It’s that time of year again! The time when I take every song that’s hit the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and rank them. Obviously, Billboard’s “charting period” ended months ago, but I attribute that to Billboard being weird (how does the tracking period end in mid-October? There are two-and-a-half months left! I get not ending in December because, you know, Christmas song fever but come on!). As far as 2024 in music...this was a crazy one, but not for the same reasons as last year. It was a crazy year because I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed this year. Like yes, many people who know me know I’m much nicer of a critic than some others (something you’ll see as we get further into this list), but I mean...the sheer amount of music that landed in my highest possible tier (and avoided my lower tiers) this year kinda blew me away.
For reference: last year, out of the 70 songs that hit the Top 10 (excluding Christmas songs), a whopping 33 of them landed in the “Okay” or lower tier. Out of the 73 this year? Only 11, with only two being songs I found specifically “bad.” What’s more, a whopping 52(!!!!!) songs landed in my “Loved” tier this year, which is by far the most songs in that tier since I started making these lists in 2017 (2018 and 2021 each had the previous record with 42, and not even 2022, which had 83 non-Christmas Top 10 songs, could pass 50). Now of course, I could just be becoming progressively easier to please, but it happened that this year, the “album bombs” that we got happened to be for some really good albums, several genres had much better years this year than last (hip-hop especially), and even some of the weaker stuff I found something in. Also worth noting: after two straight years, I didn’t have to add an “I’m Cheating If I Put This At #1” tier because, outside of Christmas songs, no song hit the Top 10 that was like a “years-old legacy gem” or a “belated hit” or anything like that (though there is one new tier on this year’s list...just saying). Honestly, while some might disagree, this is gonna be one of those years where I look back at the Billboard charts very happily. And not just the charts, either; between the Billboard chart and the many albums I reviewed, 2024 was one of the most fun years I’ve had following music.
But enough swooning, we’ve got a list to give. As always, if you don’t know how this works, I’m gonna divide this list into five (well, actually seven) distinct “tiers,” put each song into a specific tier and try to rank them as best as I can. Each song will also have a paragraph sum-up with my deeper opinions on them (a few entries, I got very detailed on, something I may tone back next year). As I always stress, this list is just my opinion. There are plenty of songs I know good and well that I enjoyed more than most did (especially when it comes to one particular artist...take a wild guess), and maybe the few songs I wasn’t as crazy about were songs you liked. It’s wonderful if you disagree, but just please try to be civil about your disagreements in the comments section below.
Also, I know that I usually keep this intro to three paragraphs but I’m gonna add a fourth this year just to give one more detail: more than ever this year, don’t take the number ranking of these songs to heart. I know some people might say “You ranked [insert song here] higher than [insert song here]? What?!?!” but here’s the thing: with there being so many more songs that I loved this year compared to other years, trying to rank them numerically was an even greater chore than its ever been. So don’t take these rankings as “hard and fast,” this is just about as good as I can get. Most of these can interchange, even the song at my top spot; it really depends on what kind of mood I’m in on a given day. So, with that out of the way, let’s jump in:
THE CHRISTMAS SONGS TIER
Sleigh Ride by The Ronettes / Feliz Navidad by José Feliciano / Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! by Dean Martin / It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams / A Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives / Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee / All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey / Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms
For as long as these Christmas songs are charting in the Top 10, most of them will land directly in this tier. Every year, I wonder if I should just ixnay the Christmas songs entirely, but that’s not fair to the Christmas songs that regularly chart in the Top 10 that I actually do like. With that said, we’ve got some surprises in store on the Christmas song front this year. Read on to find out.
I HATED THESE!!!
