The Best Albums of 2024
In a year full of experimentation and pop at the forefront, here are my favorite and most replayed albums of 2024.
10. Manning Fireworks - MJ Lenderman
Courtesy of Spotify
Release Date: Sept. 6, 2024
I’m going to be honest. I’d never heard of MJ Lenderman until he dropped his recent album Manning Fireworks last September. The 9-song album runs just under 40 minutes and does an excellent job of making a mundane lifestyle sound interesting through witty songwriting and a self-deprecating tone toward one’s inner feelings. Lyrics like “So you say I’ve wasted my life away, Well I got a beach home up in Buffalo,” on the song “Wristwatch” and “Cause I know goin’ on vacation brings the worst out of everyone,” on “On My Knees” are indicative of Lenderman’s dry humor approach on this album. On Manning Fireworks, Lenderman finds a way to paint different character portraits of recent divorcés, losers who watch TV every day or someone going through a rough time and reveals their personal feelings of desire to keep going. Ultimately, Lenderman crafts a hopelessly hopeful indie-rock album that serves as a thought-provoking listening experience.
9. You Only Die 1nce - Freddie Gibbs
Courtesy of Spotify
Release Date: Oct. 31, 2024
Freddie Gibbs has long been one of my favorite lyricists in the rap game and his album You Only Die 1nce further proves why he deserves his flowers. Gibb’s Halloween released album follows him on a cinematic journey as he is done paying his debts to the devil, further alluring his desire to change as a person and escape the criminal lifestyle that has branded him for almost the entirety of his career. Although the critically acclaimed rapper did not team up with Madlib on this album as he did on his classics like Piñata and Bandana, You Only Live 1nce is filled with an imaginative production style that gives intersectionality to his rough past. On “Cosmo Freestyle” Gibbs speaks on his longevity in the industry rapping “I know god got a plan for me or he would’ve let n**** come murder me, But these bitches can’t bully me, bother me, worry me I’ma be thuggin’ this shit ‘til they bury me.” On the song “On The Set” Gibbs reacts to the corruption of the entertainment industry as he admits that he used to look up to artists like P Diddy and expresses sympathy for the deaths of rappers like Tupac, Biggie and Young Dolph. You Only Die 1nce is a complex album where Freddie Gibbs may be hinting at a transition within his career, prioritizing rapping about the positive things in his life now rather than reminiscing on his traumatic and violent-natured past. But he wrestles with himself over this, questioning if the critics and fans would still respect him the same if he changed his subject matter. At the end of the listen, it's transparent that either way rapping and flowing on beats is just too easy for Gibbs.
8. We Still Don’t Trust You - Future and Metro Boomin
Courtesy of Apple Music
Release Date: April 12, 2024
I feel like when hip-hop listeners look back on this year, Future and Metro Boomin’s double collaboration album will be remembered the most. Not only did it spark one of the greatest rap diss track battles in recent memory between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, but its successor We Still Don’t Trust You will also be remembered for its innovative sound that creatively blends disco music with trap. Songs like “Out My Hands,” “Drink and Dance” and “Nights Like This” serve as great late-night drive anthems that offer a sparkled but eerie sound. I feel like some of Metro Boomin’s best work spills onto this album when it comes to experimenting with different sounds that allow Future to flourish in his signature cadences. Metro’s finesse could be heard on songs like “Right 4 You” and the addictive intro track “We Still Don’t Trust You” featuring an amazing verse from The Weeknd. Personally, We Still Don’t Trust You is one of my favorite and most revisited hip-hop albums of the year as it serves as an impressive musical achievement for both Future and Metro Boomin.
7. Imaginal Disk - Magdalena Bay
Courtesy of Apple Music
Release Date: Aug. 23, 2024
The Miami native duo Magdelena Bay’s newest album Imaginal Disk serves as a thrilling concept album that tells the story of the human experience through memories and human consciousness. Sonically, this metamorphosis story creates an electronic groove pop genre that uses bright but ominous synths and tantalizing lyricism to illustrate a feeling of wanderlust for human life. One song that I have had on repeat on this album is “Killing Time” where lead singer Mica Tenenbaum emphasizes that you are only truly alive when you stop waiting for your ideal life to come to you and start the process of embarking on your life’s purpose through taking initiative. Another song that sticks out to me on this project is “Death & Romance” where Tenenbaum compares a romantic relationship to life and death. “Yeah you give and I give, until it’s all that we have,” Tenenbaum sings on the addictive chorus. Although Tenenbuam’s hushed but cheeky vocals are creepy at times and make the album sound like it could be a soundtrack to an early 2000s sci-fi horror film, Imaginal Disk is world-building, as the message contradicts this style with a bright message about what it means to be human and the importance of being ourselves.
