Top 50 Albums of 2024

"Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah."

Jan 30, 2025

A few people have reached out to me asking about this list and when it’s coming in the past month. As it turns out, when you decide to direct a short film, your schedule tends to get a little packed.

But if undergrad didn’t stop me from putting these out, nothing will. I listened to a lot of great music this year, and it seems like everyone else did, too! While 2024 already feels like a wistful memory, I’m (finally) counting down my favorite records of the year.

First, some honorable mentions:

Fearless Movement by Kamasi Washington
In Silly We Trust by TisaKorean
Maybe in Nirvana by Smino
TRANSA by Red Hot Org
Bird’s Eye by Ravyn Lenae
Soul Burger by Ab-Soul
Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran by Shakira
stars fell on trench by quinn
Black Yacht Rock Vol. 1 by Pharrell Williams
Memoir of a Sparklemuffin by Suki Waterhouse
Heaven on Urf by BLACKSTARKIDS
Deeper Well by Kacey Musgraves
Five Dice, All Threes by Bright Eyes
Algorithm by Lucky Daye
Dauntless Manifesto by CupcakKe
Radical Optimism (EXTENDED) by Dua Lipa
Why Lawd? by NxWorries
Prelude to Ecstasy by The Last Dinner Party
Negative Spaces by Poppy
96 Miles from Bethlehem by Belly

Like I said, big year.

After a long streak of increasingly dense and inaccessible albums, Lupe Fiasco has found a new stride this decade. Like 2022’s Drill Music in Zion, this is pure Lupe lyrical gymnastics in an easy-to-swallow capsule. Even as it plays with a brow-furrowing conceit—reimagining Amy Winehouse as a battle rapper—it maintains a smooth, head-nodding sound that’s hard to say “no” to.

Highlights: Samurai; Cake; No. 1 Headband; Til Eternity

49. TATE TUESDAY, VOL. 1 - Baby Tate

This is a short compilation of loose singles released late in the year with little fanfare, but man, every track hits.

Highlights: Face the World; Super Sick; Babysitter; Straight

48. SHADOWBOX - MAVI

The concept of “emo rap” has floated around for a decade or two now, but if you want to listen to some real depressing shit, no one does it like MAVI. Right from the opening line (“Today my grandmother turned 80/And I’m on three Percocets, I ain’t even ate yet”), you know you’re in for a downer.

Highlights: i’m so tired; the sky is quiet; drunk prayer; my own way

47. LOVE HEART CHEAT CODE - Hiatus Kaiyote

I was about to not include this record—which, in fairness, is not Hiatus Kaiyote’s best—and then I went, “Who am I kidding?”

Higlights: Make Friends; Everything’s Beautiful; Love Heart Cheat Code; White Rabbit

46. TENSION II - Kylie Minogue

After making waves with 2023’s “Padam Padam”, the sequel to Tension had a relatively muted response. This is a shame because, honestly? It’s a better album.

Highlights: Taboo; Good As Gone; Kiss Bang Bang; Dance to the Music

45. MEMOIRS IN ARMOUR - Navy Blue

Despite a veritable rogues gallery of indie producers (Budgie, Chuck Strangers, Nicholas Craven, etc.), this is Navy Blue’s most polished record to date. Just 26 minutes of great, mellow, introspective rhymes!

Highlights: Take Heed; Basis; Running Sand; Say the Word

44. NO MORE WATER: THE GOSPEL OF JAMES BALDWIN - Meshell Ndegeocello

Meshell spoils us with two albums in two years. Where last year’s The Omnichord Real Book was a tapestry of short sparks with a host of great collaborators, this year’s No More Water tributes James Baldwin on his 100th birthday with a clear-eyed, talkative and ethereal reflection on his enduring legacy.

Highlights: Travel; On the Mountain; Pride II; Love; Another Country

43. WHAT A DEVASTATING TURN OF EVENTS - Rachel Chinouriri

After getting the coveted Pulp Friction Bump at last year’s Pulpy Music Awards, Rachel Chinouriri broke out this year with the lightly-viral “Never Need Me” and this excellent record of good-ol’-fashioned indie rock.

Highlights: The Hills; My Everything; All I Ever Asked; Cold Call

42. MAHASHMASHANA - Father John Misty

In Sanskrit, “mahashmashana” means “the great cremation”. To Father John Misty, it “has all these sha-na-nas and ha-ha-has in it.” While the album isn’t without its reflections on death and despair, the title is really more of an aesthetic reference to the trendy white American approximation of Eastern mysticism that dominated the ‘60s/’70s era the album hearkens to. It carries all the sleaze, the bad taste, and the ecstasy of that time.

