Best of 2022: That Grape Juice’s Picks for Best Songs of the Year So Far

Music has always been the place where possibilities happen. If there is one thing that this year has showed us, it is that those possibilities are endless.

From perfect pop songs, to dazzling R&B gems, and reflective Hip-Hop hooks, many artists showed up and showed out this year. Some were subtle in their delivery and others took to the dance floor to dance away the angst.

Whatever the occasion may be, these artists crafted the year’s best songs.

Find out which artist and songs made the cut for the best songs of 2022 so far…

Lizzo – About Damn Time

Since her meteoric rise to fame in 2019 with her smash ‘Truth Hurts,’ Lizzo has had a knack for going viral. ‘About Damn Time’ not only ended the drought for new music from her, but she also managed to snag yet another viral smash. However, the song is more than a viral smash, it is an anthem for body positivity, one that is as classic as the disco era it references.

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Jazmine Sullivan – Hurt Me So Good

With the release of ‘Heaux Tales’ last year, Jazmine Sullivan finally got the recognition that she has so longingly deserved. So, when she released the deluxe version of the project this year, it unsurprisingly contained one of the best songs of the year. One of the new tracks called ‘Hurt Me So Good’ finds her struggling with her feelings for someone who she can’t seem to let go of. Her exceptional vocals truly give the listener the full emotional experience and dare we say…even chills.

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Charli XCX – Sorry If I Hurt You

Fresh off the release of her ‘Crash’ album earlier this year, Charli XCX continues her streak of impressive tunes. Appearing on the deluxe version of ‘Crash,’ ‘Sorry If I Hurt You’ is a futuristic dance-pop tune that is reminiscent of Robyn’s ‘Dancing on My Own.’ Further solidifying ‘Crash’ as the year’s best pop album thus far, ‘Sorry If I Hurt You’ is a true pop tour de force.

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The Weeknd – Less Than Zero

The final full song on ‘Dawn FM’ is also its best. This sun-soaked ballad is as heartbreaking as The Weeknd has ever been. With lyrics such as “Now you’d rather leave me than to watch me die in your arms,” he pulls on the heartstrings all the while an upbeat synth progression plays the perfect juxtaposition to the lyrics. Make no mistake, this is not a ‘Blinding Lights’ 2.0, rather it is its own entity, one that is destined to become as big as the ones before it.

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Avril Lavigne – Love It When You Hate Me

There is a lot to be said about Avril Lavigne’s return to her pop-punk roots, mainly that it could’ve seen as a cash grab at nostalgia, but her album ‘Love Sux’ and its subsequent songs are anything but. A modern entry into her superstar’s comeback, ‘Love It When You Hate Me’ could have been bogged down by the rap contributions by Blackbear; however, the pair instead creates something new, something unique. As catchy as some of her biggest hits, ‘Love It When You Hate Me,’ shows that even after 20 years in the game, she is going as strong as ever.

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Harry Styles – Matilda

If there is one thing that fans and critics have been in agreeance with when it comes to Styles’ new album, ‘Harry’s House,’ it is that ‘Matilda’ is the best song on it. A stirring ode to a friend who has faced neglect and trauma at the feet of family and loved ones, the song sees the subject inch toward adult stability. An acoustic ballad, Styles proves that there is immense power with a gentle emotional touch.

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Bad Bunny – Después de la Playa

It only makes sense that Bad Bunny – who release one of the year’s best albums – also makes this list for having one of the year’s best songs as well. The one to take that place on this list is none other that ‘Después de la Playa,’ a fast-paced mambo and merengue fusion that was recorded with a live band. The most energetic song on the album, it perfectly represents everything a song of the summer should and could be.

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Muni Long – Hrs & Hrs

Yes, it was recorded in 2021 and appeared on her EP ‘Public Displays of Affection,’ however, it was not released as a single until this year, therefore ‘Hrs & Hrs’ is eligible for this list. It is a titillating ballad that tells the story of Long and her partner loving one another until the end of time. After a decade of making hits for other artists, Long finally steps into her own on ‘Hrs & Hrs’ and becomes the superstar she was always destined to be.

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Kendrick Lamar – Mother I Sober

An evocative piano ballad, ‘Mother I Sober’ is an exposure of emotion not seen in a Kendrick song thus far. Exploring themes of childhood abuse, he takes aim at past traumas from not just him, but the ones that have plagued the family for years. Hands down one of his best songs ever, ‘Mother I Sober’ is a prime example as to why he is his generation’s poet.

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Rina Sawayama – This Hell

Serving as the lead single for her upcoming sophomore album ‘Hold the Girl,’ her song ‘This Hell’ is a call to arms for the girls and the gays and anyone who has been told that they will eventually go to Hell. Mixing elements of Shania Twain’s ‘Man! I Feel Like A Woman’ with ‘Born This Way’ era Lady Gaga, Rina Sawayama is on her way to become as legendary as the ones who came before her.

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Do you agree with our picks?

Your thoughts?

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