The 100 best songs of 2022

Beyoncé rode in on horseback. Kendrick returned. Harry Styles spun in circles and sang about his loneliness. Central Cee rejected homophobia. Stormzy namechecked i-D. Drake made more music than seemed humanly possible. Rosalía made a record that would send a Victorian child into a coma. As you can see, 2022 was quite the year for music, and as we crawl towards the final days of the year, hotly anticipating what’s to come in 2023, we’ve been eagerly reflecting upon the songs we loved the most.

And so, here’s the obligatory ranking. The rules we set were pretty simple: all music here was released in the 2022 calendar year, and no one artist gets more than one entry unless one of said tracks is a collaboration. Rihanna’s not here because we’re hoping to coax her into dropping R9 in 2023, so she can dominate the top spot this time next year.

Without further ado, from 100-1, these are i-D’s best songs of the year.

100. I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Trying), Rachel Chinouriri

99. Looking at Your Pager, KH (Four Tet)

98. Sunset, Caroline Polachek

97. Do We Have a Problem?, Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Baby

96. In A Minute, Eliza

95. Pink Venom, BLACKPINK

94. Blush, MEYY

93. ESTÁS BUENÍSIMO, Nathy Peluso

92. Definition, Mabel

91. Sepsis, Blondshell

90. Burn Dem Bridges, Skin On Skin

89. Shambaralai, Irmãs de Pau

88. There Better Be A Mirrorball, Arctic Monkeys

87. Chaise Longue, Wet Leg

86. Cash In Cash Out, Pharrell ft. 21 Savage & Tyler, the Creator

85. I’m in Love With You, The 1975

84. Free Yourself, Jessie Ware

83. KILL DEM, Jamie xx

82. Turn on the lights again.., Fred again… ft. Future

81. Lock&Key, Lolahol

80. So Much Wine, Phoebe Bridgers

79. Why Not?, Christian Leave

78. Beg for You, Charli XCX & Rina Sawayama

77. Bad Habit, Steve Lacy

76. ANGEL, Babyxsosa

75. Munch (Feelin’ U), Ice Spice 

74. Concrete Over Water, Jockstrap

73. Escapism., RAYE & 070 Shake

72. Time, George Riley

71. Alarming, Ojerime

70. Habits, Lauren Duffus

69. Leon The Professional, Knucks

68. Wait 4 U, Future ft. Drake & Tems

67. Polly Armour, bar italia

66. Bloodclarrt Business, SKIIFALL

65. pushin P, Gunna ft. Young Thug

64. What You Reckon, Digga D

63. Warm (Remix), K Trap ft. Skepta

62. Relax and Run, Blood Orange ft. Erika De Casier

61. Doja, Central Cee

60. Rich Flex, Drake & 21 Savage

59. The Flag Is Raised, bladee & Ecco2k

58. Can’t Be Us, Headie One, Abra Cadabra & Bandokay

57. LONDON TONIGHT FREESTYLE, Dean Blunt ft. Skepta, Novelist and A$AP Rocky

56. Woodland, Nosaj Thing ft. serpentwithfeet

55. Fashion Freak, Isabella Lovestory

54. Demons, LSDXOXO ft. Eartheater

53. Blessing Me, Mura Masa, Pa Salieu and Skillibeng

52. Shlut, Shygirl

51. Dirtbag Transformation (Still Dirty), Horsegirl

50. Angel of Business, Grace Ives 

49. Shotgun, Soccer Mommy

48. Ain’t It Easy, Alex G

47. Players, Coi Leray 

46. Killing Time, Erin LeCount

45. Do you miss me?, Pinkpantheress 

44. Rose Rouge (Joy Orbison Remix), Jorja Smith

43. No One Dies from Love, Tove Lo

42. Last Last, Burna Boy

41. I Wish It Was Me, Obongjayar

40. Body, 070 Shake ft. Christine and the Queens

39. It’s Givin, Latto

38. Romance With a Memory, Oliver Sim

37. Die For You, Joji

36. B.O.T.A., Eliza Rose and Interplanetary Criminal

35. Cupid, Rose Gray 

34. Persuasive, Doechii

33. That’s Where I Am, Maggie Rogers

32. Gasoline, The Weeknd

31. Feels Like, Lucky Daye

30. Talk, beabadoobee

29. jealousy, FKA Twigs ft. Rema

28. Atopos, Björk

27. Spitting Off the Edge of the World, Yeah Yeah Yeahs ft. Perfume Genius

26. Tití Me Preguntó, Bad Bunny

25. King, Florence and the Machine

This classical state-of-affairs address from English sweetheart Florence Welch — about social expectation during apocalypse, the conflict between womanhood and artistry as well as the battles within them — builds like a war march, starting slow and crescendoing in ecstatic drums and howling vocals. Co-producer Jack Antonoff, we tip our hat to you this time. It’s grand, rock ballad-leaning, and to be expected from the artist who unleashed the kooky, cult-sacrifice vibes of “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” into the world back in 2009. A triumphant return to form. JM

