The 100 Best Songs of 2022: Staff List

Before this summer, Tariq was just like any other seven-year-old in Brooklyn, hanging out at the park with his grandmother and sister. But then he openly declared his love of corn to YouTuber Julian Shapiro-Barnum, and his squeaky-voiced ode to the grain was flipped into one of the catchiest hooks in recent memory by Michael Gregory, and the most wholesome meme song of the year was born. There may be many hits on this list that are forgotten as time rolls by, but years from now the refrain from this track will still pop into your head from out of nowhere and bring a smile to your face. After all, it has the juice. — DAN RYS

It’s hard to tell what’s more winning about “Alaska”: its witty lyrics or its upbeat sound. Both are important in making the song so effective and catchy, but in the end it’s the fact that it’s a huapango (Mexican music style) that just makes you want to get on your feet and dance. Plus, you add lyrics that are fun to sing along to because of their play on words (staying true to Camilo and songwriting partner Edgar Barrera’s style), and Camilo and Grupo Firme struck gold with “Alaska.”  — GRISELDA FLORES

“I’d still kill for you / I’d die to spend the night at your belonging,” sings Sabrina Teitelbaum, a.k.a. Blondshell, in the opening of her debut single “Olympus.” It’s a telling introduction to one of the industry’s most talked-about new indie rock talents, and received instant-enough acclaim to lead to her inking a deal with Partisan Records. Like her singles that proceeded it, “Olympus” is brazen and cutting – depicting the collision of love and addiction — and full of lyrical barbs that will stick with you long after the song is over. Teitelbaum has released high-quality music before, first as the feminist indie-pop artist BAUM, but now, as Blondshell, Teitelbaum’s identity as a songwriter has never been mightier. — KRISTIN ROBINSON

Sunshine pop lives! This song about a new crush doubles as an ode to the timeless youthful joy of cruising around your neighborhood in a convertible – or as close as you can come to one – with your favorite music at full blast. The beyond-catchy song, which reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100, has a modern pop sheen, but really could have been a hit at any point in the last 50+ years. – PAUL GREIN 

The first moments of the beat on “POSE” climb in decibels, drawing in the listener like they’re opening the door to a party and making their way to the dancefloor. From there, MICHELLE’s track thumps like a quickening heartbeat. The slick single off the collective’s stellar After Dinner We Talk Dreams album queues “the fog machine to run real slow,” and would sync perfectly over a montage of poses from the underground ballroom documentary Paris is Burning, showcasing the New York group’s appreciation for queer culture. — TAYLOR MIMS

One of the more unexpected trends of early ’20s popular music — gauzy indie balladry scoring a number of Tik-Tok-accelerated breakout hits — finally crossed over to the Hot 100’s top 40 with d4vd’s “Romantic Homicide,” a beautiful and violent daydream of a pop song. The straight-faced contrast between its murderously nonplussed lyrics (“In the back of my mind, you died/ And I didn’t even cry”) and the swooning guitar melodies made it an easy sell for viral success, and the fact that the teenage d4vd already has a follow-up hit makes it clear “Homicide” is merely his first offense, and won’t be his lifetime sentence. — ANDREW UNTERBERGER

“Attempting to correct the vibe” could have easily been 2022’s mission statement — and if it was, Kaytranada & Anderson .Paak’s glorious “Twin Flame” would have made a fitting theme song. The grooving single serves as a testament to Kaytranada’s flexibility as a star producer — the looping piano lines blend seamlessly into the four-on-the-floor beat patter, giving way to .Paak’s liquidized flow and perfectly restrained voice. — STEPHEN DAW

Full of bold one-liners, Central Cee’s July hit “Doja” puts a flawless U.K. drill spin on Eve and Gwen Stefani’s 2001 classic “Let Me Blow Ya Mind.” The West London rapper samples the all-star team-up and expresses his admiration for the titular pop star, rapping, “Somebody tell Doja Cat, that I’m tryna indulge in that,” for the chorus. Cench’s one-off single also earned him some social media buzz, and he continued to flex his wordplay forte with an impressive L.A. Leakers freestyle explaining U.K. slang, which went viral not too long after. — CYDNEY LEE

Throughout Saturno, the Puerto Rican space cadet finds a sweet spot between new wave coolness and ‘80s freestyle momentum. On “Dime Quién????,” El Fókin Zorro continues to bring his insatiable vigor and howling vocals to the spotlight, while he pleads to know who the sancho is. But the high-energy banger gets you on your feet in an instant (think Michael Sembello’s “Maniac”), accentuated by analog synth-pop and a thumping bass that harkens back to 1984’s Footloose — to match with Alejandro’s footwork, as seen in its accompanying video. The chameleonic singer further proves his genre-hopping prowess while never losing his sly emo edge. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

BLACKPINK may have kicked off their sophomore album Born Pink with a taste of “Pink Venom,” but the K-pop girl group elevates their latest era to even greater heights with the swagger and savvy of second single “Shut Down.” Melding bouncing hip-hop with a sample of Niccolò Paganini’s 1826 violin concerto “La Campanella” proves ingenious as Rosé, Jisoo, Lisa and Jennie assert their status as the biggest girl group in the world. Now catch ‘em when you hear their Lamborghini go vroom, vroom, vroom, vroom… – GLENN ROWLEY

A London-born triple-threat (DJ, producer, singer), Rose made her mark in the house underground in 2021, injecting tracks like “Moves” and “Another Love” with airy, carefree charm. She charged into the mainstream this year with “B.O.T.A.,” which merges cheerful club come-ons (“do you wanna dance baby?”) with memorable sloganeering (“she’s the baddest of them all”). The pelting beat, courtesy of Manchester producer Interplanetary Criminal, gallops at 137 beats per minute, considerably faster than your average house track, like it’s hoping to win the Preakness. “B.O.T.A.” performed well in a different sort of competition, rising to No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles chart. — ELIAS LEIGHT

Beyond the steamy booty-ography from the song’s music video or the viral TikTok dance challenge that first put it on the map, “Envolver” is the undeniable worldwide hit (topping the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart) that the Brazilian superstar had been building toward, thanks to its saucy lyrics and hypnotic beat. The no-strings-attached reggaetón romp cemented such a pop profile for Anitta, in fact, that she’s up for best new artist at the 2023 Grammys. – KATIE ATKINSON

You don’t need to talk Doechii into having a good time. The buttery “Persuasive” tracks the rapper’s loving relationship with weed, as she croons her way through a particularly effective smoke session over a jolting beat. The song was already a stellar kickback before it invited along a mind-altering guest verse from R&B paragon SZA — with her inclusion, it becomes a performance worthy of the hype surrounding the acclaimed artists at its center. — S.D.

The finest of several excellent singles Kelela released this year in advance of her 2023 album Raven — her first since 2017 debut LP Take Me Apart — “Happy Ending” reminds us of the alt-R&B singer-songwriter’s unique blend of accessibility and mystery. It feels like club music, and its ’90s rave-looking video certainly shows it being at home in that element, but its energy is more confounding than cathartic, with puzzle pieces of song lyrics and a woozy, synth-blanketed drum n’ bass beat that never quite slides them into place. “It’s deeper than fantasy,” Kelela insists, and we have to take her word for it. — A.U.

