2024 was undoubtedly an incredible year for music. It feels like everyone and their mother was either releasing an album, going on tour, or both! While I genuinely loved every album I heard this year, I decided to do the impossible and choose my top five favorite albums of 2024. This is in no way my ranking of the five best albums of the year, but rather my five favorites. There is also no hierarchy within this list, I truly do like all five of these albums equally. Without further ado, let’s get into the list!
- att. – Young Miko
Released in April, att. is Young Miko’s first full-length album, following her 2022 debut EP, Trap Kitty. Just as is the case with most debut albums, att. serves as Miko’s introducing herself to the world. Within this album, Miko explores a multitude of themes such as queer love, heartbreak, and her experiences as an artist. While she is still very new to the music scene, this album cements Young Miko as a pivotal artist in the reggaeton industry and a force to be reckoned with. Earlier this year, Miko was awarded The AMEX Impact Award at the Billboard Women in Music Awards, and I truly cannot think of anyone more deserving, because that’s just what she is: impactful. This album earns Miko her first GRAMMY nomination ever, making her the first female Puerto Rican to be nominated for Best MĂşsica Urbana Album. Overall, att. is a remarkable debut album, and I genuinely cannot wait to see what she makes next.
Top 3 Songs: MADRE, arcoĂris, oye ma’
- Found Heaven – Conan Gray
I’ve been following Conan since early 2019, and watching him evolve as an artist over the last 5 years has truly been so incredible. Found Heaven is Conan’s third studio album, following the release of his 2022 album, Superache, and 2020 album, Kid Krow. Found Heaven beautifully explores love and heartbreak and how we can find beauty in any situation. In a 2024 interview with Billboard, Conan explains the significance of the album’s logo, a star inside a teardrop. He says that it is “a reminder that in all the things that make you cry, like the happiest moments of your life and the saddest moments of your life, like there is a magic in the fact that you even got to experience it at all” (Billboard, 2024, 8:45). This quote beautifully sums up what this album represents: finding magic in the unexpected. Produced by Max Martin, Greg Kurstin, and Shawn Everett, Found Heaven is an 80s dance-pop inspired album filled with the most upbeat bops and the saddest songs you will ever hear. While this album is completely different than anything we have ever heard from Conan before, it still feels so authentically him and truly is a testament to how versatile of an artist he is. This album easily made its way into my top 5 albums of all time.Â
Top 3 songs: Forever with Me, The Final Fight, Fainted LoveÂ
- Clancy – Twenty One Pilots
Released in May of this year, Clancy is Twenty One Pilots’ 7th album. While I could spend hours and hours explaining the lore of this album, I decided that’s an article for another time. To keep it short, this album follows the journey of a character named Clancy trying to escape a land called Dema, which is run by Blurryface and his Bishops. With the help of the Banditos and their leader, the Torchbearer, Clancy tries to escape Dema and make it to the safety of Trench (apologies to any clikkies if I got any of that lore wrong, I tried my best!). The songwriting alone is absolutely insane. Tyler Joseph just proves time and time again just how much of a lyrical genius he is. Sonically, this album is also genuinely incredible. If there’s one thing Twenty One Pilots is going to do, it’s create a diverse yet cohesive album that keeps you coming back for more. I was very fortunate to be able to go to the Clancy Tour in Seattle, and it was insanely good. Twenty One Pilots are known for putting on a great live show and this tour was a testament to just how incredible of performers they are. Overall, this album is some of their best work and my personal favorite album of theirs.
Top 3 tracks: Routines in the Night, Overcompensate, Next Semester
PS. Check out my review of their 2022 tour, The Icy Tour, here. Spoiler alert: I loved it.
- HIT ME HARD AND SOFT – Billie Eilish
This album is genuinely breathtaking. In 10 songs, Billie and Finneas take us through a journey of love, heartbreak, and all the emotions in between. One thing about Billie and Finneas is if they put out an album, it’s gonna be incredible. The songwriting on this album is so intricate, the melodic structure is genius, and the vocals are absolutely beautiful. Every time I listen, I seem to notice a new backing vocal or vocal stem that I didn’t notice before that leaves me speechless. The attention to detail is evident in the production and creates such a cohesive sound. This album truly showcases what a powerhouse the siblings are, and I cannot wait to see this album absolutely sweep at the 2025 GRAMMY Awards. Another 2024 release that lands in my top 5 albums of all time.
Favorites: THE GREATEST, THE DINER, L’AMOUR DE MA VIE
- The Tortured Poets Department – Taylor Swift
Clap if you’re surprised that this made it on the list. Nobody clapped. It’s Taylor Swift, she makes an album, and I will praise it until I die. The Tortured Poets Department is truly a testament to how strong of a storyteller Taylor is. From happy tracks like Guilty as Sin? to heartbreaking confessions in So Long, London, Taylor takes us on an insane emotional rollercoaster. I personally love Jack Antonoff’s production style, so this album was a massive hit for me. I’m not gonna lie, it took me some time to get acquainted with this album, and I do think some tracks could be cut, but the pros outweigh the cons for me. Overall, this album is in my top 3 Taylor albums of all time. Once again, looking forward to a sweep at the GRAMMYS.
PS: Look out for my review of The Eras Tour Vancouver, coming next launch!
Favorites: The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived, So Long London, The Black Dog