24. I Love You, Fontaines D.C.

Like a heavily-contracted boyband signed to one of Simon Cowell’s labels, Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C. have dutifully released an album every year for the last four years (if you include their live album of 2021). The similarities pretty much end there though. Skinty Fia, their latest, sounds like it could’ve been released any time in the last forty, sitting somewhere between Joy Division and King Krule. “I Love You”, its second single,  sparked its own TikTok trend. “It’s always ‘WYD tonight?’ and never ‘ILYILYITYIDIAIEFINFSWAIYDKIIWYTT’.” RW

23. Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd, Lana Del Rey

No one has worn the modern demand for musical ubiquity quite as well as Lana Del Rey. She has, since 2019’s masterpiece Norman Fucking Rockwell!, released immaculate music every year. Her 2022 was relatively quiet, until December drew in and she left us with a plaintive, breathy ballad with the deeply ‘It Me’ line: “Tell me you like me/ Fuck me to death / Love me until I love myself”. The full length record of the same name drops in March 2023. DG

22. N.L.S., Raf-Saperra

Part of an exciting new generation of South Asian underground artists, Londoner Raf-Saperra fuses the sounds of his home and heritage into music paying homage to the Punjabi garage scene of the early 00s. A multi-instrumentalist trained in classical Hindustani singing, Raf embraces a Punjabi folk vocal and does it very well indeed. On his latest single “Modern Mirza”, he pairs it with a hip-hop-meets-Bhangra production, while “N.L.S. (Nach Le Soniye)” is more classic UKG. Produced by The Culprit, the playful anthem was first heard when Yung Singh dropped it during his Glastonbury set. Naturally, it went off. Stay tuned for his forthcoming mixtape, Ruff Around Tha Edges, due early next year. FD

21. Lightning, Charli XCX 

A decade spent operating as a major label pop outlier drew to a close on Crash, Charli XCX’s final album as part of her Atlantic Records deal. For it, she strayed from her usually subversive sound and transformed herself into the preened popstar in a spectacular act of performance art. Crash is loaded with excellent material, but the bait-and-switch ballad into banger sound of “Lightning” goes off every time. DG

20. Her, Megan Thee Stallion

It’s barely two minutes long, but “Her”, Megan Thee Stallion’s hip-house cut from 2022’s Traumazine, is an earworm that warranted constant spins throughout late summer. Confident; classy; indicative of her primal knack for cadence and flow, it was a reminder that Megan’s position as a pop-crossover rap star with real credibility remains unchallenged. DG

19. Simulation Swarm, Big Thief

Big Thief’s Grammy-nominated record Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You turned a new corner with every track; a massive collection of music threaded together by Adrianne Lenker’s magical and absurd songwriting. But it was “Simulation Swarm” that stood out; a gentle, swirling guitar riff that progresses, layering scuzzy plucked strings and percussion upon it. Lyrically, it’s inspired by Adrianne’s break-up, her childhood in a world compared to a “religious cult”, and a four day-stint in hospital. DG

18. Father Time, Kendrick Lamar ft. Sampha

Five years after his last solo record DAMN, Kendrick’s return to centre stage lived up to (and attempted to crush his) reputation as a rap deity. His work and influence remains unparalleled, but while many lean into the ego, K.dot tore his apart with tracks like “Father Time”. That Sampha link-up reckoned with the almost hereditary nature of toxic masculinity; the way men treat themselves and others as a consequence of what they were taught. “What’s the difference when your heart is made of stone / And your mind is made of gold / And your tongue is made of sword, but it may weaken your soul?” he rapped. A gorgeous and necessary evisceration of the world he knows all too well. DG

