The Best Album Covers Of 2022, Ranked
Including a euphoric desert blues album, a raucous eco-punk affair, a spiritual jazz odyssey and more.
From a listener’s standpoint, there are two sides to the music streaming era coin: on-demand access and oversaturation. To access a wide range of music with a few taps at a device is an undeniable wonder, but this unbridled ease of access and the vastness of choices at our fingertips can get overwhelming, especially when you consider how much new music comes at us thick and fast. In this post-digital wonderland where every piece of music seeks attention, the value of cover arts and images as introductory first impressions is as invaluable as it’s ever been.
No matter how highly anticipated a body of work is, a project’s cover has the power to dampen expectations or further hype. For more obscure releases, a great cover can be the difference between a listener giving the music a chance or entirely skipping it. More than attracting pieces, great cover arts simultaneously preempt the sonic adventure in the music and serve as companion pieces that heighten the experience of listening to the music. In our inaugural list of the Best Cover Arts in music from the past year, The NATIVE’s editorial team combed through projects from across the African music landscape, considering aesthetic quality and value to the music.
Including a euphoric desert blues album, a raucous eco-punk affair, a spiritual jazz odyssey and more, here are the ten best project covers of 2022.
10. Asake – ‘Mr Money With the Vibe’
Sometimes, all you need is just the perfect reference image. After months establishing himself as the newest Afropop superstar on the block, on the back of a glorious EP packed with smash hits and a few blistering guest appearances, Asake’s first album needed to be an all-time debut project. Before its release, the set-up was perfect: A cover image that aptly imitated the eternal mugshot of Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar. The singer’s rap sheet is different, anointing himself the most sought after man in Nigerian pop for hijacking the charts. It was a statement that ‘Mr Money With the Vibe’ would consolidate on that feat, and it did, helped along by a cover that became iconic the moment it was unveiled.
Dennis Ade Peter
9. NATIVE Sound System – ‘NATIVEWORLD’
For its debut compilation album, ‘NATIVEWORLD’, NATIVE Sound System enlisted South African artist Sinalo Ngcaba to represent the sonic textures referenced from Nigeria’s weather seasons. With the background information of the seasons and colourful songs from the album cut from the cloth of Afropop, Sinalo reflected the rich sounds using oil pastels and Procreate. Her choice of bright colours stem from her aim to create an image that, like the project, was an instant mood pick up. She shared that the bright colours “evoke such emotion and usually, the brighter the colour, the brighter the mood you get from it.” With its door bearing title, Sinalo’s cover is a warm invitation to NATIVE Sound System’s expansive, tasteful selection and marriage of some of the best sounds emanating from these parts.
Nwanneamaka Igwe
8. Sampa the Great – ‘As Above, So Below’
When looking at album covers or art pieces in general, my eyes are immediately attracted to proper composition, otherworldly lighting and smooth textures. I don’t think any Album cover from this year better embodied the captivating nature of these features as Sampa The Great’s ‘As Above, So Below’. From the earth-tone grading and Sampa’s Lotus Position to the Ethereal atmosphere and the CGI-like composure, the entire cover is the perfect accompanying piece to the music, a self-reconnecting journey that, according to Pitchfork’s Stephen Kearse, “folds together zamrock, polyrhythmic percussion, and choral harmonies.” It’s clear that a lot of thought was put into creating this cover and that same attention to detail is littered all over the album.
Israel Ajayi
7. Moonchild Sanelly – ‘Phases’
Midway through the year, South African dance-fusion singer and rapper Moonchild Sanelly shared her splendid sophomore album, ‘Phases’. On her best project yet, Sanelly is vulnerable and ultra-confident, vivacious and reflective, asserting her person across multiple scenarios in certain terms and continuing to show herself as an irreverent advocate for African women to be who and what they want to be. All of that is represented on its cover, an assembly of four different versions of Sanelly. With each version donning different hairstyles and adorned with varying outfits, the four looks range from goth to exotic dancer, representing the album’s musical range, Sanelly’s own limitlessness as a creative person, and some of the people her music always speaks to and advocates for.
