Top 101 Songs of 2022
2022 has been an exceptional year for new music and as always, I thought I would share with you my favourite songs of the last 12 months. Unlike my albums list, this one is unranked as this isn’t necessarily what I think are the best songs of the year, but more the songs that have ultimately come to soundtrack my 2022. Also, I find it impossible to favour songs over one another half the time – these are simply different tunes for different moods.
In this year’s playlist are plenty of lesser-known gems from some of my favourite new discoveries, the year’s best album cuts, my favourite collaborations, guilty pleasures and, of course, some of 2022’s biggest singles and club bangers. As always for the sake of diversity, I’ve kept it to strictly one song per artist (excluding a couple who are also included on other tracks as features).
Now I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is yes – as the official Sound of the Summer for 2022 here in the UK, Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush is included, despite the fact it was originally released in 1985. Also, the playlist is 101 songs this year rather than the standard 100, as a certain Miss Simz came along very late in the day and needed to be included. So this year you get a bonus track!
Listen to the Playlist:
Listen on Spotify here
Listen on Apple Music here
Listen on Let’s Loop here
My Top 101 songs of 2022 in alphabetical order by artist:
1. Philadelphia by alt-J
2. Northern Star by The Amazons
3. Body Paint by Arctic Monkeys
4. One More Night by bexx
5. BREAK MY SOUL by Beyoncé
6. Bread Song by Black Country, New Road
7. If We Get Caught by Bloc Party
8. SUCKER by Blood Red Shoes
9. Visions by Blossoms
10. Wicked & Bad by Bob Vylan
11. Rosewood by Bonobo
12. MAN ON THE MOON by BROCKHAMPTON
13. Used To Know Me by Charli XCX
14. FLAG (Feel Like A Girl) by Coach Party
15. Holiday by Confidence Man
16. Aquamarine by Danger Mouse & Black Thought (featuring Michael Kiwanuka)
17. See You When The End’s Near by Day Wave (featuring KennyHoopla)
18. Set You Free by DC Gore
19. Kids by Deaf Havana
20. Rain by Deco
21. Far From Over by Deserta
22. I Don’t Need To Hide by DMA’s
23. Strawberry Lemonade by Editors
24. Additions Attachments by Elder Island
25. B.O.T.A (Baddest of them All) by Eliza Rose & Interplanetary Criminal
26. I Want A Love Like This by Everything Everything
27. Forget The Name by Express Office Portico
28. Forever In Sunset by Ezra Furman
29. Not Okay by Fickle Friends
30. 2am by Foals
31. Jackie Down The Line by Fontaines D.C.
32. the angel of 8th ave. by Gang of Youths
33. Cold by George FitzGerald
34. Biggest Mood Ever by HAAi & Alexis Taylor
35. As It Was by Harry Styles
36. Giving The World Away by Hatchie
37. Gone by The Haunted Youth
38. Polygod by Hayden Thorpe
39. Can You Afford To Lose Me? By Holly Humberstone
40. Not Alone by Hot Chip
41. If I Die Tomorrow by Jack White
42. The Old Style Raiders by Jamie T
43. The Drum by Josef Salvat
44. Mirrors by Just Mustard
45. More Pressure by Kae Tempest (featuring Kevin Abstract)
46. Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) by Kate Bush
47. Renegade by Kavinsky (featuring Cautious Clay)
48. Sailor by KAWALA
49. N95 by Kendrick Lamar
50. Bittersweet, TN by Kevin Morby (featuring Erin Rae)
51. Willing To Trust by Kid Cudi & Ty Dolla $ign
52. Neverland by Kyla La Grange
53. What Have You Done To Me? By Lane 8 (featuring Arctic Lake)
54. Happy New Year by Let’s Eat Grandma
55. Camera Chimera by LIES
56. X by Little Simz
57. Forever Is Too Long by Low Island
58. Hate by Loyle Carner
59. Set My Mind Free by Matt Guy
60. Doomscroller by Metric
61. Brooklyn. Friday. Love. By The Midnight
62. Goosebumps by MØ
63. The Foundations of Decay by My Chemical Romance
64. Still Call You Home by The Mysterines
65. Weird Goodbyes by The National (featuring Bon Iver)
66. Looking Back by The Native
67. Self Care by Nile Marr
68. anotherlife by Nilüfer Yanya
69. You Better Mean It by Nimmo
70. I Love You, Baby by Opus Kink
71. Call Me When You Leave by Oscar and the Wolf
72. Radio by Paolo Nutini
73. This Is Why by Paramore
74. words by piri & tommy
75. Happy Birthday In The Sky by Placebo
76. Lose Our Minds by Porij
77. The Rip by Porridge Radio
78. Reputation by Post Malone
79. Diet Coke by Pusha T
80. Black Summer by Red Hot Chili Peppers
81. The Void or Nothing by Sad Boys Club
82. Wild Grey Ocean by Sam Fender
83. Headspace by Sharon Van Etten
84. On the Run by The Sherlocks
