These are our favourite songs of 2022
It’s that time of the year again— from rousing indie pop bangers to R&B-infused tracks with emotional undertones, 2022 has been a great year for music. Featuring some of the best unsigned and emerging artists around the world, these are the 50 songs that truly made our year. You can stream the full list on our main playlist THE NÜ until January 2023 here.
50: H33RA x Idris Jones — “Seasons”
H33RA and Idris Jones released one of best hip-hop tracks of the year. “Seasons” may not connect with most young listeners, but it’s a blessing for die hard rap fans— those fans who seek rap music with substance.
49: Xavier LaCroix — “losing my mind”
Based up north in Scotland, singer-songwriter Xavier LaCroix proved that London isn’t the only place in the UK where you’ll find talented R&B acts.
48: 7th Obi — “8”
Essex-based Irish-Nigerian artist 7th Obi effortlessly combined trap and soul to create this late night vibe with replay value.
47: IV4 — Bloom
Accompanied by a striking music video, LA-based emerging artist IV4 showcased her vocals on the magnificent “Bloom”.
46: 11 LIT3S — “Marie Anna”
London-based Portuguese artist and producer 11 LIT3S released 11 singles from September 2021 to February 2022. And his last drop, “Marie Anna”, an electronic-centred R&B track, was the best of the lot.
45: K. Forest — Ghosted
One of Toronto’s best R&B acts K. Forest proved why he’s one of the most slept on acts around with “Ghosted”. This one has a lot of replay value.
44: ilham x French Montana — “corazon”
Two New York acts of Moroccan descent, ilham and French Montana linked up to release this captivating R&B banger which samples Cassie’s “Me & U”.
43: XYLØ — “aliens”
A dark, brooding pop song that explores the feeling of disconnection within society, “aliens” by XYLØ is the ideal anthem for outsiders.
42: LUCI — “Do You”
New York-based artist LUCI stunned us with her impressive track “Do You”, which is taken from her debut EP Juvenilia. Effortlessly infusing hip-hop, R&B, alternative and punk, she delivers a stunning vocal performance.
41: Charlie Houston — “Lately”
Toronto-based artist Charlie Houston reflects on the challenges of being young and falling in love while discovering yourself on the vibrant indie pop track “Lately”.
40: Amber Ryann — “High Hopes”
Taken from her EP EVEN WHEN IT FALLS APART, “High Hopes” is a song that instantly connected with us. Its lyrics, lush production and anthemic chorus is just brilliant.
39: Ashley Iman — “EAST SIDE”
London-based French R&B artist Ashley Iman took it to a whole new level with her second single “EAST SIDE”. Her vocals and the production are a match made in heaven.
38: vi0let — “Audience”
Now London-based, German-Irish singer-songwriter vi0let effortlessly combined pop, soul and R&B to create this groovy track that uses the term audience as a metaphor of having to play the role of someones emotional crutch.
37: DRIIA — “After Dark”
London-based artist and producer DRIIA released her impressive debut single earlier this year. Combining pop and garage, “After Dark” is a vibrant club jam with mainstream appeal.
36: Wesley Joseph — “MONSOON”
London-based artist and filmmaker Wesley Joseph only drops classics, and he did it again with “MONSOON”, the second single off his upcoming project GLOW which is slated for release in February 2023.
35: Jim Legxacy — “dj”
London’s Jim Legxacy samples Unknown T’s vocals and effortlessly combines emo rap, afrobeats, Jersey club and R&B to create a captivating track that explores the emotional trauma of a failed relationship.
34: Vi — “Dead to You”
Canadian alt-pop singer-songwriter Vi entered a new era of her career with the anthemic “Dead To You”— a metaphor for killing the idea of someone from your past. Brilliant.
33: YAOUNDÉBOXINGCLUB — “Happy Again”
French singer, songwriter and producer YAOUNDÉBOXINGCLUB made her comeback with the indie pop banger “Happy Again”. A refreshing track, and a change sonically from her previous releases.