Wonu Osikoya
6. Teezee – ‘Arrested by Love’
For his first solo project in nearly a decade, ‘Arrested by Love’, Nigerian rap-fusion artist Teezee exudes uncontrollable joy, evidently borne from an assurance in himself as a pioneer, community leader, talented creative and, perhaps most importantly, father. For a project partly inspired by early to mid-2000s Nollywood classics, the cover is fitting for a Nollywood plot from that period—a transformation from devil to saint. Each version of Teezee on the cover is striking in character makeup, a wonderful feat of execution, with the middle portrait of the artist carrying his son adding affection bonus points. Add in the near-bizarro typography of its title and the cover for ‘Arrested by Love’ is a cinematic precursor to the album’s vaunted show of confidence.
Dennis Ade Peter
5. Lady Aicha & Pisko Crane’s Original Fulu Miziki of Kinshasa – ‘N’Djila Wa Mudjimu’
A strange being menacingly reaching its duplicated arms out takes up the cover of ‘N’Djila Wa Mudujimu’. It’s an unsettling image evoking an afro-futuristic Creature From the Black Lagoon. The darkness that swallows it up from the sides also serves this an eye-catchingly unnerving cover. Led by original founder Pisko Crane, and lead singer Lady Aicha, this iteration of the Congolese band Fulu Miziki, whose moniker roughly translates to “music from the garbage” because they repurpose trash to ‘make their instruments, put together a set of futuristic grooves on N’Djila Wa Mudujimu’, taking the folksy and Congolese pop sounds they grew up on and mutating them into giddy electro-punk bangers.
Underlined by its sci-fi tone, nodding at something set in the distant future or even otherworldly, the image on the cover excellently captures the band’s preference for using things from the past to make forward-facing art. With a gorgeously textured costume made out of repurposed material, the cover represents the slightly off beat tone of the album.
Moore Wright
4. Etran de L’Air – ‘Agadez’
While matching the festive, colourful palette of the album it visualises, there’s also a dedication to realism that makes the cover for Etran de L’Air’s ‘Agadez’ stand out. Occupying a vast breadth of the landscape is the desert sand, which speaks to the acclaimed position of this band in the Saharan rock tradition. Honing their skills by playing at weddings and other events in Agadez, the album pays electric homage to the influence of the small, historical town located in Niger Republic.
There’s a packed atmosphere reflected by the Dewey Saunders cover which centralises three Etran de L’Air members. On view is the dome of a 14th century mosque, rows of animated fabrics and eco life, a motorcycle which embodies the album’s transient quality. Even the colourful kaftans worn by the members foreshadow the tactful breeziness of the songs. Considering their tough early days which sparked creative improvisation, there are few covers out this year which captures the musicians’ trajectory with such coolness, intensity and deliberation.
Emmanuel Esomnofu
3. Maison2500 – ‘Maseverse!’
Maison2500 opened the year with the January release of ‘BUFFCORE,’ an 11-track mixtape to prepare listeners for their anticipated sophomore album, ‘Maseverse!’, which eventually arrived in July. A sprawling 22-track project, ‘Maseverse!’ is as indulgent as Maison2500 has ever been, amping up the menacing and trippy appeal of their unique blend of psychedelic trap soundscapes and serrated delivery cadence. On its eye-holding cover, Maison is somewhere between floating and falling within a picturesque scenery, where there’s lush greenery, bright colours and otherworldly creatures. Just like the music, it’s confounding in the way it lures you in and throws you around for a spin.
Wonu Osikoya
2. Nduduzo Makhatini – ‘In the Spirit of Ntu’
The first release on the Africa imprint of the iconic Jazz label, Blue Note, had to be incredibly special—and it is. Nduduzo Makhatini’s ‘In the Spirit of Ntu’ is a titanic feat of spiritual jazz, an exploration of Ubuntu as the connecting life force between everything with an animate essence. It’s a complex concept that Makhatini and his band of young South African jazz luminaries dig into and present with considered grace and immersive intensity, an excellence that shows in the image of the sculpture that graces its cover. Exuding rustic wisdom, the face on ‘In the Spirit of Ntu’ is magnetic, a stimulating work of art that looks like it’s handing down answers and codes without uttering a single word.
