The 50 Best Albums of 2022 So Far: Staff Picks (2024)

Amber Mark, 'Three Dimensions Deep'

Amber Markhas embraced sonic variety throughout her career, fusing house rhythms with pop melodies, launching R&B into outer space and taking aNirvana classic subterranean all in the past few years. On her debut album, finally unveiled this January, Mark pulls from these varied corners of her catalog for 17 new funky, buoyant and confident songs united by her velvety alto. Mark seems well aware that this is a long-awaited release, singing openly about pressure and anxiety, but she keeps herself grounded — whether she’s managing expectations of success on “One” or of relationships on “Most Men,” where she issues the timeless reminder that “most men are garbage.” — CHRISTINE WERTHMAN

Anxious, 'Little Green House'

Pounding, pretty, wounded, wound-up, whispery, roaring — Connecticut emo band Anxiouspacks it all into the taught, savagely melodicLittle Green House. There are a slew of exhilarating moments across this album’s 32 minutes: the tangled guitars that hurl the listener into “Growing Up Song,” the radiant falsetto vocals ping-ponging through the background of “Wayne,” and the whole of “Call From You,” a frenzied onslaught about how hard it can be to pick up a phone. “This is all too much for me,” Grady Allen sings. “But in the morning I’ll try again.” — ELIAS LEIGHT

Avril Lavigne, 'Love Sux'

“Like a ticking time bomb I’m about to explode!”AvrilLavigne screams, a gleeful threat kicking off “Cannonball,” Love Sux‘s full-throttle opener. The album, her most faithful pop-punk exploration in ages, finds her once again firing on all cylinders — and back in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for the first time since 2013. With its bratty sing-song refrains, earworm choruses and spiky guitars, it’d be tempting to write LoveSux off as merely a nostalgia trip — but what’s so wrong with nostalgia, anyway? Besides, there’s a clear vein of (dare we say it?) grown-up grit and empowerment throughout the set, which feels like evolution for Lavigne, whose crystalline belt and rebel yell are still both very much intact. —REBECCA MILZOFF

Babyface Ray, 'Face'

Darting from a comforting prayer recited by his pastor father into a piercing 808 Mafia beat on “6 Mile Show,”Babyface Ray recreates the very juxtaposition that defines his existence. On Face, the underground favorite remains true to all things Detroit — the off-beat-by-a-millisecond cadence, the slightly proper, slightly street accent — while reaching new commercial heights through his surprisingly nonchalant storytelling. The dark tales he recounts on tracks like “Tunnel Vision” and “Me, Wife & Kids” can only occur in a city where for five months out of the year, thick, gray clouds are relentless, and the cold pierces like ten thousand pins and needles. But despite the city’s unforgiving climate, Ray’s narrative affords grace, intimately sharing an all-too-familiar story with vulnerable honesty. — NEENA ROUHANI

Bad Bunny, 'Un Verano Sin Ti'

Everything aboutUnVerano Sin Ti — from its title to its beachy cover to its mix of frisky, experimental bangers — makes this the ultimate warm-weather soundtrack. With this set, Bad Bunny delivered 23 songs that mostly step away from his signature trap and perreo essence, navigating other rhythmic sounds such as bomba, mambo, dembow, reggae, bossa nova, EDM and even indie-pop, all of which represent his summers spent in Puerto Rico. The infectious LP, which many fans are hailing his best work, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, with his best first-week numbers to date. — JESSICA ROIZ

Becky G, 'Esquemas'

Becky G’s best album to date is a wonderfully curated, chock-full-of-hits set that mines her versatility, from merengue in “Fulanito” with El Alfa, to the introspective “Dolores,” where the veteran star tackles mental health. While blockbuster “Mamiii” with Karol G may be the set’s linchpin — after all, fans have waited what feels like a lifetime for this collab — there’s also lots to relate to in songs like current single “Bailé con mi Ex” (I Danced With My Ex), a mid-tempo club track, and gratifying surprises like singer/songwriter Elena Rose being brought to the forefront in the wonderful, ’60s-inspired “Flashback.”Becky G owns each track, sentiment and vibe, proving that she can do it all. — LEILA COBO

Big Thief, 'Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You'

If its title and art (a pencil sketch of a bear playing guitar around a campfire, to an audience of an owl, a sparrow and a T. rex) are any indication, BigThief’sDragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in Youshould be the band’s most eclectic, and rambling, offering yet. Indeed, the mighty 20-song set is a lovable grab bag, filled with everything from sobering ballads (“Change”) to ephemeral, rubber-band-snapping fun (“Spud Infinity”). Sure, BigThief may be one of the most lauded indie outfits of today, but on Dragon New Warm Mountain,the Adrienne Lenker-led band proves they are unconcerned with keeping the status quo. This freedom and confidence makes for a wonderfully sprawling project that will keep you guessing from cover to cover. —KRISTIN ROBINSON

Blxst, 'Before You Go'

Bonnie Raitt, 'Just Like That...'

