NPR Music's 36 Favorite Songs of 2022 (So Far)

This week we reach the actual halfway point of the year, which means it's finally the perfect moment to look back on the great music released in 2022 so far. The list of songs on this page isn't the result of consensus. There was no voting or petitioning or arguing involved in its creation. Instead, we asked 36 writers, editors, hosts, producers and other contributors to NPR Music to share the song they love most from the first half of this year. Some were tailor-made for the needs of this particular moment, in this particular corner of the multiverse. Others feel classic, as eternal as an embrace. All of them are presented here — one pick per person, in alphabetical order by artist — in the hopes that you'll discover something you love too.

(Follow NPR Music's ongoing coverage of new songs at our #NowPlaying blog. And you can stream the full playlist of these picks on Amazon Music, Tidal, Apple Music and Spotify.)

Beyoncé, "Break My Soul"

With "Break My Soul," the marching orders are simple: Dance. The unapologetic resurgence of house music amidst so much uncertainty is not lost on me, but delivers a much needed release all the same. Stomp, shout, scream, cry — do what you must. —Jerusalem Truth

brakence, "cbd"

"cbd" is a Gordian knot of production finesse, brakence's electronic squiggles spiraling and wrapping around each other like a Windows screensaver. Cutting through the noise is