BEST VIDEOS OF 2022

Beautiful, artistic, dramatic, or simply funny – enjoy these amazing music videos from around the world!

Thanks for such a great response to our global list of the Best Albums of 2022! It’s been visited by listenters – and artists! – from over 160 countries. We loved to see you enjoy music even (or especially) from the most distant music scenes.

Now we’re back with Best Music Videos of 2022, a delight to your eyes & ears.

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ARGENTINA: K4, Dillom and Proyecto Gómez Casa – “Latas”

K4 is an enigma. With multiple alter egos, the Argentinean singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist has defied his listeners since his debut in 2018. He is also part of Rip Gang, a local crew of musicians responsible for the latest renewal in the sound of Buenos Aires alternative pop and trap scene, with Dillom as his biggest act (his album “Post Mortem” was chosen the best Argentinian one in 2021, followed by a year full of sold out shows and increasing exposure).

“Latas” is one of the three singles K4 published in 2022, a song with Dillom and frequent collaborator Proyecto Gómez Casa. The three come together in a fierceful and full of anger song, almost punk, about a neglected character who fell to pieces.

The video, directed by Ignacio Chinchilla and Santi Chaher for Bunker producer, combines the horror aesthetic of Dillom (“Post Mortem” was all about it) with the disturbing style of K4 in a tale of freaks playing music and constantly escaping. (Rodrigo Piedra)

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AUSTRALIA: Julia Jacklin – “Lydia Wears A Cross”

In “Lydia Wears a Cross”, one of Australia’s finest songwriters of her generation grapples with one of the most profound subjects of all: religion. Julia Jacklin recounts her experiences at a Catholic school as a child, sublimely recalling small moments, subtle details.

And while a commitment to a religious life may not have stuck, Jacklin isn’t high-minded about her upbringing. “I’d be a believer if it was all just song and dance,” she solemnly sings, and even from an agnostic point of view, it’s a tender thought to have.

The music video for Jacklin’s standout track from her 2022 album, “Pre Pleasure”, was shot by her longtime collaborator, Nick Mckk, at Split Point Lighthouse in Victoria, with Jacklin wryly sporting a raincoat in homage to the religious musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. (Conor Lochrie)

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BELARUS: Iva Sativa – “Kоса”

In her video for the song “Kosa”, Iva Sativa tries to combine the Belarusian archaic tradition and a trendy club beat.

Ascetic in terms of meaning and rich in visual terms, it’s a work where traditional Belarusian red and white colors perfectly fit into the atmosphere of modern rave.

Not the best example of current Belarusian music, but a great video to get acquainted with it. (Aliaksandr Charnukha)

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BRAZIL: Lucas Sfair – “Merda”

The year 2022 was turbulent for Brazil because of the presidential election, in which Lula emerged victorious and the (unnamed) loser practically fled the country. His supporters did not accept the result of the elections, they held several demonstrations. One of them became known as “patriota do caminhão” – a truck patriot – for hanging from a truck to try to “save Brazil”. The result: he became a joke around the country.

Lucas Sfair, a musician from the city of Curitiba, who in the past was a member of the bands Namorada Belga and Tangerim, made that case an inspiration for the first clip of his solo career, “Merda”. Brazilian public fell in love with this audiovisual parody and it’s become a viral in the social networks, helping make that moment of our 2022 an eternal meme in the history of Brazil.

“Merda” (“Shit”) is a bubblegum pop song about a person who does shit in personal life, but we can interprete it in other ways, just like the clip made fun from a surreal and embarrassing inspiration. Throughout 2023, Lucas Sfair will release more singles that together will form a full album. Let’s wait. (Lafaiete Júnior)

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CHINA: Sleeping Dogs – “神行太保”

Instrumental groove masters Sleeping Dogs a supergroup of Beijing-based indie musicians, returned with their long-awaited debut LP, “Blunt Razor”, last year.

Meticulously prepared with ingredients of Afrobeat, jazz, funk, hip hop and a simmer of psychedelic allure, it’s rich in texture and flavor yet never overwhelms.

