2022 Best R&B Songs (+α) / Laval "Everything"
Following from last time, this time I'm announcing my best songs of 2022!
●Mary J. Blige / Tough Love feat. Moneybag Yo
●Mary J. Blige / Failing In Love
●India Shawn / Exchange
●Babyface with Ella Mai / Keeps On Fallin’
●Muni Long / Hrs and Hrs
●Laval / Everything
●Ronald Isley & The Isley Brothers feat. Beyonce / Make Me Say It Again, Girl
●Isley Brothers feat. Earth, Wind & Fire & El DeBarge / There’ll Never Be
●Ari Lennox / Hoodie
●Kehlani / Everything
●Jamison Ross / Tell Me You Love Me
●Shade Jenifer / The Two Of Us
●Hope Tala / Leave It On The Dancefloor
●Dvsn / Bring It
●Phony Ppl / Nowhere But Up
●K. Michelle / Scooch
●Leven Kali / Let It Rain
●SiR / Nothing Even Matters
●Kadeem Tyrell / All My Love feat. Omar
●Kenyon Dixon / Marvin Gaye
●PJ Morton / Please Don’t Walk Away
●Lee Fields / Forever
●Beyonce / Break My Soul
●Beyoncé / Cuff It
●Beyoncé / Plastic Off The Sofa
●Joyce Wrice / Ice Tea feat. KAYTRANADA
●Sidibe / Diamond In The Desert
●Sidibe / Tellin’ U feat. MonoNeon
●Lucky Daye / God Body feat. Smino
●Eric Roberson / Good Loving feat. Pop Roberson
●Xavier Omar / Peppermint Tea feat. Alex Isley
●Ledisi / Home On Christmas
●Fetty Wap / Sweet Yamz (Remix) feat. Charlie Wilson & Ronald Isley
●Hikaru Utada / BAD Mode
●FNCY / Splash
●Jaribu Afrobeat Arkestra × Tina / Rock Steady
●Sara Kurokawa / Pulse
●Shota Shimizu / Baby I Love You So
●Ruto Kasahara / Yururirara
I just wrote them all out and ended up with 39 songs. How half-baked (sweat). And I'm sure there are definitely some I missed. If there's something like, "Hey, this isn't on here!" please let me know. I'm still thinking to myself that there were others, too. But the fact that these 39 songs came to mind immediately means they are special to me. They are in no particular order, though they are roughly in order of preference from the top.
You might think, "Mary is at the top again, like a broken record!" (I think so too), but regarding "Tough Love," there were two big events for me.
One was that it was playing at the restaurant where I had lunch with MIKU, formerly of YA-KYIM. The other was that when I went out for drinks with a senior colleague from my old company, the original sample, Dexter Wansel's "The Sweetest Pain," was playing at that bar. And these two things happened quite close together. Therefore, "Tough Love" became a song of destiny for me, haha. So, I can't help that it's number one.
But if I had to name one song of the year, it would have to be Muni Long's "Hrs and Hrs." Many songs that could be called "post-Muni Long" have also emerged, haven't they?
Also, another topic of 2022 is that many songs reinterpreting 90s-2000s R&B appeared. I enjoyed them immensely!
For other awards: Best Guest Appearance goes to Ty Dolla $ign (though his name isn't in the best list above, sweat), Best Producers are D'Mile, Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox, DJ Camper, and Eric Hudson (that's a lot). Best Project Award goes to The Isley Brothers feat. EW&F & El DeBarge for "There’ll Never Be" (for details, see here). Best Live Performance goes to Bruno Mars and Rhymester. The "You're Amazing After All" Award goes to Beyoncé.
The pandemic isn't over, wars have started, and I've had various things happen personally in 2022, but I am truly grateful for the many pieces of music that healed me, encouraged me, and gave me peaceful moments during such times. I hope to encounter lots of wonderful music in 2023 as well.
And to everyone who read this note again this year, thank you so much.
I hope 2023 will be a good year for all of you.
Happy New Year!
<Song of the Day>
Laval / Everything
I thought about introducing the songs I listed as best songs since I'm at it, but I've already introduced most of the ones I listed at the top... wait, I hadn't posted this one, so I'll pick it up. It was released in July. There isn't much detailed information, and all I know is that she is a singer-songwriter from LA, but I think this song is her debut single. Anyway, it's a beautiful 6/8 time slow jam. It has some similarities to India Shawn's "Exchange." I love it. However, as of December 30th, it only has 224 "likes" on YouTube! Give her more recognition!