Music Op - Top 50 Songs of 2024
Hello everyone, happy new year, and welcome to the first 2025 edition of Music Op. Fittingly, we will almost solely be talking about 2024. This is another month where we have a large topic to cover, so I’ll breeze through a few quicker points first before breaking down my top 50 favorite songs of 2024.
Silly music is good now?
To start, I noticed myself appreciating ‘less-serious' music a lot more this year than ever before. While I’ve enjoyed clever or somewhat silly rap like ShittyBoyz or just kinda glossed over wacky lyrics like “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” or “Lift Yourself” by Kanye West simply because the beat was that good, I found enjoyment in the goofiness of genres like power pop and lo-fi rock this year.
I wrote a song in the spring with my friend Bay called “Fungus,” where we leaned in hard to this wacky-but-clever-and-still-musically-strong songwriting, and it turned out great. I think this form of comedy works best in the aforementioned genres because it infers a level of imperfection that most big-budget music has, and as a young musician with the interest and limitation of home recording, I can relate to these crunchy, tape-deck recordings with unconventional lyrics more than any Dua Lipa or Justin Bieber songs. I factually can’t make that music, and I don’t want to either.
Anticipated Releases for January 2025
There are a few projects I am quite excited to hear in January, the first being an EP from a friend named Grant Pavol. College is dropping on 1/17, which is actually my birthday. I won’t tell him that because it’s a little embarrassing but I will let him know what I thought about his EP, since he hasn’t dropped music in about three years.
The other two are Eusexua by FKA twigs (1/24) and Showbiz! by MIKE (1/31). Both artists have impressed me a lot with their recent releases, and you will be hearing more about one of them very soon in my Top 50 list.
Okay, it’s time.
My Top 50 Favorite Songs of 2024
Basic rules: The song must’ve been first released in full, and on purpose during 2024. There is no limit to the amount of entrees per artist. This sounds arrogant, but I also must not have taken any part in the creation of a song for it to be eligible.
50. “Glory of the Snow” - Clairo
The vintage sound of Charm was my favorite part of the album, and this song is a top tier example of it. Between this and “Echo,” the second half of the album showed us a new side of Clairo’s music.
49. “Aftertaste” - Katie Gavin
“Aftertaste” was an insane grower for me this year. As time went on, the chorus and bridge became lodged in my brain. Honorable mention to “Casual Drug Use” as well. I hope MUNA doesn’t break up, but Katie Gavin’s solo work is my preferred sound.
I nearly forgot about this album (it’s currently 11:03pm on 1/13), but basically Pharrell Williams surprise / mystery released this project on a website in March and it sounds like Psycadelik Thoughtz-era B.o.B plus Kauai-era Childish Gambino. Awesome.
47. “Steps Beach” - Childish Gambino
I may have been a bit overwhelmed by Bando Stone, which explains why one of its most straight-forward and accessible tracks ended up here. This track’s chord progression seems fairly complex (maybe why Steve Lacy forgot them during the live debut), but Gambino crafted some fantastic vocal melodies around them.
46. “Take It With You” - Cameron Winter
This was the song that hooked me from Cameron Winter. The simple verses are pretty, but the instrumental ‘bridge’ just blew me away with the layered swell of vocals. I had no clue what to expect when Singles dropped, but the unique palette of sounds really intrigued me at the end of this year.
45. “HereIAm” - NxWorries
Why Lawd? contained lots of pain, and “HereIAm” is the track where Anderson .Paak shows it all with clarity. He’s trying to make himself happy again after his divorce but nothing is really working. It’s a turning point about halfway through the album that explains the underlying sadness of the record.
44. “Hometown Local Superstar” - Mitch Marsico
As one half of the meme-y duo cheese touch (check out my interview with them), Marsico’s solo work finds an ideal balance between comedic, casual, and engaging songwriting. The character description is vivid, and the melodies are memorable.