GloRilla bulldozed her way into the rap game when she and Memphis producer HitKidd dropped “F.N.F.” ahead of summer. “F.N.F.” became a rallying cry for single women embracing freedom and drama-free lives admonishing half-assed relationships and trifling men with her gruff delivery (“I’m F-R-E-E, f–k n—a free,”). The single detonated Big Glo’s career, as she landed a deal with Yo Gotti’s indomitable CMG Empire, and it also notched her a Grammy nomination last month for best rap song. — CARL LAMARRE

From the opening notes of their debut single, British trio FLO makes it clear they’re channeling the spirit — and chill-inducing harmonies — of late ‘90s/early ‘00s R&B. Taking inspiration in equal measures from the likes of 702, Blaque and Destiny’s Child, “Cardboard Box” is something of a little sister to Beyoncé’s classic 2006 kiss-off “Irreplaceable.” By the time the threesome finish kicking a cheating beau to the curb, they’ve proved they might just have the charisma and vocal chops to be crowned those girl groups’ latest heir apparents. — G.R.

Much of beabadoobee’s sophomore album, Beatopia, floats by in a dreamy soft focus, but lead single “Talk” was built to stand out. A swirl of guitar and drum starts the song, but seven seconds in, it vanishes as Bea Laus drops in to give a snapshot of her favorite day of the week for going out: “Call you up on a Tuesday.” Gritty electric guitars balance Laus’s whimsical voice, as she considers the temptation of a weeknight escapade. But that hesitation lasts for only a fraction of a second before she makes good on a “bad decision,” one that leaves partying on a weekend seem painfully lame by comparison. — CHRISTINE WERTHMAN

“Lil Uzi Vert makes a Jersey Club hit” may not have been on your 2022 bingo card, but in hindsight, the hyperactive bounce of the Newark-born sound makes perfect sense as a sonic avenue for the elastic-voiced rapper to explore. At barely over two minutes and with one clipped verse, “Just Wanna Rock” bashes the listener between the eyes and sees itself out; we’re left dizzied, adjusting to Uzi’s new lane, and eager to absorb that sound again. — JASON LIPSHUTZ

Kiki and Elton. Dolly and Kenny. Well, now add Carly and Rufus to the canon of iconic pop duet partners. It feels a little like destiny that these two Canadians — both experts at deploying sticky pop melodies saturated with deeply-felt emotions, albeit usually against very different musical backdrops — should unite on a song blending drama, camp and danceability. Few artists could sell an over four-minute track with a spoken interlude with the charm that these two do. And speaking of that interlude, don’t underestimate the catchiness of its refrain: it’s coming back to (your head), baby. — REBECCA MILZOFF

As he often does throughout 2021 debut album Montero, Lil Nas X waits but a few seconds before launching into its third single, a top 10 Hot 100 hit in 2022. The controlled chaos of its yearning yet frustrated lyrics and feverish backing guitar all feel a bit like the thrill of a fast-paced roller coaster; it zooms around in a blink, and before you know it, you’re in the thick of a chorus reminiscent of the ride’s most exhilarating slope. And even if you can’t catch your breath until it’s over, it’s only a matter of time before you’re in line for another go. — JOSH GLICKSMAN

There’s no shortage of country songs that espouse seizing the moment, whether it’s Garth Brooks’ “If Tomorrow Never Comes” or Tim McGraw’s “Live Like You Were Dying,” but few have the urgency of Johnson’s chugging, mid-tempo missive “Til You Can’t.” Through vivid imagery and an increasingly driving melody, Johnson runs through several quotidian, non-urgent scenarios (whether it’s “taking the phone call from your mama” or “fixing up that Pontiac” with your granddad or even just following your dreams) before encouraging the listener to “take it while you got a chance” — because, unfortunately, there will be a day when the opportunity is no longer there. — MELINDA NEWMAN

The otherworldly piano and guitar riffs of “Hold Me Closer” sound as if they have been bouncing around the cosmos since, say, 1971. The origin of this entrancing track, of course, is actually pure Pandemic Era, an outtake from Elton John’s album of remotely recorded collaborations, The Lockdown Sessions.  Tapping another of his classics, “The One,” for the song’s opening lyrics and borrowing the “WHOO HOO!” exclamation from his Hot 100-topping “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” Elton warmly led Britney back to the pop world — and also to her first No. 1 hit in five years, as “Hold Me Closer” topped both the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs and Adult Pop Airplay charts, and hit No. 6 on the Hot 100. — THOM DUFFY

Long before her latest single went viral on TikTok, Chappell Roan was making hypnotic, derisive songs about fraught relationships. But with “Casual,” her fiery ode to a lover refusing to commit, the singer let her pen run wild. The lyrics, co-written with pop auteur Dan Nigro — who knows a thing or two about bitter love songs — causticly bemoan the pitfalls of the supposedly less-than-serious entanglement, while the production lays the snark on thick with its bedroom-pop dreaminess. If the war on situationships has begun, then Roan stands on the front lines with this rousing battle-cry. — S.D.

On latest album Bronco, Orville Peck evokes the attitude of outlaw and the rich soundscapes of countrypolitan. The masked mysterian run laps around his vocal contemporaries on this lush, Orbison-esque album highlight, flaunting a silky baritone and a tremulous tear in his voice, while urging the smile-while-your-heart-is-breaking types to drop the façade and “C’Mon Baby, Cry.” — JOE LYNCH

With a lush garden of mystic instrumentation, corralled by producer Jack Antonoff, and a spiritual commitment to honoring everyday feminine divinity, Florence Welch’s comeback single is an absolute stunner from start to finish. Everything about this ballad – its gothic feel and occult aesthetics, the sparking electricity of her quietly powerful voice – is a reminder that Welch is one of our most singular artists, operating on her own terms to serve her muses alone. — HANNAH DAILEY

More than just about any other celebrity, Lizzo freely lets us see her faults and imperfections. In this follow-up to “About Damn Time,” Lizzo quips “I did ‘the work’/ It didn’t work.” Later, she has an aha moment, posing a question that might take someone years of therapy to formulate – “How am I supposed to love somebody else when I don’t like myself?” That’s pretty profound for what is for the most part a feel-good pop song. As for the question Lizzo poses in the parenthetical part of the song title, Lizzo, you were born ready. — P.G.

First teased in a Beats Fit Pro commercial, “Magic” became the first single off of Vince Staples’s highly anticipated fifth album, Ramona Park Broke My Heart. The Long Beach rapper joined forces with Grammy award-winning L.A. producer Mustard for the feel-good, G-funk-inspired track, which sees Staples rapping about his childhood antics, growing up in the Ramona Park section of Long Beach and ultimately making it out of his city. “When you get two n—as from different sides of the city to do something like this, I guess you could call that magic,” Mustard says on the outro. He’s not wrong. — C. Lee

While Tove Lo songs often rely more on hook construction than bravura vocal takes, the strength of the post-breakup synth-pop fantasia “No One Dies From Love,” which preceded her Dirt Femme album, rests in her performance of the couplet “No one dies from love/ Guess I’ll be the first.” Her voice collapses in resignation, the final syllable elongated to demonstrate a level of sadness that, in her mind, is biologically unprecedented. It’s one of the best pop moments of the year, within a gem of a lead single. — J. Lipshutz

P2J helped produce Wizkid’s biggest hit, “Essence,” so it’s no surprise that the two continue their fruitful partnership with “Bad to Me.” But where “Essence” was feather-light, like a contented sigh, “Bad to Me” is more rugged, with meandering guitar giving way to jabbing bass. Wizkid is a multi-tasking master: He flirts charismatically, boasts convincingly, and keeps an eye on his friends all at once, demanding “Casamigos/For my amigos.” — E.L.

