Best of 2022 – Deconstructed | Playlist 🎧

With the 21 best albums and the 50 best Songs of 2022 unveiled, we dig a little deeper into the lists while also unveiling 5 of the most sus songs of 2022.

As the headline clearly expressed, both the 21 Best Albums of 2022 and 50 Best Songs of 2022 have been unveiled on The Musical Hype.  What this list, Best of 2022 – Deconstructed, seeks to do is highlight the best stylistically from each list.  Furthermore, avoiding penning a full-fledged, scathing worst of list, I selected 5 sus songs that I am more than happy to leave behind in 2023. 

Best Albums 💿

Here are the top five albums from 21 Best Albums of 2022.

5. Pusha T, It’s Almost Dry

4. Steve Lacy, Gemini Rights

3. Harry Styles, Harry’s House

2. Kendrick Lamar, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

*1. Beyoncé, Renaissance

Here are the very best albums broken down by genre.

• Best Pop Album(s): Harry Styles, Harry’s House
• Best Dance/Electronic Album: Beyoncé, Renaissance
• Best Rock Album: Ghost, IMPERA (#20, 21 Best Albums of 2022)
• Best Alternative Album: Weyes Blood, And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow (#7, 21 Best Albums of 2022)
• Best R&B Album: Steve Lacy, Gemini Rights
• Best Rap Album: Kendrick Lamar, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
• Best Latin Album: Bad Bunny, Un Verano Sin Ti (#8, 21 Best Albums of 2022)
• Best Country Album: Orville Peck, Bronco (#10, 21 Best Albums of 2022)

Best Songs 🎵

Here are the top five songs from the 50 Best Songs of 2022. 

5.Lizzo, “About Damn Time”

4.Kendrick Lamar, “The Heart Part 5”

3.Steve Lacy, “Bad Habit”

2.Beyoncé, “Break My Soul”

*1.Harry Styles, “As It Was”

Here are the best songs broken down by genre.

• Best Pop song(s):
  • Top Female: Lizzo, “About Damn Time” (#5)
  • Top Male: Harry Styles, “As It Was” (#1) 
• Best Dance song: Beyoncé, “Break My Soul”
• Best Rock song(s): Ghost, “Darkness at the Heart of my Love”
• Best Alternative song(s):
  • Top Female: Rina Sawayama, “This Hell” (#15)
  • Top Male: Perfume Genius, “Ugly Season” (#34) 
• Best R&B song(s):
  • Top Female: Mary J. Blige, “Good Morning Gorgeous” (#24)
  • Top Male: Steve Lacy, “Bad Habit” (#3) 
• Best Rap song(s):
  • Top Female: Megan Thee Stallion, “Plan B” (#32)
  • Top Male: Kendrick Lamar, “The Heart Part 5” (#4) 
• Best Latin song(s):
  • Top Female: ROSALÍA, “SAOKO” (#19)
  • Top Male: Bad Bunny, “Titi Me Preguntó” (#11)
• Best Country song(s)
  • Top Female: Maren Morris, “Circles Around This Town” (#31)
  • Top Male: Orville Peck, “C’mon Baby, Cry” (#17)

5 Totally Sus Songs aka bad, in no particular order

1. Leah Kate, “Twinkle Twinkle”

[Leah Kate / 10K Projects / MDDN]

*Cringe-worthy lyric: 

“Twinkle, twinkle, little bitch

Just another narcissist
Hate your guts, you make me sick
I’m so fucking over it
Twinkle, twinkle, little bitch
I wish you didn’t exist
Tried to turn my life to shit
I’m so fucking over it.”

Commentary: Honestly, the piss-poor lyrics speak for themselves.  Anytime you desecrate a children’s song, it is just a very, very bad idea.  To quote the legendary Randy Jackson from his American Idol days, “It’s a NO for me, dawg!”

2.GAYLE, “ur just horny”

[Atlantic]

*Cringe-worthy lyric:

“You don’t wanna be friends, you’re just horny

And fucked up at 2 a.m. in the mornin’

Say you’ve changed and you mean it…”

Commentary:  I found  “abcdefu” to be utterly annoying.  Furthermore, I was appalled when it was nominated for a Grammy. That said, “ur just horny” is worse…

3. Machine Gun Kelly, “ay!” (Ft. Lil Wayne)

[Bad Boy / Interscope] 

*Cringe-worthy lyric:

“Why you got yo’ nose up? I smell like Guns N’ Roses.”

– Lil Wayne 

Commentary: Admittedly, I didn’t enjoy “emo girl” featuring WILLOW, particularly given the fact that Machine Gun Kelly should be well past his emo girl phase.  Even so, “ay!” is simply about NOTHING.

4. Lil Pump, “I’m Back”

[Lil Pump]

*Cringe-worthy lyric:

“If the beat is whack, the producer gets smacked up

If I wake up and there’s no drugs, then I’m throwin’ a tantrum.”

Commentary:  Sure, comebacks are difficult, but Lil Pump seemed to fail epically with this $hi†.  Nothing more needs to be said about “I’m Back” – just listen to it if your ears can bear to do so.

5. DJ Khaled, “Staying Alive” (Ft. Drake & Lil Baby)

[We The Best / Epic]

*Cringe-worthy lyric:

“Try me a hundred times

Wanted me to lie, wanted me to cry, wanted me to die (Real life)

I-I-I-I’m stayin’ alive, we’re stayin’ alive, we’re stayin’ alive, we’re stayin’ alive.”

Commentary:  It is hard to believe that DJ Khaled is a Grammy winner, isn’t it? Furthermore, the sus album that “Staying Alive” appears on, GOD DID, is nominated for a Grammy too.  At least the Recording Academy had the good sense to avoid this atrocity.

Best of 2022 – Deconstructed [📷: Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, Rodnae Productions via Pexels]