Summer typically births the best music of the year, and 2022 was no different. As we get ready to turn a new leaf, and gear up for the rush of releases meant to compete in award season, let’s relish in the simple delights of the tunes that this year’s warmest months brought. From Bad Bunny’s fan-favorite “Tití Me Preguntó” to Yeat’s beautifully absurd “Minion” and the house summer hallmarks found on Drake and Beyoncé albums, this year’s crop has enough to keep us going year-round.
Here are our 13 picks for best of summer ‘22:
Bad Bunny, “Tití Me Preguntó”
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From the streets of Milwaukee to the corners of the callejones in New York, Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti was inescapable this year—but it’s not like anyone was actively looking to loosen its grip. As the charts reflect, “Me Porto Bonito” and “Tití Me Preguntó” went head-to-head for Song of the Summer honors, but the pace and chaos of this now go-to track makes it a winner in my book. A bachata rhythm melds into trap, which then boils into dembow, and before you know it, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio has teleported the listener to the Dominican Republic. It’s a hybrid track that rings true to the Puerto Rican superstar’s boundless nature, and its lyrics are a testament to his unapologetically one-for-all yet belongs-to-none nature. There is so much to love on this song—from the subtle sample of Anthony Santos’ 1999 hit “No Te Puedo Olvidar” to producer Marco “MAG” Borrero’s smooth transitions. Much of the album has been belted across continents on The Worlds Hottest Tour, but when Tití asks which we liked the most, you already know what the answer is. —Ecleen Luzmila Caraballo
Burna Boy, “Last Last”
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If you were outside at any point this summer, it’s highly likely that you heard this song. Burna Boy’s “Last Last” was inescapable, but not in an annoying or monotonous way. On the contrary, everyone wanted to hear “Last Last.” Even if it came on in the function two or three times, you would still see a majority of folks dancing or bobbing their heads to it. The timing of the track’s release was crucial to the track’s summer success. It arrived in a transitional period when the world was coming out of a fog of political, economic, and social turmoil and was looking for something to dance too. It helps that the track has such a wavy and uptempo beat that is irresistibly catchy. “Last Last” also represents a shift in popular sound as Afrobeats, dance, and reggae music become more mainstream. “Last Last” may not have charted high on the charts, but it was definitely a winner in people’s eyes. —Jessica McKinney
Beyonce, “Church Girl”
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Sure, Beyonce’s “Break My Soul” is a top contender for song of the summer, but if we’re telling the truth, “Church Girl” is the real winner of the season. The fusion track is considered a spicy release amongst the gospel community because of its instrumental foundation, which includes a sample from the Clark Sisters. And while it borrows from gospel music, it also fuses the soulfulness of the genre with fun and excitement of house and bounce music, resulting in a fiery and all-around magnetic song that you can’t get enough of. Beyonce’s latest album, Renaissance was full of fun songs to get down to, but “Church Girl” lights the dance floor up like no other single on the album. “Drop it like a thotty, drop, drop it like a thotty,” Bey commands on the record. —Jessica McKinney
Steve Lacy, “Bad Habit”
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It’s a bad habit to sleep on great talent. Steve Lacy foreshadowed the energy on his latest album, Gemini Rights, with this single that exudes effortless ease, joy, and confidence. And, even as the rest of his career-catapulting project was revealed and praised, this is the track listeners just can’t get enough of, remaining atop Billboard charts in strong competition with others on this list for weeks at a time, months after its release. Is it the unfortunate relatability of a lamented un-pursued crush, or its super textured, self-produced beat that makes it one of this season’s diamonds? I wish I knew. —Ecleen Luzmila Caraballo
Drake, “Sticky”
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Drake set the tone for summer with Honestly, Nevermind in June. The rapper left his people-pleaser persona behind (for now) with Certified Loverboy in 2021, and instead blessed us with some refreshing new “outside music” for summer 2022; “Sticky” is the standout. Although he gets more experimental on other tracks in this album, toying with new flows and distorting his voice in ways we haven’t heard in the past, “Sticky” serves as the perfect bridge between the somewhat predictable Drake who fans have become accustomed to over the Scorpion, CLB years and the uncompromising experimentalist he shows he can be on Honestly, Nevermind. “Sticky” has it all: classic Drake hands out one-liners for your summer 2022 IG photo dump, delivered over a solid, uptempo dance beat that’s perfect for those summer rooftop gatherings. As Drake said, “It’s all good if you don’t get it yet, that’s what we do.” —Stefan Breskin
Kendrick Lamar f/ Blxst & Amanda Reifer, “Die Hard”
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Similarly to some of the other tracks on this list that were released as part of a larger body of work, different parts of summer centered different songs on Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers for me. Surely that will continue to unfold as we all know Kendrick’s work has no expiration date. This album was at once ravishing and introspective, while at times disturbing and moving. As is to be expected, Kendrick made us think on this project, but on “Die Hard,” he also made us move; it’s an immediate standout on the LP, and a break to bounce to the beat with young contemporary Barbadian artist Amanda Reifer and key face of LA’s new wave, Blxst leading the way. This song, like “Mirror” and “Rich Spirit,” are moments to exhale and roll the window down. A sweet spot for a new generation of Kendrick listeners and die-hards alike. —Ecleen Luzmila Caraballo
