The Top 10 Songs Australian Songs of 2022 (So Far)
There has been just so much great music released this year, it’s honestly hard to keep track.
I’m sure there will plenty more to come, and who knows how we’ll feel about all of this this by the end of the year.
But right now, this is my list of the ten essential songs of 2022.
10. ‘Holy Moley’ by Lime Cordiale and Idris Elba
I was not a fan of the Lime Cordiale/Idris Elba combination when it first arrived last year (particularly the exasperating ‘Apple Crumble’), but this track is genuinely awesome. Elba’s growling baritone is riveting, his dark charisma finally unleashed in a rumbling barrage about the dangers of alcohol and fame. Sonically reminiscent of Plastic Beach-era Gorillaz, and that is a high compliment.
9. ‘It’s Not That Bad’ by Caroline & Claude
“If I drink glowsticks, will it make me glow?” An atmospheric, melancholy, yet oddly uplifting tune from new Sydney duo Caroline & Claude, ‘It’s Not That Bad’ is twinkling and eclectic. It’s indie pop at its most introspective and restrained, with the duo’s voices intermingling in a way that is exquisitely understated.
8. ‘Running With The Hurricane’ by Camp Cope
Camp Cope’s sound has been defined by raw passion, aggressive honesty and no-holds-barred indie punk. ‘Running With The Hurricane’ is a movement in a more refined, almost elegant direction. Still honest, still high octane, but less raw – a showcase for Georgia Maq’s powerful and outstanding vocal range.
7. ‘CHEQUE’ by Tasman Keith (feat. Genesis Owusu)
Blistering. A feat of pure bars. Tasman Keith channels his inner Kendrick with fire, passion and diabolical flow, a display that could only be overshadowed by Australian hip hop’s new overlord. Genesis Owusu, fresh off his incredible breakout year, slinks in for a scorching, intense, all-powerful 45-second victory lap.
6. ‘Softly Spoken’ by Blusher
Intimate, ethereal, gorgeous. A phenomenal debut single from this Melbourne three piece. The rumbling, pulsating production creates a subtle feeling of anxiety, as the lilting vocal shimmers with vulnerability and aching. Shades of The Veronicas. Cinematic indie pop with an edge.
5. ‘Camp Dog’ by King Stingray
The guitars in this song are joyous – a rambling guitar lick that feels perfectly written to accompany a wander through a day in the life of a small town. With every new release, King Stingray confirm their place as one of the best and most important Australian bands to have emerged in this nascent decade.
4. ‘Black Coffee’ by Siala
Rap from the future. An intergalactic afrobeat that transports you to another world, one floating directly above our own. A disarming combination of jagged and smooth creates a striking statement on individuality. Lyrically clever and defiant, this is a cathartic demolition of boundaries both social and musical.
3. ‘Colin’ by Blue Honey
The smoky, dreamy vocal keeps you entranced for the entirety of this heartbreaking six minute ode to childhood pain and overcoming trauma. An understated epic, a staggeringly affecting ballad – ‘Colin’ is a masterpiece.
2. ‘Hate Goodbyes’ by Hope D
Hope D’s music has undergone something of a transformation since her collaborations with G Flip – the crunchy guitars and raw, honest storytelling remain, but now they are accompanied by a pop sensibility that makes a song like ‘Hate Goodbyes’ both eminently relatable and endlessly relistenable. High octane heartbreak.
1. ‘Sick To My Stomach’ by Merci, Mercy
Back in mid-March, I declared this was “one of 2022’s best song so far”. Turns out my mistake was suggesting it had any peer. It is, six months into 2022, the best song of the year and I’m honestly having trouble seeing it losing its place. I should be tired of this song. I should be sick of it. I only love it more every time I hear it, and I’ve heard it so many times.
‘Sick To My Stomach’ is beautiful, aching, uplifting, reflective, painfully relatable, and catchy as hell, with a hook that you’ll wake up humming along to.