The 100 Best Songs of 2022

We all knew that coming out of the pandemic, even if things had a whiff of normalcy, everything was bound to be a bit different. That was underscored by the music made by some of our favourite artists in 2022. Two of Canada’s most reliable superstars pushed boundaries like never before. Drake’s Honestly, Nevermind took him straight to the dance floor, doubling down on the house beats he’d previously only dabbled in. And The Weeknd’s Dawn FM was a conceptual follow-up to After Hours that was awash in ’80s-style synths, replete with spoken-word appearances from Jim Carrey and Quincy Jones. Artists such as Josh Ross and Jade Eagleson stepped out as country stars in their own right this year, following a path carved by folks like Shania Twain, Tenille Townes, and Dean Brody. Tate McRae, Lauren Spencer Smith, and Rêve showed the many sides of what “pop” means these days, while the genre’s more experimental practitioners such as ELIO and Nemahsis moved boldly in new directions. And the country’s unique place in hip-hop was only given more nuance by big tracks from Duvy, NorthSideBenji, and FRVRFRIDAY.