The Top 100 Mandopop Singles of 2022
the best Mandopop of the year from dream pop break ups to pop-punk reconciliations and everything else in between
Pop-punk was rising and dream pop was inescapable. Artists found ways to uncompromisingly mix harder styles of dance music with pop. The resurgence of touring brought back a lot of industry veterans, and with them the ballad, though it never left, seemed to rise back to prominence. My favourite songs this year tended to explore the idea of the aftermath and the freedom that comes with it—how it can inspire delight and terror, deep melancholy and utter confusion. For many it was a year of returning to normalcy as concern seemed to relax. Think of this list as an archive of Mandopop in 2022, a playlist of songs that put action to moving forward.
Last year, one of those things I stressed was how incomplete this list was. That still remains true—it’s impossible to really capture the breadth of Mandopop for someone whose exposure is fixed to the Internet—but these are the Top 100 Mandopop Singles. The inclusion and ranking are partly in an attempt to capture the prevalent trends and styles of the year, though at the end of the day, it’s still one guy’s list.
Anything from December 2021 to Novemeber 2022 was eligible. This list is broken in half and you can skip ahead to the top 50 here. Find playlists on Youtube and Spotify (some substitutions where not available on Spotify).
Also, in case you missed it, I’m running a reader’s poll this year! Would love to hear your favourite songs and albums.
100. Penny Tai - “Thanks to You”
Penny Tai approaches “Thanks to You”—the lead single off her first album in six years—the same way you might approach the end of the pandemic, wherever you believe that to be. Claustrophobia and hopeless are discarded memories, excitement in the jangly guitar turns to relief in the synths. The strain of her voice sounds like uncertainty as she ponders, “do you still love me? do you still remember the person I was?” but it’s all quelled as she takes note of you being there through the worst: “I answer my own questions and it’s all thanks to you.”
99. Kenji Wu - “Fall in Galaxy”
The universe collapses in its middle, echoes of other languages and melodies that crumble, the soupy dance turning into a transcendent embrace.
98. INTO1 - “Born to Fly”
A collection of adolescent adventures thrown to the wind as the boy group race over electric guitars and explosive drums.
97. Gaston - “Peach Nostalgia”
Synthwave is the perfect vehicle for heart-racing infatuation but Malaysian pop artist Gaston represses it, attempting to curb emerging feelings. It doesn’t really work, the tipsy crush and deep flush readily apparent.
96. Hung Pei-Yu - “Fly to the Moon”
Over a rubbery bass, Hung is loudly confident in her desire to do only as she pleases, nonchalantly shrugging off the rest.
95. Wu Jiacheng & Ji Jiahe - “溫差”
Wu and Ji navigate a timeless relationship in “溫差” (“Temperature Difference”), the pair weathering any climate in a classic karaoke duet over light city-pop.
94. Good Meimei - “愿你”
The folk-pop duo are no strangers to electric arrangements but “愿你” (“Wish You”) is their most jubilantly charged yet in a rousing blessing to friends.
93. Accusefive - “Take Me with You”
The melody unexpectedly resolves where the trio thought they’d be disappointed. “I thought you wouldn’t show up”—the sweltering build forms a crossroads as they wonder where to go from here.
92. Hedgehog - “Still Alive·Enjoy This Moment”
A circular emo guitar melody loops as Z.O parses through contrasting and confusing advice that grows to a full-bodied rock song, ending with his advice to just “enjoy this shit!”
91. Ayan - “就这样, 我们把金鱼放入了泳池”
In the Japanese short film of the same name, And so we put the goldfish in the pool., the protagonists—four Japanese high-school girls—do exactly that: pour four hundred goldfish into a swimming pool. It’s an ill-gotten attempt to feel something, pointless as they splash in the dark without seeing the fish. Cut a slice of their boredom and you get Ayan’s track: the sound of running water blurs into guitar but hidden under its atmospheric instrumental is a desire to relieve that apathy, through a delirious crime or through drowning, the singer hasn’t quite decided yet.
90. Zooey Wonder - “Nomadland”
Wonder was once enamoured with the freedom of her nomadic lifestyle but her acoustic guitar-laden resolve breaks on “Nomadland,” broken by the crash and roll of hefty drums as she longs for a home.
