Star Tracks: Our 24 favourite albums of 2022

Happy list season to those who celebrate!

2022 was a monster year for new music, packed with spectacular evolutions from mainstream artists and exciting new sounds from the underground.

There were more amazing albums than we can count, but we’ve somehow narrowed it down to the ones we love the most.

These are the Toronto Star’s 24 favourite albums of 2022.

As usual, follow along with our Star Tracks playlist on Spotify.

Richie’s Favourite Albums of 2022

Over the course of a decade, Alex G has evolved from a lo-fi bedroom curio into one of indie rock’s most reliable — and inscrutable — experimentalists. On his ninth album, “God Save The Animals,” he sings enigmatically about God and faith, his voice often modulated beyond recognition as he dabbles in various genres, from crunchy alt-rock (“Blessing”) to pristine indie folk (“Miracles”) and even hyperpop (“No Forgiveness.”) “God is my designer/ Jesus is my lawyer,” he hisses over eerie piano and a Puerto Rican güiro on “S.D.O.S.”

On paper, “God Save The Animals” sounds a bit out there. In reality, it’s Alex G’s most polished and personal project yet, one that grapples with big ideas like faith, innocence and family. What emerges is a complex portrait of an artist on the verge of 30, when the messy complexity of youth gives way to the grounded responsibilities of adulthood.

There were several bold and exciting pop albums this year — Beyoncé, FKA twigs and Charli XCX come to mind — but none were as inventive or compelling as the third studio album from Spanish shape-shifter Rosalía. A hyperactive blend of reggaeton, dembow, bachata and flamenco, “Motomami” arrived at the end of March, providing a welcome jolt of energy following the malaise of yet another pandemic winter.

From the eccentric chiptune of “BIZCOCHITO” (which exploded on TikTok) to the lush sensuality of “HENTAI” (co-written and produced by Pharrell), Rosalía managed to cast a wide net over 2022 without sacrificing an inch of originality.

“Five O’s on me like the Olympics,” Earl Sweatshirt drawls on “2010,” creating just enough space in his delivery for the double (or triple) entendre to sink in. Punchy, playful and subtly subversive, the line is a perfect microcosm of Earl’s predictably stellar fourth album, “SICK!”

Packed with dense lyricism, lifted by off-kilter beats and clocking in at an efficient 24 minutes, “SICK!” feels like an antidote to the bloated extravagance that plagues mainstream hip hop. Earl remains at the top of the game, and he makes it look easy.

Demar’s Favourite Albums of 2022

The second album in The Weeknd’s second trilogy, “Dawn FM” is an escape from this mortal plane. Tenderly guided by Jim Carrey, the Scarborough artist’s drift into the afterlife is a glittering one. Hollowed, cinematic, shiny and digital synths all accompany The Weeknd as he invites people onto the purgatorial dance floor. With that invitation comes his closest dalliance to Michael Jackson on “Sacrifice” and “Out of Time,” while still maintaining his classic drug-addled decadence and hedonistic toxicity. Only The Weeknd can meld obsessive lyrics and beautiful vocals in the danceable “Is There Someone Else” and “Best Friend” without getting lost.

Kaleidoscopic, Luna Li’s “Duality” is an exercise in surrender. Press play and float away. Duality’s lush instrumentation is a gift from Li’s classical training and multi-instrumental background. Lovely violins dancing with prancing keys and then punctuated with abrasive electric guitars is a decadent recipe and still Li pulls it off 13 songs in a row. Her classical training mixed with her time in Toronto’s rock scene has blended a gorgeous duality with accents of melancholy through her lyrics. When Li’s washed-out vocals meet a crash of guitars the shock is temporary, but the awe is permanent.

Can you tell Brent Faiyaz is independent? “WASTELAND” is a reminder that everything can be done yourself, from trending on TikTok, delving into R&B’s intoxicating debauchery and outshining the masters. Amid the sparse drums, brooding bass lines and serene violins, Faiyaz mires within the life of a star. And amid the star-studded feature list of Drake, Tyler the Creator, Alicia Keys and The Neptunes, Faiyaz’s immaculate vocals fastened to his devilishly toxic persona envelopes everything he touches. Simply put on “ADDICTIONS,” “Maybe it’s the love, the drugs, the weed, the — / Maybe it’s all the above, maybe I don’t need a hug / Maybe I’m just f— up”.

Annette’s Favourite Albums of 2022

H-Town’s finest made her much-anticipated return with “Renaissance” — a love letter to the Black LGBTQ+ community. The album was dedicated to her late uncle, a gay man who died of HIV. “Renaissance” explodes with love, passion, unfiltered confidence and pure bitchery (pardon my French). I couldn’t dare pick a standout track as the entire album flowed through my top hits this year. Beyoncé returns dance, ballroom and EDM to its Black roots and reclaims the joy stolen from us for so long — if only for an hour. Now, we wait for Acts 2 and 3.

