Unfortunately, I can’t post any more rankings, I’m getting really stressed. I think, how many albums, series, films, podcasts and Co. from the past year can you really know? 10? So at the end of November you listen to everything you can think of to pretend you were up to date the whole time, NO THANKS. But I can list the things I remember.
1. Earlier this year I was excited about spin-offs of two of my favorite shows – Sex and the City and How I Met Your Mother – called And Just Like That… and How I Met Your Father. I found both very well done, mainly because I find the way the theme is how cities change through gentrification exciting and I’m happy that both series should probably continue, especially since they are set in New York and I’m in New York now so good (because I’m here in New York right now).
2. The two series that probably influenced young people the most this year were ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Euphoria’. They brought us another 80s revival and lots of glittery makeup – it could be worse. And there have been really good seasons of the two series this year, where pop music in particular has played a very important role, up to and including iconic music scenes, such as Zendaya’s performance on her pillow in “Euphoria” or Max (Sadie Sink) floating on “Run up that hill”.
3. It was also the year that big events with large audiences returned. Mardi Gras, the Super Bowl, indoor concerts — people were breathing down their necks and rubbing their heels again. Times Square in my city (New York) is also busier than in 2019. I also had a craving for crowds, I must confess, and made some unreasonable decisions like to play coldthe No Angels and Kendrick Lamar to go. Well, it still applies: always beautiful with a mask on the ball.
4. Live Highlights: Blond and Powerful plush from the Chemnitz school, who played a few concerts together, were my absolute concert highlight in 2022. There is simply nowhere else so fun, combative, bubbly and romantic. Next year both bands will go back on tour, so you’ll have a chance to participate.
Even though I wasn’t there, the return was near Joni Mitchell at the Newport Folk Festival one of the most magical moments on stage for me this year. But see for yourself, what else is there to say?
Oh yeah, and also, I just stopped by last week Mariah CareyChristmas show “Merry Christmas To All” at Madison Square Garden. I had one of the cheapest tickets in the corner and it was truly everything you imagine when you think of the Christmas show and Mariah Carey. Meanwhile, the pregnant woman next to me kicked the baby in the stomach for the first time — I swear I’m not making this up. And at the latest when 20,000 people sang “All I Want For Christmas” together, I thought to myself: Wow.
5. Internet 2022! Things I still don’t understand: KI, AI, Wordle… I’m a boomer, I didn’t participate, but I find that almost everything is fine that you like it, so you do it! That said, it was a year of social media crisis. Artists complained that their record labels were pushing them into TikTok content, Instagram became a skincare nightmare and TikTok knockoff, Elon Musk became the boss of Twitter, and so on. In the spring we discussed media and religiosity, triggered by memes that have emerged around the Russian war against Ukraine. Also, the mental health theme was getting bigger and bigger across all platforms, but with decent flavor. Almost everything is now a mental health issue you need to take care of yourself, nothing is the same anymore due to circumstances, only you can heal yourself, ADHD memes are the new horoscopes, artists and advertising partners make money off the dysphoria of their fans, then someone again says they need to get off social media FOR their mental health. We may sort things out in the next year.
6. Kickbacks, kickbacks, kickbacks. Roe v. Wade has been overthrown, the witch hunt against Amber Heard and other prominent women is still ongoing, and of course the horrific oppression of women and girls in Iran and Afghanistan persists and has intensified into 2022. So you can’t really do unless you wonder what Metoo really brought about and if it was really a universal movement. Maria Schrader has just made a film called “she She Said” which tells the story of the movement, especially around the Harvey Weinstein case. My feeling after going to the cinema: everything absolutely has to go much further, absolutely has to be more radical and broader. It’s faster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpc40dmPlVM
7. This year we loved the scam stories about Tinder scammer Anna Delvey, Elizabeth Holmes and so on, while in more important real life some have once again reclaimed the dangers of alleged asylum scammers or Hartz4. Because rich criminals are cool, poor criminals aren’t cool! Anyone who doesn’t pay the rent has to be left homeless, anyone who doesn’t have a fine goes to jail, anyone who demonstrates too boldly gets slapped and so on. And are you really poor, is this actor really queer, is this twitter guy really trans? This year there have been many mutual suspicions, played out and compared. Instead of sticking together when feeling left behind and holding each other at the bottom. That would be so cool
8. In 2022, the Men’s Children shone. All these guys who don’t want to grow up, who trudge through life without consequence, who then maneuver their way out of their quark in a sweet, silly way and always, of course, with the help of the selfless big woman on their side. It was the year of Will SmithYes, Bushidos, Sidos, Fynn Kliemanns, Olli Pochers, Kanye WestYes, Elon Musks. Well, not everyone can still count on the woman by their side. But I still want to see less next year, thank uuu.
9. What remains of the year’s pop treasures that I absolutely do not want to fail to mention: power clubsand Tokyo Hotels “Fahr mit mir (4×4)” was the summer hit of the year. Pop punk was the genre of the year thanks to Demi Lovato, WILLOW, Meet Me @ The Altar and The Linda Lindas. RTL’s “The Passion” was the most incredible TV event that probably all of you repressed and so on Laith Al Deen and Silver Moon downloaded to my packing list. This year’s best albums I’ve heard come from Noah Cyrus (“The hardest part”) Soccer mom (“Sometimes, Forever”), ELIZA (“A Sky Without Stars”), Kendrick Lamar (“Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers”), The nerves (“THE NERVE”) and of course from Beyoncé (“RENAISSANCE”). One of my favorite band discoveries of the year was Sprint. And my favorite video is Kendrick Lamar and Taylor Paige.
10. But stop! To stop! The year is not over yet! But anyone who publishes something in December struggles… The rankings are already tight, bad luck. But you better reopen yours, because this year the best is really coming to an end. Of course it’s SZA’s long-awaited second album “SOS” and it’s breaking all records right now. It’s always on here in New York, where I am now, and it’s really as good as his reputation, r’n’b heartbreak at its best. But that is not all! rap singer Little Simz also released an album in December (“NO THANK YOU”). And songwriter Shit beers also (“This is pop”)! So we leave 2022 with three smashing albums, but this store has to cancel it again…
And last but not least, Malonda’s recently released anti-racism anthem “Interpretungshoheit”, which includes a great video, should definitely be mentioned here, which really gives some of this year’s debates another one.
Good day, as they say here (NY). And happy New Year!
What happened up to now? Here is an overview of all pop column lyrics.