Deep into the slow burn of Just Like That highlight “Blame It on Me,” Raitt hits — and holds — a high note that proves her bluesy vocals have never been stronger. The marvelous, familiar mix of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s voice and bottleneck guitar, the prominence of a B3 organ, and the solid funk of her longtime rhythm section, all helped this set debut at No. 1 onBillboard‘s Top Current Album Sales and Americana/Folk Albums charts in May. But the lasting power of Just Like That… comes from Raitt’s own lyrics here, rich with empathy — for the grieving mother of the title track who finds peace; for the prisoner of “Down The Hall” who finds compassion; and for the survivors of “Livin’ For the Ones,” a hard-charging, post-pandemic prayer for all of us. — THOM DUFFY

Cate Le Bon, 'Pompeii'

After the stellar 2019 avant-pop effort Reward, Welsh artist Cate Le Bon explores deeper terrain in her sixth album Pompeii. Written and composed alone in Cardiff during lockdown, it’s a meditative album which asks the question: how do you make “music that sounds like a painting”? A tidal wave of feelings about existence, grief, and faith fizzles into a dreamscape on songs like “Moderation” and “Running Away.” Le Bon sings with bittersweet poise throughout the album, her voice suspended in time, while a steady groove drives it all forward. As she says, “The grief is in the saxophones.” — MICHAEL CALCAGNO

Charli XCX, 'Crash'

Charli XCX hasn’t been shy about her fraught relationship with her Atlantic record label, and Crash — the final release in her five-album deal — sees her “finally free from [their] control,” as she cheekily sings in “Used to Know Me.” Crash interrogates the concept of “selling out” by producing mass-appeal bangers, and though Charli certainly manages to deliver on the premise – almost every track feels like it could be a single – the product itself proves that she’s much too interesting to be simply written off as mainstream pop. On the glitchy Eurodance of the Rina Sawayama-featuring “Beg for You,” she expertly elevates the clubby hook of September’s “Cry for You” to unexpected heights, while “New Shapes” sees her making avant-garde ’80s pop with the help of fellow top 40-subverters Caroline Polachek and Christine and the Queens. Even on a purported commercial compromise like Crash, Charli can’t escape her adventurous experimental streak — and thank god for that. — FRED SAHAI

Conway the Machine, 'God Don't Make Mistakes'

Within the Buffalo-based Griselda universe, they say West is the brains and Benny’s the star, butConwaythe Machine is the silliest with the bars. And yet there was still something a bit mysterious about the Machine, something that he hadn’t quite put together in words yet.God Don’t Make Mistakes is the answer to any questions about him: It’s the toughest, most confident and most emotionally real he’s ever been, telling his story in a way that is simultaneously dispassionate and affecting, taking the listener on a sight-seeing tour through his life without getting too caught up in the effects of the trauma. Collaborations with Beanie Sigel (“Lock Load”) and Lil Wayne and Rick Ross (“Tear Gas”) are fantastic, but Conway carries more than enough weight on his own — and when he links with his Griselda co-stars on “John Woo Flick,” the whole crew shines. — DAN RYS

Earl Sweatshirt, 'Sick!'

