Every year, at the end of it, everyone likes to sum up certain results of this calendar period. And at the beginning of the next – very often they give out all sorts of awards to the brightest events over the past year. So we, no matter how monstrous 2022 may be, will still summarize the main musical diamonds that he gave us. Many of them were actually inspired by the war, however, the main song of the year was not, but at the same time became one of the anthems of modern ordeals.
So, this list will be completely subjective – without taking into account, in our opinion, not very artistically worthwhile releases and for sure we leave behind intricate artists who, from 24/02 or even later, SUDDENLY gained insight, repainted and stopped befriending Russia or making money there. No one has forgotten anything, friends, and we give away our virtual elephants to the best.
Fit of the Year
2022 brought us a heap of unexpected and strong collabs, but let’s be honest – who can really compete with Kalush in this? Yes, it was not without the guys and without dubious, how not to say failed releases recently – everyone already seems to have made fair claims about those “bullet-debs“. Nevertheless, who is not mistaken (some said even worse things – then he became 😉 president ), we believe in crackers, and as their strongest collaborations over the past year they simultaneously win:
- Kalush – Kalush evening parties (ft Tember Blanche)
- Kalush Orchestra & Szpaku – Nasze Domy
- Kalush Orchestra & The Rasmus – In The Shadows of Ukraine
- Kalush Orchestra & KOZAK SIROMAHA – Numo Cossacks
Contractor of the Year
Here, too, in fact, out of competition. The award goes to Andriy Khlyvnyuk, the leader of the Boombox, who with his short a cappella singing on Sophia Square, on one of the very first days of a full-scale invasion, unfortunately, he performed by that time the little-known folk song “Oh, in the meadow red viburnum” and immediately stirred up the Internet, added moral strength to all of us to fight against the invasion of the Rashists, inspired millions of people to re-sing it, and dozens of artists to record and re-record it – as if someone had interfered with it before.
And, of course, the fit from Pink Floyd – according to Andrei, when the leader of the legendary British geniuses of psychedelic rock called him, he quipped.
Voice of the Year
We should not be surprised at this nomination, in our case it is not identical to the previous one. Firstly, there are really selected great melodic voices – although these are not professional singers. Which once again shows how Ukrainians is a singing nation. And secondly, the voices of these people alone, figuratively and in the most literal sense – now perhaps the most important and loudest in the world.
It is they who now determine existential issues of a planetary scale, so they own our heart – and this is the least we are capable of in this situation. No comment.
The main musical theme of the year
Perhaps the most common composition since the beginning of a full-scale war was created, in fact, more than a year ago – but it gained its incredible fame in 2022. The phrase of the frontman of the band DakhaBrakh Mark Galanevich “Good evening, we are from Ukraine” and everything that follows – for months is heard almost from every 2nd smartphone, becoming a melody of the call on most of them, as well as – from many concerts, shows, video content on YouTube, congratulations to the military and politicians, etc.
A pair of DJ musicians from Kremenchuk, ProBass and Hardi, created an ingenious mix of electronism and folk in their simplicity, and they won the hearts of millions. We listen, we enjoy, we celebrate the talent of composers – for example, and in such cool soundtracks of this particular war, like this or this one.
Cultural diplomacy of the year
Taking into account the more massively oriented releases of last year, I would like to mention the niche culture, which is also certainly important. Thus, 2022 became very bright in a creative sense for the Ukrainian women’s freak cabaret of the band Dakh Daughters. In July, the performance with their participation closed the world’s largest Avignon Theater Festival, with Dakh Daughters being on it as a musical component.
Even before the prestigious Avignon, the girls, together with their director Vlad Troitsky in the same France, in Odeon released a musical performance about the horrors of the current war Dance Macabre. The performance received a sensation of approval from the audience, and also went on a tour of Europe. In general, the band actively toured the world all year round. Thus, at one concert together with Sean Penn, for example, more than 1 million US dollars were raised for the needs of Ukrainians. They and all the artists who toured and raised funds for Ukraine during the year would like to express their deep gratitude and low bow.
And at the end of 2022, cinemas started no less, and no more, as a documentary dedicated to Dakh Daughters – dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the creation of the team.
Opening of the year
Jockii Druce is the main phenomenon of 2022. Unpredictable in the topics it raises, harsh and radical in statements. His track “Sho you brothers” became one of the anthems of the war against Russia
Writes about the artist portal about media and music RUMOR. Masterfully possessing both generally accepted and obscene language, a talented rapper from Dnipro combines it with a minimalist beat and produces tracks that have an obvious author’s style. Having heard at least a few of his singles – indeed, you can’t confuse them with anything else later.