6. Two Stars & the Dream Police - Mk.gee
Courtesy of Spotify
Release Date: Jan. 19, 2024
Mk.gee’s latest album is filled with experimental songs where the artist seems to be longing over his past and to break out of his shell. The guitarist who was once most well-known for his collaborations with alternative artist Dijon, is now transforming the sound of guitar-led alternative songs, adding unusually familiar sounds from the 80s to his simplistic writing style. Two Stars & the Dream Police at times sounds like it's being recorded with metal scraps, distorted synths, wobbly guitar melodies and Mk.gee’s raspy voice that seems to be infused with anxiety. On the song “How Many Miles” the artist stresses over the fact that the longer you stay in the hometown you grew up in, the longer you are being held back from your full potential. On “DNM” Mk.gee struggles through disbelief as he questions whether or not his former partner was genuine with their intentions but eventually realizes it doesn’t matter now and overthinking is just wasting the time that he could be dedicating towards growing. As messy as Two Stars & the Dream Police is at its core, Mk.gee’s clean attention to detail narratively and production-wise makes this album feel familiar but genre-shifting all at once.
5. This is How Tomorrow Moves - Beabadoobee
Courtesy of Apple Music
Release Date: June 5, 2024
While singles like “Glue Song” and “the way things go” have propelled her future forward as an artist, Beabadoobee’s 2024 album This Is How Tomorrow Moves solidifies her stardom in the world of pop music. The 14-song album co-produced by Rick Rubin focuses on the 24-year-old’s early stage of adulthood while experiencing a sense of newfound fame. This theme is explored through her notable diaristic songwriting and the constant transition from her calm but confident folk-pop style to her sassy but sweet early 2000s-inspired punk persona. Beabadoobee dives deep introspectively on this album as she puts a lens on her journey to self-discovery while being far away from home on songs like “Coming Home” and the exceptional song “Beaches.” On “One Time,” “Real Man” and “This is How It Went” she reflects on a breakup that ultimately caused her to write songs that gave her the popularity she has today. However, I wholeheartedly believe “Girl Song” is one of Beabadoobee’s most important songs in her catalog as it carries a vital message revolving around womanhood and led me to draw comparisons between her and the critically acclaimed artist Adele. Delicate instrumentals flow through This Is How Tomorrow Moves’ tracklist as Beabadoobee gives the title justice, declaring that through personal growth she will be moving forward from the past and embracing whatever comes next in her career.
4. Hit Me Hard and Soft - Billie Eilish
Courtesy of Spotify
Release Date: May 17, 2024
It’s been a while since listeners have heard Billie Eilish musically combat in a battle with herself. After dropping her successful dark debut album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? in 2019, Eilish changed her music to a more gentle and airy tone in her 2021 album Happier Than Ever. However, the 22-year-old returned to her murky roots on her 2024 release HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, an album where Eilish reflects on the highs and lows of moving on from a narcissistic lover to dating a woman for the first time. Throughout the 11-song tracklist, Eilish displays constant conflicting emotions as she battles with her desire for a genuine love interest but fears being betrayed again. “CHIHIRO” is one of my most replayed songs of the year as Eilish uses inspiration from the anime film Spirited Away to illustrate her need to be seen and understood after experiencing a toxic relationship. “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE” explores love, heartbreak and feeling like a burden to an ex through song structure experimentation and lyrics that serve as an emotional listen. “It isn’t askin’ for a lot for an apology, for makin’ me feel like it’d kill you if I tried to leave,” Eilish delicately sings on “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE” until the song quickly transitions into a techno-pop song. Her brother FINNEAS’s influence and production style is written all over this album. “BITTERSUITE” is another song that has a unique structure moving from a synth-led first half to a jazz-club vibe in the second half allowing Eilish to expand on the idea that she feels the need to protect her heart but is begging for a healthy relationship. As illustrated on the album’s cover, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is a tender and subdued listen as Eilish is okay with falling deep down into a pit of thoughts and reflections of herself and her past relationships if it leads to her being in a non-toxic one for once.
3. Charm - Clairo
Courtesy of Apple Music
Release Date: June 28, 2024
Clairo’s third album Charm serves as a breath of fresh air as she puts a lens on the deep internal feelings one has during the never-ending cycle of two lovers exploring the connections they have with one another. She focuses specifically on the honeymoon phase of a relationship and how it can all be turned upside down as she is desperately searching for ways to move on. On the songs “Nomad” and “Sexy to Someone” Clairo explores her craving for a romantic connection. It isn’t until songs like “Second Nature” and “Juna” that she finds that connection and talks about the euphoric highs of feeling deeply for someone. This is done through clever songwriting, jazzy instrumentals, and coining this feeling through the album's name. I could talk about this tracklist all day. I’m still impressed on how Clairo's gentle vocal performances over the calmness of rich experimentation on songs like “Terrapin” and “Pier 4” make for enjoyable listens. Charm’s collection of intimate experiences eventually leaves Clairo feeling disconnected from her previous lover on “Add Up My Love” where she wonders how they are dealing with the breakup and if they ever recognized the effort she put in. On “Glory of the Snow” Clairo compares her memories of being used to a previous lover’s presence fading away to a Scilla luciliae flower species which blooms during the winter when there is still snow on the ground. Just like the flower, Clairo is blooming outside of the grey memories that held her mind captive after an ending to a relationship, ultimately moving on. Charm contains a sophisticated tracklist and is one of my most revisited albums of the year as it serves as a reminder to never give up on finding love.
