As ‘twenty twenty-four’ starts winding down many people will use this time to look back on the year that came before; the highs, the lows, the disappointments, this year had a little of everything for everyone. Are you a pop girlie, an R&B lover, a dark metal enthusiast, or a hip-hop oldhead? Then join us in taking a look back at some of the top releases of this past year, keep in mind that by no means are these the best albums to come out in 2024, but rather the most important, culturally relevant, or stand-out releases that gave this year its particular sound. Here’s to the many releases yet to come in 2025, and may it be as musically rich as this.

Short n’ Sweet 

Sabrina Carpenter

It’s hard to dispute the fact that 2024 was Sabrina Carpenter’s breakout year, the former Disney star is not a newcomer to the scene, she had been releasing music and albums prior to her most recent, best-selling release. Her singles were catchier than before, her shows are now a must-see, and the award nominations are now by the handful. Sabrina admits, "I’m the Best Old Artist," in reference to her Best New Artist nomination at next year's Grammy Awards. Acclaim might have come late for Sabrina, but she is no doubt deserving of them now. Who knows if she will walk away with any awards in February, but Grammys or not, Ms. Carpenter’s star is now brighter than ever, doubt her at your own peril, I guess.

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT

Billie Eilish 

The most extraordinary thing about Billie Eilish is her ability to make it look so simple; write an Oscar award-winning song? Check. Release a critically acclaimed Grammy-nominated album? Check again. Top the music streaming charts as one of the most streamed artists in the world? You already know what’s next. Yes, once again Ms. Eilish released one of the best albums of the year, and once again her ability to delicately sing herself into our hearts has garnered her seven Grammy nominations, tied for second most. In a year packed with releases from some of the biggest artists in the world, Billie once again reminds us that she is amongst the very best. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is, for many, Billie at her most captivating. Where she goes from here only she knows, and wherever that may be, we’ll gladly be taken along for the ride.

ACT II: COWBOY CARTER

BEYONCE

Any and all introductions of Beyonce are unnecessary. Whether you like it or not she is pop music’s singular leading figure, the sales, nominations, and awards, all back it up. She is unequivocally in her own lane and has this year’s leading eleven Grammy nominations to back that up. Maybe someday she will tire of the nominations and acclaim, allowing someone else to take the pop crown away from her, but "Queen Bee" looks far from finished. COWBOY CARTER is a resounding reminder of her ability to play with genres once more. Following up the glitzy and house-inspired "Renaissance," Ms. Carter turned to Americana and country music for her next musical endeavor. To say she delivered would be an understatement. Whether or not she finally wins Album of the Year or not in next year’s Grammy award ceremony is irrelevant, her musical output is second to none, COWBOY CARTER is just a reminder of that.

b r a t 

Charli XCX

Brat. (noun): an ill-mannered immature person. If what you’re instead referring to is brat by Charli XCX then what you’ll find is an album that is sonically distinct, wholly unique, and worthy of being considered one of pop’s biggest leaps into the future. Sure, "brat summer" was the trend of the summer, and that obnoxious green background was inescapable for a while, but what Ms. XCX has achieved on brat is to create an album worthy of making every summer from here on out "brat worthy." Albums like brat don’t come along very often, it’s absurd, it’s fun, it’s fantastic, it’s one of the year’s best, and op music is all the better for it.

GNX

Kendrick Lamar

The saying goes "Save the best for last," and whether or not Kendrick Lamar’s album is to your liking, it was no doubt the perfect culmination to an eventful calendar chock full of music. Dropping the album without any promotional singles to lead the usual album release hype, GNX was released during an especially busy period for Kendrick. If the ‘Drake v. Kendrick’ rap battle didn’t appear on your timeline, or if "Not Like Us" didn’t play on your radio, then you should be aware that this beef was strictly personal subliminals towards each other that had been building up for years culminated in Kendrick’s aforementioned song of the Summer "Not Like Us," which was nominated for a Grammy for Song of the Year. So then, why GNX? Oh, haven't you heard? Kendrick Lamar is headlining next year’s Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. Kendrick also just announced that he and SZA are going on tour next year. It’s been a busy year for every artist on this list, and it seems Mr. Lamar intends to stay just as busy in 2025.