Dennis Ade Peter
1. Cruel Santino – ‘Subaru Boys: FINAL HEAVEN’
A pristine combination of Cruel Santino’s passion for gaming and anime, the cover for ‘Subaru Boys: FINAL HEAVEN,’ illustrated by Upson Martin, is a perfect representation of creative sensibilities that can easily be tied to Santi’s constant auteur-level artistry. The album itself is a blend of dreamy vocal and music melodies, livewire guest raps, propulsive and occasionally off-kilter beats, with near-clear lyrics—by Santi standards—about rebounding from heartbreak and conquering demons. To the latter thematic point, the mission Santi sets out on with ‘Subaru Boys’ is sublimely reflected in its striking, visually stirring and absorbing cover art.
“The best way to explain this thing is something like, you know how, when you’re going to war, you have your squad with you and everyone is ride or die, you guys kill for each other, and you all love each other to death,” Upson shared with The NATIVE earlier this year. Packed with characters all exhibiting their own poses, it’s a nod to the communal energy that fuels the album. In a design style reminiscent of the popular anime video game, ‘Final Fantasy’, the cover for ‘Subaru Boys’ reiterates Cruel Santino’s commitment to full-length expression, strengthened by his commitment to opening up his seemingly inscrutable music universe with phenomenally executed visual art.
Nwanneamaka Igwe
Written by Emmanuel Esomnofu, Nwanneamaka Igwe, Wonu Osikoya, Israel Ajayi, Moore Wright, Uzoma Ihejirika & Dennis Ade Peter.
NCVRD: HOW UPSON MARTIN CREATED CRUEL SANTINO’S SUBARU WORLD
Luwa.Mp4 Releases Riotous Debut Album, ‘punKstA*’
Across the album’s 12 tracks, Luwa.Mp4 continues his fiery exploration and fusion of genres like Punk Rock,...
Rising singer and rapper Luwa.Mp4 has released his debut album titled ‘punKstA*.’ The underground star who has been on a release spree all year long, announced the imminent arrival of his debut only a couple of days ago with a cryptic trailer video and an Instagram caption that simply read ‘PUNKSTA* MONDAY.’
Before the arrival of ‘punKstA*,’ the rising fusion star had been showcasing his diligence and talent with a consistent output that has seen him put out over a dozen songs since the start of the year. A string of singles led to a 6-pack titled ‘lore skooL,’ while a deluxe version that housed 5 new songs came just a month later.
His debut album’s lead single, “pUNK FANTASY,” arrived in late July, setting the stage for what could prove to be a pivotal moment in the underground star’s burgeoning career.
Across the album’s 12 tracks, the eclectic singer continues his fiery exploration and fusion of genres like Punk Rock, Afropop, Hyperpop, and Rap into something uniquely different. Tracks like “Pure Water,” which was previously teased on Cruel Santino’s Subaru Live Stream, the abrasive, Tecno-influenced “pROMISED NEVERLAND,” and the more laidback “pEEp MY RIDE” put on display the sort of varied, autotune-soaked approach that has set him apart and helped carve a growing niche.
While Luwa decided to go solo on his debut, credited as the only recording artist, the album was brought to life by a cast of talented producers like frequent collaborator TOPSY, Emyboi, JTRN, 3CB, FVKK.ANDI and Jeremy Cartier.
Listen to ‘punKstA*,’ here.
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Shekhinah Returns With Surprise Album, ‘Less Trouble’
The South African R&B star is at her most assertive on her first album in four years.
South African R&B and Pop singer Shekhinah has released a new surprise album titled ‘Less Trouble.’ The Durban star, who had been quiet for most of the year, took to social media shortly before midnight to share the new album’s cover, synopsis, and tracklist, simply stating, ‘If you’re seeing this my album LESS TROUBLE is out now at Midnight,’ in an Instagram caption.
The soulful singer first began teasing ‘Less Trouble,’ her first album in over four years, about a year ago when she released its lead single “Risk,” a bouncy Afropop-inspired collab with Ghanaian star MOLIY. A few months after the release of “Risk,” she put out “Steady,” a dreamy pop number that suggested that something bigger was on the horizon. But then it was largely radio silence about a project until its surprise arrival at midnight.
If 2021’s ‘Trouble In Paradise’ represented a coming-of-age for Shekhinah, subsisting some of the dreamy, youthful exuberance of her debut album for more measured musings on themes like heartbreak and grief, ‘Less Trouble’ finds her at her most assertive, writing and singing with the acuity of someone who is grown, decisive and discerning. The delicate opener “Break Up Season” sets the tone for the rest of the album as she shows little tolerance for shady behaviour and toxic patterns.
