Best Albums of 2024

Celebrating her Colombian heritage, Kali Uchis has finally decided to make an album in Spanish while also honouring Latin genres like reggaetón, bolero, and merengue. She’s also collaborated with some of the most relevant Latinx artists today, including Karol G, Rauw Alejandro, Peso Pluma, or El Alfa. From melancholic to club-ready, Orquídeas is an amalgamation of genres and moods, and it became the best opener of the year.

Charli XCX’s sixth album has completely changed the course of her career and the marketing plans of the entire industry. With an iconic cover that few believed in at first (not my case), the mix of a fresh sound that the artist had been developing for years and some of her most confessional lyrics caused the explosion of ‘Brat summer’ — or ‘Brat year’ rather.

On her third album, Billie Eilish evolves towards a more mature and reflective sound, highlighted by a minimalist production that leaves space for her voice. The album, full of details and introspective moments, offers an emotional journey where the artist’s vulnerability becomes her greatest strength, as she tackles love experiences, sexuality, and forgiveness. It’s so beautiful to watch her become one of the greatest singers of our time.

Doechii showcases her impressive talent in Alligator Bites Never Heal, blending psychedelic soul, spiritual jazz, and rap to highlight her roots in Tampa and Los Angeles. Her Swamp Sessions series and hit singles like Alter Ego and MPH have gained millions of streams, further building her momentum. Doechii’s versatile talents earned her spots in major awards and festivals, including Coachella, and has conquered so many hearts with her latest live appearances in The Tonight Show and Tiny Desk. This is definitely a turning year in her career.

Attention! This year you will hear few more beautiful melodies than the ones you will find In The Modern World, an emotional ballad that is worth listening to without any distractions. Fontaines D.C.'s new album shows the maturation of a band that has managed to define its sound and consolidate a place that they deserved many years ago.

How can someone not love Clairo? In case of doubts, 2024 saw Charm mark a significant evolution in her musical journey. Juna, Add Up My Love, Nomad, Sexy to Someone… The album blends indie pop, lo-fi, and electronic elements, with an increased maturity in both the production and lyrical depth of some of her best songs yet. Charm cements her transition from bedroom pop prodigy to a fully realised, genre-blending artist.

Since her 2022 album LP.8, Kelly Lee Owens had remained pretty quiet — unfortunately. But that’s because she was getting ready to deliver her best record to date. In Dreamstate, the producer and DJ conducts listeners to, precisely, a dream-like state that bridges the physical with the spiritual, especially in hit songs like Sunshine, Higher, or Dark Angel.

Mustafa's debut, Dunya, is an emotionally rich blend of folk, R&B and soul, deeply rooted in his Turkish-Canadian background. Identity, pain, and love are at the core of this record’s power: most of the songs encapsulate the power of Name of God, the first single. Dunya is a poetic meditation on the complexities of life, helping to deconstruct the stigma towards Arab identities and lives — now more than ever.

The Dare has turned out to be one of the year’s biggest revelations. A close collaborator of Charli XCX (he’s responsible for Guess, one of the best songs in brat), his slim fit suit-and-tie look have made him instantly recognisable and a staple of the industry. In What’s Wrong with New York, his ten-track album, he explores electronic music from a joyful, playful, but also rebel perspective.

As usual, Tyler wrote, produced, and arranged all songs in his new studio album, proving that he’s one of the biggest artists of our generation. Like in previous works, he speaks from the point of view of a character, which helps him tackle heavy issues like growing old, accepting himself, and success (or the lack thereof). It’s brainy, intense, and reflective, and it has listeners thinking about those issues too.

Her viral TikTok hit Water served Tyla a purpose: to make her a global icon. But don’t think she was going to be a one-hit wonder; the South African singer took the opportunity to work hard on her debut album, Tyla, a take over the world. Blending elements of R&B, amapiano, Afrobeats, and pop, and speaking of relationships and empowerment, she proved she’s here to stay with a great dose of good music, collaborations, and impeccable production.

