Top Albums of 2024

As we enter into 2025, it’s abundantly clear that 2024 was a great year for music with so many bold artistic statements, sonic reinventions, and deeply-personal themes from some of my favorite artists. Whether through electronic experimentation, folk intimacy, or blistering hip-hop lyricism, these artists pushed boundaries while refining and staying true to their unique voices. This end-of-year list, as always on this blog, isn’t just about which records I thought sounded great — it’s about the albums that really stuck with me, the ones that I returned to and discovered something new on every listen. Some transported me to other worlds, and others felt like they were giving a voice to my own experiences. These records defined the year for me, and I have a feeling that many of them will continue to resonate long into the future.

Honorable mentions (in no particular order):

Fearless Movement - Kamasi Washington
Where we’ve been, Where we go from here - Friko
SMILE! :D - Porter Robinson
Cowboy Carter - Beyoncé
The Great American Bar Scene - Zach Bryan
Charm - Clairo
The Tortured Poets Department - Taylor Swift
Chromakopia - Tyler, the Creator
Tigers Blood - Waxahatchee
Deeper Well - Kacey Musgraves
Short n’ Sweet - Sabrina Carpenter
All Born Screaming - St. Vincent

10. The New Sound - Geordie Greep

Best known for his bombastic work with Black Midi, Geordie Greep’s solo debut is as eccentric and adventurous as one would come to expect. Fusing avant-garde jazz, art-rock, and surreal lyricism, it’s an album that never overstays a single identity for too long. There’s an undeniable playfulness to this project, but it also has a clear sense of purpose — every detour and left-field decision feels intentional, making it one of the most thrilling and tantalizing albums of the year.

Score: 8.6/10

9. Mahashmashana - Father John Misty

A deeply immersive experience, Mahashmashana finds Father John Misty embracing a more esoteric, almost mystical approach to his songwriting. The arrangements are rich and varied, blending folk traditions with sprawling orchestral moments. It’s a record that demands full attention, rewarding patience with layers of meaning and some of his most ambitious compositions yet. There’s a thematic sense of finality that lingers throughout the project — hopefully not Josh Tillman’s last under the Father John Misty stage name.

Score: 8.6/10

8. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT - Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish continues to evolve, as evidenced by this album being a striking blend of her signature intimacy with grander, more cinematic production from herself and her brother FINNEAS. There’s an undeniable confidence making its way into her songwriting, as she effortlessly shifts between vulnerability and defiance to the norm. It’s an album that lingers long after its closing track “BLUE” ends, showcasing an artist fully in command of her sound.

Score: 8.7/10

7. I Lay Down My Life For You - JPEGMAFIA

Chaotic, confrontational, and unpredictable as always, this album cements JPEGMAFIA as one of the most exciting forces in experimental underground hip-hop. The production is as abrasive as ever — filled to the brim with distorted textures and relentless energy. But there’s also a newfound clarity in his vision. It’s a record that challenges expectations at every turn, making for one of the year’s most electrifying while admittedly challenging listens.

Score: 8.8/10

6. Songs of a Lost World - The Cure

The Cure’s long-awaited return is a triumph of mood and melody, capturing the same melancholic grandeur that made them legends while embracing a new sense of maturity and loss. The production is lush, the songwriting is deeply evocative, and the atmosphere is unmistakably theirs. It’s a record that bridges past and present, proving that their ability to channel beauty through sorrow remains as powerful and poignant as ever.

Score: 8.9/10

5. Patterns in Repeat - Laura Marling

Laura Marling has long been a master of folk introspection, and this album finds her refining her craft even further. The arrangements are deceptively simple, allowing her voice and lyrics to take center stage, but there’s a quiet complexity to every single song. It’s an album that feels lived-in and cared for, full of wisdom and reflection, making it one of her most affecting works yet as it explores the cyclical nature of parenthood. The full-circle parallels between this project and her album Song for Our Daughter are beautiful.

Score: 9.0/10

4. GNX - Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar continues to solidify his place as hip-hop’s most vital voice with GNX, an album that blends his razor-sharp lyricism with some of his most adventurous production choices yet. His storytelling remains unmatched, dissecting personal and societal struggles with a precision that few can rival. Every track feels like a puzzle piece, adding to a larger narrative that rewards repeated listens while also serving as a well-deserved victory lap and ode to Los Angeles after his feud with Drake earlier this year. MUSTAAARD!!!