17. New Bottega, Azealia Banks

The only song in 2022 to reference Ferragamo, getting finger-fucked in a Lamborghini and World War III, Azealia Banks’ self-released “New Bottega” is a thumping hip-house track that shakes the foundations every time you hit play. Flitting from break-neck raps to sultry sung vocals, delivered in slices of her Harlem voice and a faux-Italiano accent, it’s the kind of bat-shit ‘why don’t we try this?’ track that only a star like Azealia can pull off. Even better: the Soundcloud exclusive is getting a proper release in January, so it’ll make all our EOY lists in 2023 too. She just gets it every time. DG

16. Cardboard Box, FLO

The prophecy states that only one girl group make rule the roost at any one time; thank fuck that right now it’s FLO. The London trio have spun all those delicious hallmarks of late 90s, early 00s girl groups into a slick contemporary package, complete with their own anthem “Cardboard Box”. That its TikTok virality only propelled them into everyone’s consciousness further is a blessing. DG

15. Don’t Forget, Sky Ferreira

We were promised a full length album from Sky Ferreira this year. But for reasons unbeknownst to us — and her too, we’re sure — Masochism never arrived. It’s a shame, because what we did get from a new Sky era was brilliant: this 80s synth-rock gem filled with her signature fury and dismal romanticism. She alluded to the fuckery that had stalled her career in it: “It’s such a raw deal world / I don’t need to deceive you, I’m the real bad girl” she sang. We can only hope 2023 gives us the whole record. DG

14. Kill Bill, SZA

Now inescapable on TikTok, this murderous lullaby emerged at the end of the year to show all the girls how a true empath takes on a heartbreaking betrayal. “You was out of reach / You was at the farmer’s market with your perfect peach / Now I’m in the basement, plannin’ home invasion” is but one example of the excellence in poetics Solána Imani Rowe demonstrates on “Kill Bill”, a steady, melancholy and brutally catchy track. SZA has no doubt amped up the dramatics for SOS, her much-anticipated second studio album following the cultural reset of 2017’s CTRL. A 23-song record featuring Phoebe Bridgers, Lizzo and more — with rumours of a deluxe edition in the pipeline, no less — we couldn’t ask for much more from one of R&B’s funniest, most acute observers. JM

13. Anti-Hero, Taylor Swift

Never has there been an earworm more relatable than “it’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me.” The synth-pop anthem about lying awake at night criticising yourself showcased Taylor’s unmatched ability to write lyrics that speak to the angst deep within us all. “Anti-Hero”, and the record it came from, Midnights, was an unprecedented moment in music history as many of the album’s tracks took over the Top 10 in charts around the world and completely destroyed long-held streaming records. And though the song may have brought with it a whole lot of locals illiterate in the wealth of Taylor’s rich discography, yet attempting to snatch up tickets for her upcoming tour; even the true sexy-baby Swifties will admit “Anti-Hero” will go down as one of the singer’s greatest hits of all time. TG

12. Home Maker, Sudan Archives

The peerless, skipless record that is Sudan Archives’ Natural Brown Prom Queen begins with an invitation: “Won’t you step inside my lovely cottage?” With this, the multi-instrumentalist allows us into her sprawling sonic world. “Home Maker” is the first track on the sophomore album of the artist, also known as vocalist and violinist Brittney Parks: a rhythmic, glitching tale of depression, desire and domestic ennui. This opener sets the tone for a highly accomplished record that navigates broad, structural themes — spanning sexuality, colourism, personal relationships and self-perception — with unique grace and complex artistry. JM

11. This Hell, Rina Sawayama

The recognition of Rina Sawayama as a big radio pop star, worthy of appearances on primetime TV, was one of the finest things 2022 gave us. While her second album Hold The Girl was an encyclopaedic exploration of genre, it was this country-twanging pop banger about being banished to the depths of hell that caught everyone’s attention. DG