Ella Mai, 'Heart on My Sleeve'

Four years after breaking through with her eponymous debut album, Ella Mai returns baring it all. With Heart on My Sleeve, the London R&B singer-songwriter delivers an unapologetically vulnerable and mature collection of tracks detailing her personal encounters with love’s triumphs and troubles. Singing through heartache on songs like “Break My Heart” and feelings of intense infatuation on “A Mess” and “Leave You Alone,” the 28-year-old leans into the idea that no matter how daunting falling in love may forever be, it’s rewarding enough that she will still choose to do so every single time. — CYDNEY LEE

Eslabon Armado, 'Nostalgia'

Eslabon Armado’s Nostalgia will not only go down as one of the best albums of 2022, but also as a historic success, becoming the first regional Mexican album to score a top 10 position on the Billboard 200. The 14-track set thrives on the teenage group’s sad sierreño essence, led by frontman Pedro Tovar — who injects pathos to his delivery, while also providing prickly guitar that sounds as emotional as he does. Nostalgia also allows Tovar to shine as an instrumentalist, with stripped-down heartache songs also occasionally powered by piano or ukulele. — GRISELDA FLORES

Fennec, 'A Couple Good Days'

OnA Couple Good Days, Austin house producer Fennec strives to recreate the nearly perfect buzz he felt at an Indianapolis tiki bar one night all the way back in 2019. His sample-based tracks nail that heady, playful space: sometimes groovy, sometimes silly, propulsive as the evening picks up (wait for the rap verse at the end of the blasting “bounce”) and slightly more contemplative as the night whirls on (the handsome, chiming “bnb”). A glorious night out can be elusive, but A Couple Good Daysensures you can recreate one in your living room whenever you want. — E.L.

fka Twigs, 'Caprisongs'

Though it was conceived as just a mixtape, FKA Twigs’ January-released Caprisongshas proven itself to one of the most cohesive records of the year thus far. The set shows Twigs at her most bubbly — still with the same grit, melancholy and sexuality laced throughout all of her music, but freed by the mixtape format, emerging from the pain and weightiness of 2019 sophom*ore LP MAGDALENE (and her lawsuit accusing former partner Shia LaBeouf of abuse) to sound better and more self-assured than ever. To listen to Caprisongsis to become a fly on her wall, watching Twigs as her friends pre-game before a night out or gossip about the latest guy to do them wrong — dynamic and candid and seemingly effortless.—K.R.

Florence + The Machine, 'Dance Fever'

Florence Welch proves that she’s one of contemporary rock’s best-established album artists with Dance Fever, very possibly her most lyrically, thematically and aesthetically cohesive record yet. Pairing big sounds with even bigger existential questions about womanhood and inner power – with the help of producers Jack Antonoff and Glass Animals’ Dave Bayley – she’s able to curate one of few post-pandemic albums that tackles lockdown solitude-induced personal crises without feeling contrived, all the while perfecting a narrative voice that’s unflinching, divinely feminine and oftentimes supernatural. — HANNAH DAILEY

Future, 'I Never Liked You'

There’s no denying Future’s gold- and platinum-marked track record since debuting on the scene with Pluto a decade ago. While this follow-up to 2020’s High Off Life has received mixed reviews, there’s also no denying that fans still find the toxic personality and booming bangers that are Future’s calling card to be irresistible. The album earned the rapper his eighth No. 1 on the Billboard 200, thanks to the sweet mid-tempo Hot 100 chart-topper “Wait for U” (with guest appearances from Drake and Tems, the latter via a sample of her “Higher”) and additional standouts like “Puffin on Zootiez” and “712PM.” — GAIL MITCHELL

Gunna, 'DS4EVER'

The first two months of 2022 undeniably belonged to Gunna, courtesy of his albumDS4EVER. By placing a bow on his seminalDrip or Drownseries, Gunna delivered a chef’s kiss of an effort fueled by surefire anthems (“P Power” with Drake & “Too Easy” with Future) and gut-wrenching candor (“Livin Wild” & “Die Alone”). While Gunna’s unflappable energy was commendable, his swagger on DS4EVERvaulted him to mainstream glory, as proven by his head-to-head win on the charts against The Weeknd’s Dawn FM, and the top 10 Hot 100 success of the LP’s culture-shifting single “Pushin P.” — CARL LAMARRE

Harry Styles, 'Harry's House'

When Harry Styles first opened the door to Harry’s House, he was still coming off a wildly popular tour to support 2019’s Fine Line, his Billboard 200-topping navigation through heartbreak and enlightenment. But on his third studio album, Styles basks in a happier mindset, combining breezy funk and 2012 Tumblr-reminiscent indie pop to create a whimsical state of falling in love, as heard in “Late Night Talking,” while still remaining vulnerable, like in “Satellite.” It’s fun, it’s groovy, and with lyrics like “I could cook an egg on you,” Harry’s House definitely makes us want to stay for dinner. — RANIA ANIFTOS

Kehlani, 'Blue Water Road'

Kendrick Lamar, 'Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers'

