Well, we’ve officially made it six months into 2022. Congratulations? Is that a milestone worth celebrating? Even I don’t know at this point. But we’re here and might as well make the best of it. I’m not going to spend any time recapping world events or making grandiose political statements right now. That’s what social media and your local news sources are for. This site is all about music, and as such I am going to share a whole bunch of it with you right now.
Given how things have been going, I suspect you may have missed a few songs or albums these last few months. I know I have! Reasonably speaking, you’d have to be almost superhuman to hear every great song or album in a year. But I have listened to a LOT of music in the first half of 2022 and am thrilled to have collected 100 of my favorite songs into a very convenient playlist you can explore to your heart’s content.
There are giant hit songs on this thing. You want Harry Styles and Beyonce? Oh, they’re both on here. Kendrick Lamar and Chance the Rapper? You’d better believe they’re back in excellent form. Maybe you’re more of a Florence + The Machine, Arcade Fire, or Yeah Yeah Yeahs kind of person. I’ve got you covered. Love indie darlings like Mitski and Big Thief? Obviously they’re on the playlist. But for those looking for genuine discovery, there are some sprinkles of up-and-coming artists to be found as well. May I offer up servings of girlhouse, Jane Inc., Madelline, and Folly Group for your ears? Cool, catchy tracks abound.
Please note this playlist is in no specific ranked order. I’ve arranged them largely for genre and flow, so for example you’ll get plenty of pop up top, a nice serving of rap in the midsection, and more rock-based flair towards the end. Of course you could always just listen on shuffle and see how that plays out. Anyway, at 100 songs and just over six hours in total length, this playlist should keep you busy and distracted for a while. You can play it when hanging out at home, hosting a party with friends, or simply trying to make it through a long work day. It functions well in all of those scenarios. Above all else, I hope you enjoy and feel encouraged to explore some new music outside of your traditional boundaries or bubble.
Here are direct links to listen(/watch) this playlist on either YouTube or Spotify. Embedded versions of both are below that, followed by YouTube links to every individual track.
YouTube Playlist
Spotify Playlist
Maggie Rogers – That’s Where I Am
Harry Styles – As It Was
Tove Lo – No One Dies From Love
Charli XCX – Yuck
Caroline Polachek – Billions
Arlo Parks – Softly
Dove Cameron – Boyfriend
Rina Sawayama – This Hell
Grace Ives – Loose
Lucy Dacus – Kissing Lessons
Madelline – Participation Trophies
beabadoobee – See You Soon
girlhouse – paul blart mall cop
Soccer Mommy – Shotgun
Raveena – Kathy Left 4 Kathmandu
AURORA – A Temporary High
MUNA – What I Want
Nilüfer Yanya – stabilise
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Spitting Off the Edge of the World (ft. Perfume Genius)
Mitski – Stay Soft
Florence + The Machine – Free
Wet Leg – Angelica
Automatic – New Beginning
yeule – Bites On My Neck
Two Shell – home
Tiësto – Hot In It (ft. Charli XCX)
Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul – It Hit Me
Sofia Kourtesis – Estación Esperanza (ft. Manu Chao)
Ibibio Sound Machine – Protection From Evil
ROSALÍA – SAOKO
Bad Bunny – Callaita
The Weeknd – Gasoline
FKA twigs – lightbeamers
Ravyn Lenae – Light Me Up
Beyoncé – BREAK MY SOUL
KAINA – Apple
NNAMDÏ – I Don’t Wanna Be Famous
DRAMA – Don’t Hold Back
Amber Mark – One
Syd – Out Loud (ft. Kehlani)
Mallrat – Surprise Me (ft. Azealia Banks)
Leikeli47 – Chitty Bang
Earl Sweatshirt – Tabula Rasa (ft. Armand Hammer)
Kendrick Lamar – N95
Pusha T – Scrape It Off (ft. Lil Uzi Vert & Don Toliver)
Chance the Rapper – The Highs & The Lows (ft. Joey Bada$$)
Denzel Curry – X-Wing
Saba – Come My Way (ft. Krayzie Bone)
Vince Staples – ROSE STREET
Yung Kayo – it’s a monday
Junglepussy – MOVIE SCREEN
Sudan Archives – Selfish Soul
Yaya Bey – alright
Barees Strange – Wretched
Soul Glo – Jump!! (Or Get Jumped!!!)((by the future))
Otoboke Beaver – Pardon?
Folly Group – I Raise You (The Price of Your Head)
Cola – Blank Curtain
The Smile – You Will Never Work in Television Again
Fontaines D.C. – Jackie Down the Line
PUP – Totally Fine
Momma – Speeding 72
Sharon Van Etten – Mistakes
Sunflower Bean – Who Put You Up to This?
Porridge Radio – Back to the Radio
Luna Li – Silver Into Rain (ft. beabadoobee)
Spoon – Wild
Big Thief – Simulation Swarm
MJ Lenderman – You Are Every Girl to Me
Enumclaw – Jimmy Neutron
Destroyer – June
Warpaint – Champion
Widowspeak – Everything Is Simple
Cate Le Bon – Moderation
Aldous Harding – Lawn
Jenny Hval – Year of Love
Braxe + Falcon – Step By Step (ft. Panda Bear)
Animal Collective – We Go Back
Jockstrap – Concrete Over Water
Let’s Eat Grandma – Happy New Year
Jane Inc. – 2120
Arcade Fire – Unconditional II (Race and Religion) (ft. Peter Gabriel)
Beach House – Only You Know
Hurray for the Riff Raff – PIERCED ARROWS
Flasher – Love Is Yours
Horsegirl – Anti-glory
Preoccupations – Ricochet
Just Mustard – Still
Dehd – Bad Love
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – The Way It Shatters
Camp Cope – Running with the Hurricane
Angel Olsen – Big Time
Wilco – Falling Apart (Right Now)
SASAMI – Call Me Home
Maria BC – The Only Thing
Tomberlin – tap
Kurt Vile – Like Exploding Stones
Spiritualized – The Mainline Song
Black Country, New Road – Good Will Hunting
Father John Misty – The Next 20th Century