The music video for their track “神行太保” traces the morning routines of Beijing park goers – finding sublime and surreal juxtaposition between their movements with the grooves of the band. (Will Griffith)

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EGYPT: Afroto – “Brazil”

Here’s a truly transcontinental story with Egyptian rapper Afroto and his guest Marwan Moussa going to Brazil… without buying a ticket.

The video’s director Omar Donga phenomenally recreates the atmosphere of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas and his actors behave like they were brought right from Brazil.

There’s no better prize for Afroto and Donga than comments like: “I’m Brazilian and all I can say is: I’m in love with this video that bears the name of my country.

The impression that I had is that the video was really recorded HERE in some community/favela in Rio de Janeiro and that’s wonderful!” (Lina Rim)

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ESTONIA: Mart Avi – “Lost Weekend”

Meet Mart Avi, the twilight samurai of avant-pop, starring in “Lost Weekend”, a video single off his last year’s album “Blade”.

Shot on a black and white 16 mm tape and directed by an award-winning documentalist Ivar Murd, “Lost Weekend” winds like a twister bashing against the white porcelain walls. Like Bruce Lee, a true master of mind and body, its protagonist knows that those who are unaware are walking in darkness and will never seek the light.

“It was a matter of being determined and having the spirit to break through,” says Avi. “Capturing it on precious film felt like making the biggest decision within a space of 7 breaths and settling all scores between the anguish of the soul and the dark intentions one may fall prey to.

Life is an addiction. This film is reality. (Ingrid Kohtla, Tallinn Music Week)

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GREECE: Marina Satti – “SPIRTO KE VENZINI”

Ιt’s clear Marina Satti is the one on the global level here”, mentioned editor-in-chief Mariusz Herma, while we were discussing 2022’s outstanding videos that we gonna present in this special issue. And yes, it’s also clear that while Marina Satti has only a few releases in her still short career, she definitely invests in her music videos, bringing out more impressive moments that capture her unique world.

Directed by Sekou Abineri, her last video “SPIRTO KE VENZINI” is more focused on her Greek heritage and the folklore side of urban life, in contrast to her previous ones that had some Middle East flavours. The song uses a lyric element of the ‘90s Greek folk hit “Rixe sto kormi mou spirto na pirpolitho”, originally sung by Katerina Kouka, while matching some solid, slow beats and electronics.

And no, I won’t mention how beautiful Marina Satti is, or how her aesthetics sometimes allude to Rosalía. Just press the play button to see for yourself. (Ares Buras)

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LEBANON: El Rass – “Jullanar”

Hailing from Tripoli, North Lebanon, Mazen El Sayed, known by his stage name of El Rass, is a poet and rapper who left the world of banking and finance to focus on his love of hip-hop, slamming, and rhyming poetry. His masterful manipulation of language switches seamlessly from classical Arabic — an idiom seldom employed in rap — to the spoken Lebanese dialect, tackling a wide range of sensitive subjects and issues, from revolution to religion, from Sufism to social agitation.

El Rass’ first album “Kachf el Mahjoub” (Unveiling the hidden), recorded with electronic producer Jawad Nawfal aka Munma, was released by Lebanese indie label Ruptured in February 2012. The complexity and depth of El Rass’ politically and socially charged texts brought the album immediate regional and international success, and saw the two musicians perform to packed houses in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt, in addition to several European cities.

Now with several albums under his belt, El Rass released his latest full-length “Ard el Khawf” (The land of fear) in March 2022, from which this track is pulled. Jamal Awar’s video for “Jullanar” blends footage from old Egyptian films, animal documentaries and other absurd situations, in which El Rass becomes an unwitting protagonist. (Ziad Nawfal)

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LITHUANIA: shishi – “Sushi Express”

shishi is a band that includes beehype’s correspondent in Lithuania, Giedre Nalivaikaite. We love their video “Sushi Express” so we simply asked Giedre to tell us about it:

“We decided to take the main parts ourselves, in the role of big businessmen–godzillas eating everything we could find around us. The shooting was pure fun – we could perform magic in a moment, like fly on a broomstick, eat all the pizza in a few seconds, swallow up loads of plastic flowers or half of a huge watermelon and still stay hungry.”

