2022 has been a great year for pop music, so we made a list of all the best songs that resonated with us. Though there were some amazing albums like The Weeknd’s Dawn FM and Beyonce’s Renaissance, we selected one song from each album to have a wide-ranging list.

Take a look below at our list of the best pop songs to come out in 2022:

• 16. Bad Habit - Steve Lacy

  Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit” became exceptionally popular with the help of going viral on TikTok. So much so, that concertgoers only knew the hook and Lacy exposed them. Either way, the song is a smash and you should definitely give it a listen in full.

• 15. Hold Me Closer - Elton John & Britney Spears

  Britney Spears’ major comeback to music post-conservatorship was this collaboration with the legendary Elton John. Using his “Tiny Dancer” as inspiration for the track, the two went hard on this dance hit. We look forward to more music from Britney in the future.

• 14. Unholy - Kim Petras and Sam Smith

  Kim Petras and Sam Smith made LGBTQ history with the track topping the U.S. charts. Smith, 30, became the first-ever openly non-binary solo artist to achieve the feat, while Petras, also 30, became the first openly transgender solo artist to do so.

• 13. I Like You (A Happier Song) - Post Malone & Doja Cat

  Add Doja Cat to the Posty Malone mix, and we cannot deny that we like it, we doooooo.

• 12. Lavender Haze - Taylor Swift

  Taylor Swift has been dominating the music industry lately (as she has for years) with the release of her highly-anticipated Midnights album. What we like about “Lavender Haze” is the electropop feel of the song, which is about the media prodding into her relationship with Joe Alwyn.

• 11. Obsessed - Calvin Harris ft Charlie Puth & Shenseea

  Calvin Harris’ Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 album is an absolute vibe, featuring the biggest names in music (Pharrell, Halsey, Dua Lipa, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg, 21 Savage, Offset). Charlie Puth’s vocal and piano addition to “Obsessed” makes it the standout track of the album, along with Shenseea’s commanding vocals.

• 10. Coldplay - Lizzo

  Lizzo is known to be light and have fun, but what we really loved on her Special album were her more serious and vulnerable tracks like this one.

• 9. Anxious - Carly Rae Jepsen

  “Call Me Maybe” was a musical lifetime ago for Jepsen, with “Anxious” being a completely different sound from when the Canadian singer-songwriter first hit the scene. Her pop style has evolved and gave us this ’80s-inspired track.

• 8. Good Ones - Charli XCX

  The English singer-songwriter gave us an amazing dance pop hit with her lead single “Good Ones” off of her Crash album.

• 7. Baby Queen - Gorillaz

  Gorillaz have and always will be a band whose music we can’t get enough of. The dreamy “Baby Queen” track is from their upcoming Cracker Island album and has already been making airwaves, featured on FIFA 23’s soundtrack.

• 6. Lift Me Up - Rihanna

  Rihanna’s return to music after 2016’s Anti came in with a powerful, heartfelt ballad featured on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. With her voice shining through with minimal instrumentation, we are able to appreciate her artistry wholly.

• 5. Die For You - Joji

  You may know Joji from his comedic work as “Pink Guy,” but the Japanese artist’s low-fi R&B songs have been notable since his 2018 debut studio album Ballads 1.

• 4. Tití Me Preguntó - Bad Bunny

  We may not know what Bad Bunny is saying, but we do know that we love dancing to this dembow song.

• 3. As It Was - Harry Styles

  Harry’s lead single off of Harry’s House is this addicting synth-pop track that, despite its lonely lyrics, gets us dancing.

• 2. Sacrifice - The Weeknd

  The Weeknd’s Dawn FM supplied us with amazing music and “Sacrifice” is one of our favorites off the ’80s-influenced album. The song is edgy and haunting, all while being a lively dance hit.

• 1. THIQUE - Beyonce

  Sure, we love “Break My Soul” off of Beyonce’s Renaissance album, but “THIQUE” makes us feel powerful in our womanhood. The dark trap-infused hip-house beat was produced eight years ago!

Get The HD983 Hit List Newsletter Directly In Your Inbox

Enjoy the latest info on your favorite artists, entertainment and local happenings, plus exclusive contests.

Email *

Subscribe

By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.