2022 was a stellar year for music. The industry saw everything, from new faces making a name for themselves to long-time vets reminding the world what they’re capable of. Here are the 30 best albums of the year according to Third Minute.

30. “age/sex/location” x Ari Lennox

Overview: The sophomore effort of one of R&B’s most soulful young stars.

It’s not like Ari is reinventing the wheel. What she does do, though, is balance elements of what makes R&B such a dynamic genre while remaining fresh and modern. You won’t find subject matter that hasn’t been sung about before, but you will find one of the best voices in the industry navigating life as a late-20-something/early 30 year old bemoaning an exhaustive dating pool and proving why she’s one of the best in the genre.

Added to the Playlist: “POF”, “Waste My Time”, “Boy Bye (feat. Luck Daye)”,

29. “$oul $old $eperately” x Freddie Gibbs

Overview: No Alchemist, no Madlib, no problem – Gibbs remains as sharp as ever.

The rapping was never the issue with Gibbs. He has one of rap’s most quick witted, silver-tongued pens, no question. But with his fist album since 2018 without either Madlid or The Alchemist as the primary producer (the former still did produce “CIA” while the latter produced “Blackest in the Room”), we were left to wonder if he could still stand on his own without the silky, dynamic production of two of the game’s best. Gibbs easily quelled such disrespect to his craft early on, dropping two solid singles (“Too Much” and “Dark Hearted”) before the album’s release. Any doubt was quickly left in the past once the cinematic full record dropped. While not quite as exceptional as his last two efforts, “Bandana” and “Alfredo”, this is yet another solid entry in an increasingly impressive catalogue.

Added to the Playlist: “Too Much (feat. Moneybagg Yo)”, “Dark Hearted”, “Feel No Pain (feat. Anderson .Paak & Raekwon)”

28. “Un Verano Sin Ti” x Bad Bunny

Overview: Global Superstar Bad Bunny proves he isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Jam packed with sounds from all across the Caribbean, from batcha to reggaetón, Bad Bunny provides the audience with a 23 track voyage. It hardly matters if one speaks Spanish or not, there’s guaranteed to be a run here that will resonate on some level with just about any listener. If it wasn’t already clear why Bad Bunny is one of the biggest international musicians, it certainly is now.

Added to the Playlist: “Moscow Mule”, “Tití Me Preguntó”, “Callaita”

27. “Luv For Rent” x Smino

Overview: Three albums in, and the St. Louis native is still finding new ways to impress.

No one, or at least very few, in hip hop can find a way to combine silky falsetto, clever wordplay, and jazzy production the way Smino can. This album saw multiple delays, with released singles that didn’t end up making the final cut. In the end, it was well worth the wait, as Smino expertly crafts a tale of the dangers of giving out too much love, without receiving any in return.

Added to the Playlist: “No L’s”, “Modennaminute (feat. Lucky Daye & Phoenix)”, “Lee & Lovie (with Reggie)”.

26. “Into the Blue” x Broken Bells

Overview: Over 7 years after their last release together, Danger Mouse and James Mercer pick up right where they left off.

There’s been some mixed opinions surrounding this record. At times, it does feel like the dynamic duo are knocking on the door of something truly special, but don’t quite fully realize the true potential. What can’t be understated however is when these two are on, they’re on. Danger Mouse really knows how to craft a track from beginning to end, and Mercer does an excellent job complimenting that with sultry vocals and, at times, compelling lyrics.

Added to the Playlist: “Into the Blue”, “We’re Not In Orbit Yet…”, “Love On The Run”

25. “Few Good Things” x Saba

Overview: 2018’s “Care For Me” would always have been a tough act to follow, but the Chicago rapper provided an exceptional encore.

If “Care For Me” was an album-length Eulogy for his cousin Walter, “Few Good Things” is an introspective look and what moderate fame, acclaim, and adoration has done for Saba in the years since. There’s a sense of quiet ambivalence – a pride in that he has everything he never grew up with, but a tinge of remorse for his current feelings of content. There’s been a loose arc over Saba’s first three projects: from things he wished he had, to things he wishes he still does, to all the things gained. This latest chapter feels like a nice bookend. He can go anywhere now, and there’s no doubt whatever he does will continue to captivate.