Central Cee, “Doja”
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UK rapper Central Cee took over America this summer, and “Doja” is a big reason why. Over a bouncy drill beat from LiTek and WhYJay, the London rapper strings together as many catchy one-liners as possible, and he does it all in an undeniably infectious way. It’s fair if you cringe at the opening line (or the Doja Cat reference), but it’ll probably get stuck in your head anyway. Central Cee has a way of delivering lyrics that climb into your brain and never leave once you hear them. Then, in less than two minutes, the song is over, which only leaves you wanting more. No wonder this thing already has over one hundred million plays on Spotify. Sheesh. —Eric Skelton
Future f/ Drake & Tems, “Wait For U”
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Tems soothing melodies make up the backbone of Future’s smooth track “Wait For U,” featuring Drake. Future ripped the angelic hook of the track directly from the end of Tems’ song “Higher,” and it works seamlessly with his and Drake’s lyrics about unrequited love and post-argument angst. Few things are more relatable than being “mad at myself ‘cause I can’t leave you alone,” or feeling the immediate regret of answering a late-night ill-advised phone call, and Drake and Future do a fantastic job at illustrating both sides of that coin. “Wait For U” was made for the warmer months because it makes you feel something, whether that be the weight of a summer situationship gone awry or the levity of a summer fling in full blossom. Regardless of which verse you relate more to, Tems’ words still ring truest of all, “I will wait for you.” —Jordan Rose
Harry Styles, “As It Was”
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Before Harry Styles’ quick and totally uneventful trip to the Venice International Film Festival to kick it with his “Don’t Worry Darling” co-stars, the first thing you thought of when you heard his name was the lead single off of Harry’s House, “As It Was”… and rightfully so. If you opened up any social media app or stepped outside at all this summer, then I won’t have to tell you that this song was absolutely unavoidable. Less than 4 months after its release in March (in the peak of summer), “As It Was” shattered the Spotify record for fastest song to hit 1 billion streams. Although he speaks rather vaguely about what’s plaguing him on this track, claiming he has “nothin’ to say,” as he grapples with feelings of loneliness and nostalgia, you come to empathize with Styles, and feel like you somehow know exactly what he’s talking about, even coming to embrace the song as a soundtrack to reminisce on changes in your own life. —Stefan Breskin
Jack Harlow, “First Class"
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“First Class” may not be for everyone, based on your feelings surrounding Jack Harlow’s growing starpower. Nevertheless, like all of the song on this list, it was inescapable. And if you say it isn’t catchy, you’re lying to yourself. Jack Harlow got the cheat code, using Fergie’s 2006 hit “Glamorous.” But the rapper spices it up, interjecting the original chorus with his own adlibs and adding slick rap verses throughout. The track is a breezy radio hit and a TikTok favorite with more than 500K videos created on the social platform. Say what you want, but Harlow put some summer magic in this single. —Jessica McKinney
Pharrell f/ Tyler, the Creator & 21 Savage, “Cash In Cash Out”
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Pharrell’s patented four-beat intro has been at the heart of countless summer classics, and “Cash In Cash Out” is just the latest track in his legendary catalog. 21 Savage and Tyler, the Creator are an odd pairing on paper, but the unlikely duo mesh well together and don’t waste their opportunity on Pharrell’s production. That’s what makes it so hard to pinpoint what’s the most addictive part about this song—it could be the bumping base of the beat, 21 Savage’s simple-yet-contagious hook, or the way Tyler, the Creator switches flows three times and lays one of his best verses of the year. It’s difficult to say, but one thing is for certain, “Cash In Cash Out” will make you want to change the hydraulics of your midsized sedan so that it can bounce with the beat like you’re in a ‘90s rap music video. —Jordan Rose
GloRilla & Hitkidd, “F.N.F (Let’s Go)”
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Summertime is meant to be enjoyed, especially with your friends, and few tracks embody the true carefree nature of the warmer months like GloRilla and Hitkidd’s “F.N.F (Let’s Go).” This was one of those songs that dropped just as summer was about to begin and immediately became a staple on everyone’s darty pregame playlist. “F.N.F” embodies everything that summer is supposed to be about: throwing relationship drama to the wind and just having fun outside with your friends. It’s hard to hear the song and not join in on the chant, even if you’re actually trapped in a talking stage or unwanted relationship. The specifics of your situation don’t matter at that moment. All that matters is the fact that you’re outside with your friends, and you’re about to be an hour late to the function because you ran “F.N.F (Let’s Go)” back three times. —Jordan Rose
Yeat, “Rich Minion”
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