Of The Music: July-December of 2022 round-up
At last, the 12 albums released during the second half of 2022 that I just had to talk about. Featuring Beyoncé, Rina Sawayama, RM & more.
‘Of The Music’ is a segment on ‘Of The Moment’ where I talk about music releases that pique my interest every few months, offering context, thoughts, critique- and mostly gushing! Feel free to reach out to me if there is an album/single/discography you’d like me to check out and write about next (for anonymous messages, you can head on over to Retrospring). Don’t forget to subscribe in order to receive new posts in your email and support my work! If you wish to, you can subscribe to this segment separately. Thank you for being here.
When I tried to write a prologue to this post, it ended up turning into this. So we’re cutting to the chase. These are the 12 albums that made my second half of 2022 a time to remember.
P.S. Sorry, August.
(Note: in no particular order.)
Beyoncé – RENAISSANCE
Let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room first, shall we? Yes, RENAISSANCE was my favorite album of the year. And what am I even supposed to say about- with emphasis- Beyoncé, and her best album to date or the best release of 2022 according to everyone and their mom and their dog (everyone except the Grammys, of course, which we will not get into here for obvious reasons)? It’s difficult to treat music as “simply” music, meaning the soundtrack to the diverse rotations of our everyday lives, when it succeeds at its most artistic purpose of transcending its medium to be transmuted into an experience so wholly and conscientiously. “Sound” in the case of RENAISSANCE (the first part of a three act project) holds an inextricable bond with space, in Beyoncé’s words “a safe place, a place without judgement. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom”; It doesn’t get realer than the dancefloor. The space associated with the LGBT+ community and radical joy like no other, where struggles became briefly forgotten and culture was forged. Beyoncé dedicated this album to her queer fans and “the fallen angels whose contributions have gone unrecognized for far too long”. Among them, her beloved Uncle Jonny- referenced in HEATED- who introduced her to house music, and passed away during the AIDS crisis.
Besides the tracklist flowing like a DJ set, true to its premise, RENAISSANCE is a masterclass on creative, holistic sampling, with pieces ranging from Teena Marie to Big Freedia and Kevin Aviance to Donna Summer- of course along with the rebuilding of Robin S’s 1993 dance hit Show Me Love for the record’s first single BREAK MY SOUL and not ignoring that Grace Jones feature on MOVE- providing the means to Beyoncé’s memory-triggering and emotion-evoking, rather than solely nostalgia-inducing, end of paying tribute to cultural visionaries. The album unfolds in a maximalist, masterful exploration of house, dance, disco and RnB with visits from funk- the pure sparkly delight that is VIRGO’S GROOVE- afrobeats and dancehall- HEATED also sports an unmistakable Drake writing credit- as well as featuring the inputs of PC pop pioneer and close Charli XCX collaborator A.G. Cook- on the hyperpop-infused ALL UP IN YOUR MIND- and nightclub sensation Honey Dijon- the DJ who helped craft love letters to the Black, queer community with COZY and ALIEN SUPERSTAR. The personal favorite is PURE/HONEY, a quintessential ballroom track that blossoms into groovy, disco-leaning rhythm and harmonies. RENAISSANCE has Beyoncé’s delivery ultra-sensual, tongue-in-cheek at times, and simultaneously commanding and empowering as ever, as it takes the listener on a journey of much needed escapism without sacrificing substance for a split second.
Tracks not to miss: ALIEN SUPERSTAR, VIRGO’S GROOVE, PURE/HONEY
Carly Rae Jepsen – The Loneliest Time
Carly Rae Jepsen is a writer blessed with pure pop talent, meaning the ability to craft songs meant to be bouncing off every radio station in the world, every car, every mall, that if you’d just take one more second to pay closer attention to could also somehow move you to tears. While reaching over the cult status of her 2015 record, Emotion- regarded as a masterclass in mainstream pop- is a task that will most likely continue to be challenging for any of the artist’s following bodies of work, The Loneliest Time is another stone in cementing Jepsen’s name as a contemporary pop princess and her pen as one of the most capable in the genre.
