Now That’s What I Call a Close Encounter: The Best Songs of Q1 2022 [Playlist]

Time for another one of my regular playlists compiling the best new tracks (available on Spotify) released in the past three months. These quarterly compilations are always divided into two CD-R-sized sets. You can browse the back catalogue going back to 2014 on my Spotify profile. The quarterly playlist will always be available for free subscribers, but if you want the full DEAN MAGAZINE experience, consider becoming a paying subscriber. Thank you.

Now That’s What I Call a Close Encounter: The Best Songs of Q1 2022

Disc One

01. Future Islands: “King of Sweden”
02. The Weeknd: “Take My Breath”
03. Cate Le Bon: “French Boys”
04. Beach House: “Modern Love Stories”
05. Big Thief: “Red Moon”
06. Duke Deuce: “I Ain’t Worried Bout It”
07. Paul Wall: “Recognize My Car” featuring Termanology
08. Big K.R.I.T.: “So Cool”
09. Mary J. Blige: “No Idea”
10. Earl Sweatshirt: “Vision” featuring Zelooperz
11. Denzel Curry: “John Wayne” featuring Buzzy Lee
12. BISKHIT: “AINT SHIT SHAWTY”
13. WifiGawd: “God of War”
14. Babyface Ray: “Sincerely Face”
15. Ralfy the Plug: “RALFY”
16. Yo Gotti: “Rap Check”
17. LUCKI: “Super Urus”
18. Yeat: “Poppin”
19. Mango X Mathman: “Rock n Rolla” featuring God Knows
20. Floating Points: “Vocoder”
21. Kavinsky: “Outsider”
22. The Game & Kanye West: “Eazy”

Disc Two

01. Pusha T: “Diet Coke”
02. witSmusic & Smitty!: “Modern Day” featuring Bruiser Wolf
03. Spoon: “Held”
04. Soccer Mommy: “Shotgun”
05. Aldous Harding: “Fever”
06. Brian Jackson: “Path to Macondo/Those Kind of Blues”
07. Qwerty Mick: “Slumlord”
08. Squirrel Flower: “Open Wound”
09. Sharon Van Etten: “Porta”
10. Shenseea: “Deserve It”
11. BoofPaxkMooky: “Anything But a Bag”
12. JuJu Rogers, DAO & Mick Jenkins: “Minneapolis”
13. Curren$y & The Alchemist: “Half Moon Mornings”
14. Cisco Swank & Luke Titus: “Nothing’s Changed” featuring Saba
15. Lord Apex & Cookin Soul: “Wagwan Dog”
16. Benny the Butcher “Super Plug”
17. Smoke DZA, Nym Lo & 183rd: “Coach K”
18. Fly Anakin: “Dontbeafraid” featuring Henny L.O.
19. Jermiside & The Expert: “For The Money”
20. NLE Choppa: “Chicago to Memphis” featuring G Herbo
21. Black Kray: “Banned 4 Life”
22. Conway the Machine: “Stressed” featuring Wallo267
23. Jim Jones: “Bars” featuring Dave East
24. Japanese Breakfast: “Nobody Sees Me Like Yo Do”

The Top 10 Albums of Q1 2022

01. The Weeknd: Dawn FM
02. WifiGawd: Chain of Command
03. Earl Sweatshirt: SICK!
04. Conway: God Don’t Make Mistakes
05. Mary J. Blige: Good Morning Gorgeous
06. Smoke DZA, Nym Lo & 183rd: Trust Issues
07. Curren$y & The Alchemist: Continance
08. Lord Apex & Cookin Soul: Off the Strength
09. Big Thief: Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
10. witSmusic & Smitty!: Eat Your Food

Me, elsewhere...

Soviet Nostalgia Now Has Its Own Soundtrack (Jacobin)

‘Society was volatile. That spirit was in our music’: how Japan created its own jazz (The Guardian)

MIKE is Striving for Sincerity (Crack)

Sello is Representing the Next Generation (Dublin Inquirer)

Ailbhe Reddy Provides the Ideal Return to Live Music (Dublin Inquirer)

Qwerty Mick and Mango X Mathman Give Dublin What It Needs (Dublin Inquirer)

The Best Reissues on Bandcamp: January/February 2022 (Bandcamp Daily)

The Origins of Egyptian Music Legend Hamid Al Shaeri (Bandcamp Daily)

A Man Apart: On Steel Tipped Dove’s ‘Call Me When You’re Outside’ (Passion of the Weiss)

Jim Jones: Gangsta Grillz (Pitchfork)

Yo Gotti: CM10: Free Game (Pitchfork)

WifiGawd: Chain of Command (Pitchfork)

Shenseaa: Alpha (Pitchfork)