Other standout cuts on the album like “Bare Minimum,” a sombre collab with fellow South African award-winning singer lordkez, the ethereal, in-your-face interlude “New Casanova,” and the percussive “What Are We,” where Shekhinah contemplates the nature of a relationship but ultimately demands all or nothing, all drive home a part of the album’s synopsis, which reads ‘A BOOK ON MORE HEARTBREAK BUT LESS HEARTACHE.’
Shekhinah invites a couple of new collaborators on ‘Less Trouble,’ featuring the aforementioned MOLIY and lordkez as well as multi-instrumentalist Mars Baby and Young Stunna across the album’s 11 tracks. Mpilo Shabangu handled the majority of the album’s production, while other producers like Michael Morare, her longtime collaborator, Mthintheki Mzizi, and Vuyo also contributed to the album.
Listen to ‘Less Trouble’ here.
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The NATIVE’s First Impressions Of Amaarae’s ‘Black Star’
‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for Amaarae, and The NATIVE team offer our thoughts after a...
Change has always been a constant theme in any discussion about the career of Ghanaian-American star, Amaarae. Since she emerged as a singular voice in the late 2010s, she has evolved from a sirenic Afropop-adjacent singer into a Punk-Pop firestarter with minimal fuss. ‘Fountain Baby,’ her 2023 sophomore album, was a sweeping departure from the lilting melodies and shapeshifing cadences of the hypnotic ‘The Angel You Don’t Know,’ emphasizing her commitment to charting new courses with her music.
In the lead-up to her new album, ‘Black Star,’ she has wholly embraced a Pop aesthetic and sheen that was reflected on the album’s promotional singles, “S.M.O.” and “Girlie-Pop!.” Now that the album has arrived, the singer has advised listeners not to go in expecting a continuation of the soundscape on ‘Fountain Baby.’ As keen followers of Amaarae’s career from its start, we are sure that ‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for her, and we offer our thoughts after a few listens.
WHAT WERE YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF AMAARAE GOING INTO THIS ALBUM?
Kemnachi: I had zero doubts that she would impress me again. Amaarae always comes correct. She is audacious with her choices, taking creative risks most artists would not dare to imagine, and somehow rendering them seamless, deliberate, and effortless. Her music has a way of enveloping me: it’s fluid, slightly dangerous, and yet irresistibly sensual. Every project feels like an immersive world she has curated down to the finest detail. With ‘Black Star,’ I knew it was not going to be a mere collection of songs but another meticulously constructed realm.
Bamise: I expected something fun, genre-bending, and sonically diverse in the fashion that Amaarae’s music typically is. I may have taken the album title a bit too literally, though, because listening made me realise I had an eye out for some Pan-African statements or something to spark discourse on African identity, but I didn’t quite catch any of that.
Boluwatife: Amaarae has largely delivered throughout her career, so I knew she was going to come correct again. She’s one of those forward-thinking artists who take the kind of risks most others wouldn’t, but she always manages to make it work. She’s proven to be a musical omnivore who constantly meshes her wide-ranging influences into something new, fluid, icy, and more often than not, sensual. I knew ‘Black Star’ wasn’t going to be any different.
WHAT SONGS STOOD OUT ON THE FIRST LISTEN?
Wale: I liked “Girlie-Pop!.” I feel like it captures Amaarae’s vision of pushing Afropop into the future. She’s also really grown comfortable with music and lyricism and will not dumb down her message for anybody. The instrumental for “Girlie-Pop!” is also a wonder; it’s so dense, but there are pockets for Amaarae to be emotive about her feelings. Top song!
Daniel Akins: I need to hear “B2B” at the next rave I’m at. Amaarae is in her Dance era, and I’m here for it. Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” with PinkPantheress is the collaboration I knew I needed, and I’m glad they finally linked up. It’s a clear standout on the project; their ethereal style complements each other.
Shina: “B2B” was the one that did it for me. That is my favourite track on the project. The number of times I ran it back was unhealthy for a first listen. It was also really fun to catch the Don Toliver “Best You Had” sample. I need to hear this outside!
HOW WELL YOU THINK THE GUEST APPEARANCES ENHANCED THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE?