Writing shifted back to its therapeutic origin for the artist when the pandemic hit, which becomes clear through this project’s more intimate tone. The album gracefully makes its way through personal stories marked equally by loss and love, sometimes tinged with disarming vulnerability (Surrender My Heart, Bends, Western Wind), sometimes with tongue-in-cheek humor (Beach House), and others with unapologetic joy (Joshua Tree, So Nice), always accompanied by layered, clean-cut production and Jepsen’s trademark candy-sweet vocal color that renders her sound addictive. “I’m coming back for you, baby!” is what I said to this album just after completing my first listen.
PS. Don’t skip the bonus tracks! Some of the record’s best.
Tracks not to miss: Surrender My Heart, Bends, Western Wind, Keep Away
Arctic Monkeys – The Car
Over the course of 16 years and 7 albums, the Sheffield-formed band have managed to become receivers of extensive critical acclaim and the world’s lasting attention, by holding their sound’s hand from the punk rock tunes drenched in dance sweat and late night Northern England teen mischief of 2006’s Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, through the weighed down, broody guitars and Nick Cave-ian eeriness of Humbug, to the crowd-pleasing hip-hop and RnB-inspired grooves of breakout record AM, and the pivot to mellowed out, loungey glam rock in Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. However, the steady shift of Alex Turner’s initially timid, boyish stage persona to that of an enticing, larger-than-life rockstar and his song-conception method moving from the guitar to the piano have left the vividness, viscerality and theatricality of his pen intact; if anything, The Car is where it gets fully realized.
Although cinematic influences have existed in the band’s catalog for a long time and most notably helped shape the direct predecessor, concept-heavy TBH&C, this time around the Arctic Monkeys dive deeper into film soundtrack territory, imagery and pace lucid as Turner fully leans into his crooner self on tracks laced with the usual romantic and longful sentiment of his storytelling, albeit more self-referential than ever. Strings soar, play and coexist alongside a guitar solo in Big Ideas, where Turner sings “I had big ideas, the band were so excited […] But now the orchestra’s got us all surrounded” while looking back on the thrills of the band’s earlier days. The violins are a main character in Body Paint, as much as the spacey percussions in the title song, and almost programmatic, startling beats set the stage in opener There’d Better Be A Mirrorball. The Car is rich, atmospheric, somewhat melancholic but mostly enigmatic, laced with the air of a farewell- or a “good night” as proposed in closer Perfect Sense- that curiously leaves one wondering where Turner and the Monkeys are headed next, if anywhere at all.
Tracks not to miss: There’d Better Be A Mirrorball, Sculptures Of Anything Goes, Big Ideas
ATEEZ – THE WORLD EP.1: MOVEMENT
Imagine being one of the fans attending the recording of ATEEZ's special performance on The Show on June 28, and suddenly receiving an audio file named "PROPAGANDA" from "ATEEZ" through AirDrop. The title refers to none other than the ominous, techno-rock fusion intro to the South Korean boy group’s futuristic dystopia-themed ninth EP, released a month later on July 29. Revolution concepts, social outcast lore, and all-things-apocalyptic have been around in K-pop for years now and, although in the context of the otherworldly fantasy that the industry is set on selling those messages hardly ever reach tangible substance, they provide good ground for sonic explorations outside of standard pop structures and tropes. ATEEZ may rightfully be considered the leaders of this niche, coming out of the gate swinging in 2018 with Pirate King, a collage of hip-hop, EDM and a bit of movie soundtrack, somewhat novel at the time though those types of beats ended up dominating the scene later on.
