Since I started this site at the end of 2017, I seem to introduce these lists with variations of it has been a shitty year, but at least we have the music. At this point, I really don’t know what else to say. So here is a list of some of the notable socially conscious albums released so far this year. It is listed in alphabetical order.
Bob Vylan – Bob Vylan Presents The Price of Life
The UK grime punk duo’s sophomore album is a blistering attack against systemic racism and poverty. The album track “GDP” was previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
The Bruce Lee Band – One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
The Bruce Lee Band has gone through several iterations, but the one constant is Mike Park. Through his different music projects and his Asian Man record label, he has been an influential figure in the development of third-wave Ska. Just like his previous outings, this energetic album speaks out against racism and other social injustices.
calm.- Conversations With A Willow Tree
The recent release of the socially conscious hip-hop duo is a concept album set in a dystopian world where plants are the heroes that fight against colonialism and environmental collapse. The album track “Landlord of the Gentriflies” was previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Confess- Revenge At All Cost
The Iranian metal band’s 3rd album is their 1st release since fleeing to Norway to escape political persecution. The opening track “Based on a True Story” features news reports snippets concerning their arrest for making anti-establishment music, while the follow-up track “EVIN” chronicles their time in prison. The album has no shortage of righteous indignation directed at unjust power structures.
EarthGang – Ghetto Gods
The sophomore studio album by the Dreamville rap duo is a gripping examination of the harsh realities of living in a society built upon systemic racism and oppression.
Flores – The Lives They Left
On her debut, the R&B singer skillfully taps into her experience as a Mexican-Indigenous-American to create a heartfelt work that is equal part personal and political. In a Rolling Stone interview, she stated how her heritage inspired the tunes: “Why do they keep saying we’re illegals? This is our land.” I feel like there’s so many stories that need to be told and I always want to uphold them and pay homage to our ancestors. Survivor’s guilt is what it feels like sometimes, but I think if I don’t say something for them and keep saying it, then I’m not doing the small bit that I can do.”
Linqua Franqa – Bellringer
Linqua Franqa is the alias of Mariah Parker, a rapper, linguist, and activist. In linguistics, “lingua franca” is a term for a language used to communicate across cultures. This is fitting since Parker effectively uses the language of music as a tool to communicate a potent socially aware message across cultural boundaries.
Hurray For The Riff Raff – Life On Earth
Self-described as ‘nature punk” the tunes off the latest album from the project of Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Alynda Segarra is a worthy follow-up to their exceptional 2017 album The Navigator. They heavily deal with themes of immigration, the environment, and other social ills. The album track “Precious Cargo” was previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Brian Jackson – This Is Brian Jackson
The Influential jazz musician made an indelible mark on the history of socially conscious music with his legendary collaborations with Gil Gil Scott-Heron. His first album in over 20 years finds him in fine form, creating an album of funky socially aware tunes that engage the mind and body.
JER – Bothered / Unbothered
JER, who is also known as Jeremy Hunter has helped re-popularize ska with their role as a trombonist in the queercore ska band We Are the Union and as a social media influencer with the ska covers project Skatune Network. On their solo debut, the tunes strike the right balance between traditional ska elements and a modern feel. The album explores issues of race and gender identity, along with other social issues. JER was also involved with the Bruce Lee Band’s One Step Forward, Two Steps Back, contributing to two of the best ska albums of the year.
Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
The anticipated latest release by the rapper is an ambitious double album. The album is an example of the intersecting between personal and political, and it was shaped by a climate of the pandemic, #MeToo, and the worldwide protests against police brutality
The Linda Lindas – Growing Up
Back in May 2021, the young punk band went viral with a video of their performance of “Racist, Sexist Boy”, which ended up being the closing track on their debut album, released on the acclaimed punk label Epitaph. The album is filled with authentic and catchy anthems of teenage angst shaped by their experiences growing up as Asian and Latin Americans.
Midnight Oil – Resist
The veteran Australian rock band has been making political music for close to five decades. Their latest finds them as vital as ever. The album heavily addresses the issue of climate change. The album track “Rising Sea” was previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Samora Pinderhughes – Grief
The compelling sophomore album by the vocalist, pianist, composer, and activist is one of three components of the Healing Project. The project was based on roughly 100 interviews Pinderhughes conducted with people of color who had been incarcerated or experienced structural violence.
Pinch Points – Process
The latest album by the Australian punk band is the perfect blend of infectious grooves and incisive lyrics. The empowering tunes address issues such as destructive bushfires, gendered violence, mental health, and indigenous incarceration.