89. icyball - “I Don’t Want Nothing”
The slight new wave influence gives icyball’s pop-rock some brighter appeal as the group sacrifices everything for a chance just to chase you again.
88. RED - “Moon Party”
In describing a period, RED stumbles into clichés (“be the boss or the princess”) but “Moon Party” is produced as such a lavish tropical party that any banality is dispelled.
87. Sophie Chen - “Warning Signs”
Chen’s not delusional enough to believe the best of “Warning Signs,” her voice tentatively withdrawing into a shy murmur at the end of each line. She sobs farewell for a love that will never be realized.
86. HowZ - “See Me on the Moon”
“See Me on the Moon” loses none of the R&B singer’s smoothness even as he explodes in blinding flashiness.
85. Boon Hui Lu - “Crush on You”
Boon sees a crush as wondrous, asking questions like “how did I meet you?” and “is there a chance to be with you until the end of time?” as she dances gingerly atop its muted pop.
84. THE BOOTLEGS - “去月球”
A glowing transmission that builds from loose fuzz to to shoegaze walls, “去月球” (“Go to the Moon”) is patiently romantic, waiting to cross beyond the world together.
83. mukio - “Name”
mukio envisions a golden life with an affluent stranger, not for what he affords, but the freedom breaking that rule means—its chorus is carefree, a dazzling slow dance off the beaten path.
82. XIANG - “Empty Room”
Grounded by a trap beat, XIANG eventually comes to terms with the space of “Empty Room,” even as he finds it difficult to stomach.
81. BY2 - “I’m Not What You Think”
Steely but not unsympathetic, the duo’s sleek synthpop is a refusal to be the enemy in stupid little love games.
80. SHINY - “2LIPS & BUTTERFLIES”
Bringing the club into the bedroom, “2LIPS & BUTTERFLIES” flirts with gentle kiss on the throbbing beat, something hideous hidden below SHINY’s featherlight voice.
79. Fan Fan - “Alcohol”
Fan Fan opens with a plaintive piano line before “Alcohol” caves in, a muted club beat under her hums of liquor names, soft commands, and reassurances.
78. Default - “The Plain”
The scenery keeps changing. An echo of an acoustic demo, the acoustic demo, a road-trip singalong, a folk-rock song. It moves too quickly to capture in isolation, blending together in fuzzy static.
77. Zion P - “GAIA”
“Let’s go back to that feeling of purity / let nature define us and work together to create an eternal nation,” Zion P volunteers on his environmentalism club rap.
76. Midi Yang - “Hungry?”
Needy in desire, “Hungry?” clangs with animalistic calls and yearning; Yang desperately thirsts for deeper with seductive whispers and moans of pleasure.
75. BOYHOOD - “Landing”
BOYHOOD deliver a playfully cheeky performance, giddily dancing on percussion that sounds like a rhythm game and its funky bassline.
74. Shi Xinwenyue & Matt Lv - “Cold Cold February”
“Where are you?” Shi calls back: “don’t want to go outside, I just want to stay home.” Lv kindly concedes, bringing warmth to a chilly afternoon. The dampened piano line lingers but it’s disregarded for breathy murmurs and fuzzy comfort.
73. Qi Zitan - “Puppy Love”
Wonderstruck by the most innocent love, Qi delivers her signature warble over a Motown-inspired instrumental.
72. It’s Your Fault - “Ruthless”
Drunkly stumbling into someone dangerously perfect, “Ruthless” dances off-beat to funk rhythms and overthinks everything about a stranger and romance.
71. Goatak - “Feeling Good”
A pop-punk song about hating yourself, about being unable to change yourself from the same tired patterns, and most importantly, about shaking it all off to feel good.
70. Jerry Li - “Nice Seeing You”
“Nice Seeing You” passes a friendly club-goer in a moment. Li switches to Taiwanese as he imagines something he could have said to make the exchange feel more familiar before simply losing himself to the psychedelic bass.
69. XIN - “Baby I Know”
Funky dance-pop that asks you to forget everything and join XIN on the dancefloor. Pop about it, wave it out, enjoy every moment of its bliss.