“The song ‘Sushi Express’ is quite hopeless actually – it is about overusing our planet, living (and eating) too fast so the images of the video were meant to exaggerate this idea in a fun way and add some extra flavour to this sad and dark song.”

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NIGERIA: Blaqbonez – “Back In Uni”

Some of those six millions views that Nigerian rapper Blaqbonez (real name Akumefule Chukwu-Emeka George) has collected over the last quarter with his video “Back in Uni” is because people keep watching this stunning clip again and again.

We see him switching roles and sceneries, from funny to scary to curious and back, all of that in a caleidoscopic whirlwind of colours and costumes. If you consider Blaqbonez directed this video himself, you can see what a young talent he is.

Where he’ll take us next? You might find out coming back to beehype for the list of the Best Videos of 2023. (T. Mecha)

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NORTH MACEDONIA: Dope Kukjata – “GARPED”

Something weird is happening in the city of Skopje, Macedonia.

Video for a song from the “SUPERGRUB BOiBAND” (super rough boy band) album from the band Dope Kukjata, directed by Borjan Stojkov, which introduces a new term previously not known to the general public, GARPED.

Everybody, young and old, is doing this weird gesture and nobody knows why. Except, it’s GARPED. You have to see for yourself and find out why the music scene is GARPED! (N.A.)

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NORWAY: Fieh – “Telephone Girl”

Last January, seven-piece future soul band Fieh blessed us with the video for their single “Telephone Girl”. The groovy track was featured on their sophomore album “In the Sun in the Rain”, expanding their genre-mixing aesthetic.

The video features a mix of pastel and bright colors, inviting us to a girl’s night out, with pink drinks and retro cellphones, occasionally disrupted by the playful usage of green screen. It’s all fun and games until Fieh’s Sofie Tollefsbø sings “(…) and I am sitting here wondering if the world will explode, that’s why I can’t take the phone right now”, wearing pink contact lenses.

All in all the video, directed by Nikolai Grasaasen, is a feel-good experience, with some uncanny undertones. (Edvard Granum Dillner)

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PERU: Daniela Lalita – “Pisoteo”

If there’s something for which Daniela Lalita has stood out, it is for her amazing audiovisual work. In order to promote the singles from the “Trececerotres” EP, she released the best videos that a Peruvian artist could release during 2022.

The video for “Pisoteo”, released on September 16, shows a dark place that could be the setting for a “Saw”-style horror movie and shows Daniela totally alone while doing a choreography where she crawls on the ground and dance like an animal. If you came to the video with a limited Spanish knowledge and thought that since the title of the song ends in “-eo” you were going to see a video of perreo, you are very wrong.

Daniela seeks relief through movement and the primary focus of the human body, supported by the choreography by Lourdes León. The song, which mostly repeats “saca la oferta” (“take out the offer” in Spanish), is actually a song about her relationship with her grandmother and how she dealt with the death as she healed from cancer.

By the way, the video was also directed by Daniela, who once again demonstrates the level of detail that she works within her artistic concept. (José Luis Mercado)

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POLAND: IGO – “Better be alive”

A dancing couple and TikTok stars from Poland, Nicki and Loczek are experts in imitating NPCs – non-player characters you meet in video games.

This vivid and colourful clip from singer-songwriter IGO and the director Michał Oziewicz is a superb demonstration of what this duo – especially Nicki – can do or rather how they can act. And obviously the funniest part is when our NPC meets humans.

While you’ll know what the video generally is about after the first minute, it’s worth to wait for the finale – all things considered, it’s certainly “better to be alive”. (Mariusz Herma)

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PUERTO RICO: International Dub Ambassadors – “Un verano”

The International Dub Ambassadors are one of Puerto Rico’s best kept secrets. The group consists of some of the Island’s most talented musicians, who often double as players for numerous other projects within the broader music scene, including local reggae institution Cultura Profética. Together they honor their dub-reggae heroes by keeping faithful to the genre’s roots while tackling Puerto Rico’s modern day trials and complexities through their music.

On single “Un verano” (One Summer), from their 2022 self-released album “La Calor” (Da Heat), the band reminisce about the historic Summer of ‘19 when Puerto Ricans took to the streets to oust then-governor, now disgraced ex-governor, Ricardo Rosselló mid-term; while at the same time shedding light into some of the hardships Island-residents grapple with day-to-day, namely: an ongoing economic recession, gentrification, lack of affordable housing, and a reliable, cost-effective power grid.

