I'm pleased to declare that
voting is now open for RAWK Album of the Year 2022.In last year’s opening post, I reflected on 2021 having very much felt like the second half of a Covid-19-dominated double-header – touching, in particular, on the way that the horrors of 2020 had thrown many into the same boat, whilst our experiences of 2021 may have been vastly different. Given the way that Covid-19 has drifted away (at least in the UK) from its almost constant leading-story status, 2022 definitely does feel to me like a break from the two years that preceded it – I’m not sure it’s quite met my hopes for a year that would bring hope, positivity, relief, and unity however.
Besides a UN Security Council statement against nuclear war, Sadio Mane’s Senegal breaking the hearts of Mo Salah’s Egypt twice, Novak Djokovic being deported from Australia, Vladimir Putin leading the Russian invasion of Ukraine, global deaths to Covid-19 surpassing six million, the Large Hadron Collider being stoked up again, the Reds coming agonisingly close to a quadruple, England’s women bringing it home, the former Prime Minster of Japan being assassinated, lingering discussions of a nuclear World War III, heatwaves in Europe, Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson being forced to resign, Birmingham apparently hosting the Commonwealth Games, Zhou Guanyu somehow surviving his accident in the British Grand Prix pretty-much unscathed, devastating floods in Pakistan, Man City deploying a ‘big boss’ as striker, Liz Truss becoming Prime Minister, the death of the second longest reigning monarch of all time, Kwasi Kwarteng announcing his budget, Holly & Phil skipping a fucking queue, David Beckham having his photo taken lots in a queue, UK financial markets crashing, a strongly right-wing government taking power in Italy, Kwasi Kwarteng being sacked, the return of the risible Hun to Cabinet, NASA recreating Deep Impact, Liz Truss being forced to resign, Rishi Sunak becoming Prime Minister, Steve Gerrard being sacked by Aston Villa, Crosby Nick surpassing one hundred thousand RAWK posts, Liverpool being selected as honorary host of the Eurovision Song Contest, Elon Musk, Bolsonaro being voted out of power in Brazil, Cristiano Ronaldo getting what he wants via a big tantrum, Matt fucking Hancock, the global population surpassing eight billion, a shame-laden FIFA World Cup taking place in Qatar, the most significant protests in China since the late ‘80s, and Eddie Howe probably looking the other way and so missing all of this, not a lot has happened in 2022. And so we’re left with little more than new additions to our music collections to discuss as the festive season and the start of 2023 approach us.
I’ve found it an odd year musically. RAWK’s own ‘2022 in Music’ thread has seemed somewhat quiet, and, personally, I feel like I’ve struggled to commit the time I usually would to a couple of dedicated listens to new albums before allowing them into standard rotation (background, travel, etc). I’m hoping a few more weeks without the Reds playing gives me an opportunity to check-in on some of the albums that I feel like I’ve neglected or missed entirely this year, and I suspect that any list I put together would change significantly by the start of 2023. Besides all my own stuff, I’m looking forward to keeping an eye on the lists that others submit during the course of the next five or six weeks. So let’s be having you.
Voting will remain open for just short of a six week window,
closing at 23:59:59 GMT on Friday 6th January.
The Rules- Albums must have a 2022 UK release date. Please check your release dates if you are unsure.
- You can list as many albums as you like but only the top 10 will score points and they must be in order.
- People that list less than 10 albums will still score points. However 5 albums or less will result in a restricted points tally for that list, but a number one album will always score maximum points.
- For the most part no live or compilation albums. These are banned if they are a collection of previously released stuff but are admissible otherwise. Re-issues are frowned upon.
- Lists can be amended/changed right up to the closing date. If you replace an album on your list with another please let me know what album has been removed. Or if you shimmy the order of your list about, let me know what albums have moved positions. I keep a record of dates on my spreadsheet anyway too, so I’ll check through before announcing the results
- EPs and other digital-format releases have been subject to debate in the last couple of years, and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please state your case along with your post if any of your votes fall into such grey areas.
ScoringThe Formula One style scoring system will remain in place for RAWKites selections. People's top 10 albums will score as follows: 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1.
DiscussionDiscussion to be encouraged. Feel free to post (or send me) any magazine, newspaper, record store, or website Top 10's, Top 50's, etc, on here as they may help jog our memories – I’ll add a placeholder post below this one to gather these together. If you're a lurker and don't normally contribute to the ‘...in music’ threads, please feel free to vote anyway - and you're more than welcome to join the conversation:
https://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=351137.0RAWK Album of the Year Roll of Honour2021: Japanese Breakfast -
Jubilee2020: Taylor Swift -
Folklore2019: Lana Del Rey -
Norman Fucking Rockwell!2018: Sons of Kemet -
Your Queen is a Reptile2017: War On Drugs -
A Deeper Understanding2016: David Bowie -
Blackstar2015: Kendrick Lamar -
To Pimp a Butterfly2014: The War On Drugs -
Lost In A Dream2013: Arcade Fire -
Reflektor2012: Chromatics -
Kill for Love2011: PJ Harvey -
Let England Shake2010: Arcade Fire -
The Suburbs2009: Animal Collective -
Merriweather Post Pavilion2008: Kings of Leon -
Only By The Night2007: The National -
Boxer2006: Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins -
Rabbit Fur Coat2021's Standings- Jubilee - Japanese Breakfast (142)
- Seeking New Gods - Gruff Rhys (95)
- Hey What - Low (86)
- Seventeen - Sam Fender (79)
- Promises - Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders, & the London Symphony Orchestra (57)
- Inside - Bo Burnham (56)
- Blue Weekend - Wolf Alice (53.5)
- Sometimes I Might Be Introvert - Little Simz (49)
- I Know I'm Funny Haha - Faye Webster (48)
- Screen Violence - CHVRCHES (47)
- Typhoons - Royal Blood (47)
