What a year it's been for music.

From the songs that had us dancing to collaborations we could have only dreamed of to music videos that left us in awe, 2022 was a time of extraordinary tunes as we rise from the dark days of the pandemic. Our favourite artists and bands have returned from the creatively hazy days of the last two years and marked their comeback with shining and glistening records that we couldn't help but keep on repeat. 

Whether they were long delayed or highly awaited, this year was full of albums and EPs that had us dancing, singing, crying, screaming in anguish, jumping for joy, wishing for better days, and thanking the skies for the present. It's been a rough year but we made it. So, as we count down to the new year, the Bandwagon team are looking back at the top albums and EPs 2022 had to offer. 

Renaissance - Beyoncé

When it comes to music drops. Beyoncé rarely (if she has ever, even) disappoints. This is why it is no longer surprising that RENAISSANCE is put on a pedestal as one of the best albums of 2022.

Queen Bey's latest album seems to have been made solely for dance: some popping beats, some groovy melodies, a touch of hip-hop and R&B, all mixed with soul, disco, funk, house, Afro-Latin, and other flavours. Listening to RENAISSANCE is sure to transport you to a time when we could still sweat it out in a club and not be afraid of getting sick. It sounds like an endless party—and even technically, it quite is. Despite having twelve tracks, the album sounds like one nonstop set of various energies ebbing and flowing to give listeners—dancers—different experiences at different points in time.

It is not lost on anyone, though, how Beyoncé's newest masterpiece is not just a dance album; it's also a tribute to the communities that help shape dance culture as a response to discrimination and persecution. RENAISSANCE's segues are seamless, but that's nothing compared to how the many subtly-yet-smartly alluded references and samples scattered across the album celebrate the music and uplift the genius of the artists from the said communities.

Earlier this year, in Surftown La Union, Transit Records and Move and Groove held a dance party by the beach where everyone moved their bodies in expression, holding space for themselves and their peers to communicate their feelings through dance. RENAISSANCE would've been the perfect soundtrack to this gathering that could be described, in Beyoncé's own words, as a safe space. - Maddie Castillo, Staff Writer

INDIGO - RM

In his 10-track debut Indigo, RM exercises the art of album-making. In it, he romances with genres and styles that he has frequently parlayed with in his past work—pop, R&B, neo-soul, urban, hip hop, with touches of folk and ballad leanings. In equal abundance is its lineup of collaborators, featuring a total of nine artists across eight songs, which is a majority of the album. Despite a large number of collaborators, the album does not feel crowded at all. On paper, Indigo is an album packed with ideas and varied sonic influences but what keeps it in focus is his singular vision. 

At the core of Indigo is the story, and the album takes you through its motions— in 'Yun', RM contemplates the human experience and the part it plays in the work of an artist; in 'Lonely', he wrestles the unbearable isolation of fame, and in its closer, 'No2.', the album finds its resolution in the act of letting go. 

Every track, every line, and every choice of collaborator make up the bigger picture. What this album reveals of RM as an artist is that he is exacting in his choices resulting in a trendless album that follows RM's personal sensibilities. - Isa Almazan, Contributing Writer

Jack In The Box - j-hope

If Hope World was a vividly colourful world of dreams, Jack In The Box is its dark and gloomy counterpart that unravels reality. In his latest solo album, j-hope peels back the curtain as he takes us through the story of his life. It’s compelling, to say the least (but I say a lot more in our review, hehe). We’re taken through twists and turns of the multihyphenate’s mind as he questions everything he’s worked for and paints out the person he wants to be against the backdrop of old-school hip-hop and harrowing music box melodies. 

It’s refreshing to hear and see a different side to the usually bright-toned rapper. In Jack In The Box, j-hope burns down everything we know of him only to rise from the ashes stronger and brighter than ever before. It’s not easy challenging everyone’s expectations of you and what you do, especially if you’ve been doing so for almost a decade, but the talented act overcame those and more, delivering a thought-provoking and powerful record worth revisiting time and time again. - Franchesca Judine Basbas, Staff Writer

MAGIC MAN - Jackson Wang

Prior to its release, I spent days listening to Jackson Wang’s MAGIC MAN to put together our review. I was figuring out how to formulate the right words to capture the essence of the album and everything the multihyphenate has worked for but eventually dawned on me that, MAGIC MAN is simply Jackson Wang. He has poured so much of himself into the record, embedding his story, struggle, and triumph into every lyric, melody, and beat. Despite knowing so much about him and seeing him in various lights throughout his illustrious career, this is our first glimpse into who he is behind all the glamour. 