Score: 9.1/10

3. Brat - Charli XCX

An artistic left turn from her previous work’s aesthetic, Brat is Charli XCX at her most unfiltered and exhilarating. The production is sleek and aggressive, packed with high-energy club beats and earworm-y hooks, but there’s also a sense of vulnerability lurking beneath the hedonism on tracks like “Apple” and “So I”. It’s a record that balances chaos with clarity, proving once again why Charli remains at the forefront of pop’s evolution. Brat Summer just may live on forever.

Score: 9.2/10

2. Bright Future - Adrianne Lenker

Few artists capture intimacy as effortlessly as Adrianne Lenker, and Bright Future is another masterclass in her ability to turn quiet moments into profound experiences. Her songwriting is even more unguarded here, with warm, organic instrumentation complementing her poetic and haunting storytelling. It’s an album that feels like a conversation whispered in the dark — achingly personal while universally resonant. Lenker continues to prove that she is one of the best living singer-songwriters.

Score: 9.4/10

1. Imaginal Disk - Magdalena Bay

Magdalena Bay continues to redefine modern pop with a sound that feels both meticulously futuristic and effortlessly nostalgic on Imaginal Disk. This album expands on their hyper-glossy aesthetic while delving into more intricate compositions, weaving together shimmering synths, warped production, and unexpected emotional and conceptual depth. It’s a dizzying, kaleidoscopic experience that proves they’re one of the most innovative acts in electronic pop. This album’s themes of introspective discovery, acceptance of imperfection, and self-actualization were very relevant to me this year, and its addictive and nearly flawless tracklist made Imaginal Disk my favorite album of 2024.

Score: 9.5/10

Looking back at these albums, I’m struck by the diversity of sound and vision that defined the past year of music. Each of these records, in their own way, pushed boundaries — whether through sonic innovation, emotional depth, or artistic ambition. Music has a unique and special way of anchoring us to specific moments in time, and these albums became the backdrop to a year with high highs and low lows.

2024 reaffirmed my love for music, and I want to do even more writing about it on this blog in 2025 — whether that means reviewing more releases or exploring older records. If 2024 proved anything, it’s that music remains as transformative, essential, and necessary as ever. Here’s to another year of discovery. Happy listening!

Album Review: HIT ME HARD AND SOFT - Billie Eilish

Three years after the release of her critically-acclaimed sophomore album Happier Than Ever and multiple Oscar-winning ballads, Billie Eilish faced a monster more terrifying than any of those she doodled in her famous teenage notebook — Writer’s Block. Her rise to stardom was a surge so sudden and seamless that some deemed it impossible to be anything other than an industry plant, and it eventually started to feel like swimming upstream for the alternative pop megastar. Billie isn’t afraid to share her fears that she could already be on her way out or that her 15 minutes of fame are up. Those same fears, and consistent collaboration with her musical mastermind brother FINNEAS, may have been exactly what pushed her to keep swimming and write her way out of a corner, culminating in Eilish’s third and most personal studio album yet, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.

When Greta Gerwig set out to create her box office smash hit film Barbie, she did so with the intention of creating a genuine portrayal of the unique and singular experience of womanhood through one of the most nostalgic and feminist icons in American culture — the Barbie doll. Knowing that the film’s score had to capture and convey its seemingly simple yet devastatingly complex and relevant themes, she sought out Billie to contribute as one of the world’s most talented songwriters. “What Was I Made For?” resonated with so many people because it channeled womanhood in its most poignant and pure form, matching the film’s themes and tone perfectly. After the success of that track, Billie found herself struggling to create the same flowstate of productivity in the studio that she had with her two album releases prior. After countless attempts to capture that same lightning in a bottle feeling, she used the speak-from-the-heart approach that she did for Barbie to write the opening track “SKINNY” for HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.

The album’s stripped back ambient acoustic guitar and softly sung lyrical content help develop Billie’s new theme of opening albums with life updates; giving her listeners a snapshot of what has been on her mind since they heard from her last. “SKINNY” is an immediate tear-jerker that introduces the album’s narrative themes of loss, regret, new love, and self discovery. “LUNCH” is a perfect example of Eilish coming to terms with every aspect of herself — a no-holds-barred, innuendo-packed and lustful banger in every regard.

The following three tracks showcase FINNEAS’s ability to foster and hone in on Billie’s innate musical instincts. “CHIHIRO” may be a career highlight, with its crescendoing synths and guitars that build to the point of bliss. “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” is a beautiful ode to loyalty, commitment, and staying strong for others even when the going gets tough. “WILDFLOWER” also builds continually while outlining the messy and complicated intricacies of Eilish’s friendships and role helping navigating others’ failed relationships.