10. As It Was, Harry Styles

For 15 weeks of 2022, “As It Was” by Harry Styles sat atop the Billboard Hot 100, breaking the record for the longest reigning number one by a UK act. It was everywhere, one of those old-school, pre-streaming summer hits that lasts and lasts, seemingly unstoppable; it’s still in the charts 37 weeks after it dropped. For an artist reckoning with blinding attention towards his public persona, this infectious, upbeat song about loneliness and change felt like a balm both for the artist and his fans. A track designed to be sung from the nosebleed seats of stadiums; a technicolour excavation of the biggest popstar in the world right now. DG

9. Mel Made Me Do It, Stormzy

Whispers of Stormzy’s musical return were eclipsed entirely by the fire-charge power of “Mel Made Me Do It”. His seven-minute-long opus, inspired by the guidance of his stylist Melissa’s Wardrobe, proved his position in UK culture as a grime artist with an innate talent for writing; one who was able to pair his signature knack for flexes with his ruminative sense of belief in a higher power. And of course, he served it all up with such confidence it was like the song had been inside of him since birth. Pair that with the cameo-crammed video and an i-D namedrop, and we were well and truly won over. DG

8. Mad at Me, SAMIA

‘“I always had an overwhelming fear of loneliness,” Samia told us in the summer of 2020. “I wanted that to be a part of who I am.” Back then, she was preparing for the release of her debut album The Baby, a bruised and brilliant record about wanting to be cared for, and contemplating the idea of love leaving you. The same themes returned to her for the first single from its follow-up Honey, due in January, which is also excellent. “Mad at Me”, produced with the deft touch of a lullaby that eventually implodes is a song about regretful arguments with someone you love, and wanting to right the lingering wrongs in the most petted-lip, cute-eye-emoji way possible. The chorus? Perfect, sharp and simple — a classic Samia work of songwriting. DG

7. Massive, Drake

Drake’s seventh album Honestly, Nevermind received a ton of criticism for being half-baked when it dropped this summer, and rightly so tbf. Its fun production moments were ultimately let down by a repetitive and uninspiring playbook of rap cliches from a 36-year-old still obsessed with toxic relationships. (Olivia Rodrigo called, she wants her album title back). Still, there were lots of moments to be enjoyed across its 52-minute run-time, and the beat drop at 1:46 in “Massive” surely joins “Sicko Mode” and “0 to 100” in the great Drake beat switches of our time. RW

6. SMiLE, DOMi & J.D. Beck 

Who else was kept entertained throughout early lockdown by two teens, both hilarious and visionary, sharing footage of jam sessions from their Berklee College of Music dorm rooms? View counts suggest there are millions of us. “Who are these kids and what are they doing to jazz?” asked The New York Times. “DOMi and J.D. Beck are freakishly talented jazz nerds beloved by Virgil Abloh,” we proclaimed. Since then, the duo have toured internationally, been adopted by legendary jazz figures, performed with Ariana Grande and bagged two GRAMMY nominations — one for their debut album, NOT TiGHT. In amongst the record’s 44-minutes of brilliant chaos, you’ll find “SMiLE”, a playful adventure whose video stars new friends including Mac DeMarco, Thundercat and Anderson .Paak. Try it, you’ll love it. FD

5. Baianá, Nia Archives

Across the UK, summer 2022 was overwhelmingly soundtracked by jungle. Not just leading the charge but centre of attention at every festival, underground show and awards ceremony, was Bradford-born, London-based DJ and producer, Nia Archives. Off the back of her debut EP Forbidden Feelingz, she smashed out sets across the world — including three at Glastonbury and a headline slot at Notting Hill Carnival — followed by a series of her own UP YA ARCHIVES jungle raves, hosted up and down the UK. Attend one of them and you’ll know the tune that goes off the most, alongside her hyper-kinetic edit of Skin On Skin’s “Burn Dem Bridges”, is the Brazilian banger “Baianá”. A future classic. FD