The experimentations throughout the group’s discography that followed Pirate King are culminated in this EP’s main single, the blustery, nu metal-inspired Guerilla, which despite its multitudes (the track features some industrial heaviness, EDM drops, has its gentler vocal moments and even flirts with screamo) knows exactly what it wants to be, and that is an outright battle cry. Similar bravado can be found in the noisy, bass-heavy chorus- contrasting the pretty RnB sections- of Sector 1, as well as the standout 4th generation sibling of EXO’s 2019 Jekyll, trappy, lethargic and harmony-rich The Ring. Cyberpunk expands on the synthy notes of 2021’s Take Me Home with a psychedelic trance twist and chromatic chorus, wet, dark, intoxicated and dazzled by neon lights, while WDIG offers an electro-industrial, autotune-heavy moment and New World is the perfect, epic action film ending credits song. This is ATEEZ’s production team- most notably including LEEZ and Ollounder, the duo also largely behind rock-focused girl group Dreamcatcher’s discography- at their absolute best; work that is maximal, yet clean and shines in all the right places. My favorite K-pop release of the year alongside the NCT 127 album we’ll be talking about in a bit- and (sidenote) despite several publications labeling RM’s Indigo a K-pop album which any avid K-pop listener would confirm doesn’t add up.
Tracks not to miss: Cyberpunk, Guerilla, The Ring
Nosaj Thing – Continua
Atmospheric, moody and electric are words that could describe Los Angeles born DJ and producer Jason W. Chung aka Nosaj Thing’s body of work. On his fifth and most collaborative as well as vocal-driven album to date, Chung blends his electronic roots with shades of jazz, trip hop and RnB, always coexisting alongside the ever-present hip-hop influence in his sound. Time slows down and emotions run heavy in this project just like in film. These are emotions, however, not so much fueled by storytelling- the lyrical content is kept fairly vague here, among ideas on connection and its loss- as they are by the immersive, cinematic experience that Chung crafts with even the subtlest additions to his productions.
Continua opens with an intro featuring a piano composition by multidisciplinary artist and longtime Kendrick Lamar collaborator Duval Timothy, while KAZU of indie rock band Blonde Redhead lends dreamy vocals to the minimal UK garage beats of My Soul or Something, ambient RnB crooner serpentwithfeet shines on the tender Woodland and the ever-so-unique Toro y Moi turns Condition into a standout track with his signature delivery. However, the highlight of the record for me has to be We Are, featuring Korean indie act HYUKOH; melodic, melancholic and adorned with reverbed harmonies and prominent percussion, the track makes for a collaboration that made me wish to hear singer OHHYUK on more electronic projects.
Tracks not to miss: My Soul or Something, Blue Hour, Grasp, We Are
Little Simz – NO THANK YOU
Coming right off a project as grand as the career landmark- and my personal favorite release of 2021- that Sometimes I Might Be Introvert foreshadowed itself to be from the very first single, one would more than recognize in Little Simz the right to let up a little bit. S.I.M.B.I’s Mercury prize win was secured last October and added to the Brit award the 28-year-old rapper took home earlier in the year. Only the latter was for best newcomer despite the fact her debut album was released seven years ago. In the stunning epilogue to 2022 that is NO THANK YOU- released with disproportionately minimal promo, albeit accompanied by a breathtaking short film- Simz further cements herself as a standout talent among her peers and a player not to be played with, drawing attention where it’s due- “This ain’t music one overlooks,” she pointedly notes in Sideways.
Although mental health and the dehumanizing forces of the music industry are themes the artist has tackled before, this time they take up the record’s center stage, where Simz’s simmering anger is palpable and poignant as she mercilessly lays out the costs of painfully acquired success. However, NO THANK YOU doesn’t reveal its cards all at once. Opener Angel, assisted by none other than longtime collaborator Cleo Sol on the hook- a recurrence throughout the album- hints at the project’s more subdued idiosyncrasy from the get-go, asserting a disinterest in epicness and bravado as a focal point, yet moments that feel overwhelmingly historic and humbling don’t fail to be achieved, through Simz’s naturally commanding presence as a skilled storyteller, as well as the gospel elements peppered throughout Inflo’s productions that- as shown time and time again- know just how to work with her cadence to turn narrative into magic. “Like DeNiro with Scorsese”, the duo once again proves that when the right person with a voice meets the right person with an ear, they become unbeatable together.