This year signaled the rise of a stunning variety of women rappers, from Latto and GloRilla to Flo Milli and Doechii. Now jot down another name: Ice Spice. With a smooth flow riding on stuttering drill beats, the Bronx rapper went viral with this tough-talking track that unflinchingly dismisses a would-be suitor, a.k.a. “munch.”  “Bitch, I’m a baddie, I get what I want, like / You thought I was feelin’ you?  … / That n—a a munch,” raps Ice Spice. The catchy hook made Ice Spice an instant sensation and simultaneously introduced a new noun to 2022’s vernacular. — GAIL MITCHELL

Many thought this was an original song by norteño band Grupo Frontera, but it’s actually a satisfying blast from the past. Breathing fresh air into Morat’s 2019 pop ballad “No Se Va,” Frontera’s version is a nice cumbia-norteña version that exploded on TikTok and put the group from McAllen, Texas on the map. The cover became only the fifth regional Mexican song to hit the Hot 100 in the chart’s 64-year history, reaching a No. 57 high after entering the chart in November. — GRISELDA FLORES

When Taylor Swift first announced at the 2022 VMAs she’d be dropping her 10^th studio album this year, she told us, “Meet me at midnight.” We the Swifties came running, and that phrase went on to become the opening line off Midnights’ opening track, “Lavender Haze.” Her gauzy vocals soar atop whirring synthesizers and backing vocals from Zoë Kravitz (among others), while the lyrics encapsulate Swift’s desire to wholeheartedly reject “the 1950s s—t they want from me,” focusing her energy on her relationship. Sounds like she’s still working on that part — but crafting irresistible nocturnal pop bangers, she’s got that down. — DANIELLE PASCUAL

Showing the difference between writing a great Lady Gaga tribute and a straight-up great Lady Gaga single, Rina Sawayama’s “This Hell” was born this way, baby, and deliciously proud of it. The song’s stomping synth-rock groove burns a hole in the road from here to the afterlife, making all the right decisions along the way as it flips the bird to the gatekeepers of the great beyond and makes plans to party down below deck instead. By the time it hits the “Pass the wine, b–ch/ We’re going straight to Hell” bridge, you can practically see Mother Monster throwing up the devil sign in the front row. — A.U.

Though Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers lacked the same commercial appeal that made DAMN a mainstream thriller, K. Dot didn’t leave fans who were looking for big new singles empty-handed. On “Die Hard,” Lamar dials back the lyrical intensity, but his message remains poignant as he nosedives into his past relationship trauma (“I got some regrets/ But my past won’t keep me from my best.”). With singers Blxst and Amanda Reifer on deck, the embattled MC aims to right his wrongs for the sake of his family and become the man he always dreamed of being. — C. Lamarre

Nashville-based singer-songwriter GAYLE unleashed an unescapable hit this year with an alphabetic hook, a singalong melody and a cathartic cataloging of all of her ex’s shortcomings. From the “F you” that starts the very first verse of this musical middle finger, GAYLE wastes no time disparaging an ex-lover and basically everyone in their orbit (except the dog, of course), right down to that “Craigslist couch and the way your voice sounds.” Written by GAYLE with Sara Davis and David Pittenger, “abcdefu” became a viral TikTok sensation-turned-No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Global 200 chart for four weeks, and earned a song of the year nod at the upcoming 2023 Grammys. — JESSICA NICHOLSON

An ominous, slow-building murder ballad (are there any other?) from the stylistically unpredictable HARDY, “wait in the truck” is a harrowing dual-perspective tale of abuse, vigilante justice, imprisonment and redemption. The songwriter-turned-solo artist’s voice is as uncompromising and potent as an unfiltered Marlboro on this gospel-flavored country odyssey, while a shotgun-riding Lainey Wilson fills up “truck” with a fragility and resilience that give it a haunting emotional core. — J. Lynch

“Plan B” marked a palpable career shift for Megan Thee Stallion, who first debuted the scorching track during her set at Coachella this year. The Houston rapper had long proved in her previous work that she can deliver sexy and self-assured, but over a sizzling sample of the remix to Jodeci’s 1995 hit “Freek’n You,” she asserted high-heeled dominance in a different category, which would later become one of the core themes of her sophomore album Traumazine: female wrath. — H.D.

In this frantically paced Charlie single, Puth learns the hard way that just as quickly as his love interest can turn him on, she can also shut the whole thing down with a titular flip. “Why you always wanna act like lovers, but you never wanna be each other’s?” he asks. While Charlie picks up the hint (or not), we’ll be bobbing our heads to the top 40 hit‘s brisk, synthy beat. – K.A.

A peak club night is ultimately simple: you, your friends, dancing, darkness and the ineffable sensations of joy and catharsis that these components together are uniquely capable of delivering. Therein lies the vibe of “Lights Out,” the January stunner from U.K. producer Fred again.., The xx vocalist Romy and Australian star HAAi. Mixing in elements of house, breakbeat, garage and one perfectly placed air raid siren, the exultant, occasionally tender track (“now my heart won’t break, it bends,” declares Romy) moves at a warp speed, building to a rapturous climax that sounds just like how your best nights out feel. — KATIE BAIN

A 21 Savage-Tyler, The Creator collaboration produced by Pharrell Williams probably would have worked well at any point in the super-trio’s respective careers, but the blistering heater “Cash In Cash Out” benefits from particularly fortuitous timing. Savage, in the middle of a dominant 2022, is in flamethrower mode over Pharrell’s tics and whirrs, pummeling the track into submission with Ferrari reference and Redman puns; meanwhile, Tyler is still basking in the bar-splitting triumph of Call Me If You Get Lost, and aims at tossing up catchphrases and flow switches like they’re heat checks. — J. Lipshutz

While fans were still exploring the expansive world of Rosalía’s third studio album Motomami, the Spanish artist dropped an additional 12 tracks, remixes and interludes — including standout “Despécha.” Never one to shy away from mixing and matching sounds like a musical Frankenstein, Rosalía fuses mambo, pop and merengue for a monster hit that landed the Catalonia-born artist her first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100. If your feet can move fast enough, it’s an irresistible dancefloor anthem to shirking off heartbreak by going out with your friends and not leaving the club until you’ve got your crown. — T.M. 

With its soulful electric guitar groove and vivid opening lyric painting a picture of Morris as an aspiring songwriter, driving to Nashville in a “Montero with an AC busted,” “Circles” feels like the flipside of her early hit “80s Mercedes” — the story of a scrappy young woman “trying to find something worth singing about.” It’s a classic Morris lead single, anchored by her trademark soulful vocals and a sinuous melody aided by co-writers Julia Michaels, “The Bones” collaborator Jimmy Robbins, and hubby Ryan Hurd. But it’s knowing how far she’s come in achieving her Music City dream — and how far from over her creative journey is — that gives “Circles” its real heart. — R.M.