73. 7 Minute Drill by J. Cole
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. J. Cole’s last album, 2021’s “The Off-Season” featured some of his best work to date, and his feature run over the last year or so has been really impressive. And then, he went and threw all of it out the window in 2024; following a very viral track (that we’ll get into much later in this list) where Cole received a diss from Kendrick Lamar, the Dreamville rapper dropped a project titled “Might Delete Later,” ending off the mixtape with “7 Minute Drill.” This was his 3:32 response to Kendrick...that’s right, he didn’t even make it seven minutes...so why’s it called that? Doesn’t matter, the song’s not very good. I mean, sure, the beat is kinda cool and the way it switches up midway through is not bad, but...maybe Cole made the right move listening to his mixtape title. Cole himself lacks a lot of energy in his performance to begin with (which tells me his heart was never really in the battle as it is), but what’s worse is that, as an attempted diss track, this really does nothing. And I know you’re supposed to hit where it hurts in a diss no matter if what you’re saying is the truth or not, but truly, you should probably try to believe your own words. And quite frankly, I don’t think there’s a bone in J. Cole’s body that believes “To Pimp A Butterfly” put people to sleep; if anything, Cole probably wishes he could put out an album like that. And then he tries to indicate that he wouldn’t feel the need to discuss Kendrick if he hadn’t put out the first diss when...it was Cole referencing K-Dot on “First Person Shooter” with Drake that made Kendrick drop his track in the first place! It was an embarrassing diss in and of itself, and that seemed to rub off on Cole given that he came out on stage at his Dreamville Fest concert to apologize for the diss and proceeded to remove it from streaming services. And look, I don’t blame him for prioritizing his mental health (as someone who deals with my own mental health often, I get it), and I think he made the right move bowing out of the beef considering how vicious it would get, but none of that makes the track any better to me. It’s definitely a career lowlight for J. Cole in my eyes, and I think it unfortunately gave some of his critics a bit more ammunition against him.
I DIDN’T LIKE THESE!
72. act ii: date @ 8 by 4Batz ft. Drake
Give 2024 credit: in the context of this list, this was the first relative “stinker” of the year to hit the Top 10, and it took until the end of March. We were off to a really good start, I’d say. As with a lot of songs from artists you’ve probably never heard of, this song kinda blew up on TikTok, largely because people were surprised to hear 4Batz’s singing voice up against the more drill-esque visuals of the music video. And look, I like that he’s doing something different, but other than the quick eyebrow raise, I don’t personally see the hype here; his voice sounds like it’s just pitch-shifted up and honestly a little bit lacking in personality up against the basic instrumentation. As far as music with pitch-shifted vocals go, there’s not much here that’s done better than great songs like “KEHLANI” by Jordan Adetunji or “FAMJAM4000” by Jordan Ward. What really helped the song blow up was the fact that a remix came out featuring Drake - because of course it did - and while Drake’s contribution is not bad, it doesn’t help the song very much to me. I guess he’s a bit more expressive than 4Batz - odd that Drake managed to have more expression than anyone at this point in his career - but it’s not like he lifts the song very much. And then when he drops his typical goofy lines like “I’m a stand-up guy like Dave Chappelle,” I check out. It’s not unlistenable, just extraordinarily boring.
THESE WERE OKAY
71. Love Somebody by Morgan Wallen
Morgan Wallen, controversy be damned, continues to be one of the biggest household names of the 2020s in the music world, once again proving why I pay no mind to anyone who bellyaches about “cancel culture.” This track, “Love Somebody” was one of the singles off of his fourth studio album (because he clearly hasn’t released enough music in the last few years), and...yeah, it’s pretty whatever. Other than the interpolation of “Training Season” by Dua Lipa, this song pretty much went in one ear and out the other. I applaud that it doesn’t sound like the typical Morgan Wallen song, but the most credit I can give it is that it didn’t frustrate me as much as his stuff usually does. Though, on the topic of Morgan Wallen...
70. Lies Lies Lies by Morgan Wallen
Yeah, at this point, Morgan Wallen feels damn near inescapable so I guess I just have to grin and bear it with the dude. “Lies Lies Lies” served as the leadoff single for his aforementioned fourth studio album and, once again, it’s fairly average. It’s a melancholic song with a lot of romantic longing, and it doesn’t necessarily do much wrong but it doesn’t do anything very excitingly. Morgan sounds nice, the instrumental is very standard...you’ve heard this song plenty of times before, and it ultimately proves pretty uneventful. Not the worst I’ve heard out of Morgan, but I’ve definitely heard better. Though, speaking of that whole “bellyaching about cancel culture” thing...
