Top 10 albums that got me through 2024
10. The Good Witch - Maisie Peters
Release date: June 23, 2023
Genre: pop
Length: 47 minutes
I found this album on TikTok (I know, a cardinal sin), and she’s become a little more well known since I first started listening to her in January or so of this year. This album is VERY poppy. Like if Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams and Ed Sheeran (weirdly enough) had a little British baby. Maisie is a lyricist first and foremost, with bridges that are reminiscent of a Taylor Swift song and a production that gives a little bit of 2010s nostalgia. There are a few standouts, and a few that can go without a listen. She is an acquired taste, with unique usage of time signature and beats. If you do like pop, have been through a recent breakup and know some culture references, give her a listen.
Favorite song: “There It Goes”
9. The Tortured Poets Department - Taylor Swift
Release date: April 19, 2024
Genre: pop
Length: 2 hours 2 minutes
I am also surprised this is low on the list! I am a lifelong Swiftie (seriously, I was repping her in 2006 at the ripe age of 3), and I look forward to her drops like they’re the second coming of Christ. This is an album that has to marinate and grow on you, though. It’s not a one and done listen. Taylor hops between depressing ballads and synth-pop tunes quicker than you can say “Travis Kelce”. It was a bit jarring on first listen, and the sound is new to her. She was experimental! I like that she is sort of trying new things and really leaning into the vibe of TTPD. That being said, I was hoping for a different sound for this one. Was that my own fault? Yes. In Taylor we trust.
Favorite song: “thanK you aIMee”
8. The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess - Chappell Roan
Release date: September 22, 2023
Genre: pop
Length: 49 minutes
I first fell in love with Chappell Roan’s music in 2021 or so, when she released “Pink Pony Club”. Her music is fun and the way she performs is so captivating. She goes all in on the character. I followed all of her single drops, and was stoked when she released TRAFOAMP. It’s an amazing album. With 80s synth pop and a carefree attitude, this album is perfect for summer listening. Her skyrocket to fame was unexpected, but I’m here for it. She deserves all the flowers.
Favorite song: “Casual”
7. The Secret of Us - Gracie Abrams
Release date: June 21, 2024
Genre: pop
Length: 47 minutes
Controversial opinion: I love Gracie Abrams’ music. I’ve loved her since she released the “minor” EP. Her lyrics are, like Maisie, reminiscent of Taylor Swift. I know the whisper-pop thing isn’t for everyone, but please give her a chance. Her music is catchy and her lyricism is amazing. I also just love anything that is produced by Aaron Dessner. Her first album was great, this album is great. Listen to Gracie’s music.
Favorite song: “I Knew It, I Know You”
6. Guts - Olivia Rodrigo
Release date: September 8, 2023
Genre: pop
Length: 39 minutes
Oh, Olivia. Your music always wows me. She didn’t just skip the sophomore slump… she obliterated it. This album, in my humble opinion, surpasses her first one. With teenage angst galore and the fear of imminently getting older, Olivia perfectly encapsulates what it’s like to be a 20-something year old girl. I could listen to this album on loop forever.
Favorite song: “making the bed”
5. the record - boygenius
Release date: March 31, 2023
Genre: alternative indie
Length: 42 minutes
When you combine Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers, you get a very happy bisexual music lover. The album is both heart-wrenching and smash-your-guitar invoking. Like, I want to simultaneously punch someone and sob in my mother’s arms. How can someone make music that good?
Favorite song: “Letter to an Old Poet”
4. Stick Season (Forever) - Noah Kahan
Release date: February 9, 2024
Genre: indie folk
Length: 2 hours
I will go ahead and say that every album from this point onward is a 10 out of 10 in my eyes. the record was a 9, and would have been a 10 if they put “Voyager” on the original tracklist. Noah Kahan is an amazing performer, singer, songwriter, guitar player, braids-haver, you name it. He makes the best music for depressed people. It’s like anti-Zoloft and I love it. His ability to make me feel like I am in a small New England town is amazing. Great day to have seasonal depression.
Favorite song: “Growing Sideways”
3. Preacher’s Daughter - Ethel Cain
Release date: May 12, 2022
Genre: indie rock
Length: 1 hour 15 minutes
Do you want to have the most traumatizing and cathartic 1 hour and 15 minutes of your life? Give Preacher’s Daughter a listen. I have never heard someone so masterfully craft a story and narrative in a concept album before. With a mix of heavy guitars, haunting vocals and eerie melodies, Hayden Anhedonia has created an absolute masterpiece. I cannot wait to see what else she makes.
Favorite song: “Strangers”
2. Unreal Unearth - Hozier
Release date: August 18, 2023
Genre: alternative indie
Length: 1 hour 2 minutes
If you have ever wanted to travel through the seven circles of hell, now’s your chance! Unreal Unearth is based on Dante’s Inferno, with Hozier telling the stories of those condemned (not counting the interlude “Son of Nyx”). The songwriting will blow you away, and his voice is like pure silk. He is one of my all-time favorite artists, and this is probably one of my all-time favorite albums.
Favorite song: “Abstract (Psychopomp)” or “Unknown/Nth”
1. songs - Adrianne Lenker
Release date: October 23, 2020
Genre: indie folk
Length: 39 minutes
Adrianne Lenker writes pure gold. Her music is poetry, and the simple guitar that accompanies them is just enough to make them some of the best things I’ve ever heard. It’s simple, but mindblowing. I’m a lyrics over production girlie, and this satisfies that need in every single way. Just sit down, turn on this album and be prepared to feel a lot of big feelings.
Favorite song: “anything”