43. “rep 4 me” - Mura Masa
As a whole, Mura Masa’s Curve 1 is a top 3 album of 2024 for me. It was harder to rank specific tracks because of this (also because “Whenever I Want” and “Drugs” came out last year), but “rep 4 me” stood out as my favorite standalone album cut because of its softer sound and chill slowed outro.
42. “Add Up My Love” - Clairo
Yes, it does sound very similar to another Charm track that will be mentioned later, but maybe this Brill Building-esque, piano-driven sound is just a really good fit for Clairo. It’s danceable while also conveying the woeful feeling of missing someone.
41. “loversland” - Fousheé
“Ploversland” is barely over a minute long, but a lot of odd, yet creative energy is packed into those 77 seconds. It was one of three Pointy Heights songs that I could not stop replaying this fall because of how fresh it felt.
40. “”Radio”” - Vince Staples
Dark Times was another album that stood out more as a whole than as singular tracks, but the way that “Radio” told a vivid story through the nostalgic and creative framing of hip-hop radio was thought-provoking and very entertaining. His lyrical references prompt multiple listens as well.
39. “SheUsed” - NxWorries
To be honest, this song is carried by Knxwledge’s terrific sampling. Anderson .Paak’s vocals are completely pitched up, which could be a little hard to get past at first, but once the sampled vocals come in at the end, the beauty and emotion is undeniable.
38. “Wavy Navy University” - Babyface Ray, Veeze
I had so much fun with this song, simply because of how outrageous the beat is. The closest thing to compare it to is probably “Toxic” by Britney Spears, and it could totally be the theme song for a modern spy comedy. Ray and Veeze casually trade stanzas, and it's hard to tell how serious to take this song.
37. “If U Don’t Know By Now” - Laila!
Laila’s Gap Year album came out of nowhere for me, and while I didn’t latch on to all of it, this song was such an earworm to me. The bouncy instrumental is super infectious, and while Laila’s vocals are kinda ‘Brent Faiyaz-core,’ they are perfect for the fun track that this is.
36. “Live From Missile Command” - 2nd Grade
Philly’s own 2nd Grade provided an endless supply of exciting pop-rock this year with Scheduled Explosions, and the opening track kicks it all off with an absolute screamer. It’s a mega-catchy burst of energy with fun lyrics, as well as some classic sounding guitar riffs.
35. “DNM” - Mk.gee
As far as songs this year that just sounded cool, Mk.gee was the people’s choice. It was clear from the first listen that Dijon was involved with the songwriting of “DMN,” since the quick and bendy vocal delivery sounds like something he’d sing. The drums here are also super unique and hard-hitting.
34. “Club classics” - Charli xcx
Quick spoiler: this is the only BRAT song on here. While I did enjoy this album a lot, “Club classics” was my clear favorite throughout the year and withstood the overplay (and overhype) that the album unfortunately received. I love the way this song is sectioned out, and her name-dropping is elite.
33. “Triple Seven” - Wishy
I may have had the highest hopes for Wishy out of any artist this year, given their scorching debut Mana EP from 2023 and my love for Kevin Krauter’s music. Their album’s title track barely features Krauter, but it encapsulates summer and happiness unlike most anything else. It also had the wackiest music video of the year (I still can’t tell how much of it is real AI though).
32. “Flash in the Pan” - Jane Remover
“Flash in the Pan” was the first of Jane Remover’s songs with enough casual listening appeal to really stick with me. I was thoroughly impressed by how much was going on in this song, and how easily it all came together. The chorus is addictingly catchy, and I love the beat drop that leads into it each time (especially on “wake up crying”).
31. “#RICHAXXHAITIAN” - Mach-Hommy, KAYTRANADA, 03 Greedo
The way Mach-Hommy momentarily falls off the beat during the first line of this song is mind-boggling. This might be the most impressive rap performance that I heard last year, flow-wise (see the beginning of verse 2 as well). And then there’s Greedo’s insanely textured vocals on the chorus. I’m not a huge club-goer, but I need to hear this out one night eventually.
