Photo Credit: Sascha Bosshard
Only one of Google’s top ten most-searched songs this year is from a Western artist; most are from Indonesia and Japan.
As the year comes to an end, Google shares the trending searches of 2022, revealing that only one of the top ten most-searched songs of the year came from a Western artist. The list features several Indonesian and Japanese singers, a reggaeton-inspired Pakistani track, and one from Nigerian singer-songwriter Burna Boy.
Google’s Top Ten Most-Searched Songs of 2022
- “Tak Ingin Usai” by Keisya Levronka
- “Pasoori” by Ali Sethi and Shae Gill
- “Glimpse of Us” by Joji
- “Satru 2” by Denny Caknan and Happy Asmara
- “Mixed Nuts (ミックスナッツ)” by Official Hige Dandism
- “新 時代” by Ado
- “As It Was” by Harry Styles
- “Joko Tingkir” by Farel Prayoga
- “Habit” by Sekai no Owari
- “Last Last” by Burna Boy
Although Joji and Burna Boy have seen success in the US on multiple fronts, the former is Japanese, while the latter is Nigerian. The only Western artist on the list comes in at number seven, English singer-songwriter and actor Harry Styles with “As It Was.”
The number one most-searched song worldwide was “Tak Ingin Usai,” — meaning “Don’t Want to End,” — by Indonesian singer Keisya Levronka. The song is Keisya’s fourth single released under Universal Music Indonesia and the first song by an Indonesian singer under Universal Music Indonesia to chart on Spotify’s Global Top 200.
On June 3, “Tak Ingin Usai” was the top-streamed song on six Indonesian digital music platforms simultaneously: iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, JOOX, and Resso. Other Indonesian songs on Google’s top ten most-searched include “Satru 2,” a duet by Denny Caknan with Happy Asmara, and “Joko Tingkir” by 12-year-old singer Farel Prayoga.
“Pasoori,” meaning “Trouble,” the second most-searched song on the list, is a Punjabi and Urdu-language track by Pakistani singer Ali Sethi featuring Instagram cover artist Shae Gill. With its reggaeton-inspired beat, the track is the first by a Pakistani artist to feature on Spotify’s Global Viral 50 chart. The song was featured in an episode of the Disney+ miniseries Ms. Marvel, affording it additional exposure to Western audiences.
Japanese artist Joji released “Glimpse of Us” as the lead single from his third studio album, Smithereens. His most successful single to date, “Glimpse of Us” has peaked at number one in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines, while reaching the top ten in the US, Canada, Ireland, Norway, and Vietnam. Although Joji is a Japanese native, his music is primarily in English. Still, other Japanese artists featured on the list (whose music is mainly in Japanese) include Official Hige Dandism with “Mixed Nuts” and Sekai no Owari’s “Habit.”
Google’s year-end summary of trending searches also included notable passings of celebrities throughout 2022. Musicians featured in the top ten included Aaron Carter, Olivia Newton-John, and Taylor Hawkins.