Added to the Playlist: “One Way or Every N**** With a Budget”, “An Interlude Called Circus (feat. Eryn Allen Kane”, “Stop That”

24. “Broken Hearts Club” x Syd

Overview: The Internet frontwoman is done proving she can stand on her own, she’s now out to cement her name in a crowded musical landscape.

Syd’s been around hip-hop and R&B circles for a while. Whether in her funky, groovy band The Internet, to collaborating with rappers like Isaiah Rashad and Lil Uzi Vert, or on her debut solo record, 2017’s “Fin”. You may know Syd as the low toned, smooth voiced player & flirt. On “Broken Hearts Club”, that player laments to toils of falling in love. Syd provides a good mix of 80s inspired love songs as well as up-tempo groves. Whether it be with her band, solo, or collaborating with another artist, Syd shows why her name commands respect in certain circles.

Added to the Playlist: “CYBAH (feat. Lucky Daye)”, “Fast Car”, “Control”

23. “Cheat Codes” x Danger Mouse + Black Thought

Overview: Two masters at their craft combine for an all-star album.

When news broke that Danger Mouse and Black Thought were releasing a record together, it conjured up well deserved excitement. The Roots’ MC never got the fame or glam of some of his contemporaries, yet it cannot be overstated how prolific Black Thought was, and clearly still is, as a rapper. One of the most skilled wordsmiths of the genre combined with a legendary producer was bound to create a fine work of art. And Cheat Codes does anything but disappoint.

Added to the Playlist: “Cheat Codes”, “The Darkest Part (feat. Raekwon and Kid Sister)”, “Saltwater (feat. Conway The Machine)”

22. “Blue Rev” x Alvvays

Overview: Alvvays explores the feelings of nostalgia, and the beauty of finding comfort in pandemonium.

The Toronto based Indie-Pop band already carved out a niche for themselves in an increasingly crowded genre with their first two records. On their third effort, though, the band sets a new standard, one that their peers will now have to match or risk being left behind. Blue Rev is witty, sarcastic, and full of a powerful youthful energy the infects the record from front to back. This is one of those records we’ll look back in 5 years and call an essential listen.

Added to the Playlist: “Easy On Your Own”, “Pressed”, “Lottery Noises”

21. “God Don’t Make Mistakes” x Conway The Machine

Overview: Personal and booming, the Buffalo rapper provides intimacy among the chaos.

Rarely does a rapper give such an intimate look into their personal lives, from their youth, to their come up, to their pitfalls, and to their current success without coming off pretentious. Conway is able to mix in excellent story telling among bombastic production that draws the listener in, keeping them invested in the story and entertained at the same time. Among many other qualities that make him special, Conway just has an ear for good sounding music. And that’s a trait that’s not as common as you would think it would and should be.

Added to the Playlist: “Piano Love”, “John Woo Flick (feat. Benny The Butcher and Westside Gunn)”, “Chanel Pearls (feat. Jill Scott)

20. “Two Ribbons” x Let’s Eat Grandma

Overview: Sometimes the best love stories aren’t about two lovers, but two best friends finding their way back to each other.

As anyone with a former or current childhood best friend knows, sometimes, people just grow apart as they grow older. Interests change, significant others get thrown into the mix, and tragedy, grief, and trauma can happen in the blink of an eye. But what happens when your best friend is also the other half of a moderately successful musical duo, a project you’ve poured your heart and soul into since your early teen years? How do you find your way back to someone you’ve started to pull away from, but whose livelihood is so interconnected to your own? In a series of songs written for and to the other person, Let’s Eat Grandma’s Jenny Hollingworth and Rosa Walton somehow find a way to still capture the child-like wonder and glee with poppy and danceable tracks that filled their first two records, while displaying a maturity and introspectiveness that finds a new way to captivate.

Added to the Playlist: “Happy New Year”, “Levitation”, “Watching You Go”

19. “Laughing So Hard It Hurts” x Mavi

Overview: Intimate coming of age that doesn’t shy away from it’s roots but still pushes boundaries.

“Laughing So Hard It Hurts” won’t make many headlines. It likely won’t go viral on TikTok. What it does, though, is give comfort to a generation willing to be vulnerable. Mavi gives a reflective look at his past and what’s brought him here, and that vulnerability is a strength. The pictures this record paints are vivid, as Mavi expertly floats on the smooth, layered production. This is an artist whose best days are yet to come, and this one is a powerful step in that direction.

