24 songs for 2024

A look at my year through the music that defined points throughout, paired with a little commentary and and a playlist.

I’ve always loved the end of the year because it truly gives everyone a chance to reflect on the year that has passed and remember all the things that did (or didn’t) bring us joy. 2024 was dense in music, filled with lots of genre-bending innovation, self-reflection through songwriting, and pop culture moments that defined the year. Music has always been my favorite form of art and media and I love actively searching for new albums from artists I’ve never listened to before in hopes of finding a new favorite song that I’ll listen to on repeat. In an age where every song ever made is available at our fingertips at all times, it’s a tough but exciting challenge to narrow down to only a select few that truly impacted me this year.

Here’s a list of 24 songs (and their respective records) that stuck with me in 2024. All but the last five are from this year; I had to shout out some old records I found over the spring and summer that reminded me of how great music can be. I’m an album listener through and through; I’ve created a playlist of all these songs but definitely recommend a listen of each of these records on their own.

1. Right Back To It - Waxahatchee, MJ Lenderman (Tiger’s Blood)

This album was an introduction into Americana / Indie Folk and in turn opened my eyes to a whole new beautiful genre of music. This song is gorgeous and makes me feel a little sentimental, like it should be playing out of a jukebox in a dimly lit dive bar. Other favorites from this album include 365 and The Wolves.

2. Girl, so confusing featuring Lorde - Charli XCX (Brat & Brat And It's Completely Different But Also Still Brat)

They worked it out on the remix. I don’t even need to talk the pop culture moment this album and song specifically were; I remember gasping at work when the first brat billboard was teased with Lorde’s name. Charli XCX’s success with this album was a long time coming; I’ve always loved the innovation and confidence in her music. The beats bump, but the real joy lies in the reflection of her career and womanhood within the lyrics. A true pillar of the pop scene in 2024. Other favorites include Von Dutch and Sympathy is a knife.

3. The Kill - Maggie Rogers (Don’t Forget Me)

While this album didn’t hit all the points I wanted it to hit (I think I’ll just always love Heard It in a Past Life the most of all her records), Maggie Rogers still remains as a stronghold in alternative music. This song is complicated and vulnerable, all with a backdrop of a beat that is so easily to bump along to. I recommend listening to this record on a walk or drive in 70* weather (thank me later).

4. Noah - Megan Maroney (Am I Okay?)

This album was one of my most left-field fascinations of this year. It’s pure country pop and has such simple but effective songwriting that makes it such a fun listen. This song specifically is my favorite, maybe because of how much it reminds me of old school Taylor Swift, circa Fearless era. It’s poignant and sweet. Other favorites include Am I Okay and Miss Universe.

5. Dodger Blue - Kendrick Lamar (GNX)

What else is there to say besides THE GOAT!!!! The fued was fun this summer, but GNX was the best thing Kendrick put out all year. Such fun and wavy beats paired with lyricism that exudes confidence while also reflecting on what brought him to this point. It’s all about the reflection. Also it was randomly Jack Antonoff co-produced, so that just gave it extra bonus points in my eyes. Other favorites include Squabble Up and Hey Now.

6. Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus - Taylor Swift (The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology)

This album was one of the biggest (and most controversial) albums of this year, and I find that alot of the fanfare associated with Taylor Swift’s album roll outs can take away from the depth of her songwriting. This song — which I’ve dubbed as Chloe et. al — is my favorite because of how raw it feels in her paranoia and helplessness (especially when she begs for him to say that he loved her the way that she was). Even in the midst of an often polarizing career, she will always be one of my GOATs. Other favorites include My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys and Peter.

7. The Architect - Kacey Musgraves (Deeper Well)

This was the perfect album to release in the spring and felt like standing in a field of tall grass while the wind gently blows past. This song specifically stuck with me because all of its overall motif of gratitude and recognition of the self. I too find myself sometimes thinking about the deeper meaning of life and the way the world makes me feel so small; finding a song that echoes the same sentiment is kind and refreshing. Other favorites include Jade Green, Deeper Well, and Anime Eyes.

