Dance music made a splashy return this year with its massive comeback, marking a joyful time of musical expression and celebration. From showstoppers to subtle electronica and Zambian club constructions to intergalactic Ukrainian electro, these records illustrated why so many still love four-to-the-floor.
TikTok’s hit choreography will have your hips moving – all it requires to play is an internet connection!
1. “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” by Lil Nas X
Dance music’s huge homecoming this year offered plenty of opportunities for dancing to its infectious beats – whether or not you can resist doing just that! But there was also an unexpected creative surge from artists voluntarily spending more time at home creating some truly remarkable new releases.
Lil Nas X’s song, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” inspired much-needed dialogue about sexuality and identity. His latest hit is a post-breakup ballad featuring lyrics like: “Cocaine and drinking and smoking with your friends / You live in the dark boy, I cannot pretend”. According to Genius’ report on Lil Nas X’s musical inspiration behind writing the track: he wrote it about someone he loved who wasn’t out as gay.
No surprise then that this song quickly went viral and eventually made an appearance in Just Dance 2022. The game’s version features stunning visuals as its choreography takes place within a forest environment featuring iconic characters from the series like Panda as well as forested creatures – making this track one of the more striking-looking songs available in Just Dance.
At its core, this song is one of the most addictive dance music songs ever made; players simply cannot stop dancing along. That may be partially attributable to its catchy chorus; more likely due to how infectious its dance moves are! Unfortunately, however, it takes awhile before reaching its chorus; nonetheless, once reached, the rest of this track makes for great listening and dancing experiences! While hard to call one the “best” dance music song from 2022, this certainly ranks among its top contenders!
2. “Levitating” by Alessia Cara
Dance floors are places for friends to celebrate together, and nothing kickstarts a party like an energetic club song. Our list of the top group dance songs 2022 may provide just what you need for getting things underway!
This year saw dance music’s return after 10 years of turmoil, thanks to a pandemic that provided it a platform to flourish freely and fully capitalize on that opportunity. Big room house hitmakers Swedish House Mafia sent shockwaves through fans by reuniting and releasing their compilation album Until Now; forward-thinking black artists including Shygirl, Nia Archives and PinkPantheress further showcased their lived experiences on some of this year’s notable albums.
As for the younger generation, it was led by an emerging wave of female producers with an innovative yet timeless sound – Overmono, Joy Orbison and Two Shell all released several notable songs that displayed their skills; Eliza Rose’s garage-tinged dance track “B.O.T.A (Baddest Of Them All)” even gained widespread exposure via TikTok virality; Interplanetary Criminal’s remix cemented them into household names.
At various points throughout 2022, it became evident that new dance music was venturing into uncharted sonic territory. For instance, Polish composer Wojciech Rusin’s ethereal and psychedelic LP Desire Path can be found somewhere between contemporary ASMR-esque sound design, sculptural sound art installations, classical choral works, bass-laden electronica composition, found sound sampling and soundscape composition – it almost sounds like what Bach’s St Matthew Passion might sound like had it been composed later!
3. “Don’t Go Yet” by Camillo Cabello
Camillo Cabello’s hit dance music song from 2022 features Spanish lyrics paired with flamenco guitar strings and Cuban traditional instruments such as trumpets, drums, handclaps and handclapping as beats. A love song featuring Cuban-Mexican heritage celebration; Camillo performs this piece before an expansive coral pink house while additional family members join her to add festive atmosphere in her music video.
TikTok users were quick to appreciate this song’s infectious melody and video featuring scenes of couple dancing around a pool and at a dance club. An upbeat track that will get everyone up on their feet moving together; perfect for romantic dancing as well.
Although this song might be considered pop, its infectious beat will have you dancing along. Perfect for use at bachelorette parties and birthday celebrations alike!
Dance music kingpins Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso made big room house come back into fashion with this 2022 album, including its hit single “Save The World.” Additionally, it marked their return after an absence of 10 years.
Nick Leon was at the forefront of an emerging movement of Miami artists who combined Hispanic cultures with dance music history into what is sometimes referred to as Latin tribal techno. His 2018 hit track “Losing It” set an all-time Beatport record and received a GRAMMY nomination, cementing tech house as a mainstay genre in dance music.
4. “BZRP Music Sessions Vol. 52” by Camilo
Just Dance 2022 provides an ideal opportunity for anyone wanting to break a sweat without leaving their own living room, with upbeat tracks from Doja Cat and SZA, more subdued tracks such as Dual Lipa’s “Kiss Me More” as well as post-breakup ballads like Camilo’s “Good 4 U.”
Nick Leon was among a wave of Miami producers that blended Hispanic cultures with dance music history in Miami Beach. One such track was “Xtasis”, mixing reggaeton and perreo into what has been termed Latin tribal techno.
This year, DJs and producers increasingly turned their back on the present to explore decades-old hard dance, Eurodance, rave and other forms of hard dance to inject something fresh into their sets. This trend was particularly noticeable within techno music where artists such as Fred again. and Sedef Adasi defied genre convention with long, varied sets.
UK bass music also saw an explosion in 2022, as newcomers like Tainy, Ovy on the Drums, and PinkPantheress made waves through high-profile releases that highlighted their personal experiences. Meanwhile, legendary acts Four Tet and Skrillex performed thrilling shows in London and Berlin while Jungle DJ Shygirl’s Nymph album gained ground among festival goers while techno superstar Charlotte de Witte closed this year’s Coachella mainstage with her performance.
The top dance songs 2022 can help you mark a special event or simply spend quality time with friends. Their upbeat melodies will fill any room with energy and enthusiasm – ideal for hosting group dance parties or bar nights!
5. “Pegao” by Camila Cabello
When it comes to party songs that really get people moving, nothing beats Just Dance 2022 player looking for some fresh hits or old school club enthusiast looking for oldies but goodies; check out these 10 must-have party anthems to keep the good times rolling all night long.
Camilo released his third and most accomplished album to date: “De dentro pa fuera.” Featuring collaborations from artists he admires such as Alejandro Sanz, Camila Cabello, Grupo Firme, Evaluna Montaner and Myke Towers among many others, it boasts stellar collaborations throughout.
“Pegao” is a cumbia song inspired by singer-songwriter Camilo Cabello’s experiences as a recently appointed father. In its music video, Cabello and Maria Becerra appear with outfits evocative of drag queen attire; thus demonstrating its relevance as an homage to Camilo’s love life as well as parental duties he now bears and their accompanying joys.
2022 was an exceptional year for forward-thinking Black artists who brought their lived experiences front and center into popular releases from dance/electronic genre. Producers like Nick Leon – best known for the hit dance track “Xtasis,” which can often be heard out on Miami 305 dance floors – and jungle DJ Nia Archives made waves by producing albums that showed their unwavering confidence, while MORTEN and David Guetta used past influences as they continued defining a sound dubbed “future rave”. However, even as dance/electronic reached full circle into its modern golden age, it still dominated by white men.