“THE GREATEST” and “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE” utilize similar songwriting structures by starting slowly and eventually exploding in their back halves. The first utilizes “Happier Than Ever”-like rock guitar instrumentation over some of Billie’s most ambitious vocal deliveries yet, and the second evolves into an 80’s synth-heavy bop so well-received by fans that Eilish released an extended cut of the track just days after the album’s release.

“THE DINER” and the first half of “BITTERSUITE” are where some of my criticisms of the album come to the forefront, unfortunately. The first reverts to the tonal aesthetics of her first album over what some are calling a “Luigi’s Mansion typebeat” — I love the internet sometimes — and while its perspective switch to the eyes of one of Eilish’s stalkers is a creative choice, its lack of sonic development makes it stand in the shadows of the tracks that come before it. The second is a narrative extension across songs, something Eilish does very well throughout this album, but its initially slow progression just fails to captivate me. That, of course, changes in the end when Eilish introduces the fan favorite and long-lost chord progressions of “True Blue”, an unreleased but idolized track from her early days of touring.

Now a combination of “True Blue” and “Born Blue”, “BLUE” is another album highlight, featuring self-referential songwriting that references every other song on the project. Its second half leaves things off on a more dark and mysterious note, setting Eilish up to take her musical career in any direction that feels natural to her and her brother.

While others have connected the dots on what fans are calling the ILOMILO theory, essentially that this project could be the first half of a potential double-album drop, I am completely content with HIT ME HARD AND SOFT being the product of Eilish’s hard work in escaping the beast of the void that is Writer’s Block. Of course I would be excited to hear more, as I love ambitious and fan-centric surprise artistry, but this is also more than enough for me. I thought there would be no better way to return to my blog after 5 months of inactivity than positively reviewing a genuine, incredibly-talented artist who learned how to swim upstream by creating lightning instead of catching it in a bottle. This is instantly a contender for album of the year, and I can’t wait to see where she goes next.

Favorite Tracks: “SKINNY” - “LUNCH” - “CHIHIRO” - “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” - “THE GREATEST - “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE” - “BLUE”

SCORE: 8.7/10

Album Review: Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever

Few debut albums receive as much acclaim and praise as Billie Eilish’s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? did, as she won 7 Grammy awards and frequented the top of the charts for months after its release. That project caught the industry by storm because of its eery aesthetic, stellar production, and incredibly well-written lyrics. As unique and interesting as it was, the project also reflected Eilish’s shockingly young age with multiple pop culture references and sometimes playful delivery. Eilish’s notoriety and recognition has expanded exponentially since her debut, leaving many wondering which direction she would take for her sophomore album. Lead singles with a clearly defined new approach, subdued instrumentation, and matured subject matter set the stage for a rollout that took me completely by surprise. Completely different than its predecessor but with just as stellar production and sound, Happier Than Ever could understandably be called a step up for an artist who has already proven that she has what it takes to rightfully call herself an international superstar.

“Getting Older” is a completely different direction as an opener than “Bad Guy”, allowing Eilish to catch her listeners up on her mental state since her last release with piercing lyrics and honesty. Lines like “Things I once enjoyed just keep me employed now / things I’m longing for someday I will be bored of” are direct and succinctly reflect the existential realizations Eilish continues to make as she has more music industry experience under her belt. “I Didn’t Change My Number” takes more of a confident and braggadocious tone, as Eilish continues to express her growing confidence as a person and an artist. Finneas’s production shines this track, allowing his sister’s delivery to flow seamlessly with a minimal but hard-hitting backing instrumental. The abrasive production toward the end of the track keeps me coming back for more. “Billie Bosa Nova” is a sensual, understated track that depicts the story of a mysterious meetup. Eilish’s storytelling ability shines through here, which is a refreshing change of pace for a writer who often leans more on imagery than narrative. We’ve heard “my future” already, and luckily it fits very well into the tracklisting sonically and thematically. This track also allows Eilish to show her vocal range and control very well.