69. Houdini by Eminem
Oh man, this was not something I was looking forward to talking about. It’s been a minute since I talked about Eminem in one of these lists, but ever since I started doing this in 2017, every Top 10-peaking song I talked about that had Eminem on it was something I enjoyed. Even in this “lower” point of his career, he’s always been good for an exciting single or two. Now, we actually have our first “eh” moment in this series featuring the Rap God. And no, that’s not to say Em doesn’t have other moments that are “eh” (or worse), but rather that those moments don’t happen to hit the Top 10 on Billboard...until now. “Houdini” served as the leadoff single to Eminem’s latest album “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce),” and with it, Eminem basically decided that he wanted to go back to his old kind of sound. In theory, this isn’t a bad thing at all; I personally have wanted to see Em back in his “carefree” style for a bit, and I do think the beat of the song, mixed with Eminem’s catchy flows, can make this a rather fun joint. With that said, there are two issues I have here; the chorus, despite being a sample of the Steve Miller Band song “Abracadabra,” comes across more annoying on a song like this, though admittedly, that’s not surprising given that modern Eminem choruses are...yeahhh (and don’t get me started on the lazy implementation of “Without Me” on the intro). The big issue that I have, though, is Eminem’s writing, which I would say is possibly his most “old man yells at cloud” level of writing to date. Even if I generously overlook the groan-inducing bars about Megan thee Stallion and the “transgender cat” bars (though that R. Kelly one was funny)...in what universe is *Eminem* of all people being canceled? The dude is quite literally the highest-selling rapper of all time (at the time of this writing), he is at the point of being “uncancelable.” What’s more, this is barely even CLOSE to being his most “controversial” song to date, and yet people all over TikTok were parroting this stupid viewpoint that “OMG GEN-Z IS TRYING TO *CANCEL* EMINEM!!!!!” People...this man has genuinely had the Secret Service check him over his music...twice...NOTHING he says here comes close to that. Also, it’s strange to think that Gen-Z is trying to “cancel” Eminem when - and I say this as a fellow “older Gen-Z” myself, being born in 1998 - many Gen-Z kids grew up on Eminem and obviously know of his entire persona at this point. Quit it with the victim complex; Gen-Z kids don’t care about canceling Eminem, especially on a song like this where he sounds more like an annoying grandpa than anything. So yeah, that rant went on a bit long, but I don’t think the song is distinctly *bad*, it’s just really frustrating. Hell, it’s not even the best recent song that’s titled “Houdini” (Dua Lipa earns that title). And it was most certainly not an exciting way to kick off the album cycle.
68. Beautiful Things by Benson Boone
At this point, unless the platform goes kerplunk, expect at least a few Top 10-peaking songs to come on the heels of TikTok virality. And even if the platform goes away, expect some inevitable replacement to come along and create the same effect (I’m aware of recent developments, I wrote those lines in the early part of the year before the shutdown talk and I’m keeping them in, leave me be). This year, one of our earliest hits from an artist with some level of TikTok virality was “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone. Boone, for those that don’t know, is an artist who, after withdrawing from American Idol, blew up on TikTok to the tune of 1.7 million followers and a record deal from Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds. He’s released his share of music since, and this has become his biggest hit yet. And it’s...fine. It’s a pretty standard ballad about a guy who has found a girl he loves but understands that love could be taken from him and doesn’t want to lose her. It works, though I think some outlets I’ve seen trying to play this up as some “deep” song about “the meaning of life” are gloriously overselling it. Trust me, as someone who’s more existential than he’d like to be, this barely made me ponder a thing. As for the rest of the song...it’s got a listenable instrumental that feels like it’s a bit of a pop-rock deal, and Boone’s vocals are decent...up until the chorus. Then he starts getting way too screechy, and it takes me out of the song. All in all, it’s fine enough while it’s on, but I wouldn’t say I’m in a rush to ever go back to it.
67. Lose Control by Teddy Swims
You guys ever hear a soulful, bluesy pop ballad? You have? Cool; here’s another one. Teddy Swims reached the Top 10 of the Hot 100 for the first time in 2024 with “Lose Control,” a song that actually became the year’s longest-running Top 10 hit and not only reached #1, but was the #1 song on the Year-End Hot 100 as well. I don’t know if I’d personally put it that high, but I see the appeal. Upon first listen, this gave me an immediate flashback to some of Sam Smith’s older songs from their first two albums. I’ll commend Teddy for the fact that his vocals are really something great; gritty and powerful with some excellent vocal technique as well. I heard someone say he sounds like someone put Sam Smith and Chris Stapleton in a blender and...I mean, I hear it, but I like that! There’s a lot of promise here, and purely from a vocal standpoint, I see him having a very bright future with more hits beyond this. As it is, the song just feels like a standard soulful ballad about struggling to be apart from your lover. It sounds nice, but it doesn’t really stick with me much. Maybe it’ll grow on me in the future, but all in all, it’s just kinda fine while it’s on.
