With 2022 rearing its head, many of us are in the mood to reflect. And, when it comes to the past year, it is fair to say that the Online team here at Wonderland wouldn’t have made it through the year without the sweet sounds of our favourite artists. With this in mind, the pair of us have had a scroll through our playlists and reminisced over the last year in a bid to present you with our top tracks from over the last year. Head below to enjoy the songs that we have had stuck on repeat in 2021…

When thinking of the sound of 2021’s summer, the one tune that jumps to mind is “Essence”. A viral song worthy of the name, the sensual vocals of Tems and WizKid came together in perfect harmony on the track that the entire globe fell in love with and had us instantly on our feet. And, in case you needed any more proof that it was one of the defining tracks of 2021, the fact that Justin Bieber decided to jump on the remix should do the trick.

When it comes to a rapper on the rise, no one is doing it quite like Jordy, and his track “Feel Right Now” is one of the reasons why. Hacked from his debut album, SMH, the track is a stellar display of the artist’s rap-meets-singing approach to tune crafting, all of which is met by an enchanting vocal sample and infectious production. Sure to dominate the music game following on from his first headline show this year, Jordy is our one to watch.

Who would we be if we didn’t take a moment to appreciate the defining song of Billie Eilish’s year? With the gentle strum of the acoustic guitar and the star’s melancholic tone ushering in the song, many were convinced that “Happier Than Ever” was one of her syrupy and stripped back cuts. But, with a now-infamous bridge crashing in with a violent surge of rock-infused instrumentation, the track situated itself as the juxtaposed anthem of our dreams. If you and your friends don’t scream, “And I don’t talk shit about you on the internet, Never told anyone anything bad, ‘Cause that shit’s embarrassing, you were my everything,” at each other at the top of your lungs, you’ve been doing 2021 wrong.

While TikTok has birthed countless soon-to-be classics this year, none were stuck on repeat quite like “Meet Me At Our Spot (Live)”. With lyrics that had the globe hooked and the angsty vocals of Willow Smith and Tyler Cole meeting on the song’s magnificent chorus, all of which were elevated by the crash of punk-tinged instrumentation, it became one of the most played songs on the app, and rightly so. Dayna and I caught a vibe to this one multiple times, hence the feature.

We’re just going to leave this one here because the title says it all! Revenge really is a dish served best on a chart-topping album.

REDDDDD LIGHTS, STOPPPP SIGNS! If you are trying to tell us that this wasn’t the guilty pleasure on your Spotify this year, we know that you are lying.

Exploding onto the scene this year was the Tamil-Swiss singer-songwriter, Priya Ragu. And, our favourite tune of hers to drop? A true embodiment of her unique sound, that celebrates her heritage with samples infused with Bollywood sensibilities and her bold tone, “Chicken Lemon Rice” is a song that we had stuck on repeat.

While a lot of 2021 things happened in 2021, none were as TL-shattering as the moment when Drake said, “Say that you a lesbian, girl, me too,” on his track “Girls Want Girls”.

When it came to the ultimate collab of the year, nothing beat the sound of Central Cee’s infectiously gruff tone coming together with an ethereal sample courtesy of PinkPantheress on one of our personal favourites, “Obsessed with You”. This was a track that we had blasting through our speakers during every Uber trip and pre-drinks; Central Cee we are obsessed with you.

When it came to the new artists that we discovered this year, our favourite was Santino Le Saint. Blurring the lines between rap and song with his angelic vocals, the artist is sure to explode next year. And as for his best track, after we were treated to a live rendition of “Hurricane”, the song was added to our playlists swiftly.

As much as Dayna likes to tease me over my fangirl tendencies, when it came to Unknown T it became clear that I had rubbed off on her. Hacked straight from his album Adolescence, track “WW2” was a firm favourite for us from the year.

Doja Cat’s domination of 2022 has been monumental, to say the least. After dreaming up Planet Her – aka the place where we will officially be retiring – and giving us ethereal visuals and otherworldly costumes by the bucketload, it is fair to say Doja well and truly spoilt us. And, while every track from her album is deserving of a spot on this list, we came to the conclusion that “Women” best embodied the essence of Doja’s critically-acclaimed project.

Our obsession with Koffee – while deep-rooted thanks to her now-classic tunes such as “Rapture” – has been reignited this year. After being blessed with the opportunity to witness the artist getting candid about her musical process and upcoming projects during an intimate Q&A, Dayna and myself embarked on a Koffee listening spree, one that involved listening to “West Indies”, a lot.

With the end of Brockhampton in sight, it is only fair that we take a moment to appreciate some of the collective’s most recent releases. If you catch us shedding a tear to “COUNT ON ME” during their pending split, please don’t ask questions.

An energising listen that accompanied us to the gym and served as a pick-me-up during the testing times that 2021 brought, Young Thug’s “Ski” never failed to put a smile on our faces.