The video leans on the lyrics and dramatizes these challenges through the eyes of a young couple living in San Juan, while highlighting the Puerto Rican disposition towards love and humor even in the darkest of times.

The song features guest-vocalist Don Carmelo from genre-veterans Gomba Jahbari, whose single “Acho Puñeta”, released back in 2018, has helped soundtrack many a protest since. It was mixed by founding-Ambassador Pachy García, now known around the world as the one-man-dub-reggae-band Pachyman.

If you like “Un verano”, don’t sleep on the rest of the International Dub Ambassador catalog, which also features collaborations with the likes of Akae Beka (Midnite) and Yarimir Cabán (MIMA). (Alfredo Richner)

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ROMANIA: Tourette Roulette – “Năbădăi”

Tourette Roulette is a band of alternative mofos based in Bucharest. Disco, funk, electro merged on alternative rock basement and nonconformist lyrics. And their videos come from the same philosophy.

“Năbădăi” is almost non-translatable into English, something like nastiness and a jolly wicked party. The video is a crop of real footage from 30 year old Romanian weddings, right after the fall of communism, when we were eager to embrace and practice new habits.

I find new funny images each time I watch it. A good reason to place this nasty clip top of my list of best 2022 Romanian videos. (CriticEyez)

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SAUDI ARABIA: Moayad – “Bash Muhandis”

The last months of 2022 were quite impressive for Moayad video-wise, since the acclaimed Saudi Arabian rapper released not just one great video but two outstabnding clips: first “Theeb”, and just a few weeks later “Bash Muhandis” that we included here – but it easily could be the other way round.

While these two videos have a very different scenery (first takes us to the desert, the second to the city) and different characters (a company of Arabic grown ups in traditional Saudi attires vs. a bunch of smart youngsters), both are really about community.

And both are fun, which is exactly what you’d expect from Moayad. (Lina Rim)

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PORTUGAL: Surma – “Islet”

In “ISLET”, Surma translate the less good experiences experienced during his training period. An amazing video, with a great production made once again in collaboration with CASOTA Collective.

In the video, the artist crystallizes the ode to self-determination, using the artistic and cinematographic references that helped her overcome the obstacles, the same ones that also ended up being the basis for much of her personal and artistic construction.

It is 6 minutes of a gentle dive into its unique sound and visual cosmos, full of phonetic and geographical landscapes to explore, what ray of hope and universal strength for those who live or have experienced these difficulties. (Paulo Homem de Melo, Glam Magazine)

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TÜRKİYE: Alaca – “BYE”

While releasing the song “BYE” – and its awesome video, directed by Ümit Şahin & Samet Eruzun – Alaca wrote a note that summarizes everything:

“We are two close friends who have been making music together for a long time. Ever since the first day, we played guitar with each other, it feels like we’ve been waiting for this day to come. Since we couldn’t do a job that feels fully completed, we couldn’t experience that feeling of satisfaction to the fullest.”

“First time in one of our songs, we experienced this feeling with its production, mix, clip, and cover. A big thank you to all our friends who made this happen! I hope you like the song and will listen to it for many years. Keep going.” (Emir Aksoy)

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UKRAINE: ТУЧА (TUCHA) – “russia is a terrorist state”

Which this video on YouTube:

There were a lot of songs written by Ukrainian musicians in 2022 and the majority of them were focused on one topic. Sad or angry, outrageous or lyrical, upbeat or slow they were trying to communicate one message: russia is a terrorist state. Tucha’s single became the quintessence of this narrative and the video made it even stronger. This is indeed a powerful example of how music can spread important messages.

To everybody who assumes that it’s an unprecedented one-time thing and such aggression against the nation never happened before, we’ve got news. Pay attention to snapshots and key messages. This is literally a set of historical facts explaining that russia has been doing this for centuries.

Pause where needed and read captions. Google some facts. Keep on educating yourself to avoid the perception trap. (Dartsya Tarkovska)

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VIETNAM: Wren Evans – “Cơn Đau”

The best music video in Vietnam in 2022 was, my opinion, “Cơn Đau” by Wren Evans.