30. “Take A Bite” - beabadoobee
Sadly, beabadoobee’s 2024 album did not provide anything as potent as its lead single “Take A Bite.” So far, this early 2000’s sound has been my favorite side of Bea’s music, and while the whole song is very catchy and cute, the swirling bridge into the stripped back outro secured this spot for me.
29. “I Want” - Mk.gee
While it’s not the longest or slowest song on Two Star, “I Want” stood out as one of the more chilled out songs on the album. Despite that, I found it to have an incredibly well-written and memorable vocal part and great pacing in itself and within the album, helping turn the page towards the moodier half of the project.
28. “Love Jet” - K Suave
In past years, the first line of this song being “I’d rather get high and watch cartoons than chill at the club” probably would’ve made me skip it. However, I found it more revealing and honest than cringe inducing, and along with the slightly eerie beat, “Love Jet” became what I interpreted as a bit of a dark confessional track for a luxury-coated rapper like K Suave.
27. “birds, bees” - Fousheé
Here’s another unavoidably bouncy and light track that made its way here on sheer replayability for me. I don’t really know what the lyrics are (or aren’t) getting at, but those flute and vocal melodies were stuck deeply in my head for a few months. Shoutout to Steve Lacy for placing an equally lively bassline there too.
26. “68 Comeback” - 2nd Grade
This song sounds like it got left in the cassette deck of an old truck that was sitting in the sun for too long, and I love it for that. I am a huge fan of lo-fi recording, and it is awesome how deeply 2nd Grade committed to this old sound here. It’s also just a really fun song behind the tiny spectral range.
25. “New Mexico” - Allegra Krieger
I was struck by how pretty this song was the first time I heard it, probably emphasized by how simple it was. Krieger rides her specific melody through the whole song, with only slight changes to emphasize the ups and downs in her lyrics. It’s got signs of hope, but the last few lines leave a despairing taste.
24. “Pinball” - MIKE, Tony Seltzer
“Pinball” is one of those sweet & sour rap bangers like “Love Jet” that I quite enjoy. It goes hard for sure, but something about that bleepy melody is a little uneasy. It was fun to hear MIKE over some different types of production this year thanks to Tony Seltzer, who also killed the sound effects arrangement on this one.
If this had been released to streaming, I would’ve played the hell out of it. “11:11” has front-to-back energy and such a quirky style. Charlie Wilson is definitely in there too. I love how the song evolves one last time with around a minute to go, and somehow he swirls the chords into such a satisfying ending. The “ugly-face crying” part is so sick; very underrated song.
22. “CD-R” - Toro y Moi
Toro shows his age in an awesome and desirable way on “CD-R,” and as someone who loves CDs and is fascinated by slightly-retro tech, this one was basically built for me. His stories of experiencing early fame through a Blackberry phone and handing out his music on CD-Rs makes me envious of his come up.
21. “WalkOnBy” - NxWorries, Earl Sweatshirt, Rae Khalil
As the finale of NxWorries’s tragic tale, “WalkOnBy” sends off the show with some classic pop-rap energy. The lyrics are definitely somber, but the smooth instrumental does a great job at distracting from it, kinda like how the titular line of the chorus describes. It’s impressive how well this song serves these two purposes.
20. “Hand to Hand” - Katy Kirby
Katy Kirby proved herself as a fantastic wordsmith on her sophomore album Blue Raspberry. It was another album that elevated higher as a whole, but it was impossible for me to ignore the dynamic control this song has. The building ambiance cuts quiet at what might be the most effective production moment on a song all year; you’ll know it when you hear it.