Takeoff’s legacy as one of the most distinct and technically gifted rappers of his generation was secure long before his joint project Only Built for Infinity Links with fellow Migo Quavo. But listening to its lead single, “Hotel Lobby,” in the weeks after his tragic death at the age of 28, only reminds us how effortless showcasing those skills had become for him. From the opening declaration “Let’s get it” to every line-punctuating ad-lib (“Chill out!”) to the loving nod to his cohort (“I call him twin, ‘cause that be my brother”), Takeoff glides over the trap beat of “Hotel Lobby” with majestic, timeless ease. — J. Lipshutz

Phoebe Bridgers’ standalone single “Sidelines” gives her fanbase a rare look at the evolution of her songwriting from 2020’s Punisher to now, and a lot has changed in her life since her acclaimed sophomore project: the number of Pharbz grew exponentially (even to fandom-nickname size); she got engaged to Normal People actor Paul Mescal; and she earned four Grammy nominations. Though “Sidelines” is a notably subdued cut from Bridgers, anchored simply by a toy piano chords and minimal production, its subtlety allows the storytelling to take center stage. In “Sidelines,” Bridgers tells of her recent love-inspired epiphany, and being ready to live her life “with something to lose.” — K.R.

It was the collaboration we had all been waiting for, and good things come to those who wait. The Gs joined forces to deliver an anthem that is blunt, empowering and defiant. The ultimate song to belt to in unison with your best gals after getting out of a toxic relationship, “MAMIII” — which starts off with melancholy guitar chords but quickly transitions into a hypnotizing reggaetón beat — captivates both sonically and lyrically. — G.F.

In “Love Me More,” Mitski re-examines themes she has focused on throughout the course of her career — isolation, love, and fear – which feel timelier than ever in the wake of social distancing. With up-tempo synth-pop production, the song’s racing rhythm demonstrates the anxiety she feels over both needing to be seen and adored as an artist and also “wish[ing] that this would go away.” It’s an illustrative look inside the head of one of indie rock’s most masterful but elusive stars, over a decade into her career. Plus, it’s one of her most radio-ready singles to date, hitting No. 32 on the Hot Rock Songs chart and helping parent album Laurel Hell reach No. 5 on the Billboard 200. — K.R.

Rihanna finally put an end to her long-drawn-out musical hiatus with “Lift Me Up,” the lead single from Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. The unquestionably beautiful ballad – which acts as a tribute to late lead actor Chadwick Boseman – swells with affection, as Rihanna’s lithe, matured vocals effortlessly float above Ludwig Göransson’s arrangement, pulling on harp and heartstrings alike. With a No. 2 debut on the Billboard Hot 100, “Lift Me Up” also hopefully marks a solid start to RiRi’s comeback season. — HERAN MAMO

Lil Yachty did not intend to release “Poland,” but after the warbling track, inspired by cough syrup and a Poland Spring bottle, leaked and blew up on TikTok, the melodic rapper gave the people want they wanted and dropped the full version — all 83 seconds of it. With an assist from a Cole Bennett-directed video and millions of streams, the one-verse ditty landed Yachty his first top 40 hit in a lead role when it peaked at No. 40 on the Hot 100. The song also got love in the country it namechecks, traveling to No. 15 on the Poland Songs chart, so it sounds like a fieldtrip is in order. Wock’ OK in the checked bag?  — C.W.

“Runner” begins with a brief nod to the Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane,” before morphing into an infectious confection of sunny ‘70s California rock and sinister-lite lyrics. (Think Warren Zevon living long enough to write the Pineapple Express soundtrack.) G’s narrative leans toward the abstract, ping-ponging between the first and second person, but his reference to “a couple grand rolled up” in a pocket, and the song’s “Load it up, know your trigger like the back of my hand” refrain suggests the runner of the title is not training for a 5K. There’s also the song’s banger of a third verse, on which G repeatedly bleats then screams, “Yes, I have done a couple bad things” — the indie singalong line of the year. — FRANK DIGIACOMO

“Big Energy” turned out to be nothing short of a sweet, sweet fantasy for Latto, with the Tom Tom Club-interpolating smash serving as the rising rapper’s breakout track and catapulting her onto the Hot 100. Of course, the only thing more potent than Latto slyly referencing Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” on the original track was the Elusive Chanteuse herself hopping on the official remix, which helped send the crossover smash straight to No. 3. — G.R.

There aren’t too many scenarios where a year-end songs list pick could have cost the artist their life. But at the center of a painfully long-awaited political revolution, it can happen. In September, singer-songwriter Shervin Hajipour released the pained but hopeful “Baraye,” loosely translating to “For.” In doing so, the 25-year-old artist made history, creating a rallying call for Iranians everywhere who are demanding the removal of a government that has oppressed, imprisoned, tortured and murdered its people—especially women—en masse for over four decades. 

Following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini and subsequent uprisings, Hajipour pulled the poignant ballad’s lyrics from tweets shared by Iranians, spelling out the forbidden privileges they’d be willing to die for—privileges that for many of us are basic rights. “For dancing on the streets/ For the fear of kissing your lover in public,” he begins, going on to mention child labor, pollution, mass imprisonment and “nonstop tears.” The song earned international recognition, being chanted word-for-word in protests across the globe, gaining over 40 million views in two days and being submitted over 100,000 times to the Grammys’ new category for a song dedicated to social change. No matter the outcome of Iranians’ valiant efforts in their home country, “Baraye” will forever be cemented in history as a reminder of the power of music in galvanizing a generation. — NEENA ROUHANI

Not many artists would think of using a New Year’s celebration song — with fireworks and the whole bit — as the framework for a song about rediscovering and treasuring friendship, but that’s the boundless open-hearted creativity that U.K. psych-pop duo Let’s Eat Grandma usually operate with. “Happy New Year” captures a specific moment in the relationship between its soulmate creators so vividly, and with such dynamite synth riffing, that it becomes universal — the kind of pop anthem that you’ll gladly throw an arm around a stranger and belt along to together like you’ve known them all your life this Dec. 31. — A.U.

“Alien Superstar” opens with a blaring warning to “not attempt to leave the dance floor,” before transforming into one of the most danceable self-love anthems of the year. With a booming bassline, a heavenly interpolation of Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy” and “masterpiece genius/ drip intravenous” wordplay, the track is truly as “U-N-I-Q-U-E” as Beyoncé claims she is. An unapologetic celebration of her hard-earned success, she also pays homage to the greats that came before her, with references to the ballroom scene and a speech sample by Harlem’s National Black Theatre founder Barbra Ann Teer. Here and throughout RENAISSANCE, Bey proves she is still “that girl” and she’s not going anywhere. — D.P.

There is a yearning quality to Mexican-American trio Yahritza y Su Esencia’s “Soy El Único,” and a very unlikely one too. Whether it’s Yahritza’s arduous vocals, with the potential to make your heart sink when she hits those high notes; the sad sierreño melodies that resonate from the trio’s acoustic guitars; or the lovelorn lyrics she wrote when she was just 13 years old (now 16), the song hits a nerve that most teenage artists wouldn’t even know yet to look for. “How sad is it to love another person that doesn’t know how to value you,” she wails with a gut-wrenching delivery, capturing a unique-but-relatable feeling. — I.R.