“I can’t please everybody,” Kendrick Lamar repeatedly protests on “Crown,” about halfway through his Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers double album. Untrue: that’s exactly what the world-beating rapper did on his fourth official LP, 2017’s universally acclaimed DAMN. But it’s probably not something he can do his whole career, especially while dealing with some really messy questions about the world and his place in it. Kendrick’s stunning fifth album is unlikely to endure as the same level of beloved blockbuster, but if its reach exceeds its grasp, that’s only because he’s the rare artist able to make an expansive 18-track odyssey commenting on everything from intersectionality to “cancel culture” to Drake vs. Kanye, and still make it mostly feel like one guy just trying to sort his own s–t out. As a wise man once noted, if you can’t please everyone, you may as well try to please yourself. — ANDREW UNTERBERGER

Latto, '777'

Lattohit the jackpoton her sophom*ore album777by expanding her Atlanta trap palette and scoring hard-hitting features.The slinky pop-rap earworm“Big Energy,” which interpolates Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy,” earnedLatto her biggest Hot 100 hit to date and invited a remix from Mimi herself. The rapper even gets ATL’s own Childish Gambino to make a rare appearance — alongside Lil Wayne, no less — on her self-described “hood gospel” anthem “Sunshine.” With777, Latto reaffirms she can be a formidable force, while still discovering herself after experiencing a pivotal rebrand and finding mainstream success. —H.M.

Let's Eat Grandma, 'Two Ribbons'

The British duo of Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth demonstrated that they could sling maddeningly catchy hooks on 2018 breakthrough LPI’m All Ears, yet follow-upTwoRibbonsis sonically and emotionally richer. Written following the death of Hollingworth’s boyfriend at the age of 22 due to cancer,TwoRibbons meditates on grief and recovery with richly atmospheric synth-pop songs that find a rewarding balance between maximalist and sparse. — JASON LIPSHUTZ

Lil Durk, '7220'

Durk was probably the best storyteller to emerge from the Chicago drill scene of a decade ago — and definitely the most melodically gifted — but it’s only really been in the past two or three years that he’s finally found his footing in a consistent way in music’s mainstream. And with 7220, he seems to be more self-aware than he’s ever been, clear-eyed about his place in the world, coming to terms with drug use and abuse, and trying to find a way to overcome the violence and street life that has followed his ascent, and which continues to cloud that path. The result is his best and most assured solo album so far. —D.R.

The Linda Lindas, 'Growing Up'

Girl power – and representation! This punk quartet of teens (and a preteen!), who proudly tout themselves as “half Asian, half Latinx,” went viral with “Racist, Sexist Boy” a year earlier, but their April 2022 debut album proves they’re no one-hit wonder. When not calling out a racist classmate, they offer introspective lyrics that transcend age and background: On “Magic,” for example, they sing, “If I was invisible/ No one would judge me for wanting to be by myself/ But I’m already invisible enough/ Without anybody else’s help.” What’s more, the songs have hooks great enough to get all kinds of listeners boppin’ to the beats. — ANNA CHAN

Lucky Daye, 'Candydrip'

Following his 2019 debut album Painted, Lucky Daye has become an R&B mainstay and shining example of the genre’s up-and-coming new generation. Adding to his usual stripped-back, old-school approach to the genre, the New Orleans native’s sophom*ore album Candydrip is a collection of soul-pop songs that are sweet, sour and everything in between. “Candy drip IV/ In me, I daydream/ Can’t breathe if it ain’t me,” he croons on the album’s bass-driven title track. With songs about sex, toxicity and romance — and shirtless, honey-covered artwork adding to the sultry experience — Candydrip is as delicious and addictive as its title suggests. — C. Lee

Maren Morris, 'Humble Quest'

Maren Morris’ third major-label studio album was borne of a series of life shifts for the country star over the past two years — including the birth of her son, the death of her friend and producer busbee, and the uncertainty and loss of touring wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Morris draws on her strength and hope throughout the set, in songs such as the career-chronicler “Circles Around This Town,” the pensive ode to her son in “Hummingbird” and the fearless title track. The project debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart, showing how many listeners are still happy to follow the singer-songwriter on her latest Quest. — JESSICA NICHOLSON

MICHELLE, 'After Dinner We Talk Dreams'

