The first quarter of 2022 seemed like a crawl musically. I found comfort in the old rather than the new, or sought out silence. April, at the very least, seems like a new note for the year ahead. A lot of my reoccurring artists make appearances on this list with some recent finds. I was moved by emotional lyrics. I visited other countries through their music. I spent an entire road trip listening to Taylor Swift. By the end of this month, narrowing down my choices to 20 was difficult for some and easier for others.
So, I’m thankful for the rules: no more than 20 songs per month, no more than 1 song per artist (not including features or collabs), and no more than 3 songs per compilation album. This cut down over 40 new “Likes” in April to more manageable numbers. At the end of the year, only songs from each of these monthly lists are eligible for the Best Of list. I’ve also started indicating old favorites (versus new finds) with an asterisk* since that will make it clear which ones are automatically out of the running.
Did April make it rain with song?
- “saw ur mom at the grocery store” by Abby Cates ~ I’ve been terrified, for months, of seeing you
- “High Water” by Bishop Briggs ~ And I hate that I lost you when I’m not lost anymore
- “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)” by Blue Cantrell* ~ Get your hands on his cash and / Spend it to the last dime
- “Look Who’s Inside Again” by Bo Burnham* ~ Went out to look for a reason to hide again
- “Boys Will Be Bugs” by Cavetown ~ I punch my walls, stay out at night, and I do karate
- “Mommy Issues” by Cloudy June ~ When I say give me, I mean the world
- “Ready Now” by dodie ~ You don’t like the ending / Then we’ll find one that’s yours
- “Free” by Florence + The Machine ~ To exist in the face of suffering and death / And somehow still keep singing
- “Boats & Birds” by Gregory and the Hawk ~ Just leave me your stardust to remember you by
- “As It Was” by Harry Styles ~ Why are you sitting at home on the floor?
- “PAPI” by Isabel Merced ~ Si tú dices que me quieres (ey)
- “We’ll Never Have Sex” by Leith Ross ~ Oh, you kissed me just to kiss me
- “firearm” by Lizzy McAlpine ~ You had me convinced that you loved me
- “A Pearl” by Mitski ~ You love me so hard and I still can’t sleep
- “SENSITIVE” by MOTHICA ~ My fears don’t behave logically
- “I Burned LA Down” by Noah Cyrus ~ If I gave you less, would you want me more?
- “Cocaine Jesus” by Rainbow Kitten Surprise ~ I’m nothing more than a page unwritten on the pavement, blowing in the wind
- “farfalle” by sangiovanni ~ Che ho perso la testa e sono pazzo di te
- “The Lucky One (Taylor’s Version)” by Taylor Swift* ~ How you took the money and your dignity and got the hell out
- “Migraine” by Twenty One Pilots ~ I am not as fine as I seem pardon / Me for yelling I’m telling you green gardens / Are not what’s growing in my psyche
I listened to Lizzy McAlpine’s five seconds flat several times this month (an excellent contender for one of my albums of the year). I also checked out Wet Leg’s debut, Miley Cyrus’ live recording, and Maren Morris’ latest. A lot of my time has been spent with a playlist curated with songs that give off the same era vibes as “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls; however, since most of those are songs I’m already very familiar with, they probably won’t make an appearance on the list. For May, I’m looking forward to new releases, visiting some old favorites with a different perspective, and seeing what else catches my attention. At this point, anything goes.
The ongoing multi-genre mix What I’m Listening To 2022 can be found on Spotify here.
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