85. We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings by The Smile
86. Funny Way Of Showing It by Spector
87. That Boy on the Stage by Suede
88. Little Blue by Swim Deep
89. Never Good Enough by Tom A. Smith
90. Remind Me by Tom Grennan
91. MAGIC by Vince Staples & Mustard
92. Champion by Warpaint
93. Operator Error by We Are Scientists
94. How Do I Make You Love Me? By The Weeknd
95. If You Ever Leave I’m Coming With You by The Wombats
96. Widow by Working Men’s Club
97. Leader of the Pack by Wunderhorse
98. Pour Another by Yard Act
99. Burning by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
100. Haunt by Yumi Zouma
101. Happiness by The 1975
Hope you enjoy and keep an eye out later today for the first of my Top 10 Albums of the Year!
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Clone^2 Damian
If you really think about, Damian's situation in the clone^2 au is... kinda tragic? Especially in the early months of his arrival. Like,,, think about it. Damian has always known he was a clone of Damian Wayne, that he was a copy of the blood son. There was nothing 'original' about him, not even his name (of which at least Danny has that). He was just... a replacement. A disposable one, to boot.
And he knew that, to an extent, by the time he was six years old. he might not have been actively acknowledging it -- he's six years old -- but deep down he knew. And like, he's six years old. Every small child craves the love and affection of an adult, especially their parents, and even though he knew he was clone, I imagine he still considered - and still does consider, somewhat - Talia and Bruce as his mother and father. And I really doubt he was... getting it?
Now, I know Talia loves Damian, her son. At least in some interpretations she does, and in this au she does. But... a clone of her son? I'm not so certain if she would have the same affection for baby Dames as she would for Damian. I don't think she would treat him badly, but I don't think Talia would treat him warmly either. Kinda just, distant. Colder than she would have been with OG Damian.
And, I know I've mentioned Damian's arrival from Danny's point of view, and its kind of comical kind of insane from his perspective -- a little boy clone of Damian Wayne falls through a portal and immediately attacks him. That sounds like a bad joke.
But, if you think of this from Damian's point of view? It's like he just got dropped into a scary movie. Like, think about it. You're six years old, and suddenly a portal, as green and as swirling as your grandfather's pools, opens up beneath your feet and sucks you through.
After an intense bout of vertigo, you end up in a massive, urban city -- completely different from the rural mountain palace that you lived in for the last six years of your life, and in this city, you don't know any of the language. You don't know what anyone is saying, you can't read any of the signs - you are completely stranded, away from home.
And then, to make things worse, you're facing a figure with a terrifying mask and eyes as burning green as the portal you fell through. Of course Damian's first instinct, six years old, is to attack. He's terrified.
And this figure, he's not a good fighter, but he's fast, and he dodges you quickly. He grabs your sword with his hands, and tries to restrain you, saying something in a language you don't know. Naturally, Damian is just scared. He's six! He'd just be learning how to read if he was normal child going to school.
This figure halfway through the fight yanks off his mask -- he realizes you're scared -- and looking at you now, is a youthful version of your father. This is a clone of your dad, someone you have never met but, six years old, still wants to. Damian gets defensive. This is an imposter.
But this imposter eventually gets you home with him - and he's using his little box, his phone, to communicate with you through a mechanical voice speaking in arabic. and it's frustrating. The boy, the imposter, can say whatever to you just fine, but trying to talk back is a hassle and a half. He's six, he doesn't have that much patience.
He wants to go home.
And so he keeps trying to run away. He keeps trying to find out of this hellish concrete jungle, and he keeps getting lost. It's loud, and busy, and there are people talking to you and you don't understand them, and there are rules and signs you don't understand - Damian tries to cross the street and nearly gets hit by a car. He doesn't know how the road signs work, he was never taught. They didn't get to that.
