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!
