The Best Music of 2022

I’ve never been particularly strategic about listening to new music; I tend to pursue it in arbitrary bursts or to let it float into my life in whichever way it can. I’m not even sure I could impose order over my music consumption if I tried, though, given how discombobulated things are out there. Albums are less relevant than ever but stubbornly remain the primary vehicle for new releases. Major new tracks can evaporate in a few days’ time, while songs that are three decades old can find new life from a TikTok trend or a scene in a television show.