volume 126 - my fav albums from 2022

here we go...again

ICYMI, here’s the methodology on how i pick my favs. today’s volume will be in release date order, starting with January of last year. the playlists will have only the highlighted songs for each album

and with that, let's get to the music for the week ❤️‍🔥

- claudio / claud / @offballscreen

p.s. - i absolutely LOVED Drake’s albums last year but i’ll save y’all from my 2,000 dissertation 🤪

the *real* dream team

this week’s music ⤵️

1. The Weeknd - Dawn FM
   Released: 1/6/22
   Highlights: Gasoline, Out Of Time, Here We Go... Again Feat. Tyler, the Creator, Don’t Break My Heart

i first heard this with my homie Alex and his wife as we climbed up Mount Lemmon in his tiny ass 2013 Prius C. it literally took my breath away. (well not entirely, but i was def breathing harder as we climbed up the mountain 😅)

seriously idk how we made it up in one piece lmao

the cohesiveness of this project is unparalleled. the way he’s able to weave the throughline of life, death, and the after life within each track is incredible. depending on how you view life after death, this journey is either magical or depressing. i love how Jim Carrey is on the narration lmao

as mentioned on his Beats 1 radio show leading up to the album release, he views this as a direct sequel to After Hours. After Hours was so broody, lonely, and reckless. Dawn FM on the other hand is like the riding off into the sunset after stewing in his feelings

randomly: Josh Safdie provides the vocals on “Every Angel is Terrifying”?? i only found this out recently and it makes me love the project even more

2. Vegyn - Don't Follow Me Because I'm Lost Too!!
   Released: 1/28/22
   Highlights: b ubba anusah bubba o'reiley [113.461 BPM], Cute Chords [161 BPM], Wayne Is innocent [100 BPM]

i’ll be honest, i haven’t listened to this in full. with beat tapes, i usually just listen on shuffle because it’s my music to get shit done too. (shoutout to long time reader Chris K. for putting me onto this project!)

Vegyn initially made a name for himself having contributed to Frank Ocean’s Endless and Blonde. this is his second beat tape after Text While Driving If You Want to Meet God! (what a title lmao)

i like when producers release beats en masse because they’re seemingly creating without the boundaries of working with another artist or making a project just for the $$$ / label. we get to truly hear their range and a peak inside their creative mind just doing what they want to do

3. Vince Staples - RAMONA PARK BROKE MY HEART

   Released: 4/8/22
   Highlights: AYE! (FREE THE HOMIES), WHEN SPARKS FLY, THE BLUES

Vince spills his soul on this album talking through some of the baggage he carries from his hometown and the love, admiration, grief, and introspection that comes with it

such incredible depth. thank you to Genius contributors for capturing this double entendre on “WHEN SPARKS FLY” where he raps from the perspective of his gun and a new relationship:

She said, "Baby, keep me closely, love it when you hold me
Know that I'm a real one, I don't do no ghostin'
I know that you love me, you don't gotta show me
Off to the world, please, hide me from the police

i had no idea that Odd Future adjacent kid would be putting out projects like this

it was dope to see Michael Uzowuru on executive producer creds. he collaborated with early Odd Future and actually produced one of Vince’s early projects Winter in Prague. fast forward a decade later and he’s got production credits for Beyoncé, Rosalía, Frank Ocean, and even some films

4. Future - I NEVER LIKED YOU
   Released: 4/29/22
   Highlights: I’M DAT N****, PUFFIN ON ZOOTIEZ, LOVE YOU BETTER

Future’s work can be so binary, oscillating between toxic / hyper masculinity and vulnerability / longing for love. i mean look at the album title / cover lmao. (he also did this with his self-titled album and Hndrxx back in 2017)

compare a song like “LOVE YOU BETTER” where he talks about breaking up with someone and hoping they find someone better:

Takin' our memories on love and treatin' it like nothin'
Takin' our memories on love and treatin' it like gossip
It's my love from my grandmother make me gentle when I care for you
Tell me you fallin' out of love, it's breakin' my heart in two

and then compare that to “PUFFIN ON ZOOTIEZ”:

Hermès ashtray to dump my ashes
Bitch so pretty, look better than Cassie
Puffin' on zooties and she callin' me daddy
Walkin' on shit, turn it up and I gas it

it’s wild how this man will turn 40 this year and still rap about the same shit. his run of albums screams that the momentum won’t stop. “WAIT FOR U” with Drake and Tems has damn near 400m plays on Spotify alone

side note: i wish more artists released instrumentals like Future did with this album. as someone who’s partial to giving production more shine, i get to appreciate the production more. it’s also great focus music. i actually know the instrumentals better than the actual songs because of this lmao

5. Toro y Moi - MAHAL
   Released: 4/29/22

   Highlights: The Medium Feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Déjà Vu, Millennium Feat. The Mattson 2

Mahal translates to love and high value in Tagalog. as someone who’s also half-Filipino, i loved seeing a Filipino-influenced project from Toro

the rollout was fun! the jeepney on the album cover was actually something he commissioned and customized for the release, he had a short film with Eric Andre, and recorded a listening party with people in papier-mâché heads that may or may not be nightmare fuel

worst sleepover ever

each Toro album is different and this is his take on psychedelic rock. it was hard to pick just three songs to highlight! seemingly every new release becomes my favorite project from him and he’s able to push his sound with each iteration

6. Action Bronson - Cocodrillo Turbo
   Released: 4/29/22
   Highlights: Jaws, Zambezi Feat. Roc Marciano, Storm Of The Century Feat. Yung Mehico

not caring about what others think and being confident in one self: that’s at the core of the AB experience. you can also expect famous / obscure sports and pop culture references too. on “Jaws”:

Swerving, you would swear I'm snorting coke with Michael Irvin
Hanging out the sunroof shirtless
Got a bunch of fucking animals on bikes
And I ain't talking bout the circus

i would never expect a Michael Irvin reference on a song but here we are lmao

i also love him expressing himself through a visual medium, having done the album art for his last 4 projects:

from left to right: White Bronco (2018), Lamb Over Rice (2019), Only for Dolphins (2020), Cocodrillo Turbo (2022)

it’s rewarding being an Action fan because he makes music for himself first and welcomes anyone else who wants to join the 10+ year ride. i have no idea what his future brings but i’ll be checking in first class to what he does next

7. Wizkid - More Love, Less Ego
   Released: 11/11/22

   Highlights: Money & Love, Bad To Me, Everyday, Pressure

the whole ethos of this album really speaks to me. not to sound too cheesy, but we need more love in the world. ego can get in the way of focusing on the we instead of me. as the saying goes: faster alone, farther together

going back to the music, this project is such a fun and easy listen. doesn’t try to be something it’s not and isn’t too heady. he doesn’t necessarily push his sound and try something new, but he’s honed in on what he does best

all credits to P2J for this masterclass on afrobeats production. he’s produced for Burna Boy, Beyoncé, Tems, and more. they most recently collaborated on Wiz’s album Made In Lagos, with P2J producing a majority of the project