2. BRAT - Charli xcx
Courtesy of Spotify
Release Date: Feb. 29, 2024
It didn't matter what kind of music you typically listened to, the simple but iconic lime green cover and the virality of the dance album BRAT was inescapable this year. Charli xcx perfectly crafted an outside-of-the-box album that gravitated listeners worldwide to pay attention to her. BRAT is a pure experimental dance album at its core that radiates an uplifting clubbing and party girl vibe. The album’s growing popularity throughout the year started a chain reaction of immense influence on culture and even politics as it at one point fueled Kamala Harris’s campaign efforts aimed toward the younger generation. A February release would eventually turn into “BRAT Summer” and then into “BRAT Fall” as the astonishing sounds on the album remained replayed. I guess you could say people were “bumping that” as Charli sings on the hit song “360.” Songs like “Club classics” and “Everything is romantic” are still heavy in my rotation as the rambunctious vibe of the songs serve as an addicting and fun listen. Charli xcx is serious at times too on this album as she reflects on the passing of a good friend on “So I”, her insecurities on “Girl, so confusing” and whether or not she’s fit to be a mother on “I think about it all the time.” BRAT is a relatable album to the masses of listeners as she has highlighted an attitude towards life one can take on if they are feeling self-conscious. “Feels like you never understand me, so I just want to drive,” Charli xcx sings on “Apple” as she reflects on her relationship with her parents and how she uses the means of travel to deal with an emotional state. Other themes like anxieties of not fitting in and fears of aging are woven into BRAT’s seams while layering of mind-boggling club production schemes move the album forward for an addictive listen. For certain, BRAT will be remembered when we reminisce on the music industry in 2024 and I think objectively, it is the best album of the year. However, my subjective opinion offers a contrasting perspective to readers which is the purpose of this blog. At the end of the 42-minute rollercoaster of emotions that is BRAT, Charli xcx also raises a contrasting opinion, embracing a bratty, chaotic, unapologetic lifestyle for herself that goes against the traditional societal norm.
1. CHROMAKOPIA - Tyler, The Creator
Release Date: Oct. 28, 2024
Tyler, The Creator has always centered his albums around the crises he has experienced in his life and his approach is no different on his 2024 album CHROMAKOPIA. As his previous additions to his discography like his 2017 album Flower Boy focusing on Tyler coming to terms with his sexuality and his 2019 album IGOR where he tumultuously confronts his idea of love, CHROMAKOPIA is a life crisis that he is composed through as he reflects on who he at his core as a human being. The 14-song album that spans across an introspective 53-minute listen serves as an ego death to the critically acclaimed artist. Donning a mask on the album’s cover and throughout the album’s rollout, Tyler, The Creator’s masked protagonist represents how his life of fame and the inauthenticity of the music industry has caused him to live a private life, putting on a filter on his true self. Throughout the album, Tyler is guided by his mother’s voice as he picks apart his past, personal flaws and insecurities. The once impish teenager who didn’t care who he bothered is now his own worst critic. “Hey Jane” is my most replayed song of the year and “Like Him” serves as a heart-wrenching listen. On both of these songs, Tyler confronts his fear of parenthood and unplanned pregnancies. Other songs like “Darling, I” and “Tomorrow” serve as entertaining listens as Tyler unpacks his non-traditional lifestyle and how he struggles to fit the mold of a typical 33-year-old who values finding a partner and having a family unit. The production on this album is grand, as songs transition from one another giving the album an easy-flowing listen. Even the most rambunctious songs like “Sticky” featuring Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne and “Balloon” featuring Doechii are songs I often revisit on this project as they serve as a light-hearted mental break from the heavy subject matter filled within CHROMAKOPIA. Even within these light-hearted songs, “Rah Tah Tah” and “Thought I was Dead” focus on his roots as an artist who grew up on the West Coast. If Tyler’s new album proves anything, it's that he is never afraid to get too personal even if it goes to the extent of him being his biggest hater on the last verse of “Take Your Mask Off” featuring Daniel Caesar. “You talk a lot of shit to not even be number one, Your beats ain't placin', them songs ain't, slappin', your raps ain't rankin', Your stage presence don't even be in they conversation, go home, You ain't gotta hide from the truth,” Tyler raps. CHROMAKOPIA teaches us that we can’t move forward and be transparent with others if we aren’t real with ourselves first. Everything from the memorable dark grey and green color palette revolving around the album rollout, the masked persona that Tyler unmasks to listeners to his ability to unpack his worst fears through gut-wrenching times of vulnerability makes CHROMAKOPIA one of his most personal albums yet and the best album of 2024.
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