2024 Releases You May Have Missed
2024 was perhaps the most star-studded year in music we have seen in a while. With a number of powerhouse artists releasing long-awaited projects, every Thursday evening this year seemed to bring highly anticipated releases. So, I took it upon myself to listen to as many new releases this year as I could, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Here is a (non-exhaustive) list of the biggest albums of 2024, coupled with some under the radar releases you might like as well.
If you like Clairo’s Charm…
Clairo followed up her folksy sophomore album Sling three years later with the beloved Charm. A beautiful yearner’s bible, this dreamy indie pop record serves as a wistful haven of observant prose written about moments of craving desire and tenderness while simultaneously feeling paralyzed by uncertainty. The intimate lyricism is encapsulated by silky-smooth synths, woodwinds, and piano.
While Charm whispers softly in your ear, Raveena’s Where The Butterflies Go In The Rain serenades you in the car with the windows down. Like Clairo, Raveena also writes from personal moments of intimacy and tenderness. The layered production of both records, pulling from elements of jazz, Indian classical, R&B, and bedroom pop, immerse you in their softness. But, where Clairo is reserved, Raveena throws caution to the wind, with each song letting loose in its expression of adoration for a lover.
Similarly, Rachel Chinouriri brings you into her world with What A Devastating Turn Of Events, taking listeners to the corner of the playground to spill secrets like a best friend. Unlike Charm, this album takes a neo-soul slant to bedroom pop and alternative rock, and is highlighted with vocal layering and a healthy dose of self-aware humor. Chinouriri’s commentary on the patriarchy and mental health issues is certainly heavy, but her acute abilities as a storyteller still give you the intimate feeling of being hugged. If you love the unique take that Clairo brought to Charm, then you’ll enjoy Chinouriri’s creativity in production and lyricism on this record.
If you like Charli xcx’s BRAT…
BRAT, perhaps the most visible hyperpop album of this year, truly doesn’t need further explanation as to why it’s listed here. I’d honestly say there isn’t another album released in 2024 that comes close to its influence and sound.
However, if you appreciate a record with excellent production at the intersection of the electronic and pop genres, I’d recommend giving Imaginal Disk by Magdalena Bay a listen. While it is more of a sultry disco synth-pop record, Imaginal Disk is also its own world. The album constructs a story around a character, True, who — like Charli — explores the emotional complexities of being human. Imaginal Disk is an imaginative, epic amalgamation of genres and soundscapes that refuses to conform any modern trends.
Like Charli, DJ and producer Peggy Gou has an impressive discography, and she certainly brought her deep house production experience to her sophomore album, I Hear You. Gou’s electronic style is inspired by 90’s house and disco, and will undeniably bring out the 365 party girl in anyone.
If you want to stick to your hyperpop roots, you can’t go wrong with Club Shy by British singer and producer Shygirl. While the EP is only 6 songs, Shygirl’s ambition and established talent is unquestionable — and Charli agrees, as Shygirl is featured on the “365” remix.
If you like Billie Eilish’s HIT ME HARD AND SOFT…
Billie Eilish’s prowess in music speaks for itself, and despite being one of the biggest artists in popular music, she never conforms to generic pop — she is always in a genre and entire league of her own. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is also a new direction for her. As Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell pull production influences ranging from trance, to rock, to alt-pop, this is perhaps her most ambitious project yet.
From top left: Buzz by NIKI, scrap by wonderbug, ORQUÍDEAS by Kali Uchis, Memoir of a Sparklemuffin by Suki Waterhouse, If I Were To Paint It by Losspardo, and BETA by Peter Cat Recording Co.
Memoir of a Sparklemuffin by English multi-hyphenate Suki Waterhouse has a hazier, psychedelic rock sound. Still, it shares the same elements as HIT ME HARD AND SOFT in its lyricism. Waterhouse also brings you along as she questions fame and her personal life, and the effects both have had on each other. Also like Eilish, Waterhouse brings strong vocal performances and masters the ability to move between genres, including 60s pop and 90s alternative.
Buzz by Indonesian singer-songwriter NIKI has a stripped-down, indie pop-rock feel to it. While she has always been quite personal in her songwriting, NIKI really comes into herself on this record. Like HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, Buzz also has a soothing production style.