With opening guitar lines that echo Joni Mitchell’s “Carey,” a chorus that gives a hat tip to the Gospel According to Matthew, and luscious background vocals from Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius, “You and Me on the Rock” is a joyous love song to Carlile’s wife Catherine Shepherd. As the singer tweeted upon release of the track as a single in June 2022, it celebrates “what my life is really built on, which is faith and my family, it’s a rock, and it’s solid,” So nice, she recorded it twice: the version from Carlile’s 2021 album In These Silent Days was re-cut for her live 2022 Laurel Canyon tribute set In The Canyon Haze. The original single earned Carlile a trifecta of 2023 Grammy nominations, including record of the year. — T.D.

It’d have been easy for U.K. indie paragons Arctic Monkeys to return from their latest four-year hiatus — during which their stateside fanbase swelled exponentially, with Tumblr-era appreciation crossing over to TikTok-era virality — with more alt-rock rave-ups and late-night drunk dials to enrapture their new generation of fans. Or maybe it wouldn’t have been easy, and that’s the point: “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball” shows frontman Alex Turner so entrenched in his Leonard Cohen and Scott Walker crooner dress-up, it’s hard to believe they weren’t always his clothes. But the song is stunning, with a gentle lushness worthy of 21st century Radiohead at their best, and a deeply felt (even when overtly sarcastic) Turner vocal that seems to chide anyone who expected different from him: “You’re getting cynical, and that won’t do.” – A.U.

Not so long ago, the Argentine DJ Bizarrap was just a rookie producer with a penchant for dropping a hot beat on a great freestyle. Meanwhile, Spanish hip-hop artist Quevedo was a locally praised lyricist and an internationally respected rap-battle player. When the Buenos Aires alchemist set the blueprint for his BZRP Music Sessions, he quickly became a force to be reckoned with. However, when he joined forces with Quevedo on “Vol. 52,” all hell broke loose. The track contains all the right elements for a monumental EDM banger: suspenseful opening synths, hard drops, and a ravenous thump. That, coupled with Quevedo’s baritone rap bars about a flirtatious rendezvous, sets the stage for “Vol. 52” to fulfill our listening and dancing urges — and propelled the song to the top of Billboard’s Global 200 chart for four nonconsecutive weeks. — I.R. 

Like much of Sophie Allison’s best work as Soccer Mommy, this impeccably crafted single and its vivid hook – “So whenever you want me, I’ll be around / I’m a bullet in a shotgun waiting to sound” – would’ve felt right at home on ’90s alternative radio. Oneohtrix Point Never, who produced “Shotgun” along with the rest of 2022’s sterling Sometimes, Forever, helps Allison secure a fittingly massive sound as she continues her evolution from lo-fi bedroom-pop auteur to bonafide rock star. — ERIC RENNER BROWN

Less than three months after promising a record that “sounds like feral joy” — a notion that has since defined her Surrender album cycle so much she named her current tour after it — Rogers released its rocking lead single, which illustrates the feeling to a tee. Highlighted by a building vocal and brash drums, “That’s Where I Am” harnesses all of the energy that made debut Heard It In a Past Life such a standout effort, and then jubilantly unleashes it at the apex of its bridge, spurring Rogers to take off sprinting through New York City in its music video. Listening, it’s hard to resist doing the same. — J.G.

The Mexican-American alt-everything singer comes out to play on this Neptunes-produced, bass-thumping earworm. Named after the ‘90s digital toy, “Tamagotchi” finds Apollo slipping in and out of his Spanish mother tongue when singing about living the fast life (“…los chicos me quieren tocar,” he croons about boys wanting to touch him) yet constantly craving physical connection from that special someone. The stylistic leap he took on “Tamagotchi” and its parent album Ivory helped Apollo earn a best new artist nod ahead of the 2023 Grammys. — H.M.

“Gordo got me on a wave,” Drake announces on “Sticky,” shouting out the veteran dance producer whose work on the track and the album from which it comes, Honestly, Nevermind, helped escort Drizzy further into clubland upon its June release. The dreamy, stuttering beat, layered in with a chopped falsetto vocal from multi-hyphenate musician Ry X, goes soft then hard, creating the foundation for Drake to muse about life, love and “how sticky it gets,” on one of the album’s only songs to inspire actual bars from its creator. — K.B.

“Vegas” was the uncontested standout of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis soundtrack, on which Doja Cat’s spitfire rap reimagining of Big Mama Thornton’s original version of The King’s “Hound Dog” — via vocal samples from Elvis actress Shonka Dukureh’s performance as Thornton — sparkled as the lead single. Peaking at No. 10 on the Hot 100, the track was a swaggering exhibition of the L.A. native’s talent as a master of her craft, artfully blending old-fashioned flair with modernity, masculinity with femininity and rock n’ roll with hip hop – all delivered by Doja with a wicked smile you can somehow hear through the microphone. — H.D.

After a five-year absence, the Hayley Williams-led trio returns with the jittery, retro “This is Why” — and if you don’t like it, “you can keep it to yourself,” Williams declares. It’s hard to know if the band is paranoid after almost three years of a panic-inducing pandemic or if they simply don’t have time for your crap as Williams sings, “This is why I don’t leave the house/ You say the coast is clear/but you won’t catch me out.” But the juxtaposition of the staccato melody with the antsy lyrics is prime Paramore. — M.N.

On “Vicious,” Sabrina Carpenter sings about being manipulated by a partner who’s tricked the rest of the world into considering them virtuous. Yet before singing the opening line, “One year, ten thousand bad moments,” Carpenter chuckles atop the chugging guitar — she’s no longer wounded by their deception, but she’s rolling her eyes for not seeing it sooner. That attention to detail separates Carpenter’s Emails I Can’t Send from most other pop albums this year, and turns “Vicious” into an appropriately cutting toast to the ones we’ve all spent too much time needlessly defending. — J. Lipshutz

A reimagination of September’s classic 2007 dance hit “Cry For You,” this late January release set the tone for a year filled with indelible samples and interpolations. While it doesn’t stray far from its predecessor sonically, it never needed to in order to live up to the hype it built ahead of its arrival. “Beg For You” combines two artists that excel at dance-pop on a club-ready romp squarely in their wheelhouse. Sometimes, the obvious formula works — as Charli XCX and Sawayama demonstrate while seamlessly trading verses on the sparkling homage. — J.G.

One thing about Nicki — she makes the freakiest hits. The animated rapper revisited her “Anaconda” playbook this year, flipping a Rick James sample all the way to No. 1 on the Hot 100. The playful smash works so well because it’s delightfully dirty (“I can lick it, I can ride it while you slipppin’ and slidin'”), yet rapped in such an innocent, sing-songy cadence that it sounds as sweet as apple pie. Only the superest freak could pull that off. – K.A.

Under her real name Priscilla Renea, Muni Long already had her pen game on point, writing songs for big names such as Rihanna and Ariana Grande. But with this self-penned R&B song, Long became a star in her own right — and a Grammy nominee for best new artist. Set off by the track’s seductive beat and Long’s sultry vocals (“I wanna give you your flowers / And some champagne showers”), the undulating ballad resonates with anyone in love, who wants to spend the titular time period doing whatever comes to mind with that special someone. — G.M.

