1.Hit me Hard and Soft by Billie Eilish
Genre: Alt-Pop
My Favorite Tracks: “Chihiro”, “Wildflower”, “The Greatest”
The highly anticipated third studio album of Billie Eilish was released on May 17, 2024 to instant critical acclaim. “Birds of a Feather” and “Lunch” both became hit singles that topped the charts and could be heard on almost every popular radio station and all ten songs were on the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. It received a total of 7 Grammy nominations (Wikipedia). This album caused Eilish’s popularity to skyrocket, and for good reason. The production, lyrics, and vocals are all some of her best. Co-produced with her brother Finneas, each track on the album has a unique sound while also flowing together seamlessly with the others.
2. Brat by Charli XCX
Genre: Hyperpop
Favorite Tracks: “Sympathy is a knife”, “Girl, so confusing”, “Apple”
Released on June 7, 2024, “Brat” is the sixth studio album of Charli XCX. This album had a huge cultural impact in 2024, from the “Brat summer” aesthetic to the Apple dance that went viral on TikTok. The iconic lime green cover art has been used by everyone on the Internet and was even used by presidential candidate Kamala Harris in her 2024 campaign. Not only is it the highest rated album of 2024, it is also the 16th highest rated album of all time. It was nominated for nine Grammy awards, including Album of the Year (Wikipedia). In my opinion, this album deserves to earn a spot right next to the “club classics” as it aims to pay homage to. The album draws massive inspiration from the early 2000s English rave music scene and it’s the perfect blend of bold dance pop and vulnerable lyricism.
3. Charm by Clairo
Genre: soft rock
My Favorite Tracks: “Terrapin”, “Glory of the Snow”, “Juna”
Charm is the long awaited third studio album from the American indie musician Clairo. It was released on July 12,2024 to instant critical acclaim. At the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, the album was nominated in the category of “Best Alternative Music Album”, making it the first album of her’s to be nominated (Wikipedia). This album, co-produced by Clairo herself along with Leon Michels, skillfully blends together Clairo’s signature bedroom-pop style with elements of classic soul and jazz. The album has a very cozy and comforting feel to it, something I never get tired of listening to no matter how many times I put it on.
4.Prelude to Ecstasy by The Last Dinner Party
Genre: Baroque pop
My Favorite Tracks: “Caesar on a TV Screen”, “The Feminine Urge”, “Portrait of a Dead Girl”
Prelude to Ecstasy, released on February 2, 2024, is the bold debut of the Last Dinner Party, a British indie group of five women who collaborated on writing each of the songs. The album received a lot of critical acclaim and the band quickly reached newfound stardom.The album blends together grand orchestral instrumentals along with powerful vocals and lyrics centered around the female experience. The album is full of theatrical ballads that are perfect for belting your heart out to. Out of all of these albums, it is definitely the most fun to listen to and I am excited to see what the band will put out in the future.
5.Older by Lizzy McAlpine
Genre: indie folk
My Favorite Tracks: “Drunk,running”, “All Falls Down”, “Come Down Soon”
Lizzy McAlpine’s third album, Older, was released on April 5, 2024. This album centers around themes of both reflecting on the past and new beginnings. This album has a much more mature sound and lyrics than her previous albums, with critics praising it and some even calling it her best album yet. This is her first album released on a major label. The thing I most appreciate and love about this album are the poetic lyrics and beautiful vocals that really shine through because of the stripped-back, simplistic production. This album showcases McAlpine’s growth as both a person and an artist in a poignant and vulnerable way.
6.Bright Future by Adrianne Lenker
Genre: folk,country
My Favorite Tracks: “Sadness as a Gift”, “Fool”, “No Machine”
This album was released on March 22, 2024 as Adrianne Lenker’s second solo album. It received positive feedback from music critics and was nominated for Best Folk Album at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, making it her first solo work to be nominated (Wikipedia). This album was recorded entirely on analog tape at Double Infinity Studio, a recording studio situated in a forest preserve. The production is very simplistic and at times Lenker’s vocals are only accompanied by an acoustic guitar or a violin. Adrianne Lenker’s signature vocal and lyrical style shines through on this album better than ever before. Adrianne is able to capture her emotions in great, precise depth. Some of the songs are filled with laughter and joyful melodies, while others are melancholic and longing, but the one thing all of the songs have in common is their ability to bring a feeling of comfort to the listener.
7.CHROMAKOPIA by Tyler,The Creator
Genre: R&B
My Favorite Tracks: “Darling,I”, “Take Your Mask Off”, “Hey Jane”
As an artist, Tyler is known for breaking down barriers in music and doing his own thing without caring what others think. This album reflects this, as it daringly blends together elements of hip-hop, jazz, and soul along with rapping. This album, released on October 28, 2024, was one of Tyler’s biggest successes as it debuted at number one in eight countries and is his fastest selling album to date (Wikipedia). In this album, Tyler collaborates with a total of 11 artists from Doechii and GloRilla to Lil Wayne and Daniel Caesar who all add their own unique contribution and style to the album. Chromakopia is based on the lessons he learned from his mother growing up with her and both his positive and negative experiences with fame, making this one of his most vulnerable and heartfelt albums. At the same time, the album is also filled with Tyler’s trademark playfulness and there are songs that are not as serious.
8. Imaginal Disk by Magdalena Bay
Favorite Tracks: “Image,” “Killing Time,” “Watching T.V.”
Genre: Synth pop
Released on August 23, 2024, Imaginal Disk is the second full-length studio album of duo Mica Tenaumbaum and Matthew Lewin, who wrote and produced everything in the album. It is a concept album centered around themes of self-exploration and existentialism in a modern world. The production is near-perfect, with every track flowing seamlessly into one another. The songs have an ethereal, otherworldly vibe and it is the type of album you lose track of time listening to the moment it starts playing.
9.What Happened to the Heart? By AURORA
My Favorite Tracks: “The Conflict of the Mind,” “Invisible Wounds,” “Some Type of Skin”
Genre: Indie pop
Released on June 7, 2024, this album explores what exactly binds us together as humans and the lack of humanity in our society. In our incredibly divided world today, the message of this album is all-too important and relevant.
AURORA’s vocals and lyrics are just as breathtaking as in her previous albums, if not more so. She claimed that this was her most personal and cathartic release, and that all of the songs on the album are incredibly special to her. This album is also incredibly special to the listeners, with many music critics reacting to it positively and it debuting within the top ten of five different countries (Wikipedia).
10. Beyond, Beyond, Beyond
Favorite Tracks: Scars, Bitter Medicine, Arcturus Beaming
Genre: alternative rock
After an eight year long hiatus, The Crane Wives released their highly anticipated fifth album Beyond, Beyond, Beyond on September 6, 2024. It’s a culmination of powerful vocals and meaningful lyrics that center around finding bravery within one’s self and exploring the unknown. The album has a very different sound than the band’s previous more acoustic work with much more advanced production, a daring venture that both music critics and fans appreciated.
All in all, 2024 was a very interesting year for music and there were so many good releases in all different genres.