Sonically, the album is the best Jackson has ever sounded, finding exactly where he lies on the vocal scale and doing his absolute with it. I have managed to live the MAGIC MAN experience a couple of times in Manila this year, both before and after the album made its way out to the world, and every time, I couldn’t help but be captivated. MAGIC MAN is grand, dramatic, and alluring, it’s Jackson Wang. - Franchesca Judine Basbas, Staff Writer

Be Yourself - Jay B

Throughout his career, JAY B has taken on so many different eras and concepts but this one might just be my favourite. The bright and sunny Be Yourself is all about being yourself, obviously, and loving whoever that may be. 

While it runs short at less than 17 minutes, Be Yourself offers so much sonically. From the funk and soul you hear on ‘go UP’ to the mellow feel-good pop song, ‘Holyday’, the EP explores so much of JAY B’s musicality, boasting new genres beyond his well-known command of R&B. And after his collaboration-heavy debut EP, SOMO: FUME, it’s nice to see the singer-songwriter shine all on his own—save, of course, his team-up with Sik-K for the sonically versatile ‘Break It Down’. 

You can always tell when an artist had fun with a project and that’s absolutely the case for Be Yourself. The record oozes with so much joy, gratitude, and good energy that you can’t help but feel that same freedom and happiness that JAY B speaks of. In this EP, he’s happy and himself and it’s so nice to see. Here’s to more happy JAY B and happy records! - Franchesca Judine Basbas, Staff Writer

Girls - aespa

If there’s one thing you should know about SM Entertainment’s girl group aespa, it is their undeniable ability to leave a lasting impression with their charismatic performances, irresistible vocals, and youthful charms. Their second mini-album Girls, comprises nine tracks including pre-released songs ‘Black Mamba, ‘Forever’, ‘Dreams Come True’, ‘Illusion’, and the English version of ‘Life’s Too Short’. The title track ‘Girls’ showcases the quartet’s confidence as they traverse the unknown (and apparently treacherous) planes of Kwangya — a parallel dimension in the SM Culture Universe. Fan favourite ‘Life’s Too Short’ is a particularly empowering song that compares the differences between online comments and what one would say in real life. With this song, aespa encourage listeners to stay confident in the face of criticism and continue to live their lives despite unnecessary comments that they may encounter. ‘ICU’ is an uplifting track that provides comfort to listeners. With vocals enveloping you like a warm, tender hug, aespa’s message to MYs (aespa fans), is clear — when the going gets tough, it is okay to stop and take a break. Even if things are difficult, they will fall into place in the end.

The artistry that Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning have shown in Girls has left fans in awe. Two years after their debut, the ladies have proven that they’ve got what it takes as part of the new generation of K-pop. With how they are able to connect with their fans through their music, they are definitely one to look out for in the upcoming years. - Glenda Lim, Staff Writer

idk it's complicated - Shye

Four years after releasing her debut single ‘One Fine Day’ in 2018, Shye continues to find her way into her listeners’ hearts with her fourth album, idk it’s complicated. Boasting cosy, bedroom pop-sounding tunes, Shye’s latest album is one you may find yourself listening to when you are craving lighthearted, ethereal dancey tunes that you can vibe along to in your own, well, bedroom. 

Even if you’re a new listener, you would be led to agree that the songs presented in this album are enjoyable and easy to listen to, which nicely encapsulates the kind of artist that Shye is. This album, in particular, resembles that of a personal diary, with Shye carefully penning down all her thoughts, no matter how little, and pouring her emotions into the song lyrics. With tracks like ‘legally illegal’, which showcases Shye’s straightforward attitude, and ‘everything has changed’ — an expression of her emotions through bouts of uncertainty in love, idk it’s complicated is evidently infused with the singer-songwriter’s personal touch. On ‘phonecase’, Shye shared: “I think crushing on someone whom we are too shy to confess to or are not even aware of our existence is relatable. I also like to place photos/polaroids of my friends on the back of my phone case so I thought it would be really fun to write a song about it.” in a previous interview with Bandwagon. Audiences cannot help but feel connected to her natural gift of storytelling after listening to the album. - Glenda Lim, Staff Writer

Moodswing In To Order (MIITO) - DPR Ian

I’ve never been much of an album listener—only ever listening to an album in its entirety once or twice upon release, before adding my favourites into a playlist, but that would be criminal to do for MIITO. Picking one song off of this album would be like only reading a singular chapter of a book: while it has so much action and beauty on its own, it’s only a fraction of a greater story.