Almost ten years after his debut, Jamie xx brings us his anticipated second studio album. If you're looking for a carbon copy of his debut, you might be disappointed, but there are many things they share, like the tracklist being banger after banger and the list of collaborators (Robyn, Honey Dijon, Romy, Kelsey Lu, John Glacier, and more) bringing what they do best to each song.

Kacey Musgraves’ new album is a masterclass of ‘less is more’ and continues with the narrative and confessional style of her two previous LPs, the critically acclaimed Golden Hour and the massively underrated star-crossed. If she follows the dreamy sound of the last seconds of Anime Eyes for her next project, she will be truly unstoppable.

Imaginal Disk is an album that redefines contemporary pop, mixing effervescent synthesizers, guitars, and percussion into an innovative sound. Radiohead, Joni Mitchell, and science fiction are influences throughout the whole album, in which they explore philosophical and existential themes with an emotionally potent touch. With this second LP, Magdalena Bay have become essential to understand the future of pop alt music in the international music scene by making the sound the center of the experimentation and taking it to another level.

We knew the guitar was back in the game, but never to the extent of being the main element of one of the best albums of the year: Two Star & The Dream Police, by Mk.gee. Lo-fi indie meets experimental pop over dreamlike atmospheres. With his hazy vocals and intricate production, the artist creates a captivating sound that showcases male longing and introspection, making him a new superstar.

Sometimes I find it hard to believe that Jessica Pratt lives in our time because her whole artistic persona is completely vintage. Not because she puts a filter on her voice or her wardrobe, but because she does it so authentically that it feels like a time machine has caused it. Here in the Pitch is another remarkable album from an artist who never fails and sounds so much like her that no one could ever imitate her.

Legendary label Luckyme released Iglooghost’s Tidal Memory Exo in 2024 adding another great artist to their roster. Seamus Rawles Malliagh's fourth album maintains his detailed experimental style but approaches new and darker soundscapes, as the artist explained at the time of release: “super relentless, violent and pummelling,” “like dirty swells crashing against walls of rusty sea urchins.” Undoubtedly one of his best works, which brings a little more depth than his previous ones.

Sensational made me fall in love at first listen. Who was this mysterious artist with a spectral sound and a whispering voice? At that time, I didn't know Erika de Casier and I wasn't familiar with her discography. Three years later, she has written for NewJeans, collaborated with Blood Orange, and released an exceptional new album called Still, but her indecipherable halo continues and I'm glad of it.

We were already aware of Vegyn’s talent by his work as a producer of some of the most important albums of the last few years by Frank Ocean, Shygirl or Travis Scott. The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions is a trademark on this year’s sound. Electronic, hip hop, and pop find a unique meeting in this record, in which eclecticism is the main character. Ethan P. Flynn, Lauren Auder or John Glacier’s features are the cherry on the top of this consistent yet delicate sonic experience.

I think few things make me angrier than mentioning Nilüfer Yanya and people not knowing her. Three albums behind her and each one of them is better than the last, the artist offers once again an excellent compendium between guitar mid-tempos, ballads, and more aggressive songs. If you don't know her yet, I think it's time to do yourself a favour and listen to her.

Jazz, psychedelia, funk, and lounge are the keys to the sound of The Marías, who have released their sophomore album this year: Submarine. They return to the roots of their sound, where nostalgia is elegantly sprinkled throughout the structure of hit songs like No One Noticed or Run Your Mouth. Their vocals and visuals are at once cinematic and pop, shaping one of the most original bands on the music scene who never struggle to create beautiful music.

Louis Kevin Celestin has released one of the best albums of this year, in which he has worked with clarity and success on an astonishing concept: rhythm. So many genres fuse together in it, and it seems that music was once invented for one single purpose: dancing. Childish Gambino, Chanel Tress, Dawn Richard or Ravyn Lenae join in under the direction of Kaytranada to make Timeless such an accurate title in which the cadence becomes vital.

Astrid Sonne's cover has stuck in my mind from the first moment I saw it. It's not pompous at all. In fact, it’s simplistic, but it defines the album in the best possible way. “Do you wanna have a baby?,” the artist asks herself on the album, and just like her gaze, direct and warm, the question pierces you until it feels like she’s asking you.

