- Only albums that were officially released in 2020 are included in this list.
- I go through in depth my system for ranking albums here, but it is essentially the average score of all the tracks in the album. For albums with tracks released in previous years, I carried over their score from those years to calculate the score for this year.
- Only the initial release of the album is considered for the calculation. So, therefore, deluxe versions, extended versions, versions with digital bonus tracks, and such were not acknowledged.
- LPs and mixtapes are included in this list. EPs, original scores and soundtracks, live recordings, DJ mixes, and compilation albums are not. Shout-out to Khruangbin and Leon Bridges’ Texas Moon EP and Ela Minus and DJ Python’s ♡ EP.
- Just like in Everything Else, I am purposely excluding albums from the Phillippines due to any unconscious bias I may have, but a shout-out to Laughing in Milk by Ligaya Escueta and Fuzz Sounds by Spacedog, Spacecat.
- You can follow along on Spotify as well.
- And with that, here are dragon new warm albums of 2022 that I believe in.
#020: Carly Rae Jepsen – The Loneliest Time
release date 21 October 2022
label 604 | Interscope | Schoolboy
genre sparkle pop | leftfield pop | high-gloss pop
#6 on A.V. Club 30 Best Albums of 2022
#26 on Consequence of Sound Top 50 Best Albums of 2022
#27 on The Ringer 33 Best Albums of 2022
Sideways | Shooting Star | The Loneliest Time
“Her charm holds together The Loneliest Time‘s whirlwind of daydreams, confessions, and decades of pop allusions, making it another strong album from an artist who knows her niche and how to grow beyond it.“
—AllMusic
#019: FKA twigs – Caprisongs
release date 14 January 2022
label Young | Atlantic
genre crystalline pop-R&B | experimental R&B but with hooks
#3 on Entertainment Weekly 10 Best Albums of 2022
#3 on The Washington Post Top 10 Albums of 2022
#4 on Slant Magazine 50 Best Albums of 2022
Meta Angel | Oh My Love | Papi Bones
“It may lack some of the avant-garde experimentation and concepts of her full-lengths but after all she’s been through and all that she’s given us, CAPRISONGS feels like a victory lap.”
—No Ripcord
#018: Wet Leg – Wet Leg
release date 8 April 2022
label Domino
genre party choruses, kitschy post-punk, middle fingers and playful bon mots
#1 on Coup De Main Best Albums of 2022
#1 on KCRW 22 Best Albums of 2022
#1 on Under The Radar Top 100 Albums of 2022
#1 on Yahoo Entertainment Best Albums of 2022
Chaise Longue | Wet Dream | Ur Mum
“The Isle of Wight duo’s debut is a witty and warm romp through the chaos of your mid-twenties.”
—NME
#017: Beabadobee – Beatopia
release date 15 July 2022
label Dirty Hit
genre bedroom-in-the-90s pop | grunge infused
#5 on Dork Albums of the Year 2022
#7 on Coup De Main Best Albums of 2022
#24 on Hot Press 50 Best Albums of 2022
Sunny Day | Talk | Picture Of Us
“It’s commendable that a record this varied feels so coherent, and it’s a credit to the songwriting itself, which is incredibly conscious and devoid of cliché. The work of a limitless artist, Beatopia is very much its own world – and its own league.”
—Loud and Quiet
#016: Danger Mouse and Black Thought – Cheat Codes
release date 12 August 2022
label BMG
genre emcee/producer super combo
#2 on Good Morning America 50 Best Albums of 2022
#2 on Piccadilly Records Top 100 Albums of 2022
#3 on MOJO 75 Best Albums of 2022
Sometimes | Belize | Aquamarine
“The soul, jazz, old school R&B and blues samples are fantastic. It sets a really cool tone that isn’t pretentious and it isn’t overbearing, it’s smooth, charismatic and easy to gravitate to.”
—Northern Transmissions
#015: Alvvays – Blue Rev
release date 7 October 2022
label Polyvinyl | Transgressive
genre dream-power pop | power pop-gaze | nü-power pop
#1 on Exclaim! 50 Best Albums of 2022
#1 on FLOOD Best Albums of 2022
#1 on Good Morning America 50 Best Albums of 2022
#1 on No Ripcord 50 Best Albums of 2022
#1 on Stereogum 50 Best Albums of 2022
#1 on The Alternative Top 50 Albums of 2022
Pharmacist | Tile By Tile | Pomeranian Spinster
“A heavenly indie pop hit guaranteed to make their already besotted fans fall even more head over heels in love with the band.”
—AllMusic
#014: Day Wave – Pastlife
release date 24 June 2022
label PIAS
genre straight line guitar pop | carefree dream pop
Loner | Great Expectations | Heart To Rest
“Hewing faithfully to Jackson Phillips’ characteristically crisp, concise guitar pop, Pastlife is a coming-of-age album for 30-year-olds, concerned with newfound commitments and misbegotten ambitions.”
—Pitchfork
#013: Bad Bunny – Un Verano Sin Ti
release date 6 May 2022
label Rimas
genre Caribbean summer playlist
#1 on Billboard 50 Bests Albums of 2022
#1 on TIME 10 Best Albums of 2022
#2 on Consequence of Sound Top 50 Albums of 2022
Después De La Playa | Yo No Soy Celoso | Otro Atardecer
“Un Verano is not only a seasonal statement-piece but a testament to Benito’s singular songwriting — across genres, generations, and even languages, he works to produce enduring landmarks that trace universal joys, sorrows, and passions.”
—AllMusic
#012: Natalia Lacunza – Tiene Que Ser Para Mí
release date 10 June 2022
label Universal Music Spain S.L.
genre airy Spanish pop
Tiene Que Ser Para Mí | Muchas Cosas | Tiempo Atrás
#011: JID – The Forever Story
release date 26 August 2022
label Dreamville | Interscope
genre technical rap | complex wordplay
#1 on Okayplayer 22 Best Albums of 2022
#2 on The Needle Drop Top 50 Albums of 2022
#9 on Complex Best Albums of 2022
Surround Sound | Sistanem | Lauder Too
“The Atlanta rapper’s latest LP is an ambitious and overwhelming experience, a bridge between his upbringing and his place within hip-hop canon and Black history at large.”
—Pitchfork
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