MIITO or Moodswings In To Order follows where DPR IAN’s debut EP, Moodswings In This Order (MITO) left off, continuing the story of the singer’s manic alter-ego and his journey of finding love. It’s chaotic and painful as it is beautiful and intimate.

If anything, DPR IAN is a storyteller. From the cinematic movie he put together for the album to the theatrical live show he’s brought across the world to the very songs that sit on the record’s tracklist, everything has been so meticulously crafted to tell an intensely dramatic story of fallen angels and gods, of love and rage, of jealousy and resentment. MIITO is beautiful, it’s so abstract yet so revealing. And in true DPR Ian fashion, it’s so dramatic and expansive. I love it so dearly. - Franchesca Judine Basbas, Staff Writer

Messy Sexy - Su Lee

I have never related to an album more than Su Lee’s Messy Sexy. The album centers around the complex and difficult process of figuring your life out and embracing it, no matter how messy and imperfect it may be; and as someone in her early 20s who deals with existential dread on a weekly basis as she tries to piece together a plan for the future all while trying to look cute, I love this record with my entire being.

From the fun title track where Su Lee sings: “It's the most annoying thing cause I feel like trash when I make a mess in my room” to the story of trying to fit into someone else's perception of you in my favourite ‘Cherry’ to the breakdown that sets everything off in ‘That Margot Robbie Scene’, Messy Sexy captures all the confusion, joy, heartache, uncertainty, optimism, and all those feelings-you-can’t-quite-put-into-words emotions of life. 

Su Lee is so unapologetically herself, complicated emotions and weird dance moves included, and it’s so comforting to see. While we’re all gradually moving towards trying to be less critical and curated, it’s nice seeing the singer already there. - Franchesca Judine Basbas, Staff Writer

EGO APARTMENT - ego apartment

Whenever people have asked me what kind of band ego apartment are, I’m never quite sure what to say. They do a little bit of everything, delving into rock and bedroom pop, as well as the occasional hip-hop. But with the release of their self-titled album, I just simply have to say, “Just listen to their album, you’ll get it.” 

EGO APARTMENT is quintessentially ego apartment. It’s the summation of every versatile sound and story the band has to offer, with each track highlighting a different side of their musicality. Spanning 14 tracks, you get a slice of everything without it being too much while also keeping you on your toes with whatever comes next. - Franchesca Judine Basbas, Staff Writer

abandoned love - Def.

It’s funny how much can change in a year. JAY B or rather Def., the singer’s more R&B-centric indie music project, started 2022 watching sunsets and exploring romance in his debut EP Love. but by the end of the year, was traversing heartache and getting over a breakup in abandoned love. What exactly happened, we’re not too sure but the aftermath is a six-track record drenched in Def.’s soothing R&B stylings and honey-like vocals. 

This EP, unlike the first, is tinged with a sense of loneliness and hurt as you’d expect as Def. sings about a love gone sour, feeling lost and betrayed after going through leaps and bounds to become the person they wanted. Having been there when their love was still sweet and warm in Love., abandoned love has more weight to it and becomes an incredible follow-up that sees the singer doing what he does best. - Franchesca Judine Basbas, Staff Writer

BADモード - Utada Hikaru

Utada Hikaru’s contributions to the J-Pop canon and beyond cannot be understated – from Kingdom Hearts to resurgent classic First Love. Through everyday, frivolous imagery – sometimes in prose, Utada confesses a deep and specific emotional mayhem that couldn’t be boxed in a few abstract words. In BADモード, this streak continues with a more adventurous edge, as they take inspiration from clubby deep cuts and cult favourites – such as house music pioneers like Glenn Underground and Moodymann, and ultimately even working with the likes of Skrillex, A.G. Cook and Floating Points.