The story of this music clip is based on journey to the west (famous Chinese fiction), it’s the journey of five people to get through their pains.

The story and the message are both great, and the fashion in this video is fabulous and stands out not just in the Vietnamese music scene. (Nam Tran)

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Other recommended videos:

絕對純潔 Absolute Purity – “Absolutely Pure” (China)
Abyusif – “Ha3” (Egypt)
Ahmed Santa – “Ahmed Santa” (Egypt)
Alegría Rampante – “Matorral” (Puerto Rico)
Asake – “Peace Be Unto You” (Nigeria)

ATA – “Lakrimarium” (North Macedonia)
Babasonicos – “BYE BYE” (Argentina)
Beharie – “Love Me” (Norway)
Berlin Manson – “Netancujem, kývem hlavou” (Slovakia)
Body Type – “A Line” (Australia)

Carnival Youth – “Sunshine” (Latvia)
Diamond Platnumz Ft Zuchu – “Mtasubiri” (Tanzania)
Dina Jashari – “Dosada” (North Macedonia)
Dorota – “Ojciec” (Poland)
Dubioza Kolektiv – “Može li?” (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Duda Beat – “Tocar Você” (Brazil)
Fado Bicha – “ESTOURADA” (Portugal)
favst / gibbs ft. Kabe, PLK – “tour de france” (Poland)
FAZI – “Folding Story” – album film (China)
Φοίβος Δεληβοριάς – “Απόψε Είμαι Κοντά Σου” (Greece)

Gabrielė Vilkickytė – “nieko nebijojo” (Lithuania)
Golden Slumbers – “I Love You, Crystal” (Portugal)
Gran Radio Riviera – “La de Llamarte” (Venezuela)
Isabela Merced feat Kayfex – “Agonía” (Peru)
Iza – “Três” (Brazil)

Janek Murd – “OXO” (Estonia)
J.R. August – “I’m Afraid The Bird Will Die” (Croatia)
Julia Sabra and Fadi Tabbal – “One By One” (Lebanon)
King Stingray – “Lupa” (Australia)
Klinika Denisa Kataneca – “Vampiri” (Croatia)

KOOB & Bingo – “Sadder Days” (Belarus)
ΛΕΞ – “AIRMAX” (Greece)
Ma-Beyn – “Masa2altesh” (Egypt/Palestine)
Marilina Bertoldi & Javiera Mena – “Amuleto” (Argentina)
Marina Fages – “La ciudad nos ilumina las caras” (Argentina)

Mayssa Jallad & Khaled Allaf – “Madina min Baeed” (Lebanon)
Milena Warthon – “Maravilloso” (Peru)
Miss Petty – “Mega Kozy” (Czechia)
Mudra D Viral – “Balo Balo” (Uganda)
鬧海 Naohai – “煙火 Fireworks” (China)

Ouu – “Värvides” (Estonia)
OSKI – “One More Day” (Belgium)
Parekh & Singh – “Sleepyhead” (India)
Pasocom Music Club – “Sign” (Japan)
Pidżama Porno – “Buczy” (Poland)

Planet Hemp feat. Criolo – “Distopia” (Brazil)
RaiNao, Villano Antillano – “Un Amarre” (Puerto Rico)
Ryoto and the Franchise Owner – “Weird Feeling” (Japan)
Sekai No Owari – “Habit” (Japan)
Sin Cos Tan – “Endless” (Finland)

Superkoloritas – “Vasara Pasaka” (Lithuania)
Света Бень и Галя Чикис – “Кёртису l For Ian Curtis” (Belarus)
Ténèbre x Hidden Element – “Sensitive Content” (Ukraine)
thea wang – “I wrote you letters” (Norway)
Toomaj Salehi – “Faal” (Iran)

Valdes – “El acto”
Viagra Boys – “Ain’t No Thief”
Wolf Fang MIDI – “She’s Gone” (Egypt)
Wolf Manhattan – “Voices in My Head” (Portugal)
Zombie Chang – “Switch” (Japan)

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Also check out: Best Videos of 2020 and Best Videos of 2019.

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