2022: ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

2022 has been an insane year for music. The team at Square One are here to share our albums of the year with you!

10. KENDRICK LAMAR - MR MORALE & THE BIG STEPPERS

Kendrick Lamar has given us a very unique and powerful album for the first time since DAMN in 2017. With Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is different from Lamar’s previous albums. He has always found a way to speak about the real world on topics such as growing up in the hood, as well as street and gun violence.

With his obscure beats and unique sound, Lamar was able to provide a fantastic album, and a great message throughout his songs. To separate himself from a typical hip-hop album, he has ballads, hype songs and his signature monologues during certain songs. I believe this to be one of Kendrick Lamar’s best pieces of work.

9. 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER - 5SOS5

Only a handful of musical acts have undergone a sonic transformation as extensive as 5 Seconds of Summer. Introduced to the world as a pop-punk band, the Australian quartet have evolved to be almost unrecognisable, something that is highlighted throughout the group’s fifth studio album 5SOS5. Despite hailing the past on ‘Emotions’ and ‘Moodswings’, the quartet couldn’t be further away from their earlier works and that’s where the record shines - it’s newer ground.

It’s indie repetitive guitar lines, all-encompassing bass-lines and funky driving drum beats paired with poetic lyricism and intricate production makes 5SOS5 the bands most cohesive and impressive work to date. In stepping out of their comfort zone and takings risks, 5 Seconds of Summer provide an intense rollercoaster of synthesised pop for all to enjoy that hails a promising new era and bright future.

8. BEABADOOBEE - BEATOPIA

As she trades her teenage angst for self-acceptance on her second record, Bea Laus, professionally known as Beabadoobee, explores a new sonic palette with confidence on Beatopia. By gently morphing from experimental two-chord ballads to all-out guitar anthems, the London-based singer-songwriters latest record could have easily been taken from the best ‘00s teen movies with its beautifully crafted fuzzy rock.

Her authoritative musical voice only grows in confidence throughout and in unabashedly recalling her past, Beabadoobee has created a flawless output of confessional bedroom pop songs that lets people in more than ever before. Untethered by genre or expectation, Beatopia finds a brighter sound in the sanctum of her inner child. It’s definitely worth a listen.

7. THE WEEKND - DAWN FM

The Weeknd gave us this 16 song, 51 minute masterpiece in the beginning of 2022 in January. The album has a very 80s vibe to it and has strong signs of inspiration from Daft Punk. With the narration from actor Jim Carrey, to the transitions between each song, this album is absolute perfection.

The electronic dance sounds that The Weeknd brings in this album are pure nostalgia. With a disco fever to start off the new year of 2022, the album really set the tone for the rest of the year. I still consider this to be one of my favorite albums of this year and cannot wait to see what he comes out with for his next album.

6. TAYLOR SWIFT - MIDNIGHTS

After her continuous success from the fictional story-telling records folklore and evermore, along with the ground-breaking re-records of older albums Fearless and Red, Taylor Swift surprised us all by releasing her first brand new autobiographical album in over 3 years. Midnights is a collection of 13 tracks which tell the stories of 13 different sleepless nights that Swift has experienced throughout her life.

This album covers everything from teenage heartbreak, to personal insecurities, to the joy and peace of her current relationship. Swift’s graceful return to pop has only. further solidified her role as this generation’s queen of pop, and has allowed her to continue to remain at the top of everyone’s radar, even after so many years of stardom.

5. MITSKI - LAUREL HELL

I remember watching Mitski perform the summer of 2019, at the Stern Grove Festival in San Francisco, right before she announced her “last show ever.” So Laurel Hell definitely came as a surprise, and the chokehold that it had on me was UNREAL. From the start Mitski sets us up for a journey “Let’s step carefully into the dark,” and she sets us up for this transformative, inward looking album, “Who will I become tonight?” Mitski delivers emotional hits with sharp 80’s synth-pop.

Each of the song’s have lyrics that come back to the question that Mitski poses – What’s our worth? Laurel Hell is a powerful album that ends leaving listeners feeling conflicted. The final song appears to have a happy ending, yet I was left with a sense of dread and feeling like something was missing. The album had experimental aspects to it but it still did not stray far from a classic Mitski album.