32: Ari Abdul — “Taste”
Dark undertones, sticky melodies and built over a compelling production, Ari Abdul delivered a moody dark pop track that went straight to our playlists.
31: Take Van — “What’s on Your Mind?”
Blending garage and drum & bass with pop vocals, Take Van really caught us off guard with their latest offering “What’s on Your Mind”, a track that has been on repeat since it was released— two weeks ago!
30: Bavé — “Who Got the Magic?”
Swedish emerging artist Bavé blessed us with the excellent “Who Got the Magic?” back in May— he effortlessly blends soul, R&B and rock to deliver a track the late and great Prince would’ve been proud of. This guy is in his own lane.
29: renforshort — “hate the way you love me”
With its relatable lyrics, sticky melodies and captivating production, “hate the way you love” is the most impressive track on renforshort’s album dear amelia, one that has been on repeat since it was released.
28: TALIA — “nosebleeds”
Combining alternative and folk, Caribbean-American artist TALIA instantly draws you in with her gorgeous voice on the beautifully-written “nosebleeds”.
27: Gemini Aaliyah — “Inside Out”
Emerging Leeds-based artist Gemini Aaliyah dropped the excellent “Inside Out” along with her EP Dream Ethereal on Halloween. Passionate vocals paired with brilliant writing effortlessly match with the solid production.
26: Shalom — “DTAP”
First of all, this song is so good, it should be on millions of streams! Brooklyn-based artist Shalom’s “DTAP” is a bright indie pop banger that radiates positivity, and infects you with joy.
25: V.RI — “LIGHT ACTION”
Milton Keynes artist and producer V.RI released his best track thus far, “LIGHT ACTION” in early February. There’s something special about this song— it’s probably the only song on this list that can make you cry, or make you feel extremely happy, excited and full of energy.
24: Alex Amor x The Deep Blue — “Bad Tattoo”
Laced with dreamy vocal melodies and built over a gorgeous productionWritten with Manchester-based indie folk band The Deep Blue, Glaswegian artist Alex Amor bares her soul on the amazing confessional indie pop track “Bad Tattoo”.
23: Erin LeCount — “Killing Time”
Another talented newcomer, Erin LeCount bares her soul and delivers a passionate vocal performance on her excellent debut single “Killing Time”.
22: Self Love — “Playing My Heart”
14 year-old emo pop sensation Self Love dropped one of the best debuts of the year, “Playing My Heart”. A well written track with emotional undertones and a memorable chorus— the young artist instantly connected with us and our community.
21: BRIDGE x BEAM — “Old News”
A dream collaboration between two artists we’ve been following closely. BRIDGE and BEAM’s “Old News” is a captivating dark R&B track built over a trap-infused production and laced with gorgeous melodies.
20: Basha — “Balance”
Stunning vocals over a captivating production, Canadian artist Basha had us hooked with his magnificent track “Balance” which is featured on his album Logan Ave.
19: Zeina — “Give Me Time”
Another highly rated Canadian with immense potential, Zeina has built a loyal fanbase this year thanks to her mesmeric single “Give Me Time”. Sultry vocals and relatable lyrics with emotional undertones, if you haven’t listened to it yet, you’re missing out.
18: Alewya — “Let Go”
Accompanied by a captivating music video, the amazing London-based artist Alewya exudes confidence on the powerful “Let Go”.
17: Dutch Melrose — “Avril Lavigne”
LA-based singer, songwriter and producer Dutch Melrose combined pop, indie and alternative to create “Avril Lavigne”— one of the catchiest songs we’ve heard this year.
16: HEN$HAW — “MAD!”
London-based emerging rapper HEN$HAW showcases his undeniable technical brilliance and proves he’s one of the UK’s finest up and coming rappers on the impressive “MAD!”, which is built over a dark, bass-heavy production.
15: Dell Mac — “So Sad”
Not much is known about Dell Mac, but what we do know is that he released one of the best emo rap songs of the year. “So Sad” is built over a stunning production which matches perfectly with Dell’s melodic rap-sung vocals.