This track appeared a few days after the great invasion, where, as of even now, it ridiculed katsaps, and also inspired all other normal people for as many as 5 million auditions of the song – becoming the first wartime rap hit. Since then, jockii has been making songs, he said, between 2 and 3 thousand dollars a month, which he transfers to the Armed Forces.
Cultural collaboration of the year
We have already talked about this, as well as about some other releases and even musical phenomena of 2022, for example, here and here. But less so, something will not be superfluous to repeat again – especially, summing up the results of the year. So, because of the war, unfortunately, Ukraine has become the No. 1 topic in the world, including in many respects in the show business field. Pink Floyd and Ed Sheeran make fittings with our performers, but there are also more unconventional ways of expressing mutual respect.
So, for some time, the young musician Alexey Karpenko at the Lviv railway station played the street piano – thus, morally supporting the immigrants who then came to the Western Ukraine in whole echelons, fleeing from Russian bombs. In March, he posted a video on his Instagram of how he performs the composition Time mastodon among world film composers Hans Zimmer during an air alarm.
My internal protest to sirens, bombs, murders, war!
Signed by musician Vidos
Within a few days, Zimmer knew about it – and answered Alexei and all Ukrainians. In order not to repeat yourself again, you can watch the plot about this unique story. Very touching, very iconic.
Best Music Video of the Year
So I would like to call the work of the performer Cepasa, dedicated to Kiev. Directly, the theme of war does not seem to exist here – which automatically distinguishes the visual component of a particular content from the majority, which – and this is no secret to anyone – has often overgrown with stamps, both in texts and in monotonous directorial decisions of video support.
The capital from a bird’s eye view, filmed in different locations and during different times of the day by drone pilots, under a duck electronic beat and the classic lines “How not to love you” – all this turned out to be very “tasty” and non-standard. But – and I want to add: it feels like it’s about war. About attachment to our hometowns, which with the attack of the Rusni, we all learned to love, respect and rebuild them often even before the final victory.
Experiment of the Year
Perhaps the main musical style of 2022 was the same high-quality, powerful and progressive, without underestimation – world-class electronic Ukrainian music. And, of course, in the fairway of this performer Onuka, which has long been a phenomenon of Ukrainian culture.
Under the veil of the year, Nata Zhyzhchenko released an atmospheric, magical and cool video for the song “Soul of the People” where, in principle, there is a lot of expected and familiar. But Granddaughter wouldn’t be herself if she didn’t mix it in a non-standard and inspiring way.
Hopes for Eurovision-2023
The musical group, which had already participated in the national selection for Eurovision and then did not win, even refused not to think about them in the future. But apparently something went wrong, so a group of two guys again went to this year’s Eurovision – and calmly won the trip there, that is, the opportunity to represent Ukraine. I have to say quite subjectively: their performance really came to me. We haven’t sent anything like this to the song contest yet, and now we have it, it’s cool and stylish, thank God, without wreaths and circles in a circle with a howl about a difficult fate, because as much as you can. Because we seem to be a nation of heroes and a free and broad culture – in every sense. Yes, this number in the form it has now does not speak directly about the war, as many would like, and so – given last year’s victory of the Kalush Orchestra (already the third for Ukraine in all 20 years of its participation in the competition, which is an incredible performance) – in 2023, I think, we will not have to wait for the “gold” or crystal cup again. But is it also necessary? The fact that we can win and do it often is already for ourselves and everyone around us, as if, proven. Now you can – and just in stylish, powerful and modern and at the same time not without blotches of the pain of pop music, this is normal. We are waiting for a decent and high-quality representation of Ukraine in the spring.
Tango of the year
We didn’t have our own cult tango, except perhaps “Hutsulka Xeni” – and now it has appeared! And all thanks to Christina Soloviy and her cover Ukrainian rage at the famous Italian song Bella Ciao. Well done, Christine, you have our applause!
Well done of the year
Also, how not to praise the super-talented YouTube musician, who literally from two really true words, namely “Rusnya” and “@bana” – makes a bouquet of emotions in the form of a vocal and instrumental composition for 2.5 minutes! But, to be honest, this wonderful Malyarevsky music has quite a few beautiful tracks there, including the author’s tracks. Such as, for example, 10-second, concise and as accurate as possible – about Arestovich. In a word: well done!
