The Best Music of 2022: Genre Defying Debuts, Sophisticated Sophomore Runs, and Dazzling Newcomers.

The Best Music of 2022 includes Official VSN’s picks for the best songs, artists, albums, and anything else music related from 2022.

Featuring Shygirl, FKA twigs, Rina Sawayama, Rich Robbins, Raveena, Divinecowgurl, Rosalia, Thirteen Degrees, Ravyn Lenae, J Goldy, and more.

Soft & Tender- Rich Robbins

“So soft & so tender” Rich Robbins states in his single released back in April of this year. Written about the relationship he’s had with his father as a black man dealing with hyper masculinity and fragility, this song pays tribute to fatherhood and Robbin’s experiences with his own father and grandfather. Having won the See Our VSN award at the Official VSN 2022 Music Awards, this song is exactly as the title states and so much more. Official VSN cannot wait to include Rich in so many more lists down the road and watch him flourish through the years.

Kill Bill- Sza

Plotting revenge on an ex is something everyone can say they’ve dreamed of and similar to the 2003 Tarantino film, SZA talks out her plans and thoughts of doing the same. Through whispy falsettos and harmonies SZA entices us all to partake in the fantasies of ending things with our exes…whether that’s in the physical world or the fantasy one.

Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd- Lana Del Rey

A title track can tell a lot about an album to come. When you have a longtime star and musical icon like Lana Del Rey singing lyrics such as “Love me until I love myself”, you know you're expecting something much greater. This song seem to be a piece of each past Lana album put together into one perfect picture. Blue Banister lyrics, Ultraviolence and Honeymoon production with a Chemtrails coating….Official VSN expects this new album from the singer to be her best work yet.

Remedy- Anneliese Joy

With a voice as present and warming as Anneliese Joy’s, it’s easy to forget your worries in the world. However, when you add in reassuring lyrics (I am light and I am love) and and a glistening piano, it feels as though the whole world stops. Anneliese Joy is listed only as a feature on this song but it’s completely in her control….and Official VSN hopes to hear solo music from this young artist sooner rather than later.

Heal My Soul- Gayun Cannon

Gayun Cannon is no stranger to adding an element of surprise in her music. Thunder rumbling, old school voiceovers, and tempo changes are a few to name but with Heal My Soul, Gayun rides the dance wave and rides it flawlessly. From the brass arrangements to the harmonizing hums and the memorable lyrics, Gayun Cannon is perfecting her craft one song at a time. Having won 4 awards at the Official VSN 2022 Music Awards, VSN is extremely grateful to highlight an artist with a caliber as strong as Gayun’s.

Akeelah and the Bee- KAI

Although KAI tells us in his latest release that he’s “stumbling over his words”, we beg to differ. KAI has never sounded better in all directions than he does on Akeelah and the Bee. Backed up by drums and a horn section, KAI hits his double time flow smoothly and rides the beat all the way through, landing him on this list comfortably as one of the best hip-hop releases of the year and even taking home the respective award at the Official VSN music awards this year.

Star Girl- Nombrekari

You know that kind of music that makes you want to dance, sway, and cry all at the same time? That’s the kind of sound Nombrekari perfected with Star Girl. It doesn’t matter if he’s asking if the club blew up or if he’s hoping to get through to his significant other…Kari is giving us all the feels and allowing us to release it on the dance floor.Star Girl was crowned Song of the Year at the Official VSN Music Awards for all the right reasons.

Pure Glam (Mixtape)- Divinecowgurl

Made up completely of demos, iMovie recorded vocals, and self produced tracks; Divinecowgurl aka La Divina is at her best on this project. It’s the perfect level of Cxnt that the world needs to feel vibrant and have a cackle from how iconic most of her lyrics are throughout this project. With two stunning features (Indigo Heaven fka Auden & Eurowitch) and a remix that’ll make your blood pump (Ava Nicole Tin:Ma Remix) this project is primarily Divine running the game and running it with ease.

