You know, Avant-pop was not on the bingo board of sonic moods I thought I’d cover in my exploration this year and yet here we are with this spellbinding showcase from Adomaa… Circus throws us into the novelty of carnival music as Adomaa spirals in heartbreak. Her mental and emotional breakdown being compared to the acrobatic feats of a circus act as she tries to navigate through her feelings of betrayal and abandonment in view of a prying audience. Tronomie’s production is a bluesy affair with an intro that feels like it was pulled directly from a 40’s musical before settling into a groove that harkens to the jazz age; the musical theatre influence is everywhere. Adomaa approaches her performance like a diva trying to restrain the depths of her heartbreak whilst the raw emotions keep seeping through. It’s honestly one of the most transfixing vocal performances I’ve heard all year as Adomaa’s plays us like putty with how she balances the range of her emotions. Circus is performance art that Adomaa commits to with all the drama she can muster. It’s not the most accessible song on this list, especially with its intro that can sometimes grate, but if you’re in the mood for theatrics you’d be hard pressed to find music that delicately delivers it on this level. Adomaa is a creative force of nature, a bold risk taker with skillful artistry to back it up. If this performance grabs you I’d invite you to get lost in her full body of work to witness this vocal siren come into herself.

Read the full Top 22 of 2022 here.