The 15 Best Indian Albums of 2022

Starting from the likes of singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad and rocker Raman Negi to hip-hop heavyweight DIVINE, Indian independent artists launched a range of genres this year. We picked the best of the lot

- Anurag Tagat and David Britto

15 The Anirudh Varma Collective – Homecoming

NEW DELHI PIANIST, composer and producer Anirudh Varma’s outfit, The Anirudh Varma Collective, released their 10-track sophomore album, Homecoming, this year. The record juxtaposes Indian classical music, jazz, R&B as well as fusion and world music quite impressively. With over 150 artists performing on the record, Varma said that the music “aims to bring artists and musicians of diverse musical and cultural backgrounds together to form a unique contemporary identity of Indian classical music for audiences of all age groups.” — DAVID BRITTO

14 Rushaki – She Speaks

AFTER DABBLING WITH music in various capacities, Mumbai/Pune artist Rushaki released her 10-track debut album She Speaks this year. In it, Rushaki sings about her own struggles dealing with anxiety and mental health issues. She Speaks kicks off with a melancholic sound before shifting gears to a more energetic lift midway through the record. — D.B.

13 Ahmer – AZLI

WITH THE RELEASE OF Ahmer‘s debut album Little Kid, Big Dreams in 2019 (with production coming from Sez On The Beat), the Srinagar hiphop artist set the roadmap for his fearless rap. On