2022 was an amazing year for music. We got much-anticipated new music from some of the biggest names in the business. Beyoncé blessed us with Renaissance. Taylor Swift kept us up late with Midnights. Harry Styles made us feel at home with Harry's House. Even new mom Rihanna, who hasn't released a studio album since 2016, had some new music, as she contributed a song to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. It wasn't a full album, but we'll take what we can get.
Of course, we are still living the mom life, so for some of us, the year in music was still a little too much Kidz Bop and not quite enough keeping up with the best new tunes actually geared toward grown-ups. Shout-out to all the parents whose Spotify Wrapped list was basically the same as the track list from the Encanto soundtrack!
In the interest of helping out all those parents and anyone else who wants to build a banging 2022-themed playlist to celebrate the end of the year, we're sharing the 22 songs that we had on repeat. We've got music from multiple genres (yes, country fans, we've got you covered, too), a diverse lineup of artists, and a good mix of chart-toppers and some more low-key hits. This list is 100% "Baby Shark"- and "We Don't Talk About Bruno"-free because we're here for the grown-ups this time.
'Jiggle Jiggle'
Anyone who has spent more than 45 seconds on TikTok this year probably got this earworm ("My money don't jiggle jiggle …") stuck in their head! This short rap ditty was created by British journalist Louis Theroux, who dropped it on the BBC show Weird Weekend. It was then picked up, autotuned, and added to so many TikToks!
'As It Was'
"As It Was" was one of the most popular songs of 2022 and one of Harry Styles' biggest hits ever. It spent 15 weeks at the No. 1 position on the pop charts and broke multiple streaming records for how many listens it had in the first day. This one is a total bop, and we're still not tired of it!
'Last Last'
"Last Last" is the Grammy-nominated hit from international superstar Burna Boy. Burna Boy, who hails from Nigeria, has been big on the world stage for a long time but has started to become a household name in the US over the last year. "Last Last" hit the No. 1 spot on music charts around the world, including on the US Afrobeats chart. For those who aren't as familiar with the Afrobeats genre, this is a great song to start learning more.
'Anti-Hero'
There was no universe where we wouldn't have some Taylor Swift in this roundup. "Anti-Hero" was a massive hit for the pop icon and so completely relatable for anyone who has ever laid in bed, unable to sleep, because the highlight reel of personal worst moments wouldn't stop playing. Too relatable, Taylor, way too relatable.
'The Sign'
On the flipside of Taylor Swift exploring our anxiety, we had Lizzo serving the best self-hype-up jam of the year with "The Sign." We dare anyone to listen to this and not feel an urge to do a little twerking while drinking a smoothie and feeling like a confident bad b—-.
'Running Up That Hill'
The classic Kate Bush song "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" was a bop when it first came out in 1985, but it had a massive revival in 2022 thanks to fans of the TV show Stranger Things getting obsessed with it. According to some sources, the song was streamed so much that Kate likely made more than $2 million this year on this 37-year-old tune.
'Unholy'
The goth and sexy "Unholy" from Sam Smith and Kim Petras dropped in late September, just in time to make it on everyone's Halloween playlist. This song about cheating (an evergreen topic, of course) is the biggest hit in Kim Petra's career so far and has been nominated for a Grammy for best pop duo/group performance. Fair warning: The video is maybe a little too sexy to watch around younger kids, but might just be the thing to inspire a little grown-up frisky time.
'Break My Soul'
When Beyoncé announced that she had a new album, Renaissance, coming out in 2022, everyone wondered if it was going to be full of ballads and songs inspired by her personal life, like her last hit album, Lemonade. When "Break My Soul" dropped, we got the first hint that Queen Bey was here to dance in 2022. As a whole, Renaissance is her most dance music-inspired album yet, and it's super sexy and fun.
'Something in the Orange'
"Something in the Orange" by Zach Bryan is the biggest hit so far for this emerging country music artist. This song is spare and vulnerable — the perfect thing to listen to when we want to feel a little sadness or nostalgia for a past relationship when we loved someone but just couldn't make it work.