There are many complexities involved in Beyoncé's music, from the sheer and suspicious number of people involved in it to the lack of ‘spontaneous’ behaviour of one of the world's most famous women. However, Cowboy Carter manages to surprise and show a different side of Beyoncé's vocal and storytelling abilities. This time for a bit of justice — bringing back the roots of country music as part of Black history. From the stunning Texas Hold'em to the fabulous version of Jolene, this album is a delight to enjoy.

With a title as evocative as Petrichor (the scent of how the earth smells right after it rains), which 070 Shake confessed to bring her a lot of memories, we could only expect an album equally tantalising. In her more experimental record to date, the artist explores a darker side to her voice and lyrics, a looming aura surrounding songs like Vagabond, Elephant, or Blood on Your Hands.

Emotive, stripped-down, and authentic could be three of the words that best define Adrianne Lenker’s Bright Future. Impeccable lyrics that will make your hair stand on end and a voice that transmits with few decibels. Just when you think you’ve had enough, Ruined, the last song, arrives to make sure you don't leave without shedding more tears.

Oh, how fun it is to play a pop album and listen to each song only to realise that none of them are fillers! The truth is that in the case of For Your Consideration, you don't have to go very far to realise that, as soon as you play Lorelei, you can rest assured that Empress Of knows very well what she's doing.

“I always write with my heart on my sleeve but I agree, this album is my most vulnerable. It’s almost like a diary,” Alexander aka Rex Orange County told us when we interviewed him https://metalmagazine.eu/post/rex-orange-county and asked him about this album. In it, he opens up to his audience like never before and lays his soul bare to tackle issues like mental and physical health, jealousy, and vulnerability. It’s also his most diverse record to date music-wise, experimenting a lot with genres and composition. The risk definitely paid of.

Sixteen years after their last studio album, The Cure are back. Given the context of so many reunions in the music industry, one might fear that a band would lose its uniqueness on one of these rare occasions. But Songs of a Lost World offers a return to the band’s atmospheric post-punk roots, with melancholic melodies, lush instrumentation and evocative vocals, capturing a sense of nostalgia and longing. A magnificent reflection on today's world provides songs like And Nothing Else, Lament, Alone, or the fan favourite I Can Never Say Goodbye, reaffirming The Cure's iconic place in alternative music.

Liam Benzvi’s second album is just pure pop bliss. Hooks are definitely not lacking, the lyrics are quirky, bizarre, and gay, and the collaboration list, which includes Blood Orange and Ren G, is top notch. If it has all those ingredients together, what's not to like?

In DOD, she blends Indian music and instruments with sexually charged lyrics (“dance on the dick, d-dance on the dick / I’m a bad-ass bitch with my rich ass), while Okay, the most streamed song of the album, is made up of pure, cold bars. 2024 has been an incredibly good year for JT, who’s released her acclaimed album as well as collaborated with artists like Kali Uchis, 070 Shake, or Doechii.

It’s only taken twelve songs for Hermanos Gutiérrez to conquer millions of hearts. With their characteristic instrumental style, which blends different Latin genres like cumbia and more jazzy, psyschedellic sounds, their new album Sonido cósmico is a musical trip to the cosmos, creating enveloping soundscapes that help us reconnect with nature while evading reality.

With titles like Witching Hour, Wasteland, Ghost, or Black Light, one could expect LSDXOXO’s new album to be way darker. But it actually isn’t. The METAL 51 cover star continues to blend electronic and hip-hop but does so with softer rhythms and melodies this time. His voice and sound are just as hypnotising as ever though.

His massively viral hit i like the way you kiss me opens Artemas’ new album, which exudes an aura of mystery — just like the artist. But there’s much more to that. The self-taught musician has learned a thing or two about production that has helped him craft a recognisable sound — dreamy, cocooning, and melancholic. In this record, Artemas positions himself as one to watch in the years to come regardless of virality.

Every year, you need an introspective album you can put on in the winter evenings, and this 2024, Casey MQ has the solution to your problems. Like hot chocolate on snow, the piano arrangements, electronic beats, and the composer's voice glide smoothly and carefully trying not to hit a wrong note, and they certainly succeed.