“Free! Your! Self!” U.K. chanteuse Jessie Ware demands on her serotonin swirl of a single, released in July and produced by dance world legend Stuart Price. The pure-energy anthem braids urgent piano stabs, disco strings, funk bass and a dirty, swaggering beat into pure uncut dancefloor mania, over which Ware delivers dually punchy and purring vocals that command what the track itself is already expressing: “if it feels so good then… baby don’t you stop.” — K.B.

Who said men don’t hurt too? Sampling Toni Braxton’s 2000 hit “He Wasn’t Man Enough,” Burna cleverly flips the heartbreak anthem into an Afrobeats heater with “Last Last,” his first Hot 100 hit. Over ad-libs and guitar riffs lifted from Braxton’s smash, Burna ruminates about a past relationship gone sour. (“Maybe another time, maybe another life, you will be my wife, and we’ll get it right”). He doesn’t mince words, and welcomes his pain with aplomb, making “Last Last” the go-to soundtrack for us sadboys in 2022. — C. Lamarre

MUNA, 2021 signees to Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records, have a knack for capturing the complexities of relationships. This year, the alt-pop trio delivered a somehow both gentle and scathing rebuke of a lover on their self-titled album’s “Anything But Me.” It is a pop song with layers — its production is light and playful, alluding to the freedom of walking away from a relationship that no longer serves them. And it’s backed by the steady, consistent beat of someone firm in their conviction, who has “never been afraid of goodbye.” — T.M.

The Weeknd has perfected the formula for making amazing pop songs, but the real magic lies in how that formula never seems to get old. Like so many of the Toronto-born musician’s Hot 100 hits before it, the ‘80s-inspired “Out of Time” is equal parts fresh and familiar, with all the indefinable qualities of feeling instantly timeless, as its title might imply. And that creepy-yet-soothing Jim Carrey outro? Icing on the cake. — H.D.

The last three years have played out like a disaster movie, and in June, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs gave us its theme song. “Spitting Off the Edge of the World” starts out as a funereal synth- and drum-driven indictment of those who have made a royal mess of the world. “Cowards, here’s the sun,” Karen O declares, sounding like an avenging angel arrived to kick off the rapture. Evoking defiance and disbelief – “Mama, what have you done?” she sings plaintively on the bridge – and with Perfume Genius serving as her quavery Greek chorus, the song builds to a fist-pumping call-to-arms, urged on by Nick Zinner’s screaming guitar, for the “kids” now saddled with fixing it. The track recalls another dystopian anthem, Tina Turner’s “We Don’t Need Another Hero” from 1985’s Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Four decades later, the question asked in that song remains unanswered: are we ever gonna change? — F.D.

It’s all there in the title of Post Malone’s infectious, earnest Twelve Carat Toothache collaboration with Doja Cat: The song, like many of life’s peaks, is happier, but not purely happy; melancholy lurks just below the surface as Posty yearns for prosaic, unflashy romance (deliberations about whether he should take the Benz or the Maybach notwithstanding). The strikingly wholesome song – even Doja dials back her typically raunchy bars to PG-13 – peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100, and by the end, you can’t help but root for the guy. — E.R.B.

This Hot 100 top five hit’s irresistible reggaetón beat opened Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti set — and what better way to kick off an album about the summer than with a single named after a popular drink? “Moscow Mule” finds Bad Bunny lusting over a particular lover, one with whom he has a type of authentic connection you cannot explain but only feel, even though it is kept private. A sexual ode to enjoying the moment of two souls uniting, the video features a love story between a mermaid and a naked Benito as a genital-less merman. — INGRID FAJARDO

Harlow’s “First Class,” the second single from his album Come Home the Kids Miss You, spent three non-consecutive weeks atop Billboard’s Hot 100 this year. Launching with a sample of the 2006 hit “Glamorous” by Fergie and Ludacris, the song mixes nostalgia, TikTok-friendly beats and a celebration of hustle and aspiration (“I got visions of my mom sayin’ ‘Wait, this house mine?'”). With his coolly relaxed vocal, Harlow revels in the perks (sexual and otherwise) brought by the success of songs such as “What’s Poppin’” and “Industry Baby,” as he spits out a victor’s checkmate of lyrics: “I got plaques in the mail, peak season.” — J.N.

There’s something refreshingly simple about The 1975’s “Happiness,” even down to the title. In a musical landscape where the themes can feel overly complicated, political or emotional, the often-prolific The 1975 gave 2022 a shimmery disco-pop beat with wholesome, hopelessly loved-up lyrics and sax to spare. There’s something so earnest in repeating “Show me your love, why don’t you?” in the chorus that perfectly captures falling in love, and all the “Happiness” that comes with it. — R.A.

The first two months of the year in hip-hop were definitely brought to you by the letter “P,” as Gunna, Future and Young Thug submitted the shortest-ever new entry to hip-hop’s eternal lexicon. The luxurious Wheezy and Juke Wong beat gives the star rap trio room to stretch out as they pop their p’s like they’re testing out a new microphone, and confirm the song’s cool with the distinctly less-is-more refrain (“I’m pushin’ P… pushin’ P…. yeah”). Then, the beat suddenly gets horror-movie dramatic, as if Future was about to deliver the most pivotal line of the year — which he of course does: “She not a lesbian, but for P, she turn Pesbian.” — A.U.

Karol G became the first woman to replace herself at No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart when “Provenza” traded places with “MAMIII.” Released in April, “Provenza” stands out with its liberating, anthemic lyrics (“I was with someone but now I’m free”) that are paired with an equally chill calypso, Afro-fusion beat that allows you to get lost in the moment. Nominated for record and song of the year at this year’s Latin Grammys, the track is a testament to the Colombian artist’s ability to make music that garners both critical acclaim and commercial success. — G.F.

Bryan shows why he’s one of the breakout stars of 2022 on this raw, stripped-down, acoustic heartbreaker that rose to No. 2 on both Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Country Songs charts. He’s got it bad for a woman who couldn’t care less about him, but he is utterly helpless to let her go as he begs for her to turn her car around — because, “To you I’m just a man, to me you’re all I am.” Bryan’s quiet desperation is part of the atmospheric song’s appeal, never resorting to vocal dramatics as he sings of his devastation. — M.N.

Ethel Cain is the American Gothic alter ego of Hayden Anhedönia, a 24-year-old transgender woman who was raised a Southern Baptist in Florida and now turns her memories into weighty, haunting dirges. But on the explosive “American Teenager,” the third single from her debut album, Preacher’s Daughter, Anhedönia disrupts her own format with a driving pop-rock anthem that speaks of the American dream without celebrating it. “I do what I want, crying in the bleachers/ And I said it was fun,” Anhedönia croons in a warm, sturdy alto before reassuring those around her, and perhaps herself, “But I’m all good out here.” — C.W.