TENGO CALOR: TENGO FRÍO- Divinecowgurl & GINGER*

There’s something that ignites inside to whoever listens to Tengo Calor. It could be the heart stopping reggeaton drums or the absolutely insane beat switch that makes this song. It may also be the in your face, raunchy words that Divine spits in the last 35 seconds of this song. No one quite knows what makes this song so iconic, other than the fact that it is in fact…iconic. Here’s to hoping these two have a secret collaboration in store for us all in 2023.

Motomami- ROSALÍA

Despite the controversy that came with this album, many have to admit that it is what music is all about through and through. Put together through a collage of sounds and experiences that make up the Spanish singer over the years after her debut, this album is unlike any other. Breakout songs like Bizcochito and Hentai help narrate the chaotic yet beautiful sounds and life Rosalia lives. No matter what the world says, she has something greater to say back with her music.

Subrosa- Nico Nico

In an instagram post dedicated to the release of Subrosa, Nico Nico stated “Take it as you’d like….but Subrosa is for those with heavy hearts and groovy tendencies alike.” It didn’t take long for Official VSN to understand exactly what Nico meant by this. With standout songs like Evergreen that reassure change and heartache as well as uptempo drum patterns that feel like an intimate dance party, Subrosa does for Nico Nico what many can’t accomplish on their first project.

Function- J Goldy

Any party who is smart enough to play Function will be in for the night of their lives. Backing vocals from Gina Montalvo, lo fi beat, and other necessary aspects of this song made it one that stood out strongly in 2022. J Goldy has yet to release a full project on all streaming platforms and after winning Best Lyricism at the Official VSN 2022 Music Awards, VSN is looking forward to this young stars future.

The Same- Senite

The struggle of identity is huge on The Same by Artist of the Year winner Senite’s song, The Same. This song is a beautiful reminder to us all that at our best we are no different than we are at our worst. The Same took home the award for Best Alternative Song at the Official VSN 2022 Music Awards.

Caprisongs- FKA twigs

There’s no other artist to exist and experience life the way FKA twigs does. On the Caprisongs mixtape, twigs takes all listeners on a journey of love, dance, forgiveness, and acceptance. With standout songs Jealousy and Papi Bones as well as interludes that question your birth chart placements, you’ll be sure to love everything and more about the London star’s 17 track mixtape.

NASCAR- GINGER*& Ratchet Racer

If Arca and Rosalia collaborated on Motomami x KICK again, this would have been the product. Instead, 16 year old producer powerhouse GINGER* and Spanish diva Ratchet Racer take charge in what feels like a completely new sound than anything respective artists have done before. NASCAR won Best Collaboration at the Official VSN 2022 Music Awards for all the right reasons.

Asha’s Kiss- Raveena & Asha Puthil

On Asha’s Kiss, Raveena is floating in a world like no other. With darling wind instruments, soft drums, and the glistening of chimes, Raveena plays with the sounds that make up most of the tracks on her sophomore album, Asha’s Awakening. With the featuring of darling and iconic musical figure Asha Puthil, this pair instantly relax the listener’s mind and take them on a journey of self discovery and love.

Come For Me- Shygirl

Whatever it is that goes on between Shygirl and Arca when these two collab, Official VSN never wants it to end. With an industrial texture mixed with machine gun sounding drums, this track off of Shy’s debut album,Nymph, is a standout track.

Hypnos- Ravyn Lenae

With the 54 minute debut album Ravyn Lenae presented to use all earlier this year, she did what not many can do on their first full length project. With remarkable vocals (reminding many of a modern day Minnie Riperton), fresh R&B production never heard before, and features that are blessings to say the least; Ravyn Lenae is doing the damn thing.

Minor Feelings- Rina Sawayama

When an opening track like Minor Feelings is able to completely encapsulate an album yet no give away too much, there’s something special to recognize about it. The harmonies alone are enough to bring most to tears. “All my life you took me for a fool, all my life you told me what to do” Rina sings as she begs to be seen as someone bigger than many have painted her out to be.

#southloop- Thirteen Degrees

Dazzling hyper-pop esque synths & heavy 808 drum patterns make up the standout song by new coming Chicago rapper Thirteen Degrees. Having won public choice Artist of the Year at the Official VSN 2022 Music Awards, Thirteen Degrees is a soon to be known globally as a pioneer for mixing genres and debuting ear candy lyrics.