The Best Moments In Music In 2024

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One of the craziest things about the music landscape today is that it’s easy to miss the most exceptional moments since so much greatness is happening. I wanted to recap what I thought were the coolest moments of music in 2024, but upon further thought, I decided one of the best parts of my life is I talk to so many different people in music with such different taste that I could really survey a lot of people on what they thought was great. But first, I’m going to take some editorial license and tell you a few of my favorites, then get to our guests answers.

My List:

1. Charli XCX’s Brat album rollout (and everything) was obviously one of the coolest things music has seen.

2. FKA Twigs “Eusexua” video is just one of the moments of creativity where you’ll never forget what you saw. Both her singles have been bangers with incredible videos as per usual.

3. 2hollis creative output this year inspired so many of us with one of the freshest sounds in a minute.

4. Mk.Gee’s Two Star & The Dream Police will prove to be one of the most influential records released in many years and redefined the possibilities of guitar for so many people.

5. Headless/The Life released one of the coolest songs of the year in “Lover’s Talk”. I love the way the artifacts move the song like percussion.

6. Ryan Hall continues to be the most underrated artist in pop, with 3 releases in a year and a half that are jaw-dropping.

7. Snow Strippers / The Hellp inspired the hell out of me.

8. Rico Nasty and Boys Noize were a breath of fresh air in what Berlin hardcore can do when fused with pop.

9. What Quannnic is doing with lo-fi recording is some of the sickest music I have heard in a while.

10. Tsubi Club is a DIY musician collective, and for their second song, they somehow made one of the coolest music videos we’ve seen in a minute.

“Coolest thing for me was watching Kendrick ignite the mass-scale conversation around hip-hop and what is and isn’t conducive to the progression of the culture. It’s been building in the underground for years and there are so many artists who are here to carry shit forward, and now there’s a primed and ready audience to reward them. So exciting.” DAMAG3–rapper/producer

“Kacey Musgraves turned a quiet album on self improvement into a full blown pop spectacle on her tour with perfectly synced set design and lighting for each song. I’ve never seen an audience so transfixed by placid music. Also Brat wall. Everything Brat.” - Charlie Harding host of Switched on Pop and the author of the excellent newsletter Switched On Pop

“Favourite” Fontaines D.C. was my “why is this a guilty pleasure” guilty pleasure of 2024. Zac Lipez wrote “Actually the only thing on Obama’s list that I do think he listens to is Fontaines DC. Obama-ass band if there ever was one.” And though he’s undeniably right that the Irish band is somehow both the most quintessentially Netflix-deal-coded-Nu-Americana band of recent times, they’re also somehow 2024’s answer to Jesus Jones and I enjoy this song both Right Here and Right Now. A more straightforwardly sticky and less reaching-for-greatness bop this year was “Itch” by Porches. It does not mess around.” - Geoff Rickly singer of Thursday and author of the amazing book Someone Who Isn’t Me

"Knocked Loose exploding is certainly an important and very cool music world development in 2024. They're unloading the whole arsenal (hot new album, social media buzz, killer collabs, savvy tour billing, etc) to push past some stubborn boundaries, and marketing their shows in a way that brings a very diverse attendance." — Joseph "Joe" McKinney, HEALTH Creative Director

“The coolest thing I've seen in music this year is the ascendancy of this recent class of powerhouse female artists. Billie, Sabrina, Chappell, Olivia, Charli, Dua, Ariana - not all new artists obviously, but felt like they (and more) were all collectively having a triumphant moment of attitude in 2024; putting out far and away my favorite music of the year.” - Aslan Freeman Producer / Musical Director Lainey Wilson / Actor Yellowstone

“Charli XCX’s BRAT album, A. G. Cook’s Britpop, and Porter Robinson’s Smile truly stood out to me this year. Each project had a distinct identity, blending introspective lyrics with songs that are avant garde yet modern. The tones, songwriting, and mixes felt incredibly original while remaining immediately accessible, keeping me inspired and engaged with every listen.” - Sam Pura | The Panda Studios | Purafied

“Not sure how he pulled it off, but seeing Terry Presume hitting 200k monthlies with no editorials or major label was cool. The YEAT x Superheaven crossover definitely grew on me but I absolutely cringed initially. I didn't expect to want more trap/grunge collabs this year but here I am. “ - Brian DiMgelio Producer/ Bassist in Superbloom

“3 things I thought were cool this year: It's really cool that all prog rock needed to be cool again was a great death metal logo. It's very cool that Future Islands made their 7th album their best one. It's astounding that after 22 years and 14 albums that are all the most strange and upsetting music you've ever heard, Xiu Xiu is somehow the most consistent band in the country.” - bryn from stay inside

"I feel like I've been waiting a long time for this fresh sound coming from 2hollis and The Hellp. Electronic music is often blended with other genres, but these artists in 2024 have done so in a way that feels genuine and avoids common tropes.” - After Wes

“Big Ass Truck came out of nowhere with ridiculous and hilarious AI images of trucks with arms punching or shooting things and it’s genuinely one of the best things I’ve ever seen.” - Matt Bacon, Dropout Media

Have fun exploring!