4. NOAH KAHAN - STICK SEASON

This October, Noah Kahan blessed us with the perfect fall album - his third and most successful album to date, Stick Season. Leaning more into the folk side than his previous releases, Kahan sought to pay homage to the genre he listened to growing up. Over 14 songs, he takes listeners on an emotional journey, chronicling homesickness, nostalgia and all that comes with growing up in a small, isolated town.

It resonated with people far beyond the New England town where the album was written and was met with praise from critics and fans. Previously released singles ‘Stick Season’ and ‘Northern Attitude’, as well as ‘Homesick’ found the biggest immediate success, but the entire album is a beautiful combination of Kahan’s trademark raw, gut-punch storytelling and folk melodies.

A personal favourite of mine is ‘Orange Juice’. In just under 5 minutes Kahan tells the story of welcoming back a loved one that went through a traumatic accident that left the subject of the song wracked with guilt. Invoking the heartbreak and desperation of the situation, underscored by the vocalization, the song showcases Kahan at his very best.

3. SZA - SOS

After five long years of song teasers and label disputes, SZA has blessed us with a Christmas gift in the form of her sophomore album, SOS. In this highly-anticipated follow up to Ctrl, SZA reminds us why we fell in love with her music. She is a one of a kind artist. SZA is relatable and gives the world a glimpse of how she nurses her wounds. Her ability to transform moments of introspection into melodic diary entries that fall between one minute or four is very niche.

On the album’s cover, SZA stares into the sun while perched on a diving board while her feet dangle above a vast blue ocean, a photoshoot inspired by a similar picture of Princess Diana taken a week before her death. That isolated feeling conveyed through the photo is a basis of the album’s theme as SZA goes on a quest to understand what happens after heartbreak, and most importantly how does one not lose themselves in the midst of the storm.

There are times where we find SZA letting go of the things that cause her harm and reclaiming her spirit in the mantra-esque song ‘Good Days’ while in ballads like ‘Nobody Gets Me’ it’s hard for her to break up with a partner who understands her so well.

2. THE 1975 - BEING FUNNY IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Being Funny in a Foreign Language is The 1975 “at their very best.” This new record brings us back to the band’s original roots -1980’s pop-inspired melodies fusing beautifully with smooth saxophone lines and funky bass riffs, paired with gut-wrenchingly personal lyrics that hold a hint of humor and self-awareness.

Although The 1975 have been an established group within their respected scene for quite some time, this new album really pushed them to the forefront of everyone’s mind. While the band have continued to grow as they experiment with acoustic instrumentation and folk-inspired elements on this record, they still remain true to their roots.

Their recent pairing with producer Jack Antanoff has allowed for further musical inspiration and development, yet this record is clearly still The 1975. Whether that’s ‘Happiness’’s uncanny resemblance to their sophomore album I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it, or the fan-favorite ‘About You’ serving as a continuation of their classic song ‘Robbers,’ it’s clear to see that The 1975 is back and better than ever. No matter what happened this year, it was impossible to not pay attention as these rockstars began to gain the respect that they have always deserved.

1. HARRY STYLES - HARRY’S HOUSE

Harry Styles has been having a moment for a few years now. When One Direction broke up, it was hard what would happen to the boys. Who would do what and who would succeed. Harry Styles had a unique voice, and he was a little quirky, would people love him or would they not? Years later here we are, three albums in and selling out tours and multiple dates at the same venues, with fans coming from across the country and even different countries to catch a show.

Styles starts Harry’s House with a smooth and funky song ‘Music for a Sushi Restaurant’. It’s full of synth and has a little bit of a japanese feel to it. As the song progresses it has a funky bass melody and a total 70’s funk rhythm. Styles blesses us with fun vocals that accentuate the fun rhythm of the song. We continue to get more songs that make us want to dance, and give us a disco-esque vibe.

Full of romance and regret, Styles gives us more of an intimate look into his life with something we’re definitely used to hearing - light and airy vocals with fun dance beats that are 60’s and 70’s inspired. In ‘Late Night Talking’ Styles talks about a new lover that he can’t get off his mind, someone he wants to spend time with because they make him happy. We hear about this person again on ‘Grape Juice’ where he compares spending time with his lover to drinking a bottle of wine. They alleviate his stress, and the experience of being with them is euphoric.

This album is exceptional, and I expected nothing less from it. I went into my first listen with such high hopes and expectations and it did NOT disappoint! It’s vibrant, deep and full of fun moments, it will make you want to dance and cry in such a short span of time.

Square OneDecember 31, 2022