Highlights: Mahashmashana; She Cleans Up; Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose; I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All

41. ODYSSEY - Nubya Garcia

Even in a year full of exceptional jazz, it’s no surprise that Nubya Garcia was the big breakout. The London saxophonist really lets loose on this sophomore album, bringing out the same freshness that other modern jazz greats like Kamasi Washington and Terrace Martin have offered.

Highlights: Odyssey; Set It Free (feat. Richie); The Seer; Triumphance

40. WHAT NOW - Brittany Howard

In some ways, this is really just an acknowledgment that I haven’t given Brittany Howard her proper due in the past. But What Now is a standout in her catalog; Alabama Shakes ruled, but she’s clearly started to really spread her wings as a solo artist.

Highlights: Earth Sign; Red Flags; Prove It to You; Every Color in Blue

39. THERE GOES THE NEIGHBOURHOOD - Kid Kapichi

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: I love a band that’s just a British guy yelling at you about like, Brexit. But Kid Kapichi offers a dance-punk twist on that Yard Act sound I’ve grown so fond of. “Get Down” is quietly one of the year’s best songs.

Highlights: Artillery; Tamagotchi; Can EU Hear Me?; Get Down

38. RAVE:N, THE REMIXES - Kelela

It’s a rare treat when a remix album truly expands—and even improves—upon the original. Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat has its moments, but for my money, RAVE:N does much more to expand the horizons of the original record, last year’s Raven (which admittedly, I was kinda lukewarm on). That “Enough for Love” remix is the highlight of this whole Kelela era.

Highlights: Washed Away - Ethereal Remix (feat. Liv.e); Raven - TYGAPAW Remix (feat. Rochelle Jordan); Sorbet - LSDXOXO Remix; Enough for Love - TAYHANA Remix

37. BLUE LIPS - ScHoolboy Q

Few artists’ work better defined their era than ScHoolboy Q’s did the early ‘10s, but there was always more to him than that. After the disappointing CrasH Talk, he’s back in Blank Face mode on this new record. It’s a total return-to-form in the best way possible, illustrating growth while reminding us why he seemed to rule the world for a time.

Highlights: Pop (feat. Rico Nasty); Love Birds (feat. Devin Malik, Lance Skiiiwalker); oHio (feat. Freddie Gibbs); Foux (feat. Ab-Soul)

36. GOT FOOD AT THE CRIB’! (VOL. 1-4) - Pink Siifu

Pink Siifu is one of the few artists of whom I can say I truly never know what to expect. From punk rock to trap to jazzy R&B, he seems to be on the cutting-edge of every sound he explores, and this trackless four-record journey featuring the likes of Tony Seltzer, Fly Anakin, and Earl Sweatshirt is no exception.

Highlights: N/A (trackless)

35. I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU - JPEGMAFIA

After a decade dancing on the line, 2024 was the year JPEGMAFIA officially became cringe. Between crashing out with fans, sampling an AI track, and producing for Nazi-era Kanye, even Peggy’s most ravenous fans seemed to shy away a bit this year. Still, he definitely hasn’t lost his touch musically yet. With tracks like “SIN MIEDO” and “vulgar display of power,” he continues to expand his sonic horizons, this time leaning further into crunchy rap-metal.

Highlights: SIN MIEDO; don’t rely on other men; vulgar display of power; JPEGULTRA! (feat. Denzel Curry)

34. EMPATHOGEN - WILLOW

WILLOW’s adventures in music over the past decade have always displayed the exact two qualities she needs as a notorious industry baby: sincerity and proficiency. empathogen may be her most accomplished work today, drifting away from sturdy pop-punk sounds towards expansive, Esperanza Spalding-like jazz.

Highlights: symptom of life; false self; run!; b i g f e e l i n g s

33. A KID FROM TORONTO - Kalisway

This album was my first introduction to Kalisway, but she’s definitely on my radar from this point forward. On first listen, A Kid From Toronto may read as a light pastiche of ‘80s synth-pop. But repeated listens reveal a depth of both emotion and influence that makes it all the more rewarding.