66. That’s So True by Gracie Abrams
I’ll be honest, this could’ve fallen down a few spots, but it’s getting a tiny push up just because the three songs immediately behind it either immensely annoyed me (“Houdini”) or got played out for me to an extent where I just got tired of them (“Beautiful Things” and “Lose Control”). Meanwhile, this came out late enough in the year and I didn’t have to hear it a bunch so I didn’t come to be annoyed by it; rather, I just found it to be utterly forgettable. Now sure, I could lump it with the Morgan Wallen songs for that reason, but...come on, I’ll listen to this 10 more times consecutively before I have to listen to “Houdini” once. Sorry. Either way, yeah, Gracie Abrams (the daughter of director J.J. Abrams, a fact that kinda blew my mind when I learned it) caught some eyes after opening for artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift (the latter coming on the zeitgeist-grabbing Eras Tour), then got her first Top 10 hit off of this song from the Deluxe Edition of her album “The Secret Of Us.” And yeah, it’s fine. I’ll say that I really like the bridge (which you probably know best from the song since it was the big TikTok moment), but the rest of the song felt like very standard folk-pop that I feel like I’ve heard too many times before. I’m not gonna write her off, but what IS so true is that this single doesn’t exactly give me much to chew over.
65. Cinderella by Future, Metro Boomin and Travis Scott
Future and Metro Boomin’s “WE DON’T TRUST YOU” was one of 2024’s biggest musical moments, and it was successful enough to land itself five songs in the Top 10 of the Hot 100. I personally enjoyed the album quite a bit, more so than the usual Future album, might I add. Even so, it’s not a Future album if there’s not a tiny bit of filler, and it turns out one of the Top 10-peaking songs didn’t really sing to me as much, and that was “Cinderella.” While Metro’s synth-heavy production gave the song a decent mellow feel, Future’s flow got kinda repetitive over time, and the song just didn’t do all too much for me. And sure, Travis Scott’s appearance was a bit better, but by the time it got there, I was already less enthralled by the song. It’s not bad, but it’s definitely not the most interesting song on the album...thankfully, we’ll get into a few of those later.
64. CARNIVAL by ¥$ (Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign) (uncredited features by Playboi Carti and Rich the Kid)
I knew I’d have to talk about it sooner or later. I mostly ignored all the “VULTURES” hype, and while a part of it was because of Kanye West’s neverending commitment to narcissism and controversy (and making a show out of everything he does), I also just wasn’t interested in the music itself. I gave the first volume of “VULTURES” a listen and, while I didn’t hate it, I didn’t find it all that compelling, hence why I never reviewed it. Of course, though, when you have a fanbase like his that can reasonably be described as a “cult” at this point, you still see some commercial success, and thus, “CARNIVAL” reached the Top 10. Out of all the songs on “VULTURES,” this was definitely one of the more palatable ones to chart high, though I still have some issues with it. Production-wise, it’s as good as you’d expect (Kanye is still quite an incredible producer at the end of the day), and I think it succeeds at being the arena-like hit that it’s clearly trying to be. I mean, the song literally starts with a chant from Curva Nord Milano, the ultras (or fan group) of the Italian football club Inter Milan. It’s a pretty fun chant, I’ll say, and then Rich the Kid comes in with an admittedly pretty good performance. I wouldn’t have expected to say that, but it remains to be said that Kanye knows how to bring the best out of his collaborators, as the same could be said for Ty Dolla $ign on the song. I just wish Kanye knew how to bring the best out of himself because he’s by far the worst thing about this track. His flow sounds erratic and unfocused, almost like he’s struggling to stay on beat and really needs to catch his breath. And of course, his lyrics are pretty gross here: beyond the fact that he really should leave Taylor Swift alone already, never in a million years would I want to hear anyone compare themselves to R. Kelly, Bill Cosby and Puff Daddy unironically. And Jesus, how many more times is he gonna bring up the #MeToo movement? It’s just tiring; I know Kanye has never learned how to do this, but...shut up. And as for Playboi Carti...I mean, he’s fine, but I still really gotta get used to that new voice. I can’t tell if he just wants to sound like everyone else or something, or if the new album will show me what he’s really been building toward with this new style...I genuinely have no clue. Either way...yeah, this song does some things right, but the things it does wrong are hard to ignore...kinda like Kanye himself. That’s poetic.