19. “Babydaddy” - Toro y Moi
Once you get past the slight jolt of corniness from the “hair is in a bun” line, this song is the sickest hip-hop track off of Toro’s genre-bending Hole Erth. It's incredibly dark and moody, but the “baby can you do your best / best impression” part is such a hype hook that it overshadows the actual chorus. How is he good at every genre…
18. “All About You” - 2nd Grade
“The losers write power pop, and it’s all about you” is an awesome closing line to a power pop song, highlighting the awkward, self-aware corniness of the genre. It is the most uncool, cool genre ever to be created. However, frontman Peter Gill knows this and continues to redefine it with 2nd Grade.
17. “Imaan” - Mustafa
I had heard of Mustafa from his 2021 debut project, and was blown away by the lead single “Imaan” for his album Dunya. I don’t think I fully understand the full meaning of this song based on the non-American instruments and clothing portrayed on the single’s artwork, but between the monumental chorus and Mustafa’s spiritual vocals, I definitely felt the power behind it.
16. “I Wanna Be On Your Mind” - 2nd Grade
This is one of the most accessible tracks from Scheduled Explosions, running at a somewhat normal length and having been recorded cleanly. If you ever need to smile, this song will probably do the trick. It’s incredibly sweet, and guitarist Catherine Dwyer’s shy, soft vocals fit perfectly on the album’s shiny outro.
15. “Embryo” - JOBA
“Embryo” really grew on me out of nowhere late in the year (something I hope I never have to say again), as I realized how brilliant the reverb-soaked atmosphere of the song was. There isn’t much of a chorus, but instead JOBA just keeps the vocal hooks coming. Matt Champion may have made a bigger splash with his rebrand this year, but this song cleared everything else.
14. “Underdressed at the Symphony” - Faye Webster
There are a fair few artists who make a solid living rehashing their trusty formula over and over, but not many manage to deliver their best version of it nearly ten years in. Maybe it’s the addition of piano that did it this time, but “Underdressed” might be Faye Webster’s new best song.
13. “Joker Lips” - MJ Lenderman
I think MJ suffered from success on my list this year, along with Charli xcx. I loved “Wristwatch” for about a week, now I never wanna hear ‘himbo-dome’ mentioned again. However, I can’t deny how much I loved that snappy guitar riff and this song's fleeting feeling of pseudo-hope.
12. “Sexy to Someone” - Clairo
Not many lead singles in 2024 garnered the same excitement from me as this one. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Clairo’s comeback, but this blend of classic pop and organic instrumentation was a joyous combination of Immunity and Sling that I probably should’ve seen coming.
11. “closer” - Fousheé
Of all the tracks on Pointy Heights, “closer” was the classic Steve Lacy production masterclass we needed. The drums are nonstop and the guitars are oddly Western-esque; as a whole it’s badass, maddeningly catchy, and very replayable.
10. “For A Voter” - A Country Western
Big shoutout to this Philadelphia group for attracting a lot of new press and attention with their new album Life on the Lawn (my full review here). Kicking off the Top 10 is yet another short power pop blast with an absolutely killer chord progression. If “Hand to Hand” had the best production moment of the year, this song might have the best bridge / outro of 2024.
9. “Underground Kingz” - MIKE, Tony Seltzer
Yep… another year, another amazing track from MIKE. This song was teased on Instagram prior to Pinball’s release, and for how much I enjoy MIKE’s rapping, even I had to admit that this beat was strong enough to carry ‘Big Fuckin’ MIKE’ if it had to, which it kinda did even though it didn’t really have to. Thank you Tony Seltzer.
8. “Over and Out” - Allegra Krieger
If there’s an ‘underdog pick’ on this list, it’s this. I regrettably didn’t know about Allegra Krieger at all before this year, and almost didn’t check out her album (thank you BLIGATORY). But after a few listens, I couldn’t forget the way those background vocals come on the chorus, or the way Krieger’s voice wavers when she holds a higher note.
7. “Alesis” - Mk.gee
Everyone knew this one by the end of the year, and for great reasons. “Alesis” is this year’s indie hit that could’ve ruled the radio if its artist had any prior name recognition, and we should be thankful for that because it's all over for Mk.gee now. Low, quiet synths on the second verse; that’s all I want to add.