Other observers have identified threads of turn-of-the-century City Pop and Shibuya-kei in the eponymous album opener. 'Somewhere Near Marseilles', also co-produced with Floating Points, is an unyielding, sensual 12-minute joint with shades of Balearic and acid house. Some earlier releases such as 'One Last Kiss' and a rework of 'Beautiful World' (both from Evangelion) as well as 'Face My Fears' (Kingdom Hearts III) make the roster. In their 8th full-length album, Utada proves how they can outdo themself by not shying away from experimentation, making another career best. - Paolo Abad, Contributing Writer

Fossora - Björk

Björk describes 2022’s Fossora, her rousing, primeval follow-up to Utopia (2017), as “biological techno.” In the album opener, ‘Atopos’ (literally “strange; out of place”), the trailblazing Icelander descends to decaying, squelchy earth – foraging for mushrooms as she contemplates on empathy. Her fascination with fungi as the “nervous center” of forests translates into this sort of allegory for connectedness and compassion, among other things.

“Our differences are irrelevant to insist on absolute justice / At all times, it blocks connection,” she sings alongside dirge-like wind and hardcore techno percussion with the help of Indonesian act Gabber Modus Operandi’s (GMO) Kasimyn, whose project has always incorporated indigenous music-making. Coincidentally, as Björk recounts in The Guardian, GMO have been working with gamelan drums buried underground before they got in touch.

A good chunk of ‘Atopos’ is a plaintive march, taking its time with stomping beats and clarinets before it peaks as frenzied Gabber, exclaiming, “Hope is a muscle that allows us to connect.” Suddenly, it’s a literal underground rave in this psychedelic mushroom forest.  “I think it’s more about the future and where we’re going. Take the heat off the moment, because it’s unsolvable,” she said. - Paolo Abad, Contributing Writer

DON'T BLAME THE WILD ONE! - Ena Mori

Ena Mori is nothing but consistent. Two years after her scene-stealing self-titled debut, Ena is back with a bolder and brighter statement with what is essentially a pandemic album. Comprising 12 tracks including her pre-release singles (which effectively set the tone and anticipation for the brand new album) and the reimagined take on FALL IN LOVE!, the record takes you into Mori’s vivid world with grandiose soundscapes and deep yet relatable lyricism, putting into song the things she’s most uncomfortable about. The classically trained musician merges her technicality with spurts of creativity as she works more wonders with longtime producer timothy Run, and ropes in their friends and fellow artists, Zild Benitez, Sam Marquez, Zeke Valero, Eon Buendia, and more to help out.  A treat both sonically and visually, DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE! proves that Ena Mori is the popstar of this generation. - Camille Castillo, Editorial Director

Memorandum - Perunggu

I hadn't heard of Perunggu until earlier this year, when their shows and showcases were sold out in Jakarta made me take interest in them. They attracted quite a lot of attention with their debut full album Memorandum. The three outfit dub themselves “after-office rock band”, taking the quarter-life crisis anxiety theme to their mature rock/alternative sounds. 

With the amazing drum work on ‘Canggih’ and jangly guitar-driven song with support on the vocals from hara on ‘Prematur’, describing their alternative sounds perfectly akin to The Adams. The closer monumental ‘33x’ proved that Perunggu has one of the top albums of 2022 in Indonesia. - Alif Rahmanda, Staff Writer

アイランド (Island) - Asunojokei

Japan has never failed to impress with their emo/post-hardcore scene, from the forefathers envy and Gauge Means Nothing to the newer acts like Heaven in Her Arms, Uchu Conbini and the cabs, with the latest one being Asunojokei. Now as the latest offering from them, アイランド (Island), the four-piece are proving to continue the emotive hardcore torch for this year. 

When I heard their single ‘Chimera’ from the album, I was just shocked that they managed to blend blackgaze with screamo vocals and anime-theme-song-like grooves. Further listening to the album, the passage on ‘Diva Under the Blue Sky’ is just like Alcest’s older materials, sharing the same ethereal mellow almost dream-pop-y sounds. The grand ‘The Sweet Smile of Vortex’ brings us an intense 7-minute journey of black metal riffs and delicate shoegaze then explode to a catharsis. - Alif Rahmanda, Staff Writer

Hold the Girl - Rina Sawayama

When she released her debut album, the eponymous SAWAYAMA, in 2020, Rina captivated us with her mastery of the most celebrated pop tropes, which she weaved into a mural of bombastic rap-rock-operatic tunes that sent the world into frenzied dancing.   