63. APT. by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars
Oh man, I wish I could put this song higher up on this list. On one hand, I’m very happy to see that ROSÉ, one-fourth of the Blackpink girls, got to have a big Billboard Top 10 hit (though I’m honestly a touch surprised Jennie didn’t do it first), and as a lover of Bruno Mars, I’m always happy to see Bruno up here. But damn, “APT.” seems to swing violently between elements that I like and elements I don’t like as much. In a lot of ways, I like what the song is doing by bringing elements of Korean culture on a more global scale, and I like how it almost feels like a modern-day version of Toni Basil’s “Mickey.” The entire aesthetic around the song is so adorable, and ROSÉ and Bruno both bring great vocals to the table, especially on the pre-chorus which is absolutely KILLER...but I’m just not into that hook. I get what it’s doing, and I’m not immune to enjoying a repetitive hook, but this one just didn’t grab me until it was too late. I didn’t really start to appreciate it until the second part of the song when the instrumental builds more rock elements around the hook. At that moment, I really felt the hook, but for the first half, it just didn’t land for me. And when the song is built entirely around it, that’s a bit of a problem. I don’t know, I gave the song multiple listens before writing out this entry, and I just couldn’t feel the strength to put it higher than I’m putting it now. Maybe it’ll grow on me and years down the line, I’ll be writing out an apology for underestimating its greatness, but right now, I’m just a little mixed on it.
I LIKED THESE!
62. I Had Some Help by Post Malone ft. Morgan Wallen
I gotta say, Post Malone’s career arc has been really interesting to me. Posty rode in on a wave making huge hip-hop and R&B songs and albums, with the occasional song turning into the singer-songwriter lane. Somewhere along the way, though, Post Malone started banking some huge poppier hits like “Sunflower” and “Circles,” and as a result, it feels like Post has used that as a means to almost entirely abandon the hip-hop roots and go full pop (something that’s been cause for much controversy). Now, in 2024, Post has used some of those aforementioned singer-songwriter vibes to jump into country music, complete with a feature from everyone’s favorite roof-climbing, chair-throwing country boy Morgan Wallen. Well, I’ll give Posty that much: jumping on Beyoncé AND Taylor Swift’s albums and THEN doing a collab with Morgan Wallen? Clearly, the man’s in demand. And while I’ve been slightly less moved by his more recent projects (and would end up being thoroughly unmoved by the inevitable album “F-1 Trillion,” which I consider my least favorite project of his), Posty’s always good for some fun singles. Combining that with his extremely likable personality has kept me in his corner even as the music’s become a touch less interesting to me, and it’s made him an artist I continue to root for. So I was definitely curious to hear how this country turn would sound, and ultimately, at least on this song...it was pretty good. It’s a VERY standard country song, so don’t expect it to blow your mind or do anything you haven’t heard before, but it turns out Post sounds pretty decent over this style. He also has some pretty decent vocal interplay with Morgan Wallen, which makes it a song I can at least enjoy when it’s on. I feel like I’ll enjoy it a lot less when the people I live with who blast country music all the time inevitably overplay it, but for now, it’s a nice little track from Post Malone and Morgan Wallen that’s worth a listen despite the rest of the album not being so good. And speaking of Morgan Wallen...
61. Last Night by Morgan Wallen
2023’s biggest song according to Billboard made its return to the Top 10 early in 2024. Would I call it my favorite of the bunch? No, and you’ll see as we move along that other songs from the 2023 list are ahead of it. But I can’t lie, it’s actually one of the few Morgan Wallen songs I like. Compared to some of his other stuff, at least this one feels catchy and has a pretty good hook to it. Enough to last super high on my list? Not quite. Enough to justify the 36-track Morgan Wallen album it came from? Hell no. But at least I can sing along to this one and enjoy it; there’s something to be said for that when it comes to Morgan Wallen.
60. Flowers by Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus’s big single off of her newest album made a return to the Top 10 following a very memorable night at the 2024 Grammys, where she not only performed the song but also won her first Grammy award (notably taking home Record of the Year). And while I’m definitely happy for Miley, I have to say that this song did grow away from me a touch after last year’s list. Don’t get me wrong, I still like it, but I just feel like it’s not as exciting as some of the year’s other big hits (or some of its fellow Record of the Year nominees). But if nothing else, I can enjoy it while it’s on, and as I explained last year, the “masterclass in petty” that Miley took makes it a bit interesting.