Highlights: Babygirl; Sugar; Sweet N Sour; Sex

32. GNX - Kendrick Lamar

The thesis of Kendrick’s last album was “I am not your savior.” The thesis of this one, illustrated on “Man in the Garden,” is “I deserve it all.” After clobbering the man who’s dominated the industry for over a decade, Kendrick Lamar took a much-deserved victory lap with this West Coast romp. Take the fact that it landed so low not as a slight, but an emblem of what a great year for hip-hop it was.

Highlights: wacced out murals; squabble up; luther (feat. SZA); tv off (feat. Lefty Gunplay)

31. RONG WEICKNES - Fievel Is Glauque

The best Hiatus Kaiyote album of the year.

Highlights: Hover; My Oubliette; Dark Dancing; Haut Contre Bas

30. FOREVER - Charly Bliss

In the final stages of their slow transformation into Carly Rae Jepsen, Charly Bliss dropped some of the year’s best power pop on Forever. The band’s first album in five years had a muted release, possibly because they left their Barsuk Records label(?), but they’ve still got the goods.

Highlights: Tragic; Calling You Out; Here Comes the Darkness; Last First Kiss

29. CAROUSEL FROM HELL - LustSickPuppy

This rattling debut rests on the line between Machine Girl and Insane Clown Posse, but LustSickPuppy is no copycat. They’re a great emcee, a cyclone of charisma, and a rock star with twisted sex appeal.

Highlights: EMPATHY RESERVED; EVICTION; LOTHARIO; BLISSTER

28. SLEEP PARALYSIS - bbymutha

Another eclectic, electric, and infectiously fun album from bbymutha. What’s not to like?

Highlights: gun kontrol; tony hawk; lines; final girl

27. BIG IDEAS - Remi Wolf

“Big Ideas” is a perfect name for what Remi Wolf’s got going on. Her pop tunes are funny, brimming with personality, and completely inimitable. After the modest success of “Cinderella,” I’m hopeful that 2025 will be the year she has her Chappell Roan-style blow-up.

Highlights: Cinderella; Soup; Toro; Kangaroo; Frog Rock

26. CLOUDS IN THE SKY THEY WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR ME - Porridge Radio

There’s something about Dana Margolin’s wavering vocals and mantra-like lyrics that just completely bowl me over every time. Clouds in the Sky may not be as much a revelation as Every Bad or Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky—but if you like some Porridge Radio, this record gives you more of it.

Highlights: Anybody; God of Everything Else; You Will Come Home; Sick of the Blues

Many artists have attempted to replicate, send up, and/or pay tribute to SOPHIE since her untimely death in 2021, but TAAHLIAH is a true daughter. Her record doesn’t just pull from the SOPHIE sample pack—it taps into the raw, tender emotional core that made the late great artist’s work so special.

Highlights: 2018; Eylvue; Angel; Dawn

24. GIRL WITH NO FACE - Allie X

This record came early in the year and admittedly fell off my radar a bit once things kicked into high gear. I think enthusiasm for Allie X dried up slightly when she was accused of leaving her dog in a hot car, one of the funniest music industry scandals in recent memory. But they say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and when I listened back to her latest in December, I was forced to admit: this shit whips.

Highlights: Galina; Black Eye; You Slept On Me; Saddest Smile

23. IMAGINAL DISK - Magdalena Bay

One of the most acclaimed records of the year, and with good reason. Imaginal Disk is fresh, smart, and ethereally crisp. But like… am I crazy for thinking Mercurial World is better?

Highlights: Image; Death & Romance; That’s My Floor; Cry for Me

22. ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL - Doechii

As we speak, 2025 is shaping up to be the Year of Doechii as her infectious, hookless single “DENIAL IS A RIVER” soars up the charts. I gotta admit, I can’t fully get behind that song with the “the girl was really a dude” punchline, even after Doechii explained she didn’t mean it that way. But the great thing about this debut is, even if you don’t like a song or two, there’s a dozen other wild swings to revel in.

Highlights: BOILED PEANUTS; CATFISH; BOOM BAP; NISSAN ALTIMA

21. A DOG’S CHANCE - POLO PERKS <3 <3 <3, FearDorian & AyooLii

Nowhere this year will you find three guys having more fun on a record. While FearDorian chops up loony samples from Teen Suicide to Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, the trio trade off infectious bars that make the whole record feel like a delirious late-night recording session.