8. Sharpest Tool - Sabrina Carpenter (Short & Sweet)

Another major pop culture moment this year was Sabrina Carpenter’s breakthrough and I have enjoyed watching every second of it. Short n’ Sweet really was the perfect name for the record and really solidified Sabrina into the pop music scene. I’ve come to the conclusion that I like her previous album (Emails I Can’t Send) just a teeeeny bit more than I like this one, but the fun and whimsical songwriting in both albums is what makes me like her music so much. Also, this song is another Jack Antonoff production, which is probably why its one of my favorites from the record. Other favorites include Taste, Juno, and Don’t Smile.

9. Image - Magdalena Bay (Imaginal Disk)

I’ve always looked to Magdalena Bay for something that feels funky and fresh and this record delivered. It tells a story about the self with such an infectious electropop beat and I found it so unique and creative. Other favorites include Vampire in the Corner and She Looked like Me.

10. Birds of a Feather - Billie Eilish (Hit Me Hard and Soft)

If I’ll be 100% honest, I didn’t like this album all that much; that being said, this song might be my favorite Billie has ever made. A spot of brightness in what otherwise is a dark discography (and honestly, the song still has motifs of death and darkness), this song feels like a pure form of love. “I knew you in another life / You had that same look in your eyes / I love you, don't act so surprised” gets me every time I listen.

11. Classical - Vampire Weekend (Only God Was Above Us)

My first thought when I listened to this album was “we are so back!!”, where “we” represents 2013 era indie pop fans at a time when Vampire Weekend felt like they were at their peak. It’s a nice return to form of the music that made me fans of them when I was in middle school. Other favorites are Mary Boone and Capricorn.

12. Scorcese Baby Daddy - SZA (LANA: SOS)

This record was as fun as it was messy. Infectious pop beats paired with some of the most loser-ish behavior that somehow still feels a little relatable. It didn’t feel like much of a departure from the sounds of SOS (which I absolutely loved), but still felt like a step in the right direction towards some innovation in SZA’s career. Other favorites include BMF and Kitchen.

13. All in Good Time - Iron & Wine, Fiona Apple (Light Verse)

This is another album that I didn’t expect myself to enjoy as much as I did, but this song really pleasantly surprised me. Anything that Fiona Apple touches turns to like gold. This song reminds me of the passing of time and the belief that things happen for a reason; maybe that’s why it really resonated with me.

14. Paranoia - The Marias (Submarine)

This entire album had such an ethereal sound that I was obsessed with this past spring. I got more into The Marias this past year and find comfort in how mystical their music sounds. Other favorites include Echo and No One Noticed.

15. Leviis Jeans - Beyonce, Post Malone (Cowboy Carter)

It feels like everyone shifted to country music this year, but I really do think Beyonce did it best. The record felt so homey and cozy while also paying an homage to all the music that had come before in the genre. The Post Malone collaboration felt unexpected, yet he fit right into the album sonically (and then he ended up releasing his own country album lol). Other favorites include Ya Ya and 16 Carriages.

16. Slide - Doechii (Alligator Bites Never Heal)

Women in rap music will always be one of my favorite sub-genres; Doechii is no exception. She’s brought something so fun and unique to this sector of the music world and I’m so excited to see where her career goes (she has a stamp of approval from Kendrick himself, aforementioned GOAT). This song is sooooo infectiously catchy; I couldn’t stop playing it for days on end this last month. Other favorites include Denial is a River and Nissan Altima.

17. Ever Seen - Beabadoobee (This is How Tomorrow Moves)

I really love how beabadoobee’s entire career feels like a tribute to 90s soft pop rock; every song she puts out sounds like it should be in one of those teen high school movies from the early aughts. This album wasn’t anything really different from anything else she’s put out prior, but still was a fun one to jam to late into the summer. Other favorites include California and Real Man.

18. Psycho Killer - Miley Cyrus (Stop Making Sense: A Tribute Album)

This tribute album kinda changed my life because it’s what really got me into the Talking Heads (to be mentioned below). I love covers that take creative approaches and sound so different from the original material; Miley’s cover here had such a Thriller-esque vibe to it and I absolutely loved it. I had to listen to the original Stop Making Sense after coming across this tribute album and my Talking Heads journey started there, and I’d recommend everyone to do the same. Other favorites include Lorde’s Take Me to the River and Paramore’s Burning Down the House.

