The Best Songs of 2022 Ranked

19 December 2022, 14:00

(Best Of...)

Best Fit staff and writers on the songs that made 2022 - from RAYE and Kendrick, to Kevin Morby and Pusha T.

30

"What They Call Us" by Fever Ray

The opening refrain of “What They Call Us” is a haunting call of ringing synth and confronting vocals. “First I’d like to say that I’m sorry, I’ve done all the tricks that I can,” sings Karin Dreijer, their confessions close and central. The lyrics were originally printed in a zine which accompanied their last album, 2017’s Plunge, an easter egg for fans as the sonic and artistic evolution of Fever Ray continues. Co-produced with their brother and The Knife collaborator Olof Dreijer, the track has the expansive and gothic hooks of their concurrent project. With new record Radical Romantics dropping in March, it promises an exciting return from one of music’s most influential and pioneering acts. JEN LONG

29

"The Ghost" by Anna B Savage

On this first single from her upcoming album in|FLUX, out next February, Anna B Savage wrestles with the psychological torment of an ex-lover who just won’t let her be. Combining spoken word with her rich, chocolatey singing, which becomes more and more feverish with each repeated plea for the haunting to stop, “The Ghost” is a masterclass in tension and release. Built on scuttling percussion and staccato piano, with touches of clarinet and pulsing synths, it’s a glorious, unique and deeply satisfying listen. ALAN PEDDER

28

"Stroke It" by Boyhood

Caylie Runciman takes on ego and masculinity in the standout track from My Dread, the second album from Boyhood. While every track on that record is shot through with the same nostalgia that fuels some of the best indie-pop of our times, "Stroke It" finds its connection through a fantastic combination of lyrical acuity and that deftly cascading melody. PAUL BRIDGEWATER

27

"Anything But Me" by MUNA

After creating the effervescent, brilliant Phoebe Bridgers-featuring “Silk Chiffon”, MUNA had a very high bar to meet with the second single from their self-titled third album. ”Anything But Me” came as a stomping arrival on the next level of pop, with MUNA blending their familiar synth melodies and expansive instrumentals with a bubbly self-assurance. Lyrical wit and vocal vulnerability team up on the track to pre-empt their most confident and most comfortable LP offering yet, and also provide one of the year’s most irresistible dance-and-sing moments, following in the footsteps of "Silk Chiffon". IMS TAYLOR

26

"Nike" by Shygirl

Not just because it contains the immaculate lines “I tell him ‘lay that pipe’ and he blew it / He told me what he liked, nothing to it” is "Nike" among the slickest and most sensuous songs of the year but also because Blane Muise is one of the UK's most exciting artists this decade. A two minute burst of sass on Shygirl's debut Nymph, "Nike" is deceptively simple, playfully delicious, and hooky as hell. PAUL BRIDGEWATER

25

"Home Maker" by Sudan Archives

Whereas debut album Athena showcased Brittney Parks’ musical prowess as a violinist, writer, and art pop musician, Natural Brown Prom Queen takes her creativity to new heights and allows her to just have fun. On its opening track, “Home Maker”, the artist known as Sudan Archives melts self-care, codependence, and romance all on one fluid, gorgeous, song. “Don’t you feel at home when I wait on you?” she asks her partner, who enjoys the fruits, juices, and Fiji water she offers in her home. While still a love song, she grounds herself in the simple acts of decorating and designing one’s own space. “I got big plans for this home I made,” she sings, with the ease one has when they own their own confidence. SAM FRANZINI

24

"Shotgun" by Soccer Mommy

Returning this year with her new record Sometimes, Forever, “Shotgun” was the lead single, a wash of 90s-indebted guitars and a haze of joyfully insouciant vocals that erupted into a colour-filled burst of chorus. Celebrating the joys of falling in love, Soccer Mommy said she “wanted it to capture the little moments in a relationship that stick with you.” From coffee and menthols on someone’s breath to nights consuming only beer and ice cream, the song’s lyrics are imagery-rich with a warm sentimentality. Produced by Oneohtrix Point Never, it made for a sonically captivating and heart-arresting return from the Nashville singer-songwriter. JEN LONG

23

"Diet Coke" by Pusha T

Perhaps one of the most memorable hooks in hip-hop – maybe even the wider musical landscape – this year, that delicate piano line signalled the unstoppable return of the self-professed Dr Seuss of cocaine, Pusha T. Even a production credit from one car crashing hip-hop producer named Kanye West can’t mar this triumph of being a master of your craft. As he questions with a threatening air “you ordered Diet Coke, that’s a joke, right?”, Pusha’s skills as a rapper bounce and flow effortlessly unfurling a snippet into the life of one of drug rap’s greatest. STEVEN LOFTIN

22

"Escapism" by RAYE featuring 070 Shake

RAYE has long been the popstar the UK deserves (sorry Dua) and "Escapism" was an affirmation of talent and era-setting mission statement that doubled up as one of the best ever Fuck You/I'm Back moments in music. Her first Top 10 single as an independent artist, only the power of Wham!'s "Last Christmas" could keep her from the top spot but 2023 will undoubtably be her year. PAUL BRIDGEWATER

21

"I Love You" by Fontaines D.C.

Taken from their third studio album Skinty Fia, Fontaines D.C.’s stellar “I Love You” is a visceral and grand track which captures the band’s talent for thoughtful, sometimes brutal, songwriting, swimming upon moody, knotty guitars.

“I Love You” is a gorgeously composed meditation on Ireland and Irish identity, one which wrestles between hearty adoration and the band’s more infuriated political anxieties. Singer Grain Chatten’s thoughts and worries spill out disparately and pool into a murky, complicated, greyness. Nevertheless, owing to Fontaines D.C.’s keen melodic skill, the song still sounds lush, colourful, and stunning. ALFIE VERITY