Highlights: RAINBOW; They Love AyooLii; Skatepark; PaperPlanesSoulja

20. AMELIA - Laurie Anderson

Did you know fucking Laurie Anderson put out an album this year??? After decades working mostly as a visual artist, she returned with this ethereal concept album about Amelia Earhart. If you’re not already sold, she did it with fellow experimental queen ANOHNI.

Highlights: Waves of Sand; The Letter; The Word for Woman Here; Road to Mandalay

19. THE NEW SOUND - Geordie Greep

Who would’ve thought that the year black midi broke up would be the best year to be a black midi fan? Lead singer Geordie Greep goes sicko mode on his solo debut, taking the diverse character-driven sounds of Tom Waits and updating it for a darker, more insane era.

Highlights: Terra; Holy, Holy; Motorbike (feat. Seth Evans); The Magician

18. MUMU 8818 - TisaKorean

If you’re not yet convinced of how sillypilled I am, consider that I almost put two TisaKorean albums on this list. Where In Silly We Trust is a great showcase of what Tisa does best, MUMU 8818 sees him dip into his 808s and Heartbreak bag to show the beautiful side of the silly lifestyle.

Highlights: LET ME HEAR YOU SCREAM; SLUTTALK; LIMELIGHT; 8818

17. THE GREAT BAILOUT - Moor Mother

Moor Mother is as much an intellectual as she is an artist. Few people in modern history are as deftly capable of articulating a thesis on an album. And on The Great Bailout, the Philly native sets her sights on the enduring effects of slavery and British imperialism. Her key takeaway: that the very victims of England’s colonial history continue to pay the price for it.

Highlights: ALL THE MONEY (feat. Alya Al Sultani); GOD SAVE THE QUEEN (feat. Sovei); COMPENSATED EMANCIPATION (feat. Kyle Kidd); LIVERPOOL WINS (feat. Kyle Kidd)

16. POINTY HEIGHTS - Fousheé

If you’ve learned anything by this point, you know I love a weird little album. And after coming up with the likes of Vince Staples and Steve Lacy, I’m just so glad Fousheé is continuing to chart her own path, fusing indie rock and calypso to make something that truly doesn’t sound like anything else out there.

Highlights: birds, bees; closer; war; rice & peas

15. TRIPLE DIGITS [112] - RiTchie

I’ll admit it: I wasn’t the world’s biggest fan of that last Injury Reserve album everyone loved. This RiTchie solo record reminded me of what I really liked about Injury Reserve: they have fun, they talk shit, and they don’t sound like anyone else. Eagle-eared listeners (do eagles have good ears?) will hear some production from FearDorian on this one, too.

Highlights: WYTD?!?!; Dizzy (feat. Amine); Looping; Get a Fade

14. DIVA OF THE PEOPLE - Gavin Turek

The latest manifestation of discophobia is people referring to any record with a groove as “Target commercial music”. Sorry you hate fun.

Highlights: Disco Boots; IOU; Back on the Market; Heaven Knows

13. PETRICHOR - 070 Shake

I’ve always been a fan of 070 Shake’s huge-feeling, baroque records (to say nothing of her lesbian boyfriend swag), but Petrichor is a different beast. It’s a raw, liminal album with hard, jagged edges and a tender core. Basically, her prior albums are very cool, but this one taps into something more real.

Highlights: Battlefield; Winter Baby / New Jersey Blues; What’s Wrong With Me; Blood on Your Hands; Love

12. DARK TIMES - Vince Staples

Speaking of being cool and tapping into something real… few artists have a better handle on the delicate balance of devastation and celebration than Vince. This short—but far from sweet—35-minute album rests on the mantra of a hook on “Little Homies,” which almost feels like a summary of Vince Staples’ whole career to date: “Life hard, but I go harder.”

Highlights: Black&Blue; Government Cheese; Nothing Matters; Little Homies

11. PERSONIFICATION - Maxo Kream

There’s something about Maxo Kream’s storytelling that kinda gets me every time. On this record, he breathes new life into timeless tales of betrayal and paranoia with great hooks and some fun bars, sure, but mostly on the sheer force of his personality. Whether he’s talking shit or waxing poetic, he’s always endearing.

Highlights: Fashitsho; Cracc Era (feat. Tyler, the Creator); Street Fraternity; Bang the Bus; Triggaman (feat. Denzel Curry)

10. STILL - Erika de Casier

I honestly feel like this album’s not getting enough love from year-end lists. I know it came out early in the year, but come on. Was there any R&B album this year more raw, more hypnotic, more passionate than this?

