10 Must-Hear New Albums In July 2022: Beyoncé, J-Hope & More

What a dizzying year it's been for music — and summer just began.

Kendrick Lamar took inventory of his deepest vulnerabilities on Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. BTS crystallized their entire first epoch with Proof — and then took a hiatus immediately after. Rosalía twisted disparate genres to her will on Motomami. Harry Styles invited us into Harry's House, his glittering abode. Drake got sparse on the dance floor with Honestly, Nevermind. And that's to say nothing of releases by Post Malone, Mitski, Angel Olsen, Charli XCX, and so many more.

As this already-stacked year reaches its midpoint — and festivals and tours fire up worldwide — we still have so much to look forward to in July 2022. True to the MO of this year so far, it'll probably be more than we can all handle.

That said, GRAMMY.com is here to home in on 10 albums that will have the world's ears in no time — and are likely to continue resonating as summer gives way to fall, winter, and the dawn of 2023.

Check below for the 10 must-hear albums dropping this month, including huge releases from Beyoncé, Burna Boy, J-Hope, Lizzo, ODESZA, and many more. — Morgan Enos

Burna Boy — Love, Damini

Release Date: Friday, July 8

On his birthday, GRAMMY-winning, international Afrobeats star Burna Boy will be the one giving a gift: his sixth album, Love, Damini. The record is "a personal body of work," the artist tweeted. "It's about the ups and downs, the growth, the L's and W's. I'm excited to share this journey and roll out with you all." Burna Boy has shared two tracks from Love, Damini – which will be released through his own Spaceship Records, in conjunction with Atlantic and Warner Music Group – including the exciting, braggadocious "Kilometre" and the Chopstix-produced "Last Last," the latter of which samples Toni Braxton's GRAMMY-winning "He Wasn't Man Enough." Though thematically varied, Love, Damini is expected to be an ecstatic offering from Nigeria's fastest-rising star. —Jessica Lipsky

Doris Anahi — Aprendiendo por las Malas

Release Date: Friday, July 15

All those mariachi and bolero records that Doris Anahí grew up listening to as a kid left an imprint on her aesthetic DNA. A devastating neo-balada that sublimates romantic sadness into solemn ritual, "It Wasn't You" teases the singer's forthcoming debut EP, Aprendiendo por las Malas. With its self-assured, Afro-Caribbean groove, orchestral synth patches, and a hint of R&B, the tune delivers a perfect encapsulation of what being Latin American and driving through the streets of Los Angeles actually feels — and sounds — like. The song is accompanied by an elegant video that underscores Doris Anahí's concept of this EP: a love letter to her hometown. Doris is also the subject of a new Disney Original documentary, MIJA, directed by four-time Emmy nominee Isabel Castro; the film focuses on her and Jacks Haupt, both daughters of undocumented immigrants, and their respective musical careers. Doris has only released a handful of songs so far, but her immense talent shines through already. — Ernesto Lechner

J-Hope — Jack In The Box

Release Date: Friday, July 15

After BTS announced their hiatus last month, beloved member J-Hope followed the shocking news with his own major announcement: the release of his new solo album, Jack In The Box, out July 15. His first album single, "More," released Friday, marks the first release from any BTS member as they embark on "BTS' Chapter 2." Jack In The Box is said to represent J-Hope's own musical personality and vision, while also showing his aspiration to break the mold and grow further. Having learned music through dance, the performer has always been original and bright, and this new album will surely showcase how his sound has matured over the years.

As a group, BTS have already proven themselves as global pop icons, and now, J-Hope will show the world his own flavor as a solo artist. He's already making history as the first South Korean artist to headline a main stage at a major U.S. music festival via his highly anticipated debut at Lollapalooza 2022 later this month. With so many accomplishments already under his belt, J-Hope will surely release one of the can't-miss albums of 2022 via Jack In The Box. — Ashlee Mitchell

Read More: 5 Takeaways From BTS' New Album Proof

Lizzo — Special

Release Date: Friday, July 15

The world needs a collective pick-me-up these days, and Lizzo has proven time and time again to be the musician to bring big smiles and bright days —and then some. The purveyor of positivity is releasing her fourth studio album and second major-label LP, Special, on July 15. The full project is preceded by two singles: The Top 10 Billboard hit and TikTok mainstay "About Damn Time" as well as "Grrrls," which samples and interpolates "Girls" by the Beastie Boys. As with Lizzo's previous projects, there will be no shortage of uplifting tracks, and, of course, she'll be coming with a fresh set of certifired Lizzobangers. Ricky Reed, Max Martin and Mark Ronson are just a few of the confirmed producers providing their magic on the album. Additionally, the singer, rapper and flautist touts Special as a "love album," which took its form as a result of a myriad of experiences. "I had a lot happen interpersonally. A lot has happened globally, and I think I needed to process that," she told SiriusXM's "The Heat" in April. — J'na Jefferson

Cuco — Fantasy Gateway

Release Date: Friday, July 22

At only 23, Cuco has established himself as one of the most brilliant singer/songwriters in contemporary Latin music. The son of Mexican immigrants, he has forged a cinematic sonic universe that draws from hazy bedroom pop and psychedelia, but is also informed by the spectral tinge of the classic baladas that made generations of Latines sigh with unresolved longing. After recording a swanky, electro-pop cover of the standard "Piel Canela" in 2020 and collaborating with boy pablo on this year's epic "La Novela," Cuco is releasing his second album, Fantasy Gateway. Recorded in Mexico City, his father's hometown, the collection includes the lovely "Fin Del Mundo" with fellow dream popster Bratty, the languid "Time Machine," and a much-anticipated collaboration with Kacey Musgraves and Adriel Favela. Cuco's intriguing contrast between his DIY ethos and the lush sophistication of his songwriting hints at the emergence of an artist ready to create a transcendent body of work. — E.L.