IfAfterDinner We Talk Dreams is any indication of what kind of discussions collective MICHELLE have at their get-togethers, it has to be one of New York’s most sought-after invitations. The sophom*ore album from the mostly queer group is full of tasty lyrical bites (“You can keep the toaster/ Leave me with the breadcrumbs”) and an honest depiction of love and life for a younger generation. With influences from multiple genres and a confidence foraying into each, zero of the set’s 14 tracks should be skipped. — TAYLOR MIMS

Miranda Lambert, 'Palomino'

Nearly two decades into Miranda Lambert’s storied career, her albums function more as travelogues than anything else, trips through traditionally non-glamorized parts of our fair country with a hard-living, road-loving Lambert as our guide. You’ll be whipping out your camera every 20 seconds while seeing America right with the country legend, riding through the desert on the horse that gives the album its title on “Actin’ Up,” or rollin’ down a river alongside new wave greats the B-52’s on “Music City Queen.” “You thought the West was wild, but you ain’t saddled up with me,” Lambert teases on “If I Was a Cowboy.” After 15 tracks with her, you’ll never want to ride shotgun with anyone else. — A.U.

Mitski, 'Laurel Hell'

Coming off a three-year hiatus during which she half-accidentally garnered a massive following on TikTok, the indie singer-songwriter Mitski returned with Laurel Hell, her highest-charting album to date. Over 11 tracks that clock in at just 32 minutes, the singer-songwriter lays bare the frustration and alienation that come with fame, in a mosaic of free verses and punchy synth hooks. The stadium-worthy highlights like “Love Me More” and “The Only Heartbreaker” continue the pop-friendly sound of the Be the Cowboy cuts that made her a viral sensation. But the singer also ventures into more personal territory with ballads like “Everyone” and discusses emotional vulnerability through blunt sexual innuendoes on the album standout “Stay Soft.” — JUDE ZHU

Omar Apollo, 'Ivory'

Orville Peck, 'Bronco'

Bronco is Orville Peck’s best material yet. For his second album, the cult star moves away from his Roy Orbison leanings and moseys on over to full-fledged country, taking his place in the genre with such confidence any listener would think gay men were its very forebearers. His deep drawl croons about love and depression for more than an hour, but, by the end, it feels like time to start the ride all over again. — TAYLOR MIMS

Pusha T, 'It's Almost Dry'

With Pharrell’s iconic introductory four-count giving way to the gut-quaking 808s and cocaine-coated nursery rhymes on album opener “Brambleton,” Pusha T’sIt’s Almost Dry wastes no time on momentum-building antics. On his fourth solo LP, Pusha hones in on what and who he knows best, as the album is executive produced by long-time collaborators Pharrell and Kanye West. Both mega-producers bring out Pusha’s strengths, with Ye’s “Just So You Remember” invoking the power of the former Clipse rapper’s theatrical storytelling and audibly jaw-clenched tone, and Pharrell’s “Call My Bluff” mimicking a sinister funhouse, as Pusha’s laid-back air translates as near-demented. Coming down from its drug-induced high, the album ends on a spiritual note: Pusha returning to God on “Pray For You,” alongside Labrinth and brother Malice. — N.R.

Randall King, 'Shot Glass'

Shot Glass may be this Texas troubadour’s debut major label project (out on Warner Music Nashville), but the skillfully crafted album proves King has a well-defined musical vision, and the musicianship to execute it. The Bart Butler- and Ryan Gore-produced project, steeped in fiddles and smooth steel guitar, owes a debt to the influence of ‘80s and ‘90s country hitmakers, including George Strait and Earl Thomas Conley. Songs like “Record High” and “Baby Do” place King squarely among the best of a new generation of artists offering a fresh take on a classic sound. — J.N.

Ravyn Lenae, 'Hypnos'

Several well-received EPs, from 2015’s Moon Shoes to 2018’s Crush, set the stage for Ravyn Lenae’s strong debut album. At 23, the singer-songwriter is deftly creating her own R&B lane: vibey, electric beats with melodic touches and ethereal, layered vocals, whose soft-to-soaring range has been compared to Minnie Riperton and Janet Jackson. Also refreshing is her lyrical approach to topics like sensuality (“xtasy”), heartbreak (“Venom”) and kindred spirits (“Skin Tight”). Of the magical Hypos, Lenae recently told Billboard that it’s her “stepping out as my fully-loaded self … a coming-out project. I’m putting my stamp on the industry.” — G.M.