Highlights: Lucky; ice (feat. They Hate Change); ooh; Ex-Girlfriend (feat. Shygirl)

9. TRUST CEREMONY - Jhariah

Jhariah’s exuberant, theatrical sound may recall mid-’00s emo acts like Panic! at the Disco and My Chemical Romance, but make no mistake: they’re living in their own world. The only constants on this 13-track opus are chaos and drama. And really, what more could you ask for?

Highlights: BIGSHOT; FIRE4FUN; PIN-EYE; EAT YOUR FRIENDS (feat. Pinkshift)

8. CHROMAKOPIA - Tyler, The Creator

Since formally coming out of the closet, Tyler, The Creator has worn his heart on his sleeve and expanded his artistic horizons. Flower Boy and IGOR are essentially undisputed modern classics, and Call Me If You Get Lost a Gangsta Grillz victory lap. But Chromakopia is his first real leap forward since that era, a record about aging with a more mature vantage point than his previous works. Every track is an immaculately-executed concept, from political tracks like “I Killed You” to bangers like “Sticky”.

Highlights: Darling, I (feat. Teezo Touchdown); Hey Jane; I Killed You; Sticky (feat. Sexyy Red, GloRilla, Lil Wayne)

7. SUGAR WATER - Maude Latour

You don’t have to be the daughter of Dow Jones CEO Almar Latour to sound this polished and self-assured on your debut album…… but it helps!

Highlights: Officially Mine; Cursed Romantics; Whirlpool; Summer of Love

6. THE THIEF NEXT TO JESUS - KA

I always feel a little weird about bigging up an artist right after they die. In Ka’s case, I justify it for two reasons: 1) I’ve been singing his praises for years; and 2) the album is that good. It’s one of those last releases that, like David Bowie’s Blackstar, only becomes richer and more meaningful in the context of the artist’s untimely death. RIP to one of the best to ever do it.

Highlights: Beautiful; Borrowed Time; Broken Rose Window; Fragile Faith

5. CHALLENGERS (ORIGINAL SCORE) - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

Compress. Repress. Repress. Compress. I like a good film score, but I don’t usually make a habit of listening to them in my free time. Challengers has the only score I can recall that I got hooked on before the movie came out and continued to be hooked on after seeing the movie. Given the task of scoring a transcendent sports love-triangle movie, Nine Inch Nails’ Reznor and Ross went ahead and made a perfect dance album.

Highlights: Yeah x10; The Signal; Challengers: Match Point; Compress / Repress

4. SILENCE IS LOUD - Nia Archives

If you’re a fan of the ADHD-core dancepop sound of PinkPantheress, I can’t recommend Nia Archives enough. She imbues jungle beats with stellar pop songwriting prowess and cutting vocals to create something that feels beamed in from the ‘90s techno-rave future we all wanted.

Highlights: Silence Is Loud; Crowded Roomz; F.A.M.I.L.Y; So Tell Me…

3. #RICHAXXHAITIAN - Mach-Hommy

While the incoming president demonized Haitian migrants on the national stage, Haitian-American rap recluse Mach-Hommy continued to wear his heritage as a badge of honor. #RICHAXXHAITIAN sees him sport a Haitian flag bandana while delivering some of his most self-assured, effortlessly perfect verses to date. He’s a brilliant lyricist and a force of personality, but this record shows he could maybe be… a star?

Highlights: SUR LE PONT d’AVIGNON (feat. Sam Gendel); #RICHAXXHAITIAN (feat. KAYTRANADA, 03 Greedo); SAME 24 (feat. Big Cheeko); HOLY ____

2. THE GREAT AMERICAN BAR SCENE - Zach Bryan

A country album? At the top of Rochel’s AOTY list? It’s more likely than you think. In the time since writing this list, it has come to my attention that Zach Bryan may in fact be “a bad dude”. I’m certainly not going to deny the lived experience of country influencer Brianna Chickenfry, but I can’t take back how much this album resonated with me in its time. It’s a stirring, proficient record full of heartfelt storytelling, tender vocals, and immaculately-placed harmonica.

Highlights: The Great American Bar Scene; 28; American Nights; Pink Skies (feat. Watchhouse)

1. BRAT - Charli XCX

Let’s be fucking serious.

Highlights: 360, Sympathy is a knife, Talk talk, Von dutch

Those movie awards are coming, I swear. It’s a long episode and I’m busy.