Watch: Cuco On Para Mi, Musical Tastes, MC Magic & Lil Rob | Up Close & Personal

ODESZA — The Last Goodbye

Release Date: Friday, July 22

For ODESZA, goodbye means new beginnings. Five years after releasing their GRAMMY-nominated album, A Moment Apart, the Seattle-based electronic duo is staging a comeback in 2022 with their fourth studio LP, The Last Goodbye. The album, ODESZA said in a statement, is inspired by their friends and family's impact on them: "We found comfort in the fact that those who we love stay with us, that they become intrinsically part of us, in a way." On Last Goodbye, ODESZA take a deeper exploration of 4/4 rhythms, threading a collection of driving beats coated in soul-piercing vocals and rousing instrumentation that evokes at once nostalgia, melancholy and euphoria.

The album is an aching desire to connect, to love, and to be loved. Singles like "Love Letter," featuring the Knocks, and the Bettye-LaVette-sampling title track hold an iron grip on emotions with lyrics like "You can't break my heart 'cause I was never in love." Elsewhere, "Better Now," with MARO, offers a more optimistic approach to life: "So what if I fall? / Better that I tried instead of nothing at all." ODESZA's The Last Goodbye is vast and visceral, intimate yet intense — exactly the kind of album you'll want soundtracking these hot summer nights. — Krystal Rodriguez

Watch: ODESZA Focused on Layers, Cinematic Influence For A Moment Apart

Beyoncé — Renaissance

Release Date: Friday, July 29

Beyoncé has dominated the last two years: She unveiled her visual masterpiece, Black Is King, in 2020, she celebrated a history-making GRAMMYs night in 2021, and she garnered her first Oscar nomination in February. Now, Queen Bey is officially returning to the solo spotlight after a six-year gap since her last album, Lemonade (2016). In mid-June, and after much speculation, Beyoncé announced she'd be releasing her seventh studio album, Renaissance, on Friday, July 29. The 16-song Renaissance is being helmed as "Act I" of a rumored double album.

Information about the project remains scarce, though a British Vogue cover interview teasing the sound and style of Renaissance leads many to believe that Bey's forthcoming release will feature nods to disco, house and dance music. Days after her initial announcement, Beyoncé released the project's motivating lead single, "Break My Soul," which samples New Orleans bounce icon Big Freedia and interpolates infectious, '90s-flavored synths. The album's rollout is a vastly different approach for Beyoncé, who, with the thin-air release of her self-titled album in 2013, has been credited for popularizing the surprise album drop. —J.J.

King Princess — Hold On Baby

Release Date: Friday, July 29

Always one to be radically transparent about the events and relationships in her life, King Princess is looking inward on her new album, Hold On Baby. Musically, the album combines some of the anthemic riffs found on her previous work, including her 2019 debut album, Cheap Queen, with more elaborate production from accomplished collaborators like Mark Ronson and the National's Aaron and Bryce Dessner. Tracks like the pulsing "For My Friends" and the deeply emotional "Little Bother," a collaboration with Fousheé, showcase a more robust sound from King Princess and find her turning the keen insights of her writing inwards toward her own faults, joys and mindsets. Her goal for the album, she explained in a statement, is to "give you all some strength in accepting ourselves; as chaotic as we can be." With such a worthy goal and an even greater sonic ambition, Hold On Baby will be a crowning moment for King Princess. — Gabriel Aikins

Maggie Rogers — Surrender

Release Date: Friday, July 29

After her 2019 debut album Heard It In A Past Life earned her critical acclaim and a Best New Artist nomination at the 2020 GRAMMYs, Maggie Rogers quickly built anticipation for what she would do next. After a couple of relatively quiet years writing on the East Coast, she reemerged in April with the announcement of her sophomore album, Surrender. Counting 12 tracks, it's a welcome return for one of the most dynamic songwriters working today.

The album's first single, "That's Where I Am," proves Rogers is even more thoughtful than ever: Over a soaring collection of synths and pulsing percussion, she sings of finding acceptance of life's many twists and turns, all while expanding upon the sound of Past Life. Recent track "Want Want" teases an even more experimental Rogers as the song brings some downright grimy guitar riffs and delivers a heavier mix than most listeners have heard from her. With so much energy in just two early tracks, Surrender is shaping up to be a must-listen summer album. — G.A.

Watch: Maggie Rogers On Her Rapid Rise To Fame, Singing With Sheryl Crow & Songwriting Catharsis

$uicideboy$ — Sing Me A Lullaby My Sweet Temptation

Release Date: Friday, July 29

If anybody doubts the unbelievable adaptability and malleability of rap today, just look at who's in $uicideboy$' orbit. In years past, they've collaborated with everyone from Travis Barker to members of Korn. On their upcoming Grey Day Tour, they'll be supported by bleeding-edge acts ranging from hardcore heroes Knocked Loose to genre-dismantling crushers Code Orange to SoundCloud-adjacent rapper Ski Mask the Slump God.

What is the New Orleans duo stumping for on the Grey Day Tour? That'd be Sing Me a Lullaby My Sweet Temptation, their new album out July 29 on G*59 RECORDS.

Flanked by lead single "Escape From BABYLON" — a scorching analysis of the pit of vipers that dating can be, especially as wild men like this — Sing Me a Lullaby My Sweet Temptation is sure to be yet another ruthless excoriation of their inner selves. (Much like acclaimed predecessors, Long Term Effects of Suffering [2021] and I Want to Die in New Orleans [2018].)

Strap in for another sonic brawl from these uncommonly candid rap survivors, which will undoubtedly elevate them even further in the realm of unflinching music — genre and its attendant limitations be damned. — M.E.

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