Trotsky's Top 10 Tracks of 2022

Here's a full playlist of the tracks in this list, and a few more...

1. Mantra by Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul

Definitely my favourite album of the year, after having my ears piqued by 2021’s single “Blenda”. This is an ambitious one; it’s hard not to admire the audacity of trying to fit a self-help mantra into a chorus, and the results are extremely charming in a clunky kind of way (“Now let go of this mental interpretation / you exist with or without it”). Coupled with Pupul’s punchy, clean, Soulwax-inspired production, it’s the emotionally-nourishing bop that we needed in 2022. Listen here.

2. Vocoder by Floating Points

I was a huge fan of Sam Shepard’s “Promises” project from last year, so I was simultaneously excited and ever-so-slightly disappointed when he came out with this fiendish piece of modern house music. It’s not bold and ambitious in the way that the 2021 album was - you get the sense Shepard can put this kind of thing together in his sleep - but it’s hard to complain when someone “plays the hits”, especially when the hits are this well-constructed. Built around a garbled vocoder hook, the drop seems to come out of nowhere. Listen here.

3. Wannabe by Spank Hair

The pop punk revival continued into 2022. Some of the bigger artists got in on the act with mixed results (if I never have to hear ABCDEFU again, I'll live a happy and fulfilled life), but the trend could also be heard at the grassroots. Spank Hair really stood out to me as embodying this spirit, and “Wannabe” takes the adolescent anger of 00's Bay Area punk and turns it inwards ("I'm not as tall as I wannabe"). It's raw, it's thrashy, but it's really well put-together. All hail the 90-second punk song. Listen Here.

4. Summer Renaissance by Beyoncé

Where do you even start unpacking this one? The standout pick from an album where everyone has a different standout pick. The first few bars threaten a straight-up refit of Donna Summers’ Italo disco classic, but almost immediately we're off in a completely different direction. The structure seems to be completed linear - there's no chorus to speak of, but a series of fresh hooks and ideas throughout. Its testament to the way Beyonce’s vocal chops alone can elevate?pretty much anything. Listen here.

5. Pray by MOTHERMARY

There’s always room for an electroclash chugger, and this year’s comes courtesy of MOTHERMARY. More restrained than you’d expect from an act whose schtick is pseudo-religious BDSM imagery, but full of zippy vocal looks (“I'll pray for you… sacrificial offering”) and with appropriately grudgy, dirty production. Listen here.

6. Sirens by Flume feat. Caroline Polachek

Caroline Polachek’s voice is the most expressive instrument in modern pop music, and here takes its rightful place as the track’s eponymous siren. Flume is in full SOPHIE mode with the late producer’s gnarly metallic snarls all over this thing. Together, it’s something harsh but soothing; abrasive yet melodic. It’s an intense ride and not for everyone, but it’s worth a go just for the sake of hearing two people at the top of their game come together. Listen here.

7. This Is Why by Paramore

It’s incredible that a band this long running can still sound so fresh and fun, and since After Laugher it feels like Paramore have had a real renaissance. This Is Why is the lead-off single from the recent album, and it’s raw, exasperated tone captures the feeling of wanting to keep fighting, but being worn down in the process. It’s actually a sparse track, but is gorgeously-produced. Listen here.

8. Despechá by Rosalía

2022 definitely belonged to Rosalia, and this was my personal favourite from an album that really captured people’s imaginations. The language barrier means that I can’t for the life of me decode the story that’s being told here, but zippy piano?and a springy, stripped-back beat meant that this immediately felt like a sweaty summer anthem. Everything on Motomami shares this sparse aesthetic, but this one really stood out to me. Listen here.

9. Payback?by Kojey Radical

This was the big one for me this year; the one that sounded like the announcement of a superstar onto the UK hip hop scene. Radical isn't a newcomer by any stretch, but Payback (and the whole album) is so absurdly charismatic it's hard not to be taken in. The whole thing has charm for days - it really feels like it came together in a couple of hours in the studio and arrived fully-formed as a modern hip hop anthem. Listen here.

10. The Smoke by The Smile

Formed of ex-Radioheaders Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, The Smile is the ultimate flex. It’s frankly disgusting how easy this makes it all seem - stripped back, polymetric bass riffs over Thom’s characteristically slight vocals with just a smattering of horns. The beat is something to behold - the groove is locked-in, but never feels predicable as it moves alongside Yorke's bassline. Creepy, groovy and expertly constructed. Listen here.