59. Fast Car by Luke Combs
Another 2023 holdover where I will admit, it jumped ahead a bit. It helps that the Tracy Chapman song it covers is such a beautiful, heartwrenching piece of songwriting, and Luke Combs sticks fairly closely to the source material to the point where he would’ve really had to *try* to ruin the song. It’s nothing incredible, but it’s enjoyable while it’s on.
58. Lovin On Me by Jack Harlow
This charted late in 2023 and it returned to the summit early in 2024. Thus, many of my thoughts on it remained the same as what I wrote in my 2023 list; seeing Jack Harlow return to this style after something as solid as “Jackman.” is a bit disappointing to me, but the song is a fun enough vibe while it’s on. It may be the poster child for lazy sampling in modern music, but Jack does just enough to make it work. And hey, maybe my opinion will move in some way if I hear it in the context of an album.
57. greedy by Tate McRae
Another song that hit the Top 10 very late in 2023, it wasn’t too surprising to see it return to the Top 10 early in 2024. As I was frantically dashing through stuff late in 2023, I missed out on Tate McRae’s latest album, but I did enjoy this single from it. It’s nothing that reinvents the wheel, and I wish it had a little more meat on the bone, but it’s a fun enough pop jam with some good self-empowerment to it. As someone who really enjoyed her song “that way,” I’m glad to see Tate got a big Top 10 hit off that new album.
56. Stick Season by Noah Kahan
This is one of those songs that I kept thinking would hit the Top 10 for several weeks before it finally got there, which I think increased my interest in it for whatever reason. When it finally got into the Top 10 and I listened to it for myself...I mean, I liked it, I’ll say that much. I wasn’t blown away by it, but this is a nice piece of folk that manages to succeed, even if I’m not head over heels in love with it. Noah Kahan is a nice vocalist and I think this song does have some heartfelt writing to go with the sparse instrumentation. I think some of the unstructured feel of the melodies can throw me off a little bit, but I can enjoy what he did here. I will say one other minor thing that messes me up with this one: when Noah says “I saw your Mom” in the chorus, it sounds like he said “I suck your Mom,” and ever since that’s been pointed out to me, I can’t hear it the same way again. It seems like a small thing, but it does kinda make the song a little harder for me to enjoy. It’s still pretty good, though.
55. Enough (Miami) by Cardi B
Against all odds and amidst constant talk of her “falling off” or being a “flop,” Cardi B is still putting out hit records. 2023 was the first time since her breakthrough with “Bodak Yellow” that she didn’t have any kind of song reach the Top 10, but she made it right back in 2024 with “Enough (Miami).” What’s more, she made it back with her first solo song since “Up,” which was a huge hit in 2021. You don’t have to like Cardi but at this point, can we cool it with the narrative that Cardi is a “flop” or that she’s “fallen off?” She’s clearly transcended many of the expectations placed on her and has continued to be a hot, chart-climbing, in-demand artist, and that deserves some respect. And I do like this new song myself. The hook is not one of Cardi’s strongest, but she continues to come through with her trademark energy and charisma on her verse, along with a pretty memorable and fast flow. She rides the really bombastic beat really well, making for a tenacious and fun song. I can see myself liking it more if I hear it in the context of an album...if we ever get an album anytime soon. Yeah, as much as I was defending Cardi, I will offer this up: where the HELL is the album? “Invasion of Privacy” just turned six years old at the time that I’m writing this (wow), and Cardi’s been dropping single after single and album tease after album tease with no sign of the next album. Is it coming anytime soon? Should I expect this to be on there? What’s going on? I don’t know. But ah well, at least the song itself is good.