'I Like You (A Happier Song)'
We're firm believers that songs have seasons. "Unholy" is a total fall song, for example. Post Malone and Doja Cat's "I Like You (A Happier Song)" is pure summer music, through and through. This song is simple and straightforward but also totally catchy.
'Surface Pressure'
Yes, it's true that we promised that there would be no "We Don't Talk About Bruno" on this list, but we never said there wasn't going to be something from Encanto. "Surface Pressure" is basically the theme song for mothers/daughters/sisters who are always in charge of holding everything together. We're stressed, but this song made us feel seen at least.
'Star Walking'
Is it weird to admit that one of our favorite workout jams of the year was the theme song from a video game? We can't help it, but the song "Star Walking (League of Legends Anthem)" is a total bop. It's a great one to listen to when trying to get pumped up before a workout.
'Tití Me Preguntó'
Puerto Rican rapper, singer, and now actor Bad Bunny had a big year in 2022. He got good buzz for his role in the movie Bullet Train and his track "Tití Me Preguntó" was both a global hit and scored a Latin Grammy Award for best urban song.
'Bones'
Sometimes we just need another song to add to our "kichen dance party" playlist, and "Bones" by Imagine Dragons totally fits that vibe. This tune, which dropped in March, has a music video that is somehow inspired by both Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and the movie Wolf of Wall Street. Weird mix, but we're into it!
'Circles Around Town'
Maren Morris is one of our favorite country artists, and her "Circles Around Town" was at the top of our "songs to sing loudly along to while driving our children places" list this year. We enjoy both the song and the fact that it made our kids cringe in the back seat at soccer drop-off.
'Finesse'
Some moms might hear the song "Finesse" by Nigerian artists Pheelz and BXBN and think, "Hmm, this song is catchy — where have I heard it before?" So let us give a quick hint to all the moms of young video game players: It is one of the songs on FIFA 2023. This is another great tune to add to an Afrobeats or summer playlist for even us non-gamers.
'Late Night Talking'
Harry Styles had such a big year that we couldn't help but give him two slots on our list of favorite songs for 2022. The '80s-inspired "Late Night Talking" was another big hit off of Harry's Home, and the video has already racked up more than 47 million views. (Yep, Harry cruising around the London streets atop a giant bed is a vibe.)
'Plan B'
Warning: This song is very NSFW for little kids. It is, however, the perfect tune to listen to when we are angry (especially if we are angry about being underestimated by a stupid man) or needing a reminder of the fact that we can be our own hype squad. "Plan B" by Megan Thee Stallion is aggressive and confident, and sometimes we just need that energy in our life!
'Life You Lead'
A song with a wildly different energy than "Plan B" is "Life You Lead" by Niceboy Ed. This mellow, contemplative track was first heard on a TikTok from Taylor Swift, and the internet is still trying to figure out who Niceboy Ed actually is (some fans suspect it could be Taylor's boyfriend, Joe Alwyn). We're curious about it, too, but we think the song also stands up on its own as a perfect bit of ambient music to relax to at the end of the day.
'You're on Your Own, Kid'
Speaking of Taylor Swift, we had to give her another slot. She had 10 top 10 hits this year, so the lady gets to have multiple spots in our 2022 music roundup! We love the energy and storytelling in "You're on Your Own, Kid" and had it on repeat this year because sometimes we enjoy songs that make us a little blue and wistful.
'Free Yourself'
British singer and songwriter Jessie Ware was giving us retro disco vibes in 2022 with her latest single, "Free Yourself." Do we actually go out and get tipsy at dance clubs anymore? Well, no. But does this song make us want to do that? Well, yes!
'Part of the Band'
"Part of the Band" by The 1975 is an acoustic, stream-of-consciousness song that is an interesting mix of genres (a little folk, a little pop, and a little indie). It doesn't really have a hook or a chorus, but we still had it on repeat this year.