And he gets lost. And it gets dark, and Damian is brave, but he is six, and this is the worst stress he's been under in all his six years of life. He wants, desperately more than anything, to go home. Why wouldn't he? The only stable... semi-stable environment he was in just got ripped out from under his feet, literally! He wants his mother.
And it's not happening.
But there's something good to be said, at least. The imposter that looks like his father always comes and finds him, no matter what. He could have left that morning, and he will find Damian at midnight, frazzled and worried, and carrying an extra jacket with him because it is cold in Amity Park and Damian is six years old.
And sometimes Damian attacks him - he's scared and stressed and he doesn't want to be here. And every time he catches the sword. Even though Damian can see it cut into his hand and pearls of blood well up and stains his fingers. Even though Damian can see him wince in pain and bite his lip, he still catches it.
But with that little box, he coaxes Damian to come back with him. It's cold, it's dark, Amity Park is unsafe at night. They can figure something out tomorrow, please. And every time, he agrees, reluctantly. And the imposter takes the extra jacket he brought with -- a flannel, a hoodie, a jacket -- and he wraps it around him. It's warm, Damian's clothes are not that thick, and even though he thinks he might hate this imposter, he still sticks close to his legs as he leads him down the street.
And sometimes the imposter carries him, because Damian's shoes are not that thick, and he cuts his foot on broken glass while they're walking home. The imposter sits in the bathroom with him and carefully cleans the cut out, and makes sure it doesn't get infected.
There's hope you know, he still has it. His mother will be looking for him. She'll be worried. He's important to them. Damian may not be the original, but he is still a blood son. He is still her son. She will come find him. This nightmare will end soon. He can go home.
And then weeks pass, and nothing. Then months, and nothing. His family is not coming for him, and it hurts. Hurts more than anything. And yet while that happens, the boy he's attacked, and hurt, teaches himself arabic in order to speak to him. He takes Damian out of the house one afternoon and buys him new clothes, or tries to. And then he keeps buying him new clothes. He gives him blankets and gives up his bed to him until they can get him one himself, and steadily he teaches Damian english.
This boy is kind. Kinder than Damian's ever experienced, and he doesn't know what to do with it. He's devastated by the fact that he is not as important to his family as his family is to him. What do you do when you're six years old and you learn something like that? When a random stranger who looks like your father is kinder to you, and cares more about you than your family did?
And then Damian tells him he's a clone. He's Damian Wayne's clone, and he tells him his purpose - that their grandfather made him to kill him. And the boy, the imposter, Damian thinks he probably already knows that he's a clone. But he doesn't say that. He just nods, and asks him if he wants to tell his original about him.
Damian says no. He doesn't want to. He's tired of living in the shadow of his original. He wants to keep this to himself. This is his. For once, all of this is his.
And to his surprise, the imposter doesn't try and convince him otherwise. He just nods, and says okay. And when Damian asks why, the imposter - his brother - looks at him and says.
"I don't care about Damian Wayne. I care about you." And in Damian's gobsmacked silence, his brother continues. He tells him that if Damian doesn't want to tell his original that he exists, then they don't need to. They don't need to worry about the LoA going after him, because clearly if his 'grandfather' needs to make a clone of Damian in order to take him out, then whatever it was that Damian Wayne was doing to keep himself safe, was working.
"Wayne already has people in his corner, he's got Gotham's army of vigilantes to keep himself safe." his brother says with his eyes as blue as moonlight. "You, however. Do not." And he continues, and says that if Damian Wayne has the same training as Damian does, then he will be fine. He doesn't need to be aware of his clone. Because if DW doesn't know about Damian, then the LoA doesn't either.
And here's the thing. Damian would not have survived in the LoA for long. Not as a clone. No matter what, he was going to die no matter what he did, and sooner rather than later. The sword of Damocles was always hanging above his head in the League of Assassins.
That portal, and meeting Danny, saved his life. There's no way around it. And to an extent Damian knows this even at six years old. He may not be aware that he would've died, but he knows that meeting Danny was the best thing to happen to him.
It's no wonder after that, that Damian is as clingy to Danny as he is. Danny is the first person he's met to offer him unconditional love, with no strings attached, only pure affection.
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