Amid Harry’s House tracks like the introspective “As It Was” and the yearning “Satellite,” on “Music for a Sushi Restaurant,” Harry Styles is having a whole lot of fun. You can hear the smile on his face as he sings his “scuba-duba-do-boo-boo” in the second verse or as he belts out in the bridge, “You know I love you, babe!” There couldn’t have been a better choice for his album opener, as it introduced fans to a lighthearted new era, full of groovy horn sections and more references to fried rice and green tea than you’ve probably ever heard in a pop song. — R.A.

Everything about “Wet Dream,” the infectious lead-in to indie rock duo Wet Leg’s self-titled album, begs you not to take it seriously. Whether it’s the intentionally cheesy guitar-and-bass lines, the lyrics that mean next-to-nothing (other than flaying douchey guys who tell prospective dates about their love for ’90s indie flick Buffalo ‘66), or the perfect vocal impersonations of every U.K. indie group you’ve ever heard, “Wet Dream” is a perfect send-up of everything about Wet Leg’s genre — while simultaneously capturing exactly what makes it so utterly enjoyable. Clearly it worked, since their own country’s biggest star decided to join in on the fun. — S.D.

The big-chorused piano ballad has basically been a one-woman show on the Billboard charts since the 2010s, with the rare exceptions usually scanning as overwrought and under-developed. That’s what made Joji’s top 10-crashing “Glimpse of Us” such a welcome addition to 2022 pop — the wish-she-was-you lament is both toweringly mighty and snugly intimate, conspicuously detailed in its delivery and considered in its execution, even as it clears out the whole room to make way for its behemoth of a refrain. It marked a long-overdue crossover breakthrough for the alt-R&B singer-songwriter, proving beyond a doubt that he could handle the solo spotlight. — A.U.

This slinky track, the fourth single from Planet Her, is a celebration of womanhood which contains this jab at sexism in the culture: “They wanna pit us against each other/ When we succeedin’, for no reasons.” Doja both sings and raps on the Afrobeats-flavored smash, which brought her a Grammy nod for record of the year – marking the third year in a row she’s been nominated in that marquee category. The video, also Grammy-nominated, draws inspiration from Michael Jackson’s 1992 “Remember the Time” visual. — P.G.

Sam Smith and Kim Petras put the bawdy in body shop and the hole in “Unholy” on their first (and hopefully not last) team-up. A slinky infidelity tango that drips with filth without ever actually getting explicit, this sub-three-minute single brings a church chorus’ eerie, lugubrious tones to the hump-n-grind of hyperpop. An instant viral hit thanks to (you guessed it) TikTok, it’s the first Hot 100 No. 1 for Smith or Petras – and the first time an openly transgender solo artist and openly nonbinary solo artist have sat atop that chart. — J. Lynch

Beyoncé’s RENAISSANCE album saw the global superstar take a deep dive into house music and absolutely slaying the genre’s past, present and future. But amidst the thumping bass and buttery transitions, Beyoncé dropped a little morsel of a disco-flavored R&B treat for the loyal Hive. “Cuff It” is as delectable as it gets, with its promise to “f–k up the night,” backed by a dazzling brass section. The groover is an exquisite amalgam of two beloved Black music traditions – R&B and house – that has the combined effect of getting everyone’s hips moving and fists bumping. — T.M.

Since Future and Drake’s initial meet-up in 2012 for the “Tony Montana” remix, the pair became one of hip-hop’s most reliable duos. A decade later, they continued their torrid streak when Future and producer ATL Jacob nimbly lifted Tems’ 2020 deep cut “Higher” to create the rapper’s first Hot 100 chart-topper as a lead artist in the sentimental “Wait for U.” And though the superstar deftly pen verses about their worldwide escapades, it’s Tems’ soothing hook that ultimately makes “Wait” an indelible gem. — C. Lamarre

Despite getting its official release back in October, SZA’s latest single “Shirt” has been making waves on social media since she first electrified fans with a snippet of the song on her Instagram Story back in 2020. The Darkchild and Freaky Rob-produced stripped-down track soundtracks her battling her imperfections head-on, following a suffocating relationship. “Blood stain on my shirt/ New b—h on my nerves/ Old n—a got curved, going back on my word/ Damn, b—h, you so thirsty,” she reflects over the song’s 808-driven beat on the instantly memorable chorus. The entrancing cut features an always-relatable SZA admitting her mistakes and letting go of burdens — a reminder that despite her stardom, she’s human like the rest of us. — C. Lee

GloRilla’s solo “Tomorrow” was already one of the year’s best hip-hop songs, thanks to an exquisitely menacing Macaroni Toni beat that instantly finds the ascendant MC in Bully Mode — delivering body blow after body blow and making landing the chorus KO: “Can’t say yo’ name up in my songs/ Might not f–k with you tomorrow.” But it’s the remix with Cardi B that takes the song from a contender to a champion, with Cardi rising to the challenge with her most vicious guest verse in years: “I don’t speak dog, ho, I don’t care what no b–ch say/ I stay on her mind, I got condos in that b–ch head.” Together, the pair stormed the Hot 100’s top 10 and then the AMAs, and you can bet your bottom dollar that we’ll be hearing a lot more of “Tomorrow 2” and the two heavyweights behind it in 2023. — A.U.

Despite repeated assurances that “We Don’t Talk About” him, you don’t have to twist any CGI arms to get the Family Madrigal to share head-scratching half-truths about the clan’s estranged Tío Bruno. Encanto maestro Lin-Manuel Miranda complements the comical inescapability of familial gossip with a slightly sinister salsa rhythm and sophisticated overlapping harmonies, creating an addictive ensemble number so irresistible that the viral “Bruno” became more than just the dark horse Hot 100 topper of 2022 – it’s now the biggest Disney hit of all time. — J. Lynch

Dove Cameron presents a very convincing argument as to why her love interest should bid her toxic beau goodbye in this sultry 2022 breakthrough single, closing her case with bedroom-ready vocals over a jazzy dark-pop waltz. “Boyfriend” is the most authentic and comfortable we’ve seen the former Disney teen star musically — as she openly explores her sexuality and her sound — so it’s no surprise that this track is the one that pushed her into the mainstream this year, earning her a No. 16 Hot 100 hit. — R.A.

Tems’ “Free Mind” has been around since 2020, but the smooth, spirited groove took off in the U.S. this year and earned the Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer the No. 1 slot on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, making her the first woman to ever top the listing. “I try to be fine, but I can’t be/ The noise in my mind wouldn’t leave me,” Tems admits, agitation sneaking into her otherwise steady voice as she wrestles with pain and trouble on the pre-chorus. The production, courtesy of Tems and Omeiza, remains unflappable despite the stressful themes, carrying her on a wave right up to the closing bridge, where the beat drops out and she finally reaches calm waters. — C.W.

“Saoko” references the title of the 2004 reggaetón hit by Wisin and Daddy Yankee, “Saoco,” released back when having a flirty female vocal was an obligatory part of the song’s hook. (“Who are you?” the pair ask, and a girl answers “tu bizcochito,” or “your little cupcake.”) Now putting her own spin on the “bizcochito” role, Rosalía’s “Saoko” starts off with the signature infectious thumping reggaetón beats of the original, infused with electric guitar riffs and a dembow base, and laced with her powerful vocals. It portrays the Spanish singer as the influential independent musician she is in her lyrics: “I’m not, nor will I ever be, your babycakes, but I got everythin’ that’s criminal/ Put me in the sun, so then I melt, I can cast off the evil eye sent my way.” — I.F.

