As the year comes to a wrap, it’s time to reflect on the top tracks that defined 2024. Here’s a list of five top songs of the year and why these artists – from Kendrick Lamar to Billie Eilish – earned their places in this category.Â
1. Not Like Us by Kendrick Lamar
Personally, Kendrick Lamar is my artist of the year. He cemented his dominance in the hip-hop scene once again, especially with his feature on Future and Metro Boomin’s WE DON’T TRUST YOU album. Lamar’s feature on “Like That” sparked rap beef with Drake that challenged the music industry’s approach to lyrical purity versus mainstream success. Lamar’s standout tracks, “Euphoria” and “Not Like Us”, showed his unmatched lyrical complexity and commentary on hip-hop culture that made him a formidable force this year.Â
2. Guess by Charli xcx
Charli XCX’s album Brat sparked a cultural phenomenon known as Brat Summer. This term describes people who are messy, like to party, and are unapologetically themselves. This album radiates a cool yet vulnerable vibe that became a cultural symbol for people who resonate with the album’s rollercoaster of emotions and stories. Her track “Guess”, featuring Billie Eilish, became a global anthem and became an essential song of the year for listeners who appreciated its relatable qualities.
3. Birds of a Feather by Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish had an explosive year with her album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, experimenting with new sounds and voice distortions. “Birds of a Feather” emerged as one of her biggest hits with over a billion plays on Spotify. The song explores themes of enduring love and desire for lasting connections. This is a tender song that is not just about love but the tension between holding on to someone and finally letting go.Â
4. Expresso by Sabrina Carpenter
“Expresso” is an upbeat song that easily gets stuck in your head after one listen. From coffee puns to light-hearted humor, this song is about not taking things too seriously and just feeling good. Just like your favorite coffee, this song is addictive and makes listeners want to sing along. Carpenter’s album Short n’ Sweet has made her a popular artist this year due to her catchy songwriting and vocals. It’s about self-discovery and growing through heartbreak which resonates with many of her listeners globally.Â
5. No One Noticed by The Marias
The Marias Submarine album was my personal favorite album of 2024. Following a breakup between the lead singer, Maria Zardoya, and drummer, Josh Conway, the band took a six-month hiatus to decide what the next steps for their careers were. Instead of the group breaking up, they decided to keep making music together and came out with one of the most influential albums for people turning to music to process their grief and start the healing process. The biggest hit in their album was “No One Noticed” which expressed themes of loneliness and longing for meaningful connections that many people relate to nowadays in a modern digital age.Â
