Rihanna, SZA & More: What’s Your Favorite R&B Song of 2022? Vote!
Written by djfrosty on December 22, 2022
2022 is swiftly coming to a close, so now’s a great time to reflect on the biggest and brightest R&B songs of the year. But which one was your favorite?
Rihanna made her long-awaited return to music after a five-year break by contributing not one, but two tracks to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The first, “Lift Me Up,” serves as a stunning and serene ballad for the pop star, as well as a tribute for late star Chadwick Boseman, who died at age 43 in 2020 after a battle with colon cancer. The track, co-written by Tems, made Billboard‘s list of 10 best R&B songs of 2022.
SZA also made the list. She released “Shirt” as the third single from her critically acclaimed — and currently No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — sophomore album, S.O.S. The sultry track sees the star waxing poetic about a toxic love affair, and recalls hits from her debut LP CTRL.
No one on Billboard‘s list had a bigger breakout year than Steve Lacy, who was named our Rookie of the Year after “Bad Habit” entered the stratosphere by going viral through TikTok. The singer’s album Gemini Rights went on to secure the top spots on several charts following its July release.
The Weeknd, Chris Brown, Beyoncé and more round out Billboard‘s 10 Best R&B Songs of 2022 list, but which was your favorite? Vote in our poll below.