Added to the Playlist: “High John”, “Reason!”, “Last Laugh”

18. “Skinty Fia” x Fontaines D.C.

Overview: A perfect balance between the loud and brooding, Dublin’s very own carves out their own lane.

Perhaps in more ways than just sonically, this might as well be a different band than the one that released the scrappy “Drogel” in 2019. Four of the five members don’t even live in Dublin, their namesake, any longer. But as anyone who has moved away from home knows, sometimes distance does actually make the heart grow fonder. “Skinty Fia” is a masterclass in how our hometowns shape us, but we get to decide whether it limits us or not. An adventurous journey into the new but still, at it’s core, Fontaines D.C. certainly don’t forget where they came from.

Added to the Playlist: “Big Shot”, “Roman Holiday”, “I Love You”

17. “Laurel Hell” x Mitski

Overview: With already an illustrious career at just 32, Mitski’s 6th entry to her discography is equally as powerful as it’s predecessors.

Very few in the Indie-Pop scene have as dedicated a fanbase as Mitski does. When you take a dive into “Laurel Hell”, it becomes evident that’s for good reason. Mitski is an artist not afraid to bare all for her listeners, vulnerability seems almost not intense-enough a word. But where does she go from here? Where does the spotlight leave her room for herself and her personal relationships? These seem to be questions she herself struggles and comes to grips with on this record. Very few can blend sonically the ability to command the audience to both dance and cry at the same time, but Mitski does it with such ease. Strange serenity indeed.

Added to the Playlist: “Stay Soft”, “Love Me More”, “Should’ve Been Me”

16. “Expert in a Dying Field” x The Beths

Overview: A cathartic revelation for those of us that hold on a little too long, and struggle to move on.

On the surface, this record is a clean and tight alternative/indie rock album. The New Zealand quartet are three albums in, and sonically sound better than ever. The Beths blend early 2000s punk and midwestern emo rock in a way that’s rare to hear done well in 2022. Just beneath the surface, though, “Expert” is a study on the fallacy of a civil break-up. Sometimes, it’s harder to let go than we’d like to imagine. Very few have put to wax the feelings of knowing you should probably part ways, but you find out it’s easier said than done.

Added to the Playlist: “Expert in a Dying Field”, “When You Know You Know”, “I Told You I Was Afraid”

15. “Lucifer On The Sofa” x Spoon

Overview: It’s hard to stay this good two years and two albums into your career, but Spoon is still finding ways to remain fresh three decades and 10 albums in.

As a loose concept based on the city of Austin, Spoon decided to take a slightly different approach to recording. Instead of piecing the record together in separate live session like their 2017 record “Hot Thoughts”, the band decided to try and replicate the sound of their live shows, preferring the live versions of their songs to the studio versions. That small change made a world of difference. The cohesion and chemistry Spoon displayed on this record doesn’t scream “30-year old band”. It tells us these guys are just getting started.

Added to the Playlist: “Held”, “The Devil and Mister Jones”, “Feels Alright”

14. “Blue Skies” x Dehd

Overview: The Chicago-based trio know how to produce a record that’s just a damn good time.

“Blue Skies” is what you get when a band decides to unapologetically be themselves. At times it’s minimal, at times it’s adventurous. It packs a lot into it’s short 33 minute runtime. It takes you from idea to idea without any one song overstaying it’s welcome. The only negative is once it starts, it feels like it’s gone too soon.

Added to the Playlist: “Bad Love”, “Clear”, “Empty in My Mind”

13. “Duality” x Luna Li

Overview: True to it’s namesake, “Duality” offers the best of multiple worlds.

Born in Canada, Korean multi-instrumentalist Hannah Bussere Kim (known professionally as Luna Li) knows her way around multiple instruments. From piano (where she got her start), to guitar and drums, all the way to the harp – Luna Li incorporates many different styles into her works. Born amidst the pandemic, “Duality” comes from an artist that knows how to play to her strengths, in an intimate and raw manner that anyone who lived through COVID will certainly relate to. She is becoming a true bastion of bedroom-pop.

Added to the Playlist: “Cherry Pit”, “Afterglow”, “Silver Into Rain (feat. beabadoobee)”

12. “A Light For Attracting Attention” x The Smile

Overview: A creative venture featuring Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood, with Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner.

