Musicians who have broken the internet of 2022
We can't talk about culture and brand builders without mentioning the global music titans who have continued to set the bar by holding the world's attention in the palm of their hands.
Beyonce blessed us with the instant classic ‘ BREAK MY SOUL’, only to be followed by the release of album ‘RENAISSANCE’. The icon's seventh album embraces the culture of club music and the divas she has always championed and inspired. 'RENAISSANCE’ reconstructed Beyonce's musical image, once again showing her diversity, and undeniable cultural relevance.
Burna Boy - We can compare him to the Fast and Furious franchise because since his critically acclaimed 2013 debut L.I.F.E., each new project has been bigger than the one before. In 2022 he emerged as more than a superstar artist in the making. The self-professed force for optimism and his business-savvy 'momager' Bose have made waves on both sides of the Atlantic and now can boast global popularity, which competes with his status in his native Lagos. Sold out O2, anyone?
Central Cee has dominated this year's UK rap scene, and is officially 'the next one through'. This year he has re-written the playbook of 'moments-over-marketing' bookended by his viral hit Doja and his LA leakers freestyle. Not only is everyone buzzed about his music, but his ability to move Gen-z audiences at will has turned the heads of brands at every level.
The frenetic creative energy of Ed Sheeran has come to be recognised more and more as his unique superpower the further his career has developed. In this year alone, you could find him hanging out in a Pokemon project one week, with Russ or Tion Wayne on hip-hop and Drill tracks another, before popping up in a sold-out stadium entertaining the masses on his global tour. All were executed without breaking stride. What actually makes this even more impressive is the fact that he doesn't churn out much social content by today's standards. He lets his creative work do most of the talking for him and it works.
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Bad Bunny is the most streamed musician, on both Apple Music and Spotify, making him the artist of the year. He has set a record by grossing ￡395 million from his tour alone. He has proliferated and set a standard for 2023 even making time for a speaking role in a brand Pitt movie. He didn't do badly at all, either! His relevance is undeniable, and once again, he's managed to keep a huge, highly engaged audience right at his fingertips despite now being far too big to just be considered a titan of Latin music.
This year was undoubtedly a return of the heavy hitters. These 5 talented artists have blown our heads away and captivated the music scene in their own individual ways . We celebrate the true icons of 2022!