Tracks not to miss: Angel, Silhouette, Heart on Fire, Broken
SAULT – 11
Now, many would agree on Pitchfork’s take of NO THANK YOU having the essence of a SAULT record fronted by Simz. The mysterious, industry rule-defying U.K-based collective with Inflo at the reins of the production and a lineup arguably consisting of names such as RnB and soul songstress Cleo Sol and rapper Chronixx among others- also affiliated with singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka and Little Simz herself- dropped five albums on the same day (November 11) with a limited five-day span of available preorder from their website. This isn’t the first time the act has rejected release standards- 2021’s Nine was only available on streaming services and as a digital download for 99 days, despite its critical acclaim announcing it as one of their strongest projects to date- but it is certainly striking as to its generosity and level of unorthodoxy. Out of the latest collection, 11 takes the crown for its solid songwriting, accessibility and seamless integration into the group’s catalog.
The number 11 is said to be potent with manifestation powers, hence 11/11’s reputation as a day associated with thinking positive thoughts only. This optimism is indeed reflected here as the collective eschews elaborate storytelling, opting for simplistic, mantra-like hooks and chants that underline the spiritual, meditative essence of the album with transcendental repetition. As with every SAULT record, the collaborative spirit takes center stage. Polyphonic chords accompany the spoken word raps in the funky-basslined Glory, unison delivery enhances the message of psychedelic-leaning Together and tender River slowly ascends into rich harmonies. The guitar is at the forefront, whether it is the solo on Together or the pretty lines of Fight for Love and Envious, while SAULT’s signature percussive power accentuates the groovier instrumentals. The stellar vocal performance on Higher and jazzy hints in romantic closer The Circle are highlights not to be missed.
Tracks not to miss: Glory, Higher, River, The Circle
Rina Sawayama – Hold The Girl
“Pop therapist” reads Rina Sawayama’s resume just above “winner of Best Live Act at the 2022 NME awards” held at the O2 Academy Brixton in London, where I had the privilege to witness the magic for myself a few months later, on the hometown date of her Hold The Girl tour. After offering background on her healing journey in therapy that gave birth to the new record, Sawayama dedicates part of the first talking segment of the concert to listing off the different directions the show is about to take; from the land of ‘00s pop-rock through darker industrial electronic and punk, all the way to emotional country ballads and, finally, an upbeat dance party. Everything has its place in the album, experimentation held together by the unapologetically pop sentiment in her writing that has turned Sawayama into a name frequently mentioned among discussions about the future of pop ever since the release of her outstanding 2020 debut LP.
One thing clear as day about Sawayama is that she refuses to pigeonhole herself. In this single rollout, the predecessor’s metal curveball gives way to a Shania Twain-inspired country pop track turned gay anthem (This Hell) that probably makes for the singer’s most radio friendly piece to date, the understated house club bop to a spacious ‘00s rock ode to her single mother (Catch Me In The Air), and the rock-infused RnB highlight to the UK garage-fusion title song, the centerpiece touching on the theme at the heart of the record, of protecting the inner child against everything that can hinder joy and living true to yourself, whether that comes from societal norms, a specific cultural or religious upbringing, or toxic connections. Among the album’s stunners is Holy (Til You Let Me Go), a song Sawayama wanted to sound like a rave in a reverby, abandoned church- which she very successfully achieved- about finding peace after breaking free from religious confines, the chaotic UK garage number, Imagining, about being a victim to gaslighting, complete with the singer’s vocals pitched higher for the entirety of the track- a common practice in the genre- true to the feeling of struggling to recognize yourself, and the collection’s tearjerker; acoustic ballad Send My Love To John, inspired by a friend’s story and written from the perspective of a regretful mother accepting her son’s queerness after years of denial, dedicated to members of the community who never got the apology they deserved to hear by their loved ones. “The idea of, where do I start and where [other people] begin is something that I’ve only really truly learned recently,” Sawayama told them. “I think this record overall is about finding out what those boundaries are.”
