These are my favorite albums that were released in 2024. A reminder that music taste is very personal, and my favorites won’t align with everyone else’s favorites. Recently, I’ve seen a lot of Album/Artist rankings from companies like Billboard coming out. What many people won’t acknowledge is that art in all forms, especially music, is completely subjective.
*This is in no particular order.*
COWBOY CARTER – Beyoncé
Beyoncé releasing a country album came as a major surprise. This is Act II of a three-part series in which Beyoncé explores other genres. It began with the 2022 release of “Renaissance” in which she produced a Disco record. It’s been rumored that for her next album, Act III, she will try Rock.
I found this country album to be authentic, as Beyoncé seemed to stay loyal to her true sound while also branching outside of her typical boundaries as an R&B singer. There’s no faking of country accents and there’s no lyric that doesn’t match her character. Even though it’s country and Americana, refreshingly, it’s still Beyoncé.
This pop queen reminds us the importance of stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying new things.
THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY – Taylor Swift
This may be Taylor Swift’s most depressing album to date – and that’s what makes it so great. While it’s lacking any pop bangers, it’s a highly personal and transparent look into Taylor’s private affairs. And much of her success and popularity comes from her willingness to share such intimate details of her love life.
While we can sit and argue about which song is about which ex (Joe Alwyn or Matty Healy – or that other guy she dated over ten years ago!?) what this comes down to is the feeling of heartbreak. It paints a portrait of a woman who is never happy – in relationships, she feels trapped, while in breakups, she feels defeated. It captures the image of torturing oneself through the romanticization of depression.
Having said that, I also have many critiques for this album. First, it was clearly rushed, with the potential to be a “concept album” that missed the mark. What is “the department” – is it a school, is it a workplace, is it a government, or is it an asylum? Second, the business strategy of its promotion was cheap and tacky. There was a total of 34 variants released, cheating its way to the top of the charts.
+-=÷× (Tour Collection: Live) – Ed Sheeran
This album is the setlist of Ed Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour. Each song is live – straight from the concert. Hearing Ed’s voice in the raw, he proves himself to be an extremely talented performer – which is rare in the age of autotune.
BRAT – Charli xcx
Charli xcx’s “BRAT” took the world by storm. This is an artist who’s been around for over decade, yet never truly had her moment in the limelight until now. In the years to come, 2024 will always be known as “BRAT summer.” This record proves that you can be a party girl and an emotional mess at the same time. One moment, you’re out on the dance floor, the next moment, you’re crying in the bathroom.
For a dance/electronic album, the tracks cover some deep issues that most artists won’t touch on. “Sympathy is a knife” captures the complicated feelings of being jealous and intimidated of someone. “Girl, so confusing” is about having a falling out with your best friend because they’re too insecure. “Apple” discusses generational trauma and family dynamics. “I think about it all the time” presents the conflict of wanting to settle down and start a family verses preserving your youth and remaining a party girl.
Yet still, tracks like “360” and “Club classics” are carefree and unserious in the best way possible! What’s this album trying to teach us? I think it’s implying that we all need to dance our troubles away!
eternal sunshine – Ariana Grande
I’m thoroughly impressed that in the same year that the massively successful, musical film, “Wicked” was released, co-star Ariana Grande managed to also come out with a new album. This pop artist has been around for over a decade, but this is actually the first album of hers that I fully listened to.
To me, Ariana’s past work has been overly sexualized, coupled with superficial lyrics (despite having great production.) However, in “eternal sunshine,” we hear an ethereal and angelic voice coupled with hazy and dream-fueled melodies. There’s balance between heartbreak, romance, and self-empowerment. This record feels like floating on a cloud.
The Great Impersonator – Halsey
I made a very recent review of this album which you can read here.
LOOM – Imagine Dragons
The alternative band, Imagine Dragons, detaches from rock and steps further into pop and EDM in “LOOM.” Still, I find this record to be highly experimental and risk-taking. Each track shows no sign of holding back or hesitation. I think that in order to enjoy this, you need to go into it with an open mind, and do not compare it to previous albums.
HIT ME HARD AND SOFT – Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish proves that sometimes, ten tracks is the perfect amount for an album. In an age where most artists are releasing double albums, I can appreciate something on the shorter side. I wouldn’t call this her best work, but it’s certainly very good.
“BIRD OF A FEATHER” is possibly one of the best tracks of 2024 – from any artist. It’s pure and wholesome. With such versatile lyrics, it could be about romance, platonic friendship, or anything in between. We need more love songs in this modern age, when people are afraid to show affection to one another.
96 Months – Clavin Harris
“96 Months” is a compilation of previously released singles. Many fans were disappointed that this album contains nothing new. But I found something so satisfying about putting all of these standalone tracks into one official record. I’m still waiting for this digital version to come out on vinyl, but at this point, I fear that that’s not happening.
Duality – Lindsey Stirling
Lindsey Stirling is an incredible artist who uniquely combines classical violin with modern dubstep and electronica. Many of her tracks are instrumental, some of them featuring vocals from other artists. I love her originality.
Snow Waltz – Lindsey Stirling
Lindsey Stirling also released a Christmas album this year – her second Christmas album, to be exact. Here’s to hoping that we get a third!
“&” (Ampersand) – Bastille
This album screams “cottagecore,” as Bastille takes a more acoustic and low-key approach to their sound. The theme of this album is that each track contains an ampersand (&). For example, titles including: “Intros & Narrators” and “Emily & her Penthouse in the Sky.” There’s a story-telling concept.
Deeper Well – Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves is a talented country-folk singer who I’ve started listening to more recently. “Deeper Well” explores deep concepts, such as spirituality and wisdom, outgrowing bad habits, and searching for something more.
Highway Prayers – Billy Strings
Billy Strings is a bluegrass artist who brings this a fresh and modern feel to this genre. His music is calming and simply takes you back to basics.
Am I Okay? – Megan Moroney
I found this one to be a cute and feel-good, reminding me of the first time I listened to Taylor Swift’s debut. In this country-pop album, storytelling takes the focus, and each track is like a mini novel.
No Mythologies To Follow (10th Anniversary) – MØ
This is a re-release that includes a handful of new tracks. MØ is one of my all-time favorite artists, who I’ve seen in concert twice so far. However, I didn’t become a fan of hers until a few years after this original album came out. So, it was cool to be a part of the re-release, as I was unfamiliar with most of these tracks. Ironically, my favorites ended up being “Fake Chanel” and “Bad Luck” – which were part of her new/unreleased songs.
MØ has really changed her sound since this album came out ten years ago. On this album, the melody is more muffled, and her singing blends into the background. Personally, I prefer her newer sound, which is far more contrasted. But still, it was fun to go back and revisit her roots.
Queen of the Clouds: X – Tove Lo
Another re-release, this album celebrates the ten-year anniversary of “Queen of the Clouds.” This is one of those albums that shaped me – I played it all the time back when I was in college. This listen was a great trip down memory lane – and we also got a couple of new tracks.
Spectacle: Daisy the Great vs. Tony Visconti – Daisy the Great
This last one is a “special mention,” as it’s technically an EP – with only five tracks. Daisy the Great is a recent favorite artist of mine – they’re indie-alternative. It’s a band consisting of two female singers – and there is something so satisfying about the way that their voices both clash and harmonize with one another at the same time. And if you’re wondering who Tony Visconti is, it’s the famous producer who they worked with for this record.
Here’s to hoping that 2025 brings us even better new music!
Crystal Aura Gaze 
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