Albums of the Year ’22

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2022 has been an amazing year for music, from surprise drops to the re-emergence of artists like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. Our contributors here at the Indiependent have put together their list of their favourite albums of the year – is yours on here?

Every Single Thing – Will Joseph Cook

Preppy, bubbly and utterly infectious, Will’s third album shook the indie-rock scene and took over TikTok with ‘Be Around Me’ featuring Chloe Moriondo. Every Single Thing encapsulates Cook at his absolute best and found itself firmly on repeat throughout my Summer.

– Lana Williams

https://open.spotify.com/track/3kk8vqMnSad19nEJaBfr2X?si=c7ece10257a74e15

Being Funny in a Foreign Language – The 1975

I enjoyed Being Funny in a Foreign Language this year because it felt like the band’s most sincere and focused project. The album stripped back the bold and experimental style from their last album, Notes on a Conditional Form, and focused on what The 1975 does best, pairing infectious pop tracks with a good mix of emotional ballads that feel wholly genuine in their vulnerability. 

– James Evenden

I Can’t Let Go – Suki Waterhouse

I would like to nominate Suki Waterhouse’s debut album I Can’t Let Go for one of the best albums of the year. This album is such an ethereal and mesmerising listen, and perfectly showcases Waterhouse’s mastery of vocals, whilst creating a devastingly emotional insight into her life and experience with fame.

– Emily Nutbean

Hugo – Loyle Carner

Loyle Carner and his music speaks to me the way that no other artist can. Any project he put out would have been my Album of the Year but Hugo genuinely is excellent, the raw emotion on display is him peeling back yet another layer for his audience to see.

– Jamie Rook

Aethiopes – billy woods

Underground rap legend billy woods brought his best work to date with Aethiopes. His dark, poetic lyricism is matched perfectly by Preservation’s unique production style in an artful and thrilling album, and is helped along by an impeccable collection of featured artists including El-P, Boldy James and Quelle Chris

– Reece Beckett

Hold The Girl – Rina Sawayama

Rina Sawayama’s sophomore album, Hold The Girl, encapsulates the experience of trying to discover your inner child. From R&B laced tracks like ‘Imagining’ to tearjerkers like ‘Send My Love To John’, this album explores every emotion linked to growing up and confronting past trauma. After dealing with a year of loss, this album felt like a comforting catch up with an old friend.

– Amy Britton

five seconds flat – Lizzy McAlpine

Perhaps a lesser-known album on this list, my Summer was soundtracked by the gentle tones of Lizzy McAlpine’s latest album five seconds flat. Her indie musical style, paired with a flair for the melancholic in her lyrics makes for a listen that is resonant and intimate. Including features from the likes of FINNEAS and Jacob Collier, as well as a track (‘orange show speedway’) that was recently chosen as Greg James’ tune of the week, I hope that in future years listeners will come back to this album for the brilliance it is. 

– Rehana Nurmahi

Dawn FM – The Weeknd

Though an early January release can make this album feel as though it should be a contender for the 2021 album of the year recommendations, The Weeknd kickstarted 2022 by immersing listeners in his psychedelic world of love, sex and heartbreak. Capturing the success, narrative development and futuristic essence from his After Hours album should’ve been difficult, yet The Weeknd proves once again why he pioneers in the pop, hip hop and R&B charts. 

Alanya Smith

Ants From Up There – Black Country, New Road

Ants From Up There is a slow-building epic, standing its ground amidst the departure of lead singer Isaac Wood just days before. It’s a beautifully cynical and dynamic second album from BCNR, cementing their place as post-rock royalty. I’ve been playing this non stop since it’s release in February and that probably won’t change any time soon. 

– Nancy Colbert

Giving the World Away – Hatchie

Giving the World Away by Hatchie is my album of the year because she fuses dreamy soundscapes with ethereal vocals to create something that could be a soundtrack to my Y2K fantasies. The album shows a more mature side to the artist and is telling of her development from her debut.

– Marinel Dizon

Midnights – Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift’s Midnights is not an album full of fizzy pop choruses, catchy hooks and obvious hit singles. Instead, the lyrical depth of the folklore era blends with the electro-pop beats of reputation, to create a rich smokey cocktail of those midnight moments that define who we all are. Swift has, once again, demonstrated she is a ‘Mastermind’.

– Andrew Butcher

RENAISSANCE – Beyoncé

Beyoncé brought us all back together on the dance floor with RENAISSANCE earlier this summer. It’s filled with incredibly cohesive tracks from start to finish and a must-have on around the house, in the car, or at any party.

– Nikki Raymond

Organised by Lana Williams

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