In Hold the Girl, she takes what made that first album great and polishes it. Though less explosive than SAWAYAMA, it maintains an edge that is uniquely Rina – a whipping and lasting sensation that ebbs underneath your skin. Meanwhile, the calm present in it allows listeners to focus more deeply on her lyrical excellence. There’s something almost like worship in the way she deals with the traumatic themes of young adult life, likely an analogy to how therapy requires the same degree of vulnerability and introspection as prayer to take effect. Nonetheless, it’s solid from start to finish, an intriguing look at another side of Rina Sawayama, somber but in no way subdued, just closer to her core. - Ginny Palma, Contributing Editor

bloom. - Ink Waruntorn

Ink Waruntorn has been declared Thailand’s Queen of Synthpop for a reason. Her releases so far, from 2017’s BLISS EP to this year’s full-length album, INK, are filled with exquisitely produced tracks and cheery sweet vocals that capture the many ways synthpop can express a variety of emotions. But there’s a very specific charm to hearing this sound in Japanese; after all, it was through the rediscovery of Maria Takeuchi and ‘80s Japan synthpop, more popularly known as “city pop”, that we owe the recent revival of the genre’s popularity. 

bloom. is the perfect sampler to what Ink has to offer not only to Thailand’s music scene but to synthpop the world over. In five tracks, it encapsulates the stories this singer can tell with this very distinct brand of music. Re: the language, my bias probably also stems from the fact that in my early years in Bangkok, I’d managed to make friends by speaking Japanese where I had nearly zero Thai knowledge; or it’s yet another testament to the power of music to cross borders while standing the test of time. - Ginny Palma, Contributing Editor

Epik High Is Here下 (Part 2) - Epik High

When Epik High teased the release of Epik High Is Here下 (Part 2), I was anticipating a contrasting piece from Part 1 and that’s what we received. If Part 1 was the beginning or a declaration, Part 2 was the denouement of their narrative. It’s light-hearted, raw, and seemingly comforting as it retraces their concepts and styles from SHOEBOX, Remapping the Human Soul, and WE’VE DONE SOMETHING WONDERFUL. The messages feel close to home as they were reflective and composed. 

It’s always a treat finding out which artists Epik High would collaborate with as they produce a new album. The layers of Part 2 are stacked with familiar faces from the Korean music scene such as Lee-Hi, ph-1, and GIRIBOY. Everyone put a lot of thought and their soul into this album whether it was the melancholic ‘Gray So Gray’ or the hard-hitting cypher of ‘Face ID’.

In an interview with NME, Tablo shares his thoughts about his direction in life, saying “But, in my mind, I want to be here. I feel fine just here,”. The statement is also prevalent throughout the album. The whole piece narrows down the hardships of modern society, but there’s hope, closure, and a safe space in a chaotic world. There’s a feature about this album on Bandwagon, actually. It’s worth a read! - PB Hermoso, Contributing Writer

Memoirs - Heo Hoy Kyung

I’m so angry this album didn’t come out sooner in the year, haha, it would have been the perfect soundtrack for the sad era I had in the middle of 2022. Regardless, Memoirs is so elegantly intimate and vulnerable. It feels inherently sad, like the kind of music you play when you just want to wallow in misery, but there’s an underlining glimmer of hope acting like a reminder there’s an eventual end to dark days. 

I first came across Heo Hoy Kyung when we had her on Introducing, where I really admired how she talked about her music. Ever-so-graceful, she shared how she’s always looked to music as a place of healing and you really hear that come through in her debut album as you feel her entire heart in every line she sings like she’s directly telling you ‘it’ll all be okay’. - Franchesca Judine Basbas, Staff Writer

CITY - SixTONES

I listened to all versions again on the road during a beach trip, and when ‘Fast Lane’ started blasting as we hit the expressway on the way back, I recalled how meticulously SixTONES worked on the tracklist for each. That still gives me the same thrill as when I’d first listened to CITY and talked about it in our midyear roundup. This album – all three uniquely curated versions and, as the guys have suggested, my very own – really makes for a fantastic companion as you make your way through the city or elsewhere you want to cruise along, go on an adventure, or feel most at home.  - Ginny Palma, Contributing Editor