Joe Rainey – Niineta
The debut album by the Ojibwe pow-wow singer embraces traditional indigenous musical elements, along with incorporating more modern forms such as EDM, Industrial, hip-hop, and dub. The album effectively delivers the message highlighted in Raniey’s Bandcamp bio: “We’re still here. We were here before you were, and we never left.”
Shilpa Ray – Portrait of a Lady
The somewhat criminally overlooked veteran DIY punk artist’s latest album is an exceptional exploration of feminism in the era of #metoo.
Shabaka – Afrikan Culture
This is the solo debut of the British bandleader and multi-instrumentalist Shabaka Hutchings who is notably known for his work with Sons of Kemet and Shabaka and the Ancestors. Like previous Hutching projects, the music is a warm embrace of a cultural heritage that survived past efforts to erase it.
The Smile – A Light For Attracting Attention
This is the debut album from the Radiohead side project featuring frontman Thom Yorke and guitarist Jonny Greenwood. At the band’s first gig, Yorke described the name as the following: “Not the Smile as in ha ha ha, more the Smile of the guy who lies to you every day.” The songs definitely have plenty of vitriol directed at those who wield power in corrupt and dishonest ways.
Somi – Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba
Singer-songwriter Somi Kakoma was originally set to debut her self-composed musical about the late South African vocalist and activist Miriam Makeba in the spring of 2020, but the pandemic delayed those plans. In the meantime, she released stirring reworkings of Makeba tunes. Many of the songs reference South African apartheid, and even though apartheid may have ended, the poisonous attitudes that contributed to it are still prevalent.
Soul Glo – Diaspora Problems
The latest album by the hardcore outfit is their first on renowned punk label Epitaph. The album features their intense musical attack and radical lyrics. The Album track “Fucked Up If True” was previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Mavis Staples, Levon Helm – Carry Me Home
This recently released collaboration between the soul powerhouse Mavis Staples and The Band’s drummer/vocalist Levon Helm was originally recorded live in 2011, about a year before Helm’s untimely passing. The two icons are kindred spirits who well complement each other. Much of the material selected was socially conscious tunes such as poignant reworkings of Curtis Mayfield’s “This Is My Country” and Nina Simone’s “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free”.
Tanya Tagaq – Tongues
The latest album by the Indigenous Canadian throat singer effectively incorporates passages from her 2018 debut novel Split Tooth. The album is a scathing indictment of the racism that First Nations people continue to be subjected to.
Kae Tempest – The Line Is A Curve
Compared to their previous albums, The Line Is A Curve, leans more towards the personal than political, but there is still a clear intersecting of the two. Tempest clearly explores issues of identity and the anxiety of the daily grind.
Unsanitary Napkin – All Billionaires Are Bastards
This anarcho-punk band from New Zealand is equal parts infectious and intense. Lyrically it is an explosive critique of injustice and inequality from a feminist perspective. The trio aptly describes their music as a “furious vomit of frustration.”
Grace Victoria – Love & Justice
There is scant info online concerning the Virginia-born/ New York City-based singer-songwriter, but what we know about her is the music, and her music deserves to be heard. The album features Black empowerment anthems and fight songs. The album track “Down in Virginia.” was previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Mat Ward – Why I Protest
The latest album by the English-born, Australian-based EDM artist and journalist, was based on the chants that he heard when attending protest rallies. He decided to transform these chants into catchy dance tunes. Who says that the revolution can’t have a beat that you can dance to?
Pink Williams – Country Songs For A Broken Country
Williams’ brand of country-western music may be extremely retro, but his lyrics are definitely not. For a genre that tends to lean conservative, Williams’ lyrics feature radical political ideology which addresses modern-day issues (such as reworking the protest standard “Which Side Are You On?” as the anti-Jeff Bezo/Amazon tune “Which Site Are You On?”)
Yard Act – Overload
The debut album by the UK rock band is an examination of life in post-Brexit Britain. The themes explored do expand beyond borders. It well expresses the global anxiety experienced living during the pandemic and the burden of dealing with information overload.
Zeal & Ardor – Zeal & Ardor
The third album by the dark metal meet spirituals project continues the narrative of what if American slaves had turned to Satan instead of God. That concept is also used to explore themes such as race relations and religious hypocrisy. The album track “Götterdämmerung” was previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Also, check out the playlist of 2022 protest songs featuring music featured on the website, including tunes from the albums on this list.