Tennessee singer Amber Mark’s album “Three Dimensions Deep” is my pick for best R&B and soul of 2022. A vulnerable and emotive body of work that dares to say: “Women, be by yourself and embrace your emotions as boldly as you can.” With love in utter disarray this year, Mark could not have come at a better time. “FOMO,” “Foreign Things” and “Most Men” are among my top played; with “What It Is” being likely one of the best records I’ve heard in my life. Cheers to Mark always.

Fireboy DML claims to be a “Playboy” — the title of his latest album — but his songs reveal a softer more vulnerable demeanour of a guy still figuring it all out. He talks of wanting love juxtaposed with being unable to shed his sybarite ways. Fireboy, a fellow Nigerian, captured the heart of Nigerian youth in this album, dissecting that feeling of success from an African home and the complexities it comes with as he takes on a larger, public scale. “Afro Highlife,” “Timoti,” and “Bandana” are constant replays but the album in its entirety remained in constant rotation for me this year.

Madi’s Favourite Albums of 2022

There’s no doubt that “Last Last” was the song of the summer, taking over everyone’s energy as soon as you heard Burna Boy’s booming: “E don cast / last, last / na everybody go chop breakfast.”

“Love, Damini,” is the Nigerian artist’s sixth studio album, released in July. The project features a number of collabs that weave in different sounds from genres including “Rollercoaster” with J Balvin and “Wild Dreams” with Khalid. Yet, throughout the album, Burna Boy still delivers the electric Afro-fusion beats he is known and loved for.

Burna Boy’s previous projects like “Twice as Tall” (2020), “African Giant” (2019) and “Outside” (2018) remain praised but “Love, Damini” still delivered the unforgettable summer tunes and vibes we needed.

SZA fans got 23 tracks and a tour for Christmas this year – and yes, it was all worth it. The 33-year-old singer’s second-debut album SOS is mesmerizing from start to finish.

The “f — you” energy in “Kill Bill.” SZA’s low-tempo mumbling in trap-influenced “Low.” Her hypnotizing choir vocals in “Gone Girl.” The jolt felt when SZA transitions to rapping on “Smoking on My Ex Pack.” The Avril Lavigne-style punk-rock melodies in “F2F.” Each song feels perfectly crafted, intentionally placed where it is on the tracklist and conversational, as if SZA herself is relaying stories to you over a late-night call.

While I’m surely not in the same place I was five years ago blaring ‘Ctrl’ and not everyone can relate to her lyrics right here and now, SZA’s ability to put so much of herself into her art and articulate the very human emotions we all experience — and often have trouble expressing — is a much-needed voice for this generation.

Over 13 tracks, Rina Sawayama continues to surprise you with her ability to dive across genres while staying true to herself on her sophomore album, “Hold The Girl.”

From infusing country-pop elements in “This Hell” to channelling metal-inspired rock in “Your Age,” all while still delivering her energetic pop roots in “”Catch Me In The Air,” “Hold The Girl” is certainly a project that proves the British-Japanese is not afraid to bring something new to the studio.

Sawayama’s 2000s pop/soft-rock numbers like “Hurricanes” and “Forgiveness” perhaps stand out the most, bringing you back to a sense of familiarity of the soundtracks behind childhood coming-of-age films on Disney or watching pop icons like Kelly Clarkson and P!nk on the MuchMusic Countdown in the morning.

Manuela’s favourite Albums of 2022

The transition from the end of the first song, “Four Chords” to the second, “Totally Fine,” is reason enough for this album to be considered one of the best of the year. The shift of a soft fizzle into an electric uproar is reminiscent of the iconic transition in the same spot on their 2016 album “The Dream is Over.”

But mostly, the angsty, playful releases throughout the Toronto punk band’s latest album make for head-banging perfection that delivers catharsis and pure joy. With something of a cult following and a sense of humour that’s as present onstage as it is in their lyrics, nothing beats hearing the band’s album — and any of their discography — live.

Fans went without new music from the Toronto-based synth-pop band for five long years — not because they weren’t making music, but, in part, because their demos were stolen and the pandemic only further offset the recreation process. And the patience paid off. Alvvays is back even stronger than ever — their lyrics more clever, reflective and emotive than before. The 14-track release can make you dance, laugh and cry.

The indie-rock icon didn’t have to give us the latest dance-your-heart-out or cry-your-heart-out anthems. And at one point she didn’t plan to — she’s said in multiple interviews that she considered quitting music before it was released. It’s all the more reason to appreciate the album for its dynamic production, poetry and crushing honesty.

Aisling’s Favourite Albums of 2022

It’s just kept growing on me.

I reviewed the album when it came out (well, a few hours before, actually, thanks to a leak) and I gave it high praise. This was Swift at her most dazzling and introspective, I said, a paradox of feelings that made for a complex, richly nostalgic album.

But it’s just kept getting better.

“You’re On Your Own, Kid” is a gut punch to anyone who feels they’ve grown up too soon, or lost precious shreds of their early twenties to a global pandemic. “Maroon” brings yearning to a new, painful level, an angry ode to a relationship built on a foundation of rot. “Midnight Rain” has blossomed into a TikTok favourite, stripped down to acoustic bones, allowing its evocative lyrics to sparkle.