6. “$0” - Cameron Winter
Ok, what the hell is this song? Is he serious here? Why is this incredibly beautiful outro tacked onto this outrageous young man’s half-ironic take on opera? And why did it have the single coolest rollout of any single this year? All I know for sure is that I thoroughly enjoyed this piece of music for all of its oddness, magic, and near 7-minute runtime.
5. “Want 2” - Laila!
There was one morning when during my 7am grocery shift, I listened to the new albums from Allegra Krieger, Fousheé, and Laila! back to back to back. Within all that great new music, this song became a clear contender for my favorite songs of the year with its oozing amounts of creativity and catchiness. This is the glory of unfiltered ideas created by random people in their bedrooms.
4. “Persuasion” - Wishy
Under the greatest amounts of anticipation, Wishy did not disappoint. Kevin Krauter and Nina Pitchkites’ ideal songwriting is on full display as they call and respond to each other, leading up to that blissful harmonic outro. “Persuasion” has that perfect indie pop summer shimmer that’s almost a little corny because of how happy it is, but if you just buy into it, you’ll be even happier.
3. “Love On The Outside” - Wishy
Wishy did NOT disappoint! I had a hard time deciding which of these two to rank higher, but “Love On The Outside” came out on top because it takes on a bigger task than “Persuasion,” not just as their debut album’s lead single, but as a more complete song that builds from just electric guitar through two longing choruses to a roaring, power rock outro. Within all of that is the best pre-chorus of the year, and the complete transformation of Kevin Krauter from an indie singer-songwriter to a full-fledged pop-punk superstar.
2. “Evil Things” - 2nd Grade
It may be ⅓ of the length of our last entree, but 2nd Grade found the perfect combination of simplicity, catchiness, accessibility, unpredictability, and relatability with “Evil Things.” I found new enjoyment in unserious music this year because of songs like this, that take the conventions of the industry, and proceed to bend them into something a bit less perfect. For every great track by Mk.gee or Clairo, 2nd Grade was that low-budget masterpiece that actually seemed achievable to me.
1. “Dream police” - Mk.gee
I say all that just to admit that “Dream police” has pretty much been my favorite song of the year since it was released in January. I have been fairly obsessed with Mk.gee since I discovered “cz” as a single for A Museum of Contradictions; an album which absolutely changed everything for me and my friends along with the music we made for a long while. Bay and I were there when Dijon shared a pic of him and Mike together in the studio, and we lost our goddamn minds. This year tested me and my desire to gate-keep the world from him, especially since his growing fanbase of dudes became more and more annoying to me. In my mind, if you didn’t know the drum fill in “Western,” you weren’t as good as me, and that drove me away from ‘new Mk.gee’ a bit.
I think I can confidently say that 2nd Grade’s Scheduled Explosions is my favorite album of 2024, but there is no way to deny “Dream police,” the song. It has everything; wildly catchy and retro vocals, underrated and uniquely soft drums, whatever that tinny keyboard is, spacey horn-like stuff, and of course that damn guitar tone that everyone fell in love with. It never got worse for me throughout the year, and I never got tired of it because frankly I was a bit scared of how much I liked it. I didn’t want to be another Mk.gee idolizer this year, and while I don’t exactly wanna be him anymore, I can put away my pride for a second to acknowledge how great his run really was.
*note: songs 48 and 23 are not on Spotify, so I have added two honorable mentions as 49 and 50.
And with that, I can finally move on to 2025. I love making and reading year end lists, but sometimes I almost ruin my favorite songs while relistening to them enough to properly organize them into a ranking. But 2024 had some fantastic albums that will live within my rotation (and CD collection) forever, and I really enjoyed the new artists that I discovered throughout the year.
Thank you all for checking out this edition of Music Op, and if you read this far, comment some of your favorite songs or albums below! See you next month!