“Oxytocin” is an immediate standout that could’ve easily functioned as a great lead single for the project. The closest thing this album has to a club banger, this track is eery, moody, and uptempo in all the best ways. Eilish moves on to explore a more creative approach with “GOLDWING”, which is a two-part track that opens with the hymnal, choral delivery and religious imagery that transitions into a more hard-hitting song by the end of its brief runtime. “Lost Cause” was another lead single, and its slippery bass line is still completely addictive. The energy that the lead singles lacked is made up for by the accompanying tracks on this album, and that more understated delivery makes more sense in the context of the project. “Halley’s Comet” is a very emotional piano ballad that, along with the following track, gives pause to an album that is already moving full steam ahead. I’m a sucker for slower, introspective tracks, so while this may be too much of a downer for some, it’s luckily right up my alley.

“Not My Responsibility” feels like an interlude in the tracklisting despite its nearly 4-minute runtime. On this track, Eilish uses spoken word to confront the amalgamated collective of judgmental figures that have critiqued her as an artist and a person since she was a teenager. She directly acknowledges the “controversy” behind what she wears and how she looks, which I commend as a bold, confident, and necessary statement that applies not just to her, but to all women who are unjustly judged for their appearance and expression. Finneas then works his magic by transitioning this track effortlessly into “OverHeated”, which is another highlight (of many) here.

I thought that “Everybody Dies” would culminate in a more poignant message by its end, and while I enjoyed this track, I think that it could’ve been given more thought and attention. Perhaps this is just because all of its surrounding tracks are just so refined and impressive. The next three tracks are all singles, and all fit well together, especially as the impactful “NDA” flows triumphantly into the upbeat “Therefore I Am”. Finneas really knows what he’s doing, doesn’t he?

This album’s title track is quickly becoming my favorite piece of music Billie Eilish has released thus far. The two-part track mirrors the structure of Phoebe Bridgers’ “I Know The End”, which was one of my favorite songs last year. Eilish contemplates a failed relationship and how she has coped with it ending in the album’s first half, backed by simple acoustics. The second half of this track is simply astounding, as electric guitars pair with Eilish’s passionate and overcharged delivery. This track is so incredibly well-written and assembled that it makes me reassess Eilish’s ceiling as an artist, which now feels non-existent. Pair this with such a great music video, and you have a nearly perfect track. “Male Fantasy” is a wonderfully melancholic closer that allows Eilish to acknowledge the industry’s shortcomings and a male-centric society that she has had to continue to try to overcome as a young woman paving her own path. All in all, this is another great track on an already amazing album.

While the drawn-out rollout for this project left me slightly concerned with its direction, its actual release completely relieved any worries I had. Billie and Finneas have once again struck gold with their homegrown musical genius, proving that their debut success was anything but an anomaly. Creatively, Eilish is charting unnavigated waters at such a young age - and I can’t wait to continue to watch her growth as an artist. Her concert can’t come soon enough.

Favorite tracks: “Getting Older”, “Billie Bossa Nova”, “my future”, “Oxytocin”, “GOLDWING”, “Lost Cause”, “Halley’s Comet”, “OverHeated”, “Your Power”, “NDA”, “Happier Than Ever”, “Male Fantasy”

SCORE: 8/10

New Music Round-Up (Father John Misty, Drake, And More)

As you know by now, I enjoy writing about music very much. Whether I’m reviewing a new release, discussing my favorite albums of all-time, or talking about which artists I think you should look out for moving forward, music has become one of the central topics for this blog. In the past weeks, my schedule has been turned upside down as I’ve been packing for and moving into my apartment as my senior year of college nears. During this time, there have been some noteworthy releases which I’ve wanted to comment on but just haven’t had the time. Until today, that is. Let’s talk about some of the best and worst singles which have released recently.

Father John Misty - “To S.” and “To. R”

Since the release of God’s Favorite Customer in 2018, Josh Tillman’s fans have been desperately awaiting a new release from their favorite cynical indie folk artist. His live collection Off-Key in Hamburg and his covers EP Anthem +3 held me over slightly, but I was still looking forward to original work from Tillman. To contribute to the Sub Pop Singles Club, Tillman released two mysteriously titled singles which live up to his sound which we’ve come to know and love. “To S.” offers an empathetic message backed by a gentle string arrangement, and “To R.” mirrors this track in many ways. The lyrics on this track are slightly more ambiguous than is to my liking, but overall, these are satisfactory tracks from Mr. Tillman which will continue to hold me over until his next LP, which is hopefully coming sooner rather than later. SCORE: 7/10

Drake - “Laugh Now, Cry Later (feat. Lil Durk)”