This is an album that demands to be heard live — the absence of late-night TV and award show performances from Swift is oh-so tantalizing. Next year’s Eras Tour can’t come fast enough.

Speaking as the de facto theatre kid of Star Tracks, a Broadway cast recording had to make the list.

And oh, what a cast recording it is. “& Juliet,” which had its out-of-town tryout in Toronto earlier this year, is a confetti-filled romp through the back catalogue of pop legend Max Martin. The show had a cast recording for its U.K. run, but I always felt the production on the U.K. album was somehow neither pop nor musical theatre: the cognitive dissonance that makes the show so fun seemed to lose its sparkle when funnelled into an audio-only experience.

But the 2022 Broadway version isn’t like that. It doesn’t feel like a “Glee” off-cut. The production on this album is slick enough to feel like a pop record, but theatrical enough to elicit glimmering memories of pyrotechnics and hot pink costumes. Lorna Courtney as Juliet sounds perfect, and the creative team of “& Juliet” has tinkered with the show’s mechanics just enough for its album to match the energy of the raucous, indulgent treat we saw at the Princess of Wales Theatre this summer.

Pro tip: this album excels as workout background music. Who doesn’t want a yass-ified version of “Blow” by Kesha?

TikTok’s influence over the music industry is undeniable: one viral song can jump-start a career. (Just ask Katie Gregson-MacLeod, whose “complex” demo launched her into stardom in a startlingly brief period of time.)

Case in point: Noah Kahan. “I love Vermont, but it’s the season of the sticks,” he crooned in a TikTok one day.

Now, millions of views later, Kahan uses his album to tap into New England malaise with grit and authenticity. “Stick Season,” named for its infectiously catchy single, wanders through the valleys of depression, addiction and heartbreak, and manages to sculpt a sound somewhere between Mumford & Sons and Tim Baker using only an acoustic guitar. The content of this album is often grim — but the sonic timbre never is. It’s an album you want to scream-sing in a group (and you can next September at RBC Echo Beach). You don’t have to be a Vermont resident to know this album is something special.

Justin Smirlies Favourite Albums of 2022

“A Eulogy For Those Still Here” from Hamilton hardcore heavyweights Counterparts perfectly captures what many of us are feeling right now — a stinging combination of anger, uncertainty and grief. It’s short yet sweet, punchy and emotional, and both technical and catchy. The only shame is that it didn’t come out earlier in the year.

Alexisonfire aren’t the kids they used to be, and when its members are over or pushing 40, writing the same screamo they established in the mid-2000s is just not in the cards anymore. But in their first full-length album since 2009 they have reinvented themselves and, sure, you can argue they’ve gone a little “dad rock.” But maybe look in the mirror and you’ll accept, “yeah, maybe I have too.”

Australian heavy rock group Thornhill are evolving musically, and unfortunately that sometimes comes at the expense of losing a few longtime fans. “Heroine” was extremely divisive, but like any good album, it takes time to marinate. And if you can understand the motivations behind taking a more palatable approach, “Heroine” absolutely works — just give it a few more spins.

Alessia’s favourite albums of 2022

070 Shake takes pride in being the only artist you can listen to if you want to hear a sound like hers, and “You Can’t Kill Me,” arguably 070 Shake’s most carefully crafted bodies of work to date, showed just that. The album, released in June, was full of surprises while remaining true to the dark, moody artist’s previous releases, albeit with better production and a more cohesive, pensive sound than her 2020 album “Modus Vivendi.”“Medicine” transports listeners into a world of heartbreak with an unnerving music video to accompany it, while “Cocoon” brings them back to her party anthems, like her 2016 single, “Honey.” The Christine and the Queens feature on “Body,” a bass-heavy track with spooky vocals, was the icing on the cake that made “You Can’t Kill Me” my album of the year.

Atlanta duo Coco & Clair Clair, known for their wacky lyrics and barely-produced tracks that frequently blow up on TikTok, made both a departure and a return to the sound audiences have come to love on their first album “Sexy.” Instead of Garage Band production, their new sound is more polished, with the duo saying they put “thought” into this release in an interview with Fader instead of spending an hour working on a track at their kitchen table like they did for previous projects. Still, the lyrics are riddled with quirky ad-libs and corny jokes, like on “Cherub” and their re-release of “Pop Star.”

Maggie Rogers, the singer-songwriter who stole the heart of Pharrell Williams when she was in college with her song “Alaska,” released “Surrender” this year, a timeless pop album created during the stressors of the pandemic but still full of fun, flavour, and, at times, melancholy. The background sounds to my cooking, cleaning and working this past year, “Surrender” showed the world a new side of Rogers complete with deeper vocals and heavier instrumentals, with “That’s Where I Am” and “Shatter” epitomizing just that, while “Horses” sounds more like the Rogers we’ve come to know and love. It’s easy listening, and on year three of the pandemic, it’s exactly what I needed.