4. American Teenager, Ethel Cain

Not the first time the might of the Amish has bested Drake. “It’s just not my year,” sings Ethel Cain on “American Teenager”, her ethereal voice reverberating like a church organ. That’s not strictly true for the singer given her seismic rise to pop stardom with the release of her acclaimed debut album, Preacher’s Daughter. After an intro that speaks to the horrors and hypocrises of Evangelicalism, the anthemic and cinematic blasphemy bop “American Teenager” comes through with an 80s arena rock sound that could score a John Hughes classic. Lyrics that reflect on the nostalgic escape of responsibility-free and rebellious teenage years, high school football teams, crying in bleachers and heads full of whisky are married with the angst, confusion and haunting loneliness of religious shame, and showcase what about Ethel has grabbed our attentions so fast — she doesn’t just reveal the dark aspects of society and the American dream, Ethel revels in the beauty that makes those things so hard to let go. TG

3. Virgo’s Groove, Beyoncé

Finally, a monogamy bop worth belting from the treetops! It could only have been Beyoncé. Though Bey’s decade-spanning romance with Jay-Z has been the subject of both fan scrutiny and intense mockery, “Virgo’s Groove” is a sonic gift that’s a powerful testament to the power couple’s love. Clocking in at six minutes and eight seconds, the track is the longest one on Renaissance — a generation-defining album that tastefully interpolates personal narrative with a rich musical history of the dancefloor. “There’s nothing that I want as much as I want you,” Bey says, practically purring.

“We ain’t got time like we used to,” she sings, a nod to her partner of 21 years. “But we still shine like we used to / And we still grind like we used to” — the winking is palpable. The ethereal robo-synth strains of “Baby, come over” are still making Daft Punk cry, to this day. The world may never recover from the sheer eroticism of “taste me, that fleshy part”, a line that singles out “Virgo’s Groove” as the seduction song for the ages it truly is. Now, do virgos deserve to be able to claim it? Hard to say… JM

2. CUUUUuuuuuute, Rosalía

That voice you hear in the opening of “CUUUUuuuuuute”, as distorted as a 240p YouTube video, belongs to Soytiet, a Vietnamese man known for going viral on TikTok. That Rosalía envisions a world in which this internet-era spoken word intertwines with the deep history of flamenco music, by way of latin urbano and hip-hop, speaks to the inexplicable power of her musical mind. This thumping, relentless cut from her masterful album Motomami represents her ability to take truly audacious turns with her sounds (see: TikTok samples; ballads titled “HENTAI”; sampling Soulja Boy on a 1968 Justo Betancourt track) and made them seem both intuitive and unlike anything else you’ve ever heard.

It’s exciting to consider what comes next for Rosalía. El Mal Querer was essentially her graduate project, produced as part of her Baccalaureate. Motomami was her stepping onto the world’s stage carrying the weight of that project, loaded with lofty expectations. She condensed it into a diamond-standard, deeply original album, and has decades to explore the far-reaching boundaries of her sonic knowledge. The results will surely send us spinning once more. DG

1. Runner’s High, MUNA

“There’s a levity that’s always existed in MUNA that we’ve never been able to capture sonically,” MUNA member Josette told us earlier this year. In interviews, the LA-based trio have been famously funny and jovial, but on record their music was either defiant (“I Know a Place”), impressively sad (“Winterbreak”) or laced with a sense of comic defeat (“Nobody likes me and I’m gonna die alone in my bedroom,” lead singer Katie Gavin sang on “Number One Fan”). But in 2022, freed from the world of major labels and in the loving arms of Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records, they made a record about joy, dancing in gay bars and being good to yourself.

On “Runner’s High” — sandwiched between the sledgehammer “What I Want” and the ‘What if?’ wonder of “Home By Now” — we peer into the aftermath of a relationship that feels eerily still. “I’ve been doing almost everything I wanted to,” Katie sings, buried amongst a skittish, digital soundscape, before the image of a past lover comes to the fore: “Shame I couldn’t do it with you / Maybe it’s just human nature.”

MUNA have long been the band who lyrically felt everything: the devastation of love dissipating; the potency of queer unity. So there’s something profound about their ability to channel feeling nothing at all. When the song quietly creeps into its chorus, you’re met not with an admittance of spiritual defeat, but with a confrontational thrash of sound that says it all. The words and sounds, Katie, Josette and Naomi’s work, are in deep conversation with each other. Before long, the song comes to a close, the sweat is swept from their brows, and the marathon of MUNA continues.

MUNA, the record, is a powerful pop project because it simultaneously shows them at the peak of their expected powers and breaking new, exciting, dangerous ground like this. Nobody knows how to do it like they do. DG