It’s hard not to like Drake. While I’ve been very critical of his few most recent full-length album releases, it’s almost impossible to imagine the hip-hop and pop genres without Drake’s presence. Known for being able to release hit after hit, Drake has ascended to a level of popularity rivaled by very few in today’s musical scene, and it feels like he’s starting to grasp that fact. The accompanying music video for this single made me laugh out loud when I first watched it. Drake seems fully aware of his meme status, providing a solid single riddled with parody-like moments throughout. The Lil Durk feature here is brief and forgettable, but overall, I just have to respect Drake’s ability to continue his lore as an artist. SCORE: 5/10

Cardi B. & Megan Thee Stallion - “WAP”

When Nicki Minaj released her single and music video “Anaconda” in 2014, the internet went wild. While many of Minaj’s fans applauded her confidence and female empowerment perspective, others condemned her behavior despite their inability to criticize male artists who discuss the same subject matter regularly with little backlash. Unfortunately, six years later in 2020, not much has changed, and the reactionary gatekeepers of the internet are just as present and vocal as they were years ago. Here’s the deal: “WAP” is a fantastic track. Despite the fact that its clean version is still likely too dirty to be played on the radio, the unabashed feminist confidence from both Cardi B. and Megan Thee Stallion is simply inspiring. The track is a fun and memorable listen, and the music video released alongside this smash hit only emphasizes the statement of empowerment it makes. Great stuff. SCORE: 8/10

Billie Eilish - “my future”

It’s hard to believe that Billie Eilish nearly swept the Grammys following her 2019 release WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? earlier this year. The singles she has released since then have been massive hits which I’ve enjoyed thoroughly, particularly “everything i wanted”. On “my future”, we find Eilish singing from a more positive and optimistic perspective than ever before. After the reflections on such dark topics from her first album, its nice to hear Eilish sing from a better place over such an uplifting and catchy single. To add to this song, Billie’s performance at the DNC earlier this week was fantastic. Can’t help but continue to fanboy over Billie Eilish. SCORE: 7/10

Miley Cyrus - “Midnight Sky”

It’s unfortunate that Miley Cyrus has become such a polarizing figure and artist, particularly on the internet. While I haven’t enjoyed much of the music she’s released recently, I respect her artistic vision and willingness to discuss sometimes taboo topics so openly and honestly. Luckily, this 80s throwback “Midnight Sky” instills confidence in me that Cyrus will continue to develop personally and artistically, and that a new era could be around the corner for her. This is a solid single with huge radio potential and a killer self-directed music video, and I highly suggest you check it out. SCORE: 7/10

So there we have it: some of the biggest singles and tracks released in the past weeks have finally been discussed here on the blog. I’m hoping for new album releases soon, as I’m finally settling into my apartment, which includes my new speakers and record player which will be used regularly. Which of these tracks is your favorite? What kind of music have you been listening to recently? Let me know. Thanks for reading.

Award Season Recap: Absolute Dominance

The 2020 Grammys and Academy Awards have come and passed after months of speculation and predictions. These awards are increasingly becoming less popular, as television ratings have been consistently decreasing for them over the past few years, but they are still interesting to analyze, especially in such a unique year. In both ceremonies this year there were many records broken, and there was absolute dominance which I was happy to see. Let’s break it down.

Billie Eilish has taken the pop music genre by storm over the past year and a half, accumulating a loyal fanbase after the release of her 2019 debut album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?. Her competition going into the Grammys was stiff this year, facing off against celebrated artists such as Ariana Grande and Lizzo among many others. Despite this, Billie Eilish and her producer brother Finneas walked away from the ceremony with a combined total of 10 Grammys, an absolutely astonishing feat for such a young artist. I was very happy that Billie did as well as she did after enjoying her debut album as much as I did and still do to this day. I was also delighted that Tyler, The Creator won in the Best Rap Album category for IGOR, but I agree with his sentiment that he should be included in the pop category instead of being pigeonholed into a less competitive field.

I was very pleased with the results of the 2020 Academy Awards as well, as a lot of my predictions came true. Bong Joon-ho and Parasite altogether were absolutely dominant, winning Best Picture, Directing, Editing, and Original Screenplay. By winning the biggest award of the night, Parasite became the first foreign film to ever win Best Picture at the Oscars, which it absolutely deserved. Most of the other awards went my way, too, with the films I enjoyed most beating their competition in their respective categories.

I don’t let what I enjoy rely and depend on what wins at award shows. This year, however, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the music and cinema I enjoyed so much in the past year receive the praise it deserved in such an incredibly dominant fashion. Here’s hoping that 2020 brings just as much enjoyable media as 2019 did.