Very early into “A Light”, it becomes very evident that this is the best Radiohead side-project to date. Hell, it might be York and Greenwood’s best work since the middle of the turn of the millennia. York’s lyricism and ability to craft a song are as clean as ever, while the rest of the band provides cohesion that comforts like a blanket. It’s some of the best music of their careers, and with a rich and storied career these three gentlemen have, that’s no small feat.

Added to the Playlist: “The Opposite”, “The Smoke”, “We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings”

11. “Sometimes, Forever” x Soccer Mommy

Overview: While it doesn’t quite reach the same heights as her instant classic sophomore record, “Sometimes, Forever” is a testament to growth.

Nashville-based musician Sophia Allison (known professionally as Soccer Mommy) doesn’t completely ditch her “heart on the sleeve” style lyrics she’s made a name for, but instead decides to expand her palate sonically. Incorporating new sounds and styles from industrial to shoegaze – “Sometimes, Forever” cements Allison’s place as a leader in new-age indie. It’s also worth noting that her and her band also put on one hell of a show.

Added to the Playlist: “Shotgun”, “Following Eyes”, “Feel It All The Time”

10. “Dance Fever” x Florence + The Machine

Overview: Somehow, five albums in, Florence Welch and her band produce perhaps their best record to date.

One thing Welch and the assortment of stellar musicians who make up “The Machine” part of the band know how to do, is put emotion into their art. “Dance Fever” is as cinematic and as large in scope as some of their previous ventures like “Lungs” and, “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful”. However, where the record truly shines is that it also hits the brutal honesty that fell somewhat flat with 2018’s “High As Hope”. Welch remains true to herself, providing flourishes of dance and magic, but also reaches an emotional maturity that, combined with everything else, produces a truly special record.

Added to the Playlist: “Choreomania”, “Dream Girl Evil”, “The Bomb”

9. “Wet Leg” x Wet Leg

Overview: The Isle of Wright duo not only made a statement with their debut, they absolutely dominated.

Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers sound like they’ve been here before. It’s hard to imagine that this is Wet Leg’s first record. From the tongue-in-cheek style lyrics to the snappy and infectious guitar and drums, “Wet Leg” is an instant britpop classic. No doubt this is a record that will be hard to follow up. One thing is clear though, Teasdale and Chambers are having the time of their lives, and maybe it’s okay to not think about that right now.

Added to the Playlist: “Angelica”, “Convincing”, “Too Late Now”

8. “Ramona Park Broke My Heart” x Vince Staples

Overview: It’s time to have a serious conversation about where Vince Staples currently ranks amongst the pantheon of modern rappers.

While some of his contemporaries have fallen off or become caricatures and parodies of their former selves, Staples has been quietly releasing masterpiece after masterpiece. “Ramona Park” is no different in that aspect, being a testament to evolution. An ode to his hometown and navigating to toils of escaping and where that’s lead him, Staples offers another intimate look into his personal journey. Staples is clearly someone who has gone through much pain, but has grown into such an interesting person and artist due to it.

Added to the Playlist: “AYE! (FREE THE HOMIES)”, “WHEN SPARKS FLY”, “BANG THAT”

7. “Household Name” x Momma

Overview: Perhaps Gen Z’s first attempt at late 1990/Early 2000s garage rock/ pop punk that is more than just a gimmick.

It’s very clear who inspires the Brooklyn duo Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten – from Nirvana to Smashing Pumpkins to Pavement. But there is a fine line to toe between paying homage and being a ripoff, which the band cheekily notes in their opening track. Three albums in, though, it appears Momma has found their niche. By incorporating sounds of the past, but putting a new generational spin on it, “Household Name” offers something for fans of the genre while also ushering in a new age and fresh blood.

Added to the Playlist: “Speeding 72”, “Motorbike”, “Callin Me”

6. “The Car” x Arctic Monkeys

Overview: Nothing if not bold, Artic Monkeys follow up the divisive “Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino” with a record that’s equal parts head scratching as it is brilliant.

If the lads from Sheffield drove any fans away with their 2018 record, they certainly didn’t win any of them back in 2022. The band is a far cry from where they started with their debut in 2006; long gone are the days of garage alt rock tracks about nights out on the streets of Sheffield. “The Car” continues the crooning lounge rock of “Tranquility Base”, while still holding elements that you can point to and say, “that’s still Arctic Monkeys” (like the back-end of the theatrical “Body Paint”). And while it’s becoming ever more apparent Alex Turner and Co. may never again produce a banger akin to “When The Sun Comes Down”, with beautiful ballads like “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball”, that may just be alright.