If you like Still Woozy’s Loveseat…
Indie hitmaker Still Woozy, who mixes, masters, and records almost everything himself, released Loveseat in June, a beautiful example of Still Woozy’s signature psychedelic and mellow foundations that employs vocal distortions, synths, funky guitar and soaring piano as embellishments. While the album has mature themes of fatherhood and familial love in its lyrics, Still Woozy still knows how to have fun and play around on a record.
South London-based band wonderbug’s debut EP scrap is hard to compare to other work, as it feels completely unique to them as a band. However, if you like unexpected production that doesn’t compromise on emotional delivery, then scrap is what you’ve been looking for. It’s a grunge, indie record about growing up, existentialism, and losing friendships.
If you like Omar Apollo’s God Said No…
God Said No by singer-songwriter Omar Apollo was another highly anticipated release this year. Apollo maintained his signature alternative R&B sound, but leaned into a more electronic production on this record, with his own spin on a 70s/80s disco sonic palette. Apollo is talented in drifting between genres and sonically expanding his albums around his smooth vocals and recognizable falsetto, and God Said No is no exception.
If you tend to opt for the R&B sound, ORQUIDEAS by Kali Uchis is a seductive record that won’t disappoint. A dreamy and beautifully textured album, Uchis yet again stuns with her talent as a producer and vocalist. Like Apollo, she continues to focus on singing in Spanish and produces several bilingual tracks on this album. Also like Apollo, Kali expands the genres she utilizes, tapping into reggaeton and 90’s house on tracks like “Igual Que Un Angel” and “Labios Mordidos.”
However, if Apollo’s emotional depth was the appeal for you, If I Were To Paint It by Lossapardo feels like synesthesia as an album. A soulful and ambient record, Lossapardo paints his sadness and introspection in the lyrics, with a backdrop of bustling New York City. Also, like Apollo, he pulls from multiple genres and ideas in his instrumentals.
If you like Vampire Weekend’s Only God Was Above Us…
Only God Was Above Us marked Vampire Weekend’s return to music after a five year break. It almost feels mythological, with themes about struggling to grapple with the past overlaying an experimental indie sound. As they wade through a multiple of stories and emotions, the end result is a truly compelling and surprising album.
Another strong indie-rock record this year, BETA is Peter Cat Recording Co.’s third studio album. Within the album’s transcultural, maximalist fusion sound, PCRC sings about new fatherhood and romantic love. The band, despite making a series of genre left turns often leaving the listener shocked, has also come into a more mature, introspective sound with this record.
If you like girl in red’s I’m Doing It Again Baby!…
From left to right: AURORA (photo by Wanda Martin), Sarah Kinsley (photo by Julia Khoroshilov), Towa Bird (photo via Crucial Rhythm), and FLO (photo by Thurstan Redding).
As Norwegian singer-songwriter girl in red states in her intro track, she’s back. Her second studio album, I’m Doing It Again Baby! sticks to her indie pop roots, but delves into themes of self-doubt and lost love from a more confident place.
With soaring vocals and elements of jazz, folk, and Europop, Norwegian songwriter and record producer AURORA also delivered a strong, self-aware record this year with What Happened to the Heart? If you appreciate girl in red’s authentic lyrics, AURORA has a track record of strong lyricism, and this record is no exception as she pulls from her personal experiences to speak to universal emotions. Her skills as a producer also come through on this album, on which the production amalgamation of genres feels more like a composition.
Escaper is American singer-songwriter Sarah Kinsley’s debut album. The production is energetic and fresh, and has a sound of its own. Kinsley uses her background in classical music to compose beautiful orchestral arrangements. Her work, like girl in red’s, is personal as she sings about lost loves and friend breakups.
British singer-songwriter Towa Bird’s showcases her raspy vocals and impressive guitar skills on her debut album, American Hero. If you like the indie pop feel of I’m Doing It Again Baby!, you’ll enjoy American Hero's genre range from rock to pop as she sings about her vulnerable feelings about queer love.
If you like Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet…
Perhaps the biggest pop record of this year, Sabrina Carpenter’s highly anticipated Short N’ Sweet lived up to every expectation of the talented pop star. Pulling from a variety of genres to create an exemplary sex positive album riddled with cheeky innuendos, Short N’ Sweet is a fresh breath of escapism.
While Access All Areas by British girl group FLO takes a more R&B approach to its pop genre, this album is proof that talented, hit-making girl groups are still around. The group’s chemistry is undeniable as they deliver stunning harmonies and self-affirmative anthems.