68. Hebe Tien - “It Is the Hour”
“Ask the wind, the waves, the stars, the birds,” Hebe Tien calls. Engrossed in nature, Tien extends an offer to share the same details with you: stand under the same sun, feel the same breeze, and absorb the same aroma.
67. VH (Vast & Hazy) & Chih Siou - “Please Make Me Stay”
Growing into a grand swirl of anxiety, then backing off into the hopelessly selfless offer to bear the burden, “Please Make Me Stay” swallows everything with warm brass, heavy drums, and their wailing voices.
66. xxmxcrs - “SLEEPLESS N1TES”
A tender R&B confession in the middle of one of many sleepless nights, rewritten a million times over, hoping one of these lines is the key to a date.
65. Wen Zhaojie - “Love Forever”
Wen’s airy falsetto hangs above an electric guitar, fuzzy static, and digital coils that don’t dissuade its love: a pair deep in love, slow dancing together until the end of time.
64. Summer Jike - “Trendy Energy Surge Warning”
“The sensual world of pleasures! The style! The attitude!”—Summer Jike delights in all of it over the propulsive retro beat.
63. PINK FUN - “KYA”
The girl group assert that both their cutesy charm and maturity can coexist on the sparkling “KYA,” confidently running through disco-influenced verses and the elastic slap house chorus.
62. SIENA - “Sober”
Sweetly intoxicating despite coming from a place of loss, “Sober” is a complicated mixture of the realization that they’re never coming back, the acceptance of herself, and a midnight dance alone.
61. Zheng Xing - “The Hotpot Sea”
Like the image of hotpot by the sea, Zheng Xing’s turn from folksy singer-songwriter to 00s pop-rock is eccentric yet coolly amiable.
60. Bon Bon Girls 303 - “Me and My Girls”
The girl group brings pyrotechnics to the race; its cool posturing—and a single out-of-place whispered innuendo—is adolescent obnoxiousness but it’s still a rousing farewell for their final single.
59. Christine Fan - “Self-Edited Diary”
Frustrated with her own mundane misfortune, Fan rips out the darkest pages of “Self-Edited Diary.” The grayness never disappears but she finds impetus in the synths that act like splashes of colour.
58. Wu Qingfeng - “The Egg of Columbus (feat. Robin Guthrie)”
If I had a nickel for every Mandopop artist the Cocteau Twins’ Robin Guthrie worked with, I’d have exactly two nickels—which isn’t a lot but at least the results are always lovely.
57. The Chairs - “Maybe It’s You”
The Chairs wake up on “Maybe It’s You” to soft acoustic radio pop, latching onto you in gratitude even as they linger in uncertainty.
56. G.WeiLee - “Glorious Times”
Sunny guitar pop that takes an imperfect moment and colours it with light and the touch of a partner until it becomes perfect.
55. 9m88 - “Whatchu Gonna…?”
The sound of one last chance dangled out of reach as 9m88 cleans house. Rainbow Chan’s production is all hazy atmosphere and smoky saxophone, while Louisa Rosi acts as another ghost in her French coda.
54. ERIKA - “2Romantic”
“2Romantic” attempts to justify why ERIKA has fallen so deep before giving into the flutter of her heart, intimately embracing a lover in the romantic scenery.
53. Night Keepers - “Recover”
In its reminder to take a concentrated breath, “Recover” is a softly restorative meditation.
52. Ma Zhe - “星火西路”
Its chorus feels like sickeningly sweet teenage romance: chasing each other on dead highways at night, burning sparklers under the stars. On “星火西路” (“Xinghuo West Road”), the vocalist and guitarist of Air League begs for that not to fade into a memory in shimmering new wave.
51. GG LONG XIA - “Y2K Type Girl”
Refusing to be boxed in, GG LONG XIA pivots from hyperpop to something simpler, a four on the floor dance beat as he loses himself in what he can’t change. He desires one thing only, an image that sparkles thanks to its twinkling melody.
Find playlists on Youtube and Spotify. Participate in the reader’s poll here! Find the latest Canto Wrap and Mando Gap playlists on Spotify and me on Twitter here.