Tracks not to miss: Hold The Girl, Holy (Til You Let Me Go), Your Age, Imagining
NCT 127 – 2 Baddies – The 4th Album
As the first fixed- take that with a grain of salt- subunit to debut under the name of the NCT collective which as of today counts over 20 members under its umbrella, and the face of SM Entertainment’s futuristic, limitless idol group-constructing endeavor, 9-membered NCT 127 has always stood for ambition, experimentation and pushing musical boundaries. With 2 Baddies, the 6-year old act that has left an undeniable mark on the typical boy group sound of K-pop’s 4th generation, sets out to create their most trademark title track to date. Featuring a signature nasty bassline, shouted hook, and a shift to the rap focus of their earlier days after a recent streak of vocal-heavy singles- although it has to be said that the rap quality has paradoxically declined here rather than improved- 2 Baddies oozes fervent charisma and masculinity, alongside its vibrant sports car and neon paint visuals.
However, as it is usually said about the group’s versatile discography, if you don’t let the “noisy” single fool you, you can always find a true goldmine of harmony in their B-side collection. Courtesy of a frequent collaborator, producer Dem Jointz (Kanye West, Rihanna, Anderson .Paak), and co-penned by members MARK and TAEYONG, the dreamy Time Lapse and groovy Designer make the most standout tracks of the record, showcasing adventurous colors of RnB fusion. Other highlights include Crash Landing, a drill-inspired cut featuring vocals upon vocals and a luscious bridge, as well as the genre-bending, menacing intro of Faster. SME has historically had a knack for its artists’ 4th full-length albums and 2 Baddies by NCT 127 more than deserves its place in the hall of fame as a satisfactory sampler of all the best aces under the group’s sleeve.
(A top 20 NCT title track ranking is coming on this Substack next, so stay tuned if you’re interested!)
Tracks not to miss: Time Lapse, Crash Landing, Designer
SZA – SOS
On her sophomore LP, SZA gets curiously adventurous and brutally raw. With a bloodstain on her Shirt, a phenomenal earworm of a single- I honestly don’t know if any other song occupied the no1 spot on my Spotify “On Repeat” as much as this throughout 2022, although just out of time for Wrapped- accompanied by violent, Tarantino-adjacent imagery in its music video and a largely unsettling dance visual, the contemporary RnB star kicked off the era signaling danger; The record goes off on a gunshot, and introduces itself with a run of some of its strongest cards, including morbid lullaby and TikTok hit Kill Bill, personal favorite, gritty Low, featuring Travis Scott… on the adlibs, and breathtaking Blind, a track that, in its gorgeous nakedness, stands out as already a career classic, featuring SZA delivering with focus sharp as a knife over delicate guitars.
SOS sags a little somewhere after its middle- offering a couple of unmemorable cuts and SZA’s take on the pop punk resurgence (F2F), which I personally could’ve done without- which, beyond giving the album a little too long of a runtime, proves to be a flaw that predictably lands it below the modern classic status of 2017’s all-hit, no-miss Ctrl. Yet, this project bounces back with the songwriter’s pen skillful as ever and its strong conceptual agenda: comprising of horror elements peppered all-throughout, as well as calculated vocal doubling and distortion that consistently hints at the eerie presence of another self of SZA’s, lurking beneath the water’s surface. One that unapologetically lusts, but mostly for blood.
Tracks not to miss: Low, Blind, Ghost in the Machine (feat. Phoebe Bridgers), Shirt
john eun – Suna
Mostly known to the public through his friendship and close collaboration with BTS’s RM- and maintaining a very minimal online presence- John Eun is a South Korean singer-songwriter and guitarist who made his debut with his Groove Merchant EP in 2019. The artist’s first full length, Suna, finds itself far from the bright yellows and neo soul-adjacent conventions of that project, adhering more to the moody aesthetic of its following singles, most notably the folky, atmospheric Hope- that features background vocals from RM himself. Although released right in the middle of the summer, Suna hides from the sun, reveling in its own inner warmth; multi-layered soundscapes and familiar, ingenuous melodies accompanied by prominent guitar work, reminiscent of John Mayer essentials, the broody moments and instrumental build-ups of Mumford & Sons and even Bon Iver’s haunting stacked harmonies as well as use of space at times- like on my personal favorite Doppelganger. Occasional piano details that could almost go unnoticed, intros and outros bordering on ambient, and mixing choices- Eyes as the highlight here- that feel purposefully precise yet holistically natural, Suna could very well pass as a live album, its core strength lying in its thoroughly organic approach, with Eun even stating that no pitch correction was used on any of the tracks, which of course is a vital part of its experience.