Rosalía, 'Motomami'

Rosalía waited nearly four years from her 2018 groundbreaking El Mal Querer debut to release her new studio album. Motomami is a sharp departure from that acclaimed set, light on collaborations (only two, including “La Fama,” featuring The Weeknd, made it to the set) and full of unexpected sounds and sensations. It’s an urban album infused with reggaetón, but in between, there are also touches of flamenco and boleros, irony and erotica. Rosalía says she wasn’t making a commercial album, and she’s right: Motomami’s tracks are complex and raw. They defy expectations and they require multiple listens to appreciate their layers. But stay with it to appreciate the homage to reggaetón found in “Saoko,” the other-worldliness of “Como una G,” and the rapturous beauty of her vocals in the palmas-accompanied “Bulerías.” This artist will stick around awhile. — L.C.

Sebastian Yatra, 'Dharma'

WithDharma,Sebastian Yatra learns not to limit his creativity. He previously explained to Billboard how doing yoga and going to therapy made him adopt a new philosophy in life — and after this, he discovered a new way of writing and creating music, by going to the studio with a more open mind. As a result, this 17-song set is his most eclectic album yet, dabbling in punk rock, cumbia, vallenato and flamenco, reggaeton, and pop, and really representing who he is as an artist. He also peels back intimate layers of himself and fuses his velvety vocals fused with the angelic singing of Elena Rose on “Quererte Bonito,” which he calls the album’s “masterpiece.” — INGRID FAJARDO

Shamir, 'Heterosexuality'

WithHeterosexuality, underground favorite Shamir summons a sonic haze that’s part shoegaze, part industrial and part lo-fi indie — while also dipping into hip-hop and bossa nova — to create an album that sounds as foggy, confused and amorphous as gender, sexual identity and life itself often feel. But the clarity of the songwriting and Shamir’s peerless wail pierce through all of it, with songs about nightmares, broken friendships and self-love of various degrees of literalism landing as some of the most devastating (and not infrequently, the funniest) songs of any genre this year. “I’m just existing on this godforsaken land,” he proclaims on the anthemic “Cisgender,” reminding you what an accomplishment that is for any of us. — A.U.

Sharon Van Etten, 'We've Been Going About This All Wrong'

Van Etten had just moved to L.A. with her partner and five-year-old when the pandemic hit, turning her home and its newly built recording studio into a Petri dish that produced one of the most empathic, visceral and replayable albums of the year’s first half. Though Covid and other 2020 conflagrations (#BLM marches, wildfires, earthquakes) served as catalysts for the songs, Van Etten smartly keeps them in the background, creating a timeless album that confronts subjects for which there is no vaccine: the yins and yangs of parenting, hard-won careers and relationships that have lost their spark. With her malleable, soulful voice, Van Etten evokes a wide palette of emotions — despair, longing, fear, hope and, on the single “Mistakes,” a blast of give-no-f–ks giddiness — making We’ve Gone About This All Wrong a tunnel-of-love ride well worth taking. — FRANK DIGIACOMO

Stray Kids, 'Oddinary'

The commercial success of Stray Kids’ Oddinary, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart upon its release and delivered the group to a larger world audience, shouldn’t overshadow the artistic triumph of the seven-track project. Oddinary mixes pop hooks, rap cadences and dance tempos in a manner familiar to mainstream K-pop, but each song lands with a dazzling intensity, from the wind-up electronic slither of the “Venom” beat to the breathless vocal workouts of “Freeze.” —J. Lipshutz

Swedish House Mafia, 'Paradise Again'

Swedish House Mafia had their heyday a decade back, and this year’s Paradise Again is likely not the LP they would have made while the apex kings of EDM. But releasing their debut album as the cornerstone to their comeback serves the trio well, with the guys leaning into their influences and passions (house, IDM, hip-hop) without succumbing to forgettable trend-forward dance jams a younger group may have felt pressured to make. Instead, the album demonstrates maturity in both sound and decision-making — and while marquee collaborators, including The Weeknd, Ty Dolla $ign and A$AP Rocky, give the set crossover cred, the tracks made exclusively by the trio are where Paradise Again really shows what Swedish House Mafia is capable of, now more than ever. — KATIE BAIN

Tears For Fears, 'The Tipping Point'

