The Top 15 Songs of 2022 (So Far)

As a year for music, 2022 has been surprisingly average. There was not a whole lot to write about. That said, there were a few highlights hidden in the rough. Unfortunately, they mostly came in bursts, with empty gaps between them. Thankfully, many of them were from across the world, creating a list that is quite diverse, even if it was dominated by a few artists (15 songs, 12 albums)

Honorable Mentions

Vishal Mishra, Prudhvi Chandra, MM Keeravani, Sahithi Changati, & Harika Narayan - Etthara Jenda

Spiritualized - Always Together With You

About Us - Right Now

Northeast Indian rock has been growing through a revival as of late, and Nagaland's band About Us has been at the forefront of this revival. Right Now is incredible, surging with '80s rock influences, not too different from Stan Bush's Touch or Europe's Final Countdown. Sochan's anthemic vocals lead the song to its incredible finale. (Full Review)

Unfortunately, due to a record deal, the band pulled the song from YouTube and other streaming sites. This reaction video (even if a little cringey), has the complete song and MV (the MV is in the corner). Start at 0:58 for the song.

Ai Higuchi - Akuma No Ko

While opening theme The Rumbling may have garnered the most attention, Attack On Titan's ending track Akuma No Ko captured the emotional weight of a war drama much better. From its poetic lyrics to the surging chorus, Akuma No Ko's ode against the destruction of war and hate has only grown more relatable as the year chugged forward. (Full Review)

Apink - Dilemma

The end of an era, Apink's final comeback as six is not only a fantastic conclusion to their maturation arc of four years but their best song yet. Black Eyed Pilesung's production is top-notch, melding well with the sextet's voices. Special note to the incredible synth-oboe refrain, one of the best "response" instrumentals in recent memory. Few bittersweet goodbyes have been as satisfying as Dilemma. (Full Review)

Everything Everything - Bad Friday

Everything Everything has always been a band that plays out of conventions, but Bad Friday's lyrics, featuring a man attempting to rebuild his memories after a violent attack, are certainly among the group's weirdest. It would fall apart in lesser hands, but Jonathan Higgs' vocal skills are more than a strong form of glue. (Full Review)

JYOCHO - All the Same

Few lyricist-composers can bring emotional impact and experimental compositions together quite like Daijiro Nakagawa. If one of his songs from JYOCHO's new album can bring out the emotions, it would be the surging All the Same. Nekota's voice, Hachi's flute, and Nakagawa's guitar all lead in this beautiful little piece. (Full Review)

JYOCHO - The End of Sorrow

Easily the year's most complex composition, The End of Sorrow is Math Rock at its greatest, moving from unorthodox tempo to unorthodox tempo. The song should collapse easily due to its structure, but each member of the band does so much over Nakagawa's writing, that the song instead comes together as both jarring and cohesive. (Full Review)

JYOCHO - Stay in the Circle

Compositionally, Stay in the Circle may be one of the more simple songs within JYOCHO's new albums, but it makes up for that with one of the best hooks in recent memory. The surging "Wa No Naka Ni Iru" will wind its way into your head with its emotional staying power. (Full Review)

Mitski - Love Me More

Mitski's Love Me More is the surging emotional singer-songwriter opera it promises. A song of the pressures of artistry and of self-love, Love Me More's heartbreaking lyrics (source: the entire second verse) perfectly compliment the ginormous chorus. (Full Review)

Miyavi - Strike It Out

Accompanied by one of the best music videos this year, Strike It Out is another entry in Miyavi's musical renaissance. Without relying on all the extreme guitar riffs that put him on the map, Strike It Out thrives on its emotional pathos. Few pieces of media this year have been as cathartic as the song's chorus. (Full Review)

Official Hige Dandism - Anarchy

J-Rock band Official Hige Dandism has been the voice of reason through the 2020s, comforting us when we need it, worrying us when we need it. Anarchy is one of the most worrying Higedan songs, fearing the chaos that would eventually envelop the year. From the lyrics to Fujihara's voice, everything in Anarchy is perfect for the times. (Full Review)

Rahul Sipligunj & Kaala Bhairava - Naatu Naatu

Who else could bring back life to the Telugu film industry's Masala music but the king of modern Tollywood, MM Keeravani? Filmi dance songs have always been about their larger-than-life energy, but Naatu Naatu breaks all previous limits, speeding on as one of the year's fastest songs. Each time the song threatens to derail itself, Bhairava and Sipligunj come together for the adrenaline rush of the chorus. (Full Review)

Spiritualized - The Mainline Song

J.Spaceman is one of western music's most enigmatic talents and his latest album with the Spiritualized band is fantastic. The Mainline Song is easily the album's best song, a six-minute record that can best be described as musical nirvana. It takes its time to slowly build to its sooting moments, but the end result is more than worth the wait. (Full Review)

Tove Lo - No One Dies From Love

Tove Lo is commonly dubbed "Sweden's Darkest Pop Export", and she lives this in the incredible No One Dies From Love. Snowballing into its massive electronic synth-pop chorus, the song is a classic "Tears on the Dance Floor" anthem, with just enough heartbreak to pull at your heartstrings. (Full Review)

TVXQ - Epitaph (For the Future)

Heaven and Hell is quite a grand concept for a pop-rock song, but legendary group TVXQ was more than up for the challenge in March. Epitaph is a massive song and one of the duo's best efforts since leaving the military. The swirling chorus remains undefeated all these months later. (Full Review)

TVXQ - Light My Moon Like THIS

TVXQ has continued in duo form for over twelve years, and both Yunho and Changmin have gone on to form quite different personalities and styles. Light My Moon Like THIS sees both members sing individually songs that combine to form a song that is the best of both worlds. Light My Moon Like THIS' chorus is one of the year's instantly emotional moments. (Full Review)