It's kind of laughably predictable how all a modern rap star needs to do is spit on a boom bap '90s beat and suddenly a bunch of heads who usually hate their music start to give them some credit. But it was genuinely exciting when Megan Thee Stallion debuted "Plan B" at Coachella in April, rapping over the beat from Jodeci, Raekwon and Ghostface's "Freek'n You" remix (predictably, sampled by '90s R&B recycler Hitmaka aka Yung Berg). The faster BPM makes her flow a little slower than usual and hit some Biggie cadences, it's a great contrast to her other material and one of the best songs from one of the best rappers out there today. Here's my 2022 singles Spotify playlist I update every month. 

Kendrick Lamar has been releasing a series of non-album tracks named "The Heart" since 2010, including installments that came out shortly before good kid, m.A.A.d city and Damn. And the latest installment, which came out a few days ahead of the long-anticipated Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers in lieu of a proper single from the album, also had one of the most memorable music videos he's ever made. I'm glad that "The Heart Part 5" was eventually added as a bonus track to the album, though, because I still think it's by far one of the best things about that good but frustrating record. I'm kind of annoyed that "Silent Hill" has become the big radio song from the record because I'm always happy to hear this instead. 

Last year, Charlotte Sands wrote her breakthrough hit on TikTok about admiring Harry Styles in a dress, and this summer it's had a run on pop radio right alongside his latest singles, kind of cool. Love the way there's a lot of empty space in this track with her voice and the bassline as the focal point. 

I love seeing songwriters move between Nashville and the pop and R&B worlds when it's based less on celebrity or crossing over to different radio formats and based more on shared values in good songwriting. So it's cool to see that the lead single for Ingrid Andress's upcoming 2nd album was co-written by ascendant R&B star Lucky Daye and Canadian pop balladeer JP Saxe (though thankfully the lyrics don't remind me of Saxe's last solo project). I'd love to hear the story of how this song came together. 

New York urban planning official Robert Moses died over 40 years ago, and to the extent that he's remembered now, it's mainly by people who speak of him with loathing as a symbol of America's neglect of public transit and over-reliance on cars and highways. So it's a little funny that a Canadian duo decided to name their band after him. But their third alternative radio hit, and first #1, is an irresistibly slick and catchy little car commercial-sounding piece of cinematic pop/rock. 

Outside of country's year-round summer vibes, so little of the music on the radio in the summer feels summery these days, especially on increasingly dour Top 40 playlists, so "Sunroof" feels like a breath of fresh air. Kind of annoying that the video has a convertible instead of a car with an actual sunroof, though. 

With Beyonce's new album days away, it feels appropriate that there's been a lot of nostalgia for her back catalog in the air lately -- in addition to Tink's "Cater 2 U" homage, Fivio Foreign's "What's My Name," Saucy Santana's "Booty" and Latto's "Pussy" all either sample old Beyonce/Destiny's Child hits or tracks that she sampled. And it's nice to see Tink still getting some radio play, she's still one of the most talented rapper/singers of her generation that never really made it big.