The end of the year is upon us. Do you know what that means? It’s time for our favorite thing. Those end-of-year lists. The lists where we share with all of you some of our favorite things from the year. It is hard to believe that 2022 is almost over. It’s been a year filled with highs and lows. Yes, COVID-19 is still part of our lives two years later, but it’s not dominating it as much as before. Despite the challenges that 2022 brought us, one thing is for sure; music once again got us through.
We’ve said it and will repeat it; music unites us. No matter where you’re from, music is a universal language that speaks to us all. That said, join us as we give you the list of our top artists of 2022.
Beyonce
We can’t even believe that it has been five years since Beyonce released an album, but it has. Renaissance, the seventh album from Queen Bey, is a club-themed project conceived and recorded during the pandemic. It was made to give listeners a feeling of escapism which it did. The first track released by Beyonce, ‘Break My Soul,’ is filled with a positive, upbeat feel that had us all dancing. Cuff it, another popular song on Beyonce’s album, even inspired a Tik Tok dance after two friends posted a video of them pregaming while dancing to the track.
We also need to shout out that epic opening performance Beyonce put on at the 94th Academy Awards earlier this year because it was incredible. She performed the song ‘Be Alive,’ an original song on the soundtrack for the film King Richard. Beyonce put on the opening at Tragniew Park Tennis Courts in Compton, California, with appearances by her daughter Blue Ivy Carter, King Richard actresses Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton, and the Compton Cowboys Junior Equestrians. It’s honestly such an iconic performance. Should we even be surprised that it was so iconic? I mean, it’s Beyonce, and when are her performances not iconic?
Justin Bieber
We know that touring for artists is a very rigorous thing. There are long hours spent on buses and planes. Rehearsals to keep up can take a toll on them mentally and physically. Bieber made our list because he recognized that he needed to prioritize his physical health; we admire him for that. While on his Justice World tour, Bieber developed a disorder that caused him facial paralysis. He took to his Instagram account to not only let his fans know that he would have to postpone the tour but also show his vulnerability by letting us see how the disorder affected him.
We have so much respect for Bieber for this because he did not have to do that. The internet is cruel sometimes, but he was met with love and support, and we were glad to see that he’s doing much better now. We will never fault anyone for taking the time they need for themselves.
Dove Cameron
Dove Cameron is having a great year. The Boyfriend singer won an MTV Music Award for Best New Artist and New Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards. We love her because she’s a unique artist and a free spirit who isn’t afraid to be herself and try new things. Cameron, a queer artist, is also not afraid to share her vulnerability with her fans. We appreciate that she’s not ashamed to share her struggles with mental health because we all have good days and bad days. She’s an artist whom fans can relate to.
Sofia Carson
The star of the popular Netflix film Purple Hearts captured ourhearts in the role of Cassie Salazar. Carson’s performance was vulnerable, and we loved watching her and costar Nicholas Galitzine fall in love. If you’ve been following our page, you already know how much we loved that film. We love the soundtrack even more. Earlier this year, Carson released her self-titled debut album, which we also love. We’re looking forward to what she has for us in the new year.
Kid Cudi
Cudi’s eighth album Entergalactic was released in September alongside its visual component, an adult animated special of the same name, exclusively on Netflix. The album, like the film, is an immersive experience with spacey-sounding beats that make you want to feel the feelings of falling in love. Each track is unique and is a reminder of what a fantastic artist he is. Cudi has hinted that this may be his way of putting Kid Cudi to bed, and if that turns out to be the case, we’re glad he gave us this fantastic piece of artistry.
Selena Gomez
We can never say enough good things about Selena Gomez. She’s such an incredible human being. Not only does she bring us joy with the realness and hilarity of her TikToks, but she also shares her pain with us. Gomez’s documentary My Mind & Me gave us a rare glimpse into the last six years of her life. Sharing her struggles with bipolar disorder and other health problems was challenging, but we commend her for sharing. Her story will most certainly touch many people going through the same things.
Harry Styles
Harry Styles has been a very busy man. He has starred in two movies- Don’t Worry Darling and My Policeman. He released his third studio album Harry’s House, and has been on tour since last year. With his third album, Styles gave us a different style with his music and revealed another side of himself we had yet to see. The artist said that Harry’s House was an album he had always wanted to release, and we’re glad he made it because it got us through this year.
Lizzo
You already know Lizzo will always make our lists. We adore her positivity and uplifting tracks like “About Damn Time,” the track off her fourth album, Special. She, too, has been busy giving us her dance competition series Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, for which she won the Emmy for Outstanding Competition Program (She’s well on her way to EGOT status). She also released her documentary “Love, Lizzo” on HBO Max. In addition, Lizzo also released her line of shapewear, Yitty. It’s safe to say that Lizzo is still 100% that bitch and always will be.
Shawn Mendes
2022 was the year of prioritizing health for many artists. Shawn Mendes was one of those. The pop singer was on his Wonder World tour when he realized he needed to step back and postpone the rest of the time to take care of his mental health. The singer has always been open and honest about his mental health struggles and challenges. The pandemic caused many musicians to cancel tours, so we get how overwhelming it felt to get back out on such a rigorous schedule after being away for so long. Mendes has our full support, and we’ll never judge anyone who decides to care for their health above everything else. When he’s ready to hit the road again, we’ll be right there with him.
Rihanna
It’s been five years since we got any music from Rihanna when she released her album Anti in 2017. Fans have been waiting and wondering when new music is coming from the artist. That’s why it was a joy to get a song from her for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. The track titled “Lift Me Up” is inspirational and reminds us of what we’ve been missing without new Rihanna songs. We do understand because Rihanna has a lot to balance on her plate. She’s got her Fenty beauty line and her Savage X Fenty clothing line, for which she’s hosted multiple fashion shows for Amazon Prime Video. She also gave birth to her first child earlier this year.
With all this, we are still hoping that after releasing a new track, we could also see new music from Rihanna in 2023. We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed.
Taylor Swift
You should have known we had a place on this list saved for Miss Taylor Swift. This is one woman who has been kicking major ass in 2022. She was dropping music left and right and graced us with a 10-minute short film for her song All Too Well, which starred Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien. It took us on an emotional ride, and we’re still not over it. Her 10th album, Midnights, was released in October; we haven’t stopped playing it since. And now she’s preparing for a huge stadium tour that kicks off next March.
