The songs we love from the first half of the year span a wide emotional and musical range, from wild percussive romps to raw pleas for empathy to Beyoncé's command to leave it all on the dance floor.
NPR's Susan Davis speaks to Conan Gray, a singer-songwriter who became popular after uploading his music to YouTube as a teenager. He just came out with his second full-length album, "Superache."
The 2022 tour was a victory lap for Contest winner Alisa Amador and also showcased local talents in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Seattle, Los Angeles and New York.