I don’t gravitate towards projects of indie sensibility easily nowadays- be it I had my fair share of time with the genre in high school and in some ways grew out of it, or that me and its stillness and quietness don’t mesh well anymore for unknown reasons- yet there was something gripping, and perhaps refreshing, about the rawness of Suna that kept me returning to it. Probably something to do with Eun’s relationship to language that permeates the songs, all written in English except the one- Cry Not Cry- in Korean, and the payoff of not being forced to choose between the two languages while writing. The simultaneous effortlessness and punch to the gut of “Loneliness is something that cannot be tamed” and “There’s a limit to the love that you’ve been searching for”.
Tracks not to miss: Doppelganger, Vagabond, Shape Of Rain
RM – Indigo
“[…] I was focusing on expanding my personal thoughts to something universal, so people can approach it and think it could be their own stories, too.” RM told Variety ahead of his album release- mirroring the sentiment discussed above in regards to Rina Sawayama- which would make Indigo the rapper’s solo project that embraces pop outlines like no other (referring to the gritty, self-titled RM and the deeply introspective mono., both mixtapes released for free in 2015 and 2018 respectively, with no promotional expectations). As a leader and main songwriter for BTS, RM has played a crucial role in shaping the group’s lyrical identity for 9 years. After the announcement of the members’ plans to take a temporary break from team promotions along with their intentions of completing their military service in South Korea and venturing off into solo endeavors took place last June, we saw the drop of fellow rapper j-hope’s dark-hearted Jack In The Box in July (unfortunately didn’t make it into this list) which Indigo joined at the start of December. However, one couldn’t say the albums’ company is all that harmonious, whether in mood or visual approach, though with the most striking difference having to do with the people involved.
Contrasting JITB’s evidently decisive lack of features and commitment to being a thoroughly solo effort, for Indigo, RM recruits heroes, friends and peers to craft an album he describes as an archive of his- slowly coming to an end- twenties, that carries its influences and inspirations on its sleeve. From “queen of neo soul” Erykah Badu’s wisdom channeled in jazzy, Robert Glasper soundscape-adjacent Yun, the album’s revelatory opener where RM iterates “I wanna be a human, ‘fore I do some art” recounting the legacy of beloved South Korean painter Yun Hyong-keun, to Korean cultural landmark Coming of age ceremony’s Park Jiyoon’s friendly accompaniment in mellow closer No.2 and “don’t look back no more”, referring to older moments in his journey with a defiance for regret, RM swims freely through various genres and moods- including hip-hop, stripped-down folk and lively city pop among others- while safely held by their connoisseurs all throughout. The record’s biggest highlight is its rather unorthodox for industry standards choice of main single, the- placed second to last- 4 and a half-minute anthemic rock ballad Wild Flower featuring Cherry Filter’s vocalist and South Korean rock icon Cho Youjeen, where the rapper discusses the internal struggle between fame and self-preservation. Indigo is a product of apt collaboration and still, a collage of self-narrated stories; held together into one body by RM’s grounded subject matter and delivery, and laced with the comfort of worn out jeans- “the colors of nature, human, etc.”
(Here is a playlist I made, showcasing Indigo’s influences and the relevant work of its collaborators.)
Tracks not to miss: Yun (with Erykah Badu), Still Life (with Anderson .Paak), Forg_tful (with Kim Sawol), Wild Flower (with youjeen)
Thank you so much for caring to check my words out. I’m so glad to have you here.
I hope this was an enjoyable read, and if you decide to give any of these releases a listen, I hope the music resonates with you.
My favorite track from each of the albums above has been added to the ‘Of The Moment’ playlist, where you can find most of the songs mentioned on this Substack.
Comments are always appreciated! Feel free to reach out to me in any way you prefer. I would love to hear from you!
Have a wonderful week.