You can be forgiven for not expecting much from Tears for Fears’ first new album since 2004 – after all, the English duo itself almost gave up on the album as creatively “depleted” during the recording process. But after returning to acoustic guitars and introspection, the enduring synth-pop greats rediscovered their mojo and bounced back with The Tipping Point, an album that finds them at their contradictory best: muted yet anthemic (“The Tipping Point”), wounded but unbowed (“My Demons”) and mournful without ever losing that sliver of hope (“Please Be Happy”). – JOE LYNCH

TOMORROW X TOGETHER, 'Minisode 2: Thursday's Child'

TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Minisode 2: Thursday’s Child demonstrates that this five-piece boy band is every bit as hungry to take creative risks as their world-famous Big Hit Music labelmates. “Opening Sequence” is a moody alt-R&B ballad, setting a despondent tone — which they quickly subvert with the nu metal-flavored “Good Boy Gone Bad,” turning heartache into a boisterous flex. With shades of everything from *NSYNC’s strummy side to thumping ’80s synth-pop, TXT’s five-track EP covers a lot of ground in just 15 minutes, earning the group their third No. 1 on Top Album Sales in the process. – J. Lynch

Toro y Moi, 'Mahal'

It’s been a long time coming for Toro y Moi’s return to his psychedelic roots. Fans were given a faint glimmer of it on 2019’s Outer Peace, but the artist has now fully embraced the sound onMAHAL. The album — which almost plays as both an expansion and continuation of his 2015 release,What For? — fully embraces fuzzy, distorted guitar work inspired by rock of the ’60s and ’70s, and crisp (notably live) drums with heavy elements of funk and jazz. The result? A collection that’s an intoxicating and seamless listen, as singer/songwriter Chaz Bear uses his languid vocal delivery to transport his audience back in time. — STARR BOWENBANK

Vince Staples, 'Ramona Park Broke My Heart'

A companion work to Vince Staples’ 2021 self-titled album, this April’s Ramona Park Broke My Heart is a somber homecoming through Norfside Long Beach, reflecting with grief and despondence on Staples’ own journey coming up, bound by generational trauma. But just because it’s real doesn’t mean it’s a real bummer: as contemplative as the California rapper can get, the album never feels morose. Instead, Staples wears his story with pride for a retrospective homage that’s firmly set in today, with a pervasive sense that you can’t go home again — especially if you never left. — COLIN STUTZ

The Weeknd, 'Dawn FM'

Most artists could only dream of having as long and big of an album cycle as The Weeknd‘sAfter Hours. With the record’s positive reception from the public, widespread acclaim from critics and its rightful credit for revitalizing ’80s-inspired synth-pop in the mainstream, After Hours was always going to be a tough act to follow. And yet, Abel Tesfaye more than delivered with Dawn FM — in fact, he expanded. Where its predecessor basked in the “Blinding Lights,” Dawn FM lives within the special purgatory only a distant radio station can provide. Tesfaye grapples with the comfort he finds in hedonism and his desires to turn over a new leaf and embrace a less nihilistic way of life — a thread that has always run constant through the pop/R&B star’s work. Except on Dawn FM, Tesfaye dares to dance his way to self-reflection. —S.B.

Wet Leg, 'Wet Leg'

U.K. duo Wet Leg seemingly came out of nowhere when their insanely catchy debut single “Chaise Longue” caught fire with the indie rock set, garnering praise from the likes of Iggy Pop. Their subsequent album delivers on that track’s promise with tunes that marry killer hooks with frontwoman Rhian Teasdalde’s oddball lyrics and delicious deadpan delivery. She and co-conspirator Hester Chambers have emerged from the hype as fully formed outsider icons; hailing from the sleepy Isle of Wight, their music feels thrillingly disconnected from the prevailing sounds of the day. — CHRIS EGGERTSEN

Yahritza y Su Esencia, 'Obsessed'

In just five songs, the Washington-based siblings-turned-breakout-star trio tells a 15-minute love story narrated by the soulful, power vocals of 15-year-old singer Yahritza Martinez. The emotional sierreño journey, backed by Martinez’s brothers Jairo on the bajoloche (4-string acoustic bass) and Mando on 12-string guitar, goes from being infatuated to falling in love to heartbreak, as heard in their Hot Latin Songs-toppinghit “Soy El Unico.” A fusion of simple-yet-captivating requintos and mature and sincere lyricism brings Obsessed to life, and earned the trio its first No. 1 on the Regional Mexican Albums chart. — J.R.