Israel: The guest features on Black Star aren’t mere flexes. They’re strategic, theatrical, and sometimes emotionally resonant. They enhance, yes, but they do so on Amaarae’s terms. A standout for me was PinkPantheress on “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” The tradeoff is that a few songs feel like dazzling cameos rather than an integrated conversation, yet overall they enhance the album’s drama, texture, and bravado with precision.
Daniel Banjoko: Everyone showed up and delivered, no weak links here. Instead of just guest spots, they felt like vital pieces of a bigger puzzle. Charlie Wilson on “Dream Scenario” nailed his part especially, making the track sound exactly like its name promises.
Moore: The guest appearances on ‘Black Star’ feel very intentional; each one enhances the album’s world without overshadowing Amaarae’s vision. PinkPantheress’s signature airy delivery meshes with Amaarae’s experimental pop sound. Naomi Campbell’s commanding voice on “ms60” is an unexpected but powerful addition, adding drama to the track. Each feature feels carefully chosen.
WHAT SONG IS THE BIGGEST SKIP?
Bamise: Not to be a party pooper, but I don’t get the PinkPantheress collab, “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” It feels like a PinkPantheress song with less pop in it, and just borrows the title of the iconic Soulja Boy song but has no other similarities. It’s between that and “ms60.” For me, the chorus of that sounds like something I’ve heard from Amaarae before, and I doubt its absence would have diminished the album.
Shina: I feel like biggest skip is a strong word for a solid project, but if I have to pick a song to skip, it’ll be “ms60.” I think it’s easily forgettable.
Wale: It’s hard to single out a song that stuck out to me, but hearing Naomi Campbell on “ms60” threw me off. It’s just too contrived to bear for me.
WHAT SONG HAS THE BIGGEST HIT POTENTIAL?
Boluwatife: My gut answer would probably be “She Is My Drug,” just because of how she beautifully reworks the melodies from Cher’s “Believe.” DJ remixes of this song could go crazy. But if I were to think a bit more logically, TikTok would probably lap up “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.”
Daniel Banjoko: “Kiss Me Thru the Phone pt 2” goes crazy. Amaarae and PinkPantheress are the perfect match. This collab feels like it was destined to happen, and it delivers in full. Honestly, I can’t believe it took this long, and now I just need more tracks from these two, ASAP.
Moore: “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” has the biggest hit potential on the album. The song has a nostalgic, sad party girl vibe that makes it appealing, and it’s also catchy and well-produced. PinkPantheress consistently performs well on platforms like TikTok, and her fanbase overlaps in a really interesting way with Amaarae’s. The collaboration feels organic and exciting, and will likely create a lot of buzz.
OVERALL FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Wale: There is a very visceral quality to how Amaarae expresses desire that I don’t hear very often in a lot of music. It’s abstracted and warped in futuristic textures, but it’s very profoundly human, and it’s always great to hear that even as she advances the sonics of her delivery. I do, however, have an issue with the thematic scope of ‘Black Star.’ I thought there would be overt references to her experiences of navigating her Ghanaian identity, but those references are limited to samples and interpolations. It’s still an incisive listen and a triumph for finding ways to advance music from Africa.
Bamise: It’s Amaarae; she can never go wrong. But for me, this is the album that excites me the least from her catalogue. Other than how bass-heavy some songs on the album are, like “S.M.O.” and “She Is My Drug” among others, it feels similar to other projects I’ve heard from her in a way that’s not exactly refreshing or mind-bending. I may have gotten spoiled by how diverse and eclectic Amaarae’s music tends to be, but I wanted more from her. I expected more gangster, Hip-Hop Amaarae. Thematically, I didn’t get anything that gives the Black Star of Ghana, or black stars are ruling the world. Will I listen again and enjoy every bit of it still, though? Yes, I will.
Shina: So first off, this is a solid body of work. I love the fact that Amaarae stuck with the Dance, Electro-Pop route she was going with throughout the album. The features also played their part, adding their unique touches to each record. I would say, though, a feature I would’ve loved to hear on this project is 070Shake. I think she would have been perfect on “100DRUM,” but we don’t always get what we want, do we? Thematically, I think Amaarae could’ve leaned heavily on her Ghanaian heritage, seeing as the title and cover of the album are a nod to that. Maybe Amaarae just wants us to dance, and that’s what I’m just gonna do, and you should too.
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