19. Sticky feat. GloRilla, Sexyy Red, Lil Wayne - Tyler, The Creator (Chromakopia)

Tyler’s creative approach to his music really shines through on this record by balancing alot of irony in his lyrics as well as a good amount of self-introspection. This song brought together a whole posse of artists that I like to make such a fun chant-y song about staying true to themselves. This album became my go-to at work for a majority of November. Other favorites include Rah Tah Tah and Balloon.

---

And now for five songs may have not come out this year (actually they’re all from the 70s/80s), but I found them this year and couldn’t stop listening to them. There’s so many hidden gems in older music and I can’t wait to explore them even more in 2025.

20. Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads (Remain in Light)

Such a quintessential new wave record from the early 80s and this song itself has such a legacy!!! I once again recommend watching the Stop Making Sense concert film. Getting to dive into this band’s discography over the summer was one of my favorite finds of 2024; they make such fun music and I love their stream-of-conciousness lyrical style. This album and “Speaking in Tongues” are my two favorites from them. They’ve just absolutely charmed me this year!!!

21. Heaven or Las Vegas - Cocteau Twins (Heaven or Las Vegas)

This album has snuck its way into my top albums of all time. Cocteau Twins were such a prominent force in the dreampop scene of the 80s (alongside My Bloody Valentine and Mazzy Star, who I also recommend) and really set up the foundation for present-day bands like Beach House (whom I also love!!). Their music just feels so ethereal and otherwordly and I absolutely love it. This album is perfect, and other favorites include Pitch the Baby and Cherry-Coloured Funk.

22. Cemetry Gates - The Smiths (The Queen is Dead)

I’ve loved the Smiths ever since I first watched 500 days of Summer in high school, and every couple years I get re-obsessed with one of their records. The Queen is Dead was my fixation this fall, and the fun guitar paired with the silly lyrics of this song made it my favorite from the album (and it was perfect around Halloween). It’s an iconic album on it’s own. Other favorites include I Know It’s Over and There is a Light that Never Goes Out, though I just love a majority of the Smiths discography.

23. I Wonder - Rodriguez (Cold Fact)

I 100% recommend Searching for Sugarman as a short <90 minute movie watch , but it was one of my favorite things I watched all year. It’s about an early 1970s musician known as Rodriguez who became a huge hit in South Africa and was widely rumoured to have died, and two fans set out to figure what happened to him. That’s all I’ll say, but the documentary introduced me to this album and I’m forever grateful. Quite Bob Dylan-esque while also holding a lot of creative weight on its own.

24. Midnite Cruiser - Steely Dan (Can’t Buy A Thrill)

I’m going to remember the summer of 2024 as the one where I randomly got super into dad/ yacht rock. In this phase I was listening to so much Steely Dan, Talking Heads, Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Duran Duran, etc… this album was one of my favorite finds. Other favorites include Reelin’ in the Years and Dirty Work (which reminds me of the Sopranos lol).

---

Making this list was already hard enough so here are a couple more songs/records that came out this year that I really liked but couldn’t justify putting in my top 24:

• I Know You Know - Bonny Light Horseman (Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free)

• Flea - St. Vincent (All Born Screaming)

• Blackout Drunk - Suki Waterhouse (Memoir of a Sparklemuffin)

• Nothing Matters - The Last Dinner Party (Prelude to Ecstasy)

• Cinderella - Remi Wolf (Big Ideas)

• Free Treasure - Adrianne Lenker (Bright Future)

• Angel of my Dreams - JADE

• Self Respect - Bleachers (Bleachers)

• Lego Ring - Faye Webster, Lil Yachty (Underdressed at the Symphony)

• Saturn - SZA

• Nasty - Tinashe (Quantum Baby)

• No Way to Relax When You Are On Fire - Dora Jar

• 28 - Zach Bryan (The Great American Bar Scene)

• Calling After Me - Wallows (Model)

• That’s So True - Gracie Abrams (The Secret of Us: Deluxe)

• Tears for Fun - Griff (Vertigo)

• I Guess - Lizzy McAlpine (Older)

• Never Need Me - Rachel Chinouriri (What a Devastating Turn of Events)

May 2025 bring some even more amazing music!!!!!! Playlist of all these songs here.

What were your favorite songs/records/genres from 2024? Did you come across anything that you didn’t expect to love? Are there any releases you’re looking forward to in 2025?