Praise of the Year
Indeed, it is very difficult now to select diamonds that will definitely go down in history among a large number of musical diamonds – which in principle adorn our current difficult life. However, I would like to draw special attention to two ironic, but at the same time heroic-epic tracks: about the already cult weapons that were provided to Ukraine and made an incredible contribution to the war and, in fact, the geographical area, where for months such and other weapons were successfully used by us and where an exciting series for many, many episodes unfolded. So – Bayraktar, enjoy this crazy single. And how to enjoy – to your attention no less powerful and cult Chernobayevka (but 18+). Enjoy, dear!
Muesli of the Year
In the previous tops of music, we have repeatedly mentioned the work of the wonderful channel Muesli UA. People there began at one time with strange enough not to say krynzh parodies of domestic politicians, but with the onset of a full-scale war, they moved qualitatively somewhat qualitatively higher, so now they consistently produce musical, also near-political godniak.
Some of these, again, electronic, coolly crafted themes have become national hits. Like, for example, the famous Vova…, or a track dedicated to Johnsoniuk. Among their works there is also a path about a beaver (you just may think that this is children’s content, do not rush to be deceived). And there are also inspired, nationalist-colored things, such as the Message to the Rashist soldiers (referred to as a fit with Anastasia Dmytruk) and a work of art dedicated to the authors of the channel for the Independence Day of Ukraine in 2022 – Ukraine above all.
In general, behind the supposedly entertaining vibe of this content lies a minimum – a clear tendency to do ours, and even cool, fun and tough. And as a maximum, obviously, if not even looking closely – probably not an accidental attachment to certain political figures. Well, it remains only to wish the authors in the coming year new strength, inspiration and creative ideas, that is, to continue in the same spirit. And you can also note that the release of their one of the most popular vidos, in fact, about Boris Johnson, miraculously clearly coincided in time with the resignation of the then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. No matter how this trend continues with other heroes who are given so much attention to Muesla, God forbid!
Children’s hit of the year
Down with the empty niche of modern contemporary children’s music content, the guys from the Karta Svitu band successfully blew up with their own hityar about the cult and heroic dog Patron. Absolutely funny and simple song, absolutely cool and bright video, absolutely charismatic singer Ivan Marunich. What else is needed for happiness? That’s right – nothing. 10 out of 10 in its genre. We want a continuation!
Special mention for outstanding achievements in creating a great mood
Track Oisho BTZ Zaluzhny mutates the two, as does its minimalist visual part – beautiful in everything. Caustic satire on katsapstan, duck techno-electronism, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army – who, unlike his soviet-Russian colleagues, is so cool that he looks organically even in a composition with cartoon hearts. There is a suspicion that the thing was created in order to generate just the same festive mood, so it can and should be listened to even during the liberation of Kherson or Kharkiv region, or on the Day of Defenders and Defenders, or even on Valentine’s Day. Every day you should listen, alone, with company or with your family – it will not be worse. It will only get better, because you become imbued with love for everything around us, that we have such armed forces and such a chieftain in them.
Editor’s Choice of the Year
There are times when someone does something cool – but you understand that this is not top. That the guys are still worth working on themselves. Especially since their product is already an obvious stable progress. So – everything is ahead. But you decide to give them a place in the annual top, for a very simple reason. Because that’s what the editor asked. I asked as sincerely as possible.
So, well: in advance, the dial band with their video Earth ends up here, which is just the case when the author of the top is held hostage and winks to be understood. He blinks with both eyes.
Main song of the year
And of course, under the veil: the main song of 2022, not a simple and phenomenal story that everyone already knows. We, too, have repeatedly mentioned it, as well as its variations, including ironic ones. Because there is still to add – the winner of Eurovision-2022, a song that inspires mothers, sons, and the army (despite the fact that the bulk of the text from its author Oleg Psyuk may, someone can make out and comprehend – but who knows who exactly), a song that combines machine-gun energy rap, folk motifs, a pragmatically thought-out hook that is capable and really blew up the hall of the same Eurovision, made Europe go crazy and give record assessments of the performance of our boys. Stefania.
Yes, the song is not directly related to the war like most here. And although the track list of the best-of-the-best-2022 cannot be called some kind of “so-so” at all – for some reason it is not fun when you understand the reasons for what exactly gave such a powerful impetus to our musical creativity in recent months. Bloody and crazy months, and the music comprehends them, somewhere heals our wounds, somewhere inspires, and somewhere – laughs in the eyes of non-giving orcs, who only have to do that Tiritis we have our hits and disgustingly re-sing them, as if all that wealth is theirs, as if they were the ones who are vigorous, albeit with a difficult step, going to a well-deserved VICTORY.
