This year in music has already been abundantly rich. We’ve been fortunate enough for some of our all-time favorites to drop like Kendrick Lamar, Flume, FKJ, Action Bronson, and Big Gigantic. In addition to those major artists, we’ve also received some remarkable projects from some newer favorites like Kelly Lee Owens, GOVI, Kota The Friend, Mindchatter, Koffee, and others.
2022 is just over halfway over, and it serves as a nice checkpoint for us to look back on what we’ve been enjoying the most. Without further ado, we’ve compiled and ranked a list of our most-listened-to projects so far. Enjoy!
10. Sango – Great Lakes Influence
Why we like it: Sango’s take on house and techno surprised us in a very good way. This project is full of fast-paced, dance-heavy grooves inspired by his father’s involvement in the Chicago house scene.
9. Vince Staples – RAMONA PARK BROKE MY HEART
Why we like it: One of the best storytellers in hip-hop does what he does best over nostalgic yet forward-thinking beats. RAMONA PARK BROKE MY HEART is his best project since 2017’s Big Fish Theory.
8. Flume – Palaces
Why we like it: While this project received mixed reactions from his fans, Flume delivered a commercial album while refusing to let his sound grow stale. This is Hi, This Is Flume meets Skin.
7. HAAi – Baby We’re Ascending
Why we like it: HAAi proved that she is one of house and techno’s most exciting and promising emerging stars by deftly traversing different subgenres on her debut studio album.
6. Syd – Broken Hearts Club
Why we like it: Syd has one of the silkiest voices we’ve ever heard. Put it over some properly groovy production and we’re happy. Very happy.
5. Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez, See Your Future
Why we like it: With a more calm stature on his fifth studio album, Denzel Curry sounds as confident and collected as ever, delivering some of his most poised bars and flows to date.
4. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
Why we like it: Staring down the anticipation from the entire music industry, King Kendrick returned and raised the bar—as always. The album wasn’t perfect, but many of these tracks were simply mind-blowing in regards to lyricism and performance.
3. Toro y Moi – MAHAL
Why we like it: Simply put one of the catchiest and most wholesome projects we’ve heard in a long time. Witty and sometimes funny songwriting fit perfectly into the psychedelic, San Francisco-inspired vibe of MAHAL.
2. FKJ – V I N C E N T
Why we like it: FKJ’s instrumental talent knows no bounds, and his songwriting is even more impressive on this album than French Kiwi Juice. It’s hard to imagine FKJ creating anything that doesn’t blow us away.
1. Tourist – Inside Out
Why we like it: We’ve always enjoyed Tourist’s music, but by exploring more unique compositions and embracing a new level of energy, he created a project that works masterfully on both the dance floor and in your headphones.