As 2024 comes to a close, it is important to take some time to reflect. All that has been good, bad, and somewhat okay has affected us in some way or another. However, there was one thing that stood out to me this year: 2024 has given us a wide variety of music.
From the high-energy, metalcore release You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To by Knocked Loose, to the dream-like Imaginal Disk by Magdalena Bay, to a surprise new album from The Cure, this year has been a great year for the music scene.
Out of the many releases from the year, here are 5 of my stand-out tracks:
5. “Image”: Magdalena Bay
Magdalena Bay has solidified themselves as being one of the best pop duos of the 21st century. Their newest album Imaginal Disk is a full-on synthpop dreamscape filled with tunes that are sure to stick around after the first listen. After trying to find what could be named the best song on the album, I came to the conclusion that “Image” encapsulates Imaginal Disk as a whole. The production on this song is so tight yet so rich with its thick bass and smooth synths. After its incredibly catchy hook, it ends with some heavy noise that bring the song to a close.
4. “Do you wanna”: Astrid Sonne
Danish experimental pop artist Astrid Sonne released her first lyrical album this year after a couple of ambient works in the early 2020s and late 2010s. Great Doubt is Sonne’s 3rd album, and in my opinion her best. “Do you wanna” is a fairly simple song, layering some unnerving-sounding chords over a repetitive drum loop. The lyrics are also quite on the nose by repeating the phrase “Do you wanna have a baby?” many times with the end line adding, “I really don’t know. Although it is a different track than many popular songs right now, taking the time to appreciate her voice, mixing, production, instrumentation, and lyricism really introduced me to one of my favorite artists I have found this year.
3. “Dream Police”: Mk.gee
28-year-old singer-songwriter Mk.gee has a talent for creating an environment with his music. His 2024 release Two Star & The Dream Police showcases that with a dreamy atmosphere that one can envision by listening to just the first few minutes. The closing track, “Dream Police” is a dreamy and atmospheric ballad reminiscent of an 80s ballad. With its driving beat and lush guitars, “Dream Police” has washed a wave of nostalgia over me.
2. “Talk talk”: Charli xcx
Charli xcx has been in the pop scene for many years, gaining critical and universal acclaim. BRAT is a reflection of the past 20 years of dance music and Charli’s career as a whole, showing emotion through its catchy tunes. Out of every song on Charli’s album, “Talk talk” was a standout. From the first moment I heard this song, I got flashbacks to the late-2000s, early 2010s dance music scene.
1. “Magic I Want U”: Jane Remover
Genre-bending visionary Jane Remover has been teasing her new sound with some singles and remixes she has dropped this year. As Remover has been one of my top artists for a while, I have been through her different changes in sound, and I think the alternative R&B sound of “Magic I Want U” suits her very well. Remover has a history of maximalism with any of her music, and incorporating elements from glitch-pop and rock into it makes it one of my favorite listens this year.
Listen to each of these tracks on every major streaming platform now!