14: ThxSoMch — “SPIT IN MY FACE!”
Toronto newcomer ThxSoMch went viral on TikTok in October with the excellent “SPIT IN MY FACE!”— a brilliant post punk track with arguably the most infectious hook of the year.
13: NoSo — “David”
NoSo’s wonderful track “Suburbia” was our favourite song last year, and this year their stunning bittersweet indie pop single “David” makes our list. It’s one of those songs that instantly gets stuck in your head.
12: Nathan Archie — “hurt me enough”
Newcomer Nathan Archie made his long-awaited debut with the emotionally-driven “hurt me enough”— a powerful song written about a toxic relationship.
11: Moneá — “my eyes are open”
Richmond, VA emerging singer-songwriter Moneá took us on a magical journey with her captivating and dreamy indie R&B single “my eyes are open”. She explores themes of love and the urgency she possesses to chase her goals.
10: Samaria — “Somebody Else”
“Somebody Else” is the excellent rendition of The 1975 by fast rising R&B act Samaria. She adds something fresh, and soulful, making this version better than the original.
9: tmdistant — “i don’t need a therapist”
19 year-old Essex, UK artist tmdistant showcased his versatility, as well as his potential, on the powerful indie pop with sprinkles of rock track “i don’t need a therapist”. It’s loud, anthemic, and relatable— this is an anthem for people who struggle to open up or ask for help.
8: Keni — “Bev Hillz”
Accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek music video, LA-based emerging artist Keni blessed us with the infectious indie pop track “Bev Hillz” towards the end of May. She effortlessly showcases her raspy vocals, as well as brilliant writing.
7: The KTNA — “Cover Me Blue”
The KTNA effortlessly combined alternative R&B, soul and sprinkles of rock on their outstanding single “Cover Me Blue”. They deliver raw and passionate vocals as they touch on something we can all relate to— depression. Despite its melancholic tone, there’s something comforting about this song.
6: burningforestboy — “TEENAGE RIHANNA”
The mysterious South African act burningforestboy pays homage to Rihanna and every celeb he had a crush on growing up on the captivating “TEENAGE RIHANNA”. Soothing vocals over a brilliant production, this is one of those tracks that instantly sticks.
5: Oordaya — “DEMAIN”
“DEMAIN” is a captivating R&B track by French artist Oordaya accompanied by a gorgeous music video. If you want to hear a mesmeric vocal performance sung in one of the most beautiful languages in the world, then this is it— this is beautiful.
4: NateTaylorr — “Survivor’s Guilt”
New Jersey alt-R&B act NateTaylorr has been consistently releasing hit after hit this year, however there’s one that really stands out. Laced with sticky melodies, a passionate vocal performance and built over a captivating production, “Survivor’s Guilt” is the perfect late night vibe for fans of Eli Sostre, The Weeknd, PARTYNEXTDOOR and more.
3: Kelela — “On the Run”
Although “On the Run” is only one month old, it’s a track we’ve had on heavy rotation since it dropped. Comfortably sitting somewhere between R&B and electronic, Kelela’s sultry vocals instantly draws listeners in. Also, it fits any occasion— party, quiet night, late night drive etc.
2: EKKSTACY — “im so happy”
Fast rising indie star EKKSTACY became a new man when he cut off his dreads. We’ve had the opportunity to watch him perform twice this year, and we believe he has all the right tools to be a superstar. “im so happy” is a post punk banger with an upbeat production and gloomy lyrics that gives us slight Green Day, 80s indie rock vibes.
1: BEL — “PBR” w/girlhouse
LA-based singer, songwriter and producer BEL joined forces with Nashville based bedroom pop artist girlhouse to create our favourite and most played song of the year “PBR”. The lyrics are so relatable to us— since the world’s opened up again, we’ve found that our social battery is gone and we’d rather stay indoors than attend any social gathering. The chorus— well, let’s just say the chorus has crack in it. This is one of the best songs we’ve heard in recent years.
Stream the full list on our main playlist until January:
