Best Of 2022: Singles In Order Of Preference Through April 30th

As It Was – Harry Styles – Harry’s breakthrough from his breakthrough, it out Watermelons his past. A synthpop heading for the song of the summer

Goodbye Mr. Blue – Father John Misty – the man is a smartass and his insincerity grates but not here, a break up song piece of 60s style melancholia that will have you in tears by the time the angora cat dies in his arms. He has never come up with anything this great before

Need A Break – April Rose Gabrielli – From April’s quietly lovely verses that explode on the chorus with a choir of April’s harmonizing and finally a break in a league with Harry’s bridge. This is April’s great gifts, she never forgets indelible tunefulness and she never ever composes one hook on a song where three will suffice; it is a monster of a track

Hell Yeah – Little Big Town – a terrific slice of country with an excellent pun taking you a long, and at its best on the harmonies, a first rate song

Here We Go… Again (feat. Tyler, the Creator) – The Weeknd – the album is fantastic except… it isn’t selling what it should be. That’s a problem for an artist whose reason for existing is to be very popular. That’s his art form. I have no reason why this gorgeous song isn’t a smash

Do I Look Happy To You? – Kanye West – Featuring Future, this is a song of misery and company with an edge of unpredictably, and the best song on Donda 2

GP – Bakar – the screaming, so upset the Yemini via the UK sounds as though he is crying and the hook goes “I keep fucking it up”

MMM MMM – Kali – it actually dates from 2021 but it is on her new album and that hook is industrial strength I swear it

More Pressure – Kae Tempest, Kevin Abstract – Kae is really specially and especially on this agitprop exploration of how feelings should feel: “More desire, Less deceit, Less complex, More complete, Less Push, More Flow….” about as Tao as you can get

Hellbent For Leather – Ray Wylie Hubbard, Steve Earle – country outlaws with all the growl of Southern rock and none of the racism on a first rate search for another guitar town

Try – Eddie Vedder – a “Luken” style rave up

Let England Shake – PJ Harvey – Inspired lift from The Four Lads for the revised hook

Running Back – Live For SiriusXM – Bright Eyes – That Conor’s best song since “I Got The Reason” (nothing beats eligible men laying her down on the table of the elements) is a Thin Lizzy song suggest two things: 1) Bright Eyes are in the market for a touring song and 2) Conor can bring so much tenderness to his singing he moves you beyond endurance here

Sick – Sea Girls – UK rock isn’t my thing in 2022, and I didn’t love the album, but this is great, even the The Beatles dis

FCKN IN LOVE – Fefe Dobson – a huge return for the woman of color pop punker singing about the joys of post-coital embrace, it should put her back on top

Hotline – Lael Neale -heading up as the second set of releases via Sub Pop, they must have been overjoyed to hear this. If anybody had any idea how to get it in front of her audience, the LA singer songwriter should break right through

One Night Ting (feat. Saweetie) – Tai’Aysha – everything Saweetie touches in 21-22 has proven to be classic r&b pop with a side of hip hop, point in case this perfect nursery romance song of promiscuity where “ting” rhymes with “fling”

Freaky Deaky – Tyga, Doja Cat – inspired sample of Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner” adds to this HUGE ear candy, Tyga never better…

Wall St With Briefcase – Your Old Droog, Tha God Fahim – the sample is beyond gorgeous, the rap is a complement and the main event, and you’ll never enjoy Your Old Droog more

Is It Gonna Be Yes Or No – The Temptations, Smokey Robinson – Smokey with his warmest thoughts, last Temp standing Otis Williams co-produced, and the backing harmonies are beautiful

x10 – Koffee – a lovely song about the simple joy of being alive

Blue Bones – Billy Nomates – ringing guitar and faux country with an indelible tune and Billy at new levels of accessibility

High – The Chainsmokers – the return of the EDM duo with an excellent slice of what they do best: pop dance