Even superstars such as Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna — not to mention the genius formally known as Kanye West — can make us rethink how we ever loved them.
Here are the five worst songs of 2022 by artists who we know could — and should — do better.
1. RuPaul, “Smile”
We love you, Ru — as much as you have taught us to love ourselves — but this autotuned atrocity is so not worthy of you. We’d rather put “Supermodel (You Better Work)” on repeat for 24 hours straight than listen to this grimacing disgrace.
2. Jennifer Lopez, “Love of My Life”
Cheers to The Bronx’s own J.Lo for getting hitched to the love of her life, Ben Affleck, in 2022 — but there simply must be better songs that money can buy for a diva of her stature. This dismal ditty from the “Marry Me” soundtrack is enough to make you stay single for good.
3. Rihanna, “Born Again”
While “Lift Me Up” was the kind of left-curve comeback that had us excited for the next chapter of Mama Rihanna’s career — to be continued at the Super Bowl halftime show in February — this “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” ballad was a pale imitation when we wanted beats, Ri-Ri!
4. Kanye West featuring Alicia Keys and Fivio Foreign, “City of Gods”
Let’s be real — it was hard to listen to anything by Ye in 2022. Separating the artist from the art was pretty much impossible. But the fact that this “Donda 2” track wanted to be another “Empire State of Mind” just makes it hurt even more.
5. Lady Gaga, “Hold My Hand”
It’s not that “Hold My Hand” — the “Top Gun: Maverick” ’80s power ballad that is probably the frontrunner to win the Best Original Song Oscar next year — is so terrible. But whoa, it sure makes “Shallow” — Gaga’s Academy Award-winning “A Star is Born” tune — look way deeper. And it most definitely fails to take our breath away like Berlin did on the original “Top Gun” soundtrack in 1986.
