Troye Sivan and Charli xcx perform at Little Caesars Arena on Sept. 14, 2024. (Adam Graham/The Detroit News/TNS)
From rap beefs to Brat Summer and everything in between, this year has been eventful for the music world. This year I’ve expanded my palette a lot, but still I gravitated toward the artists and sounds I adore. My “Best of 2024” list is still tentative, but the following are five tracks that I still can’t stop listening to.
- “Juna” – Clairo
Before this year, the only time I had ever heard of Clairo was when people were labeling her as an industry plant. When “Charm” came out in July it missed me completely, but as I was getting ready to return to school in August, I decided to give the album a try.
I was expecting the typical singer-songwriter schtick, so when “Juna” came on for the first time, I was blown away by the classiness of the production, and the softness of Clairo’s voice. “Juna” is brimming with intimacy as Clairo promises to “try on feminine” and “slip off a new dress.” She lets affection in emotionally and physically, painting love as natural yet revolutionary.
As older singers retire or lose relevance, the culture is in want of the refreshing yet nostalgic music of artists like Laufey and Clairo. Every generation has had a voice strike it like lightning, and I think that after this record becomes history, my generation will remember Clairo as angelic and distinct.
- “Sympathy is a knife” – Charli XCX
Charli XCX and her pandemic-era gamechanger “how im feelin right now” got me through the pandemic, and as the years have gone on, I’ve been a devout fan of her and her bratty style, even before it found a label.
Charli has struck the balance between creativity and stardom on “Brat,” the vulnerable party album that keeps on giving with remixes, music videos, merch, DJ sets, and the ongoing “Sweat Tour” with Troye Sivan.
On a record so large and diverse, it’s impossible to pick out a standout track, which was by design on Charli’s part, yet “Sympathy is a knife” still prevails in my headphones.
A techno-masterpiece dripping with the green sludge of jealousy, Charli is sent on a downward spiral by a girl hanging around her boyfriend, “The 1975’s” George Daniels, resulting in a clash of emotions perfectly illustrated in the lyrics and production. It’s this kind of songwriting that has made “Brat” such a powerhouse. Even with all the pain bared on the track, the impulse to dance is king.
- “Asian Rock” – LAZER DIM 700
While Lazer’s beats usually sound like an intergalactic highway pile-up, “Asian Rock” has a groove that allows him to exercise range in his flow. He can command the most chaotic of instrumentals with ease, but on a more stripped down version of his usual beats, he glides effortlessly.
“Asian Rock” is a straight minute of bliss, and stands out ]among the slew of singles he’s released this year. I think trap has a lot of merit as a genre, even if I don’t listen to it often, but to simply call LAZER DIM 700 a trap artist would be to minimize his skill as an artist.
Lines like “Lil’ twin wiggin’ tryna get yo’ lil’ ceilin’ hit, come to yo’ hood tryna get yo’ lil’ city lit” are so dense and fun that it’s mind-boggling. Even if you can’t understand what he’s saying, and even if you can’t make sense of the beat, you can’t deny that when Lazer gets on the track, he cooks.
- “Cards On The Table” – Nia Archives
While trying to add something new to my palette, I discovered Nia Archives and her album “Silence Is Loud” from a playlist of recent releases. I listened to “Blind Devotion” first which turned out to be more of the “jungle” and “breakcore” that I usually listen to, but I was pleasantly surprised by Nia’s incredible singing.
While that track is good, I think “Cards On The Table” is far and away the best track of the album, and an underappreciated hit from this year. It’s got the upbeat drum patterns of PinkPantheress at her best, and lyrics bursting with the sunshine love brings.
It’s one of the sweetest love songs I’ve ever heard, and is thematically a bit similar to “Juna”. Give it a listen next time you take a walk outside, I promise you’ll feel like you’re in a 2000s romcom.
- “vulgar display of power” – JPEGMAFIA
When JPEGMAFIA promised to drop three albums in 2023, I knew it was too good to be true. He was successful in releasing “Scaring The H*es Vol. 1” with Danny Brown and a remaster of 2013’s “The Ghost-Pop Tape,” but on January 1st, 2024, he announced that the next album was going to take more time to complete.
It’s hard living up to broken promises, but exactly seven months later, “I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU” was everything I could have ever wanted, and it all culminates in my current song of the year, “vulgar display of power.”
A powerful track made distinct by two warring electric guitars and the army of chants on the chorus, this track is full of ambition and angst. Even the greatest rock ballads I’ve heard haven’t been able to bring so much raw energy. It’s hard to see how one could ever hope to top such a bombastic masterpiece, which is only made better by Peggy’s usual brand of aggressive yet humorous lyrics.
Regardless of what genres you like, this has been a fantastic year for music, and the best part is that it’s not over yet. A Kendrick album seems to be imminent, and Charli’s Brat remix album has been deemed a hit on arrival.
So go dig around, make your own list, and see if you don’t come back with a new favorite song. To see some of my other favorite tracks from this year, you can check out my tentative` “Streets Best Of 2024” playlist on Spotify.