What physical item could be more emblematic of the last few years than the N95 face mask? In his song of the same title, Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar uses the COVID-19 symbol – which evokes a complex range of reactions, like feelings of safety or concealment or division – as a tool to speak about interpersonal culture. His bars are especially potent when calling out the superficiality of the “fake deep,” “fake woke” facades he feels people hide behind today: “Take all that designer bulls–t off and what do you have?” he challenges. The highest-charting single from his fifth studio album Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, Lamar delivers a dexterous, dynamic vocal performance – with verses leaping from hysterical to serene to deadpan – over deep sawtooth synths and delicate piano, with topical lyrics fit for a society in the aftermath of a global pandemic. — K.R.

Bad Bunny’s love for Caribbean culture runs deep, as exemplified by “Tití Me Preguntó.” Leading with a slinky guitar riff sampled from “No Te Puedo Olvidar” by bachata legend Antony Santos, the Boricua singer/rapper begins pondering his aunt’s question: Do I have many girlfriends? Tití’s innocent question gets answered with an outpouring of girls’ names that date back to Benito’s kindergarten days, right up to his present as the world’s most sought-after superstar. With an explosive combination of dembow and reggaetón — courtesy of Puerto Rican-Dominican producer Mag — the song also embraces Dominican culture and the teteo lifestyle, as portrayed in its video, where viewers see the Bunny turnin’ up in the Bronx with fellow Dominican compatriots. “There’s no wedding,” he assures Tití. As soon as she claps back (“Let go of that bad boy life that you’ve got on the street/ Find yourself a serious woman for you”), the hard-hitting banger becomes a hypnotic hip-hop opus, where Bad Bunny is presumably pressured into settling down — making this the greatest playboy retirement anthem of our generation. — I.R.

Within a career full of momentous, often inescapable singles, “Anti-Hero” may be the Taylor Swift smash that best showcases the different facets of her songwriting brilliance. There’s the linguistic somersaults packed into digestible melodies (how many artists could sneak the phrase “my covert narcissism I disguised as altruism” into a chart-topper?), and the world-building, steeped in fantastical imagery (the bridge-long dream sequence, punctuated by “She’s laughing up at us from Hell!”). And of course, there’s the unforgettable hook, both immediately ready for TikTok challenges and everlasting as an era-transcending catchphrase (“It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me”). As a self-deprecating synth-pop anthem, “Anti-Hero” sounds deceptively simple — but the minutiae has been pored over, every moment of its runtime manicured for maximum pleasure and never growing tiresome. The result is a pop song without, ironically, a single problem. — J. Lipshutz

It’s always Lizzo Standard Time when this carefree nu-disco Hot 100 topper comes on. The pop-rap superstar has released a lot of bangers over the years, with empowering lyrics, sassy one-liners, and bad bi–hes galore, but the lead single from Special is Lizzo at the top of her glorious game, with a song that makes equal sense as a TikTok dance challenge, a bouncy radio hit, or a wedding dance-floor filler for years to come. It’s the kind of cross-generational smash that we rarely see anymore, and it’s fueled by Lizzo’s contagious conviction that we’re all way too fine to be this stressed. – K.A.

If you looked up “bop” in Webster’s, this song would be there — but the propulsive, bouncy beat deceives. Lyrically, the lead single from Styles’ excellent third solo album Harry’s House digs deeper and reveals — albeit cryptically — quite a lot about the former One Directioner beyond his clear love for ‘80s production.  Coming in at a lean 2:47, “As It Was” serves as a broader anthem about how nothing is “the same as it was” before the pandemic, but on a micro level, it turns out Styles isn’t the same either as he grapples with fame and the realization that “he’s no good alone” when left to his own devices and pills. Spending 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — the most for any song ever by a U.K. act — “As It Was” set the tone for what a pop song can and should be in 2022, as its combination of immediate accessibility and evolving depth make the 100th listen as rewarding as the first. — M.N.

Bey is back, and beckoning everyone to the dancefloor with her infectious diva house anthem “Break My Soul.” The lead single from her Billboard 200-topping album Renaissance – which references the synth hook to Robin S.’ ‘90s smash “Show Me Love” and samples Big Freedia’s vocal callouts from her 2014 bounce track “Explode” – leaves fans blissfully drenched in their own sweat while thirsting for joy amid life’s usual drabness. Queen Bey pays homage not only to dance music’s Black and queer roots, but also other iconic Black female artists and ballroom houses on the song’s “Queens Remix” through samples and interpolations from Madonna’s No. 1 hit “Vogue.” B reclaimed her place on the pop throne when “Break My Soul” became her first solo Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 in 14 years and scored three 2023 Grammy nominations, including record and song of the year. — H.M.

If you were a fan of The Internet’s Ego Death album upon its 2015 release, and were told that someone from the alt-funk collective would have a solo Hot 100 No. 1 hit seven years later, you’d think some extraordinary shift must have happened with one of the members — they went mega-pop, they became Drake’s go-to sidekick, they got offered an Avengers theme, something. But the shift that made it possible came with the music industry, not the band. Say what you will about the oft-unwelcome chaos that TikTok has wrought on artists and labels, but the plus side of such a democratic platform becoming the industry’s biggest consumption driver is that the best song in the world can now become the biggest song in the world without any tastemakers needing to press a button to make it so. Such was the case this year with Internet guitarist Steve Lacy’s solo smash “Bad Habit” — the perfect pop song for 2022, and more crucially, just a perfect pop song in general.

Kicking in partway through its opening chorus, “Bad Habit” has a casualness to its liquid grooves and ping-ponging vocals that almost makes it feel tossed off, spontaneous. But the craft on display here is actually impossibly high-level. There’s little things, like the heart-racing guitar slide after Lacy’s first “I bite my tongue, it’s a bad habit” lament, and the way that blushing admission evolves to a sly “Can I bite your tongue, like my bad habit?” request in the next verse. And then there’s big things, like the way the simple and frustratingly universal “I wish I knew you wanted me” refrain both anchors the song and bursts your heart, and how it dissolves into a gorgeous sea of Lacy a cappella after the climactic chorus. The TikTok era would dictate the song end there, except that Lacy’s of this time but not tethered to it, so there’s still an entire second half to come — stretching the song to an unthinkable 4:03 — with less-immediate hooks, but highs (“Let’s f—–k in the baaack of the maaaaallllll….,” the inappropriate shout-along lyric of the year) that slowly reveal themselves to be just as intoxicating.

It could be frustrating to be a pop fan in 2022, when the biggest stories seemed to be about recent hits staying around forever, or about old songs getting resurrected, or about established megastars cashing in on the successes they’d long been ticketed for. We desperately needed some new blood — new, as in, actually from 2022. Even as someone who’d already been growing to underground stardom for years, Steve Lacy instantly became the freshest voice in the pop mainstream once he crossed over, and a rare feel-good breakthrough success story in a year that didn’t produce a lot of them. But none of that is as important as just how damn good “Bad Habit” sounded every single time you heard it this year — whether on TikTok, Top 40 radio or anywhere in between — and how it never ran out of new thrills, big and small, to get you swooning like the first time. Everything else is just biscuits, just gravy. — A.U.