Added to the Playlist: “Sculptures of Anything Goes”, “Body Paint”, “Hello You”

5. “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers” x Kendrick Lamar

Overview: At thi point, it’s impossible to deny Kendrick Lamar’s greatness, yet somehow he finds new ways to awe with each new release.

Kendrick has never been one to shy away from introspection. Every record is a reflection on a certain aspect of his life. The journey of fatherhood has clear taught Kendrick a lot, and what “Mr. Morale” does is paint a clear picture: Kendrick doesn’t want to be worshiped as a hero. He is just a man – he makes mistakes and has his flaws. And putting someone on such a pedestal will do nothing but bring pain in the end. What Kendrick is though, is one of the best rappers, no, artists alive. While “Mr. Morale” my not have the staying power of a “good kid m.A.A.d city” or is an instant classic in the way “To Pimp a Butterfly” was, this is yet another stellar entry in an increasingly infallible discography.

Added to the Playlist: “Father Time (feat. Sampha)”, “Rich Spirit”, “Mirror”

4. “Fever Dream” x Cannons

Overview: Masters of mood setting and atmosphere, this Los Angeles trio is a hidden gem.

When childhood best friends Ryan Clapham and Paul Davis found their lead singer Michelle Joy in a craigslist add, they knew they had something special. It was like Joy’s voice was made for what they were envisioning. “Fever Dream” is enchanting and spellbinding. It puts you in a trance with Joy’s smooth vocals along with the dreamlike backing track of Clapham and Davis. In the eight years since their first EP, Cannons is secretly producing some of the best music around. In a just world, one day they will get the recognition they deserve.

Added to the Playlist: “Come Alive”, “Tunnel of You”, “Goodbye”

3. “And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow” x Weyes Blood

Overview: Santa Monica singer Natalie Mering follows up 2019’s cinematic “Titanic Rising” with a record that matches it in scope and beauty.

Weyes Blood’s 5th album is the second in a trilogy, following “Titanic Rising”. One thing Weyes Blood does extremely well is melody and arrangement. The 34 year old singer explores experimentation while also providing enchanting musical set pieces that moves you through this story. According to Mering, “Titanic Rising” is an, “observation, sounding the alarms that shit is going to go down” while “And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow” is, “my personal response to being in the thick of it”. If the third record matches the first two, Weyes Blood will have crafted a three-part masterpiece on par with some of the best.

Added to the Playlist: “It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody”, “Children of the Empire”, “The Worst Is Done”

2. “Melt My Eyez See Your Future” x Denzel Curry

Overview: Out of all the stellar hip-hop projects that were released this year, Denzel Curry’s fifth record stood tall above the rest.

“Melt My Eyez” is a journey of self discovery. Curry took inspiration for this record from classic Western works such as The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly as well as classic Japanese Samurai films like Sanjuro. In “Melt My Eyez”, the world sees a more mature, and self-realized Denzel Curry, retiring his past personas to reveal more of his true nature. The record oxymoronically feels timeless, yet also perfectly encapsulates the time it was produced in. It’s as ambitious as it is it is intimate, and shows an artist who refuses to shy away from growth and innovation.

Added to the Playlist: “Melt Session #1 [feat. Robert Glasper]”, “Walkin”, “The Ills”

1. “Renaissance” x Beyoncé

Overview: Surprising to almost no one, the Queen returns with one of her more artistically creative and overall enthralling albums to date.

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has almost nothing left to prove at this point. She’s one of the world’s best performers, has one of the more recognizable names on the planet, has seven solo albums worth of chart topping music, a successful clothing line, and (along with her susperstar husband) a brand worth over a billion dollars. Though there is one thing that still alludes the Mega Star – a Grammy award for Album of the Year. If “Renaissance”, a celebration of post-1970s black dance music, isn’t enough to get her that elusive award, nothing is. It’s almost impossible to think that this far into her career, with the type of records already under her belt, that she is capable of producing arguably the best music of her career. One day, we’re going to stop being surprised by Beyoncé . That day, however, is not today. “Renaissance” is the best album of the year, and in the end, it was never really that close.

Added to the Playlist: “Virgo’s Groove”, “Heated”, “Summer Renaissance”

-Devyn Tammons