back in 2019. I had dismissed him, agreeing with what was written in Rolling Stones about him, that of his music reeking of "new money narcissism" and obsessed with "flexing, partying, and banging groupies." I also agreed when Rolling Stones writer published the "most convincing moments [are] when he drops the cool rapper pretense and gets all lonesome cowboy." Perhaps, also fueled by culture-vulture accusations, this album pushes away from the rapper moniker and more toward the pop singer label.
8. IVORY by Omar Apollo. This is the debut album from the 25-year-old, Mexican-American who is openly gay after growing up in the very conservative Indiana. He's one of ten acts, nominated for Best New Artist at the 65th Grammy Awards.
7. IN REAL LIFE by Mandy Moore. She started as a teen pop star in the late 90's and early 2000's. She rivaled the likes of Britney Spears, but, instead transitioned to acting. Her breakout film was A Walk to Remember (2002) but her most successful was playing the voice in Tangled (2010). She just finished a six-season stint as the matriarch in NBC's This Is Us (2016). Her music career was very much dormant over the past decade or so. The COVID-19 lock-down allowed her to record this album though, which leans away from her pop origins and more toward the soft rock and folk influences from her music husband, Taylor Goldsmith from folk-rock band, Dawes, and producer Mike Viola who's worked with similar folk-rock acts.
6. FLOATING ON A DREAM by Avi Kaplan. Known as the deep bass voice from the a cappella group, Pentatonix, he won three Grammys. Avi left the group in 2017. This is first solo album since. He's of Russian and Ukrainian Jewish descent, and he does have one of the most incredible voices. He's from central California but he currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, which feels like a better place for him, as his voice fits right into those historic, country vocals that are fused with such heart and soul.
5. DREAMLAND by Amos Lee. This artist from my hometown of Philadelphia first caught my attention with his album Mission Bell (2011), which was his fourth studio album and his best-selling record to date. This is his eighth album. He seemed to show a lot of potential, but I haven't really connected with anything he's done in the past decade and more. Listening back at Mission Bell, it's clear that this current album is even better than his 2011 chart-topper. Yes, he's worked more in the Americana space, he pushes forward a more rock music sound in various tracks that keep the energy up.
4. RENAISSANCE by Beyoncé. She received the most nominations at the 65th Grammy Awards with a total of nine, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Dance/Electronic Recording and Best Traditional R&B Performance. This ties her with her husband and rapper, Jay-Z, as the most nominated artist. She's certainly the most-nominated, female artist with a grand total of 88 nominations. Of all the people who have won Grammys, Beyoncé is the person who has won the most. She's currently won 28 and likely will win more this year. She made this record during the COVID-19 lock-down. "Break My Soul" and "Plastic Off the Sofa" are the two outstanding singles from the album.
3. CANDYDRIP by Lucky Daye. This year, he's nominated for five Grammy Awards. That makes a grand total of 11 nominations for the 37-year-old from New Orleans. What's interesting is that two of those nominations are for this, his second album, which are Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance for his song "Over." His other three nominations are for songwriting. He was a songwriter for Beyoncé and Mary J. Blige. Both Beyoncé and Blige are up for Album of the Year, meaning that if either wins, he'll be a winner too. I have to agree with reviewers who call this album old school sultry and sensual.
2. LET'S SAY FOR INSTANCE by Emeli Sandé. I first learned of her during the release of her debut album Our Version of Events (2012). Like with Amos Lee, I haven't really paid attention to her in the decade that followed. Her two proceeding albums did relatively well in her home of the United Kingdom. Also, like Amos Lee, she injects an energy and power into the songs here that feel different from what she did before that feels more engaging. Her song "World Go Round" is one in particular that I've listened to dozens of times.
1. SPECIAL by Lizzo. She's up for five trophies at the 65th Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance for her song "About Damn Time." She won Best Pop Solo Performance at the 62nd Grammys. She has tough competition this year, namely Adele, but she deserves to win again. Every song on this album is incredible, so inclusive, so empowering and so jam-worthy. It's by far the most fun of any artist in a long time.
Bonus: There are several movie soundtracks that had songs that I particularly enjoyed. One of which is "Hold My Hand" by Lady Gaga from Top Gun: Maverick (2022). Other tracks include "The Forever Now" by Mandy Moore from This Is Us, "Time" by Giveon from Amsterdam (2022), "Not Alone" by Joe Jonas & Khalid from Devotion (2022) and "Stand Up" from Till (2022).