54. Family Matters by Drake
As someone who didn’t really start paying such deep attention to music until I started reviewing it in 2017, I missed out on a lot of “you had to be there” kinds of moments in the music world. Now, of course, I’ve gotten to have more than a few of them in the time since, but I don’t know if I’ll ever truly process the “you had to be there” moment that the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar beef set off. After Kendrick’s scathing burns on “euphoria” and “6:16 in LA,” Drake was not gonna be able to treat this like the Pusha T beef and just step away (at least not initially; he would get to that point...and eventually the “lawsuit” point). So he didn’t, and he instead came through with “Family Matters,” a seven-and-a-half-minute diss that showed how much Drake really meant business. And I’ll give it this much, Drake was certainly trying; I’ve given him a lot of shit for the fact that it feels like he was barely trying on his last four albums, but for once, Drake actually sounds hungry. And I’ll say this much as well; even though I feel like this track didn’t “win” the beef for Drake, I don’t think “losing the beef” is enough reason to discredit a diss track. Hell, I still think to this day that “Duppy Freestyle” is a great track even if Drake got his ass whooped by Pusha T, and purely as a diss, I think it might even be better than “Back to Back” was. So I’m all for giving credit where it’s due even if the song didn’t “win” the battle, and I can give Drake some credit here. He did what Kendrick did by experimenting with beat switches and different flows, though I will say not every single one landed for me. Some felt a little more cringe-y and less hard-hitting than they should’ve been for a track like this, and some of his autotune-assisted vocals were a little too silly, which did make me question Drake’s commitment just a little bit. Still, he did at least do a good job landing some actual body blows on Kendrick, alleging that his black activism is a shallow facade and trying to pull a Pusha T on Kendrick by alleging that he put hands on his wife and that his child is actually Kendrick’s creative director Dave Free’s. There are some legitimate points being made (even if they kinda feel like Drake just reaching into the bag for anything in hindsight), but the problem is that, in classic Drake fashion, there are a few too many corny lines. A diss should be focused; even the lightest “struggle bar” will be held against you forever. So when Drake notes that Kendrick raps like he’s “tryna get the slaves freed,” I can’t help but wince a bit. There’s also a strange line where Drake indicates that Kendrick’s music is only good when Baby Keem is involved...and I feel like even he doesn’t believe that...oh, and did Drake really bring up his dick size on the song...are you fucking serious? But perhaps the song’s biggest undoing is the fact that Drake doesn’t focus on Kendrick; he spends the song responding to as many people as he can, including The Weeknd, Rick Ross, A$AP Rocky, Future and Metro Boomin, among others. And that’s not a bad thing in general - I got a really good laugh at that line about Ross reading Drake’s Miranda rights - and I understand that all of these guys were kinda going at Drake on the “WE DON’T TRUST YOU” duology, but I think coming off of two consecutive diss track from Kendrick, the song could’ve been a lot better if he just focused all of his attention on Kendrick (which does make me wonder if he just really didn’t have enough to say about Kendrick). After all, he already shot at everyone on “Push Ups,” and outside of Rick Ross dropping a pretty underwhelming track, only Kendrick responded. By that point, just focus on him and forget the others. Still, I do think this is a valiant effort of a diss track for Drake in spite of its warts, and some of his most passionate rapping in a long time. Even so, the fallout would be much, MUCH worse...more on that later.
53. Please Please Please by Sabrina Carpenter
Is this the first time I’m talking about Sabrina Carpenter in this series? It is! That feels significant because this is a girl whose name I’ve been hearing about for a long time now. For a while, she was one of those singers who I kept hearing about but couldn’t believe hadn’t had a Top 10 hit just yet. Probably helps that I was hearing about her because she’s been an opening act for Ariana Grande and the aforementioned Taylor Swift, the latter coming during that cultural phenomenon we know as The Eras Tour. She’s been doing music for much longer (she was quite literally 14 when her first album came out in 2014, and she’s been acting even longer than that), but it seems she’s finally having her moment now. And good for her; she’s from Quakertown, I’m from Philadelphia, so I can say “Pennsylvania stand up!”...okay, that was corny, my bad. But anyway, “Please Please Please” was the second of Sabrina’s three huge singles this year (more on the others later), and while I definitely think this is the weaker of the three, I think it’s pretty good. Some of the synths are a bit strange on the instrumental (I can hear the Jack Antonoff hate from some of you reading this right now), but Sabrina still brings some charismatic vocals on this song where she really wants to protect her lover (though, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, why do I get the urge to say “gawrsh” every time I hear her say “motherfucker?”). The chorus might not hit the hardest, but it’s still a fun little song to vibe to. And again, Sabrina has some better singles than this...but more on that in a minute.
THE HONORARY “CHRISTMAS SONGS I ACTUALLY LIKE” TIER
Last Christmas by Wham!
Before we get into the proper “I LOVED THESE!!!” tier, I’d like to give you guys a new special tier. Over the last few years, I would particularly rank this song among the songs in the “Loved” tier as it was the one consistently charting Christmas song I enjoyed. This year, though, I decided to make a change. It felt a bit unfair to rank it (and any other Christmas songs I liked) alongside so many other songs, but equally, it felt unfair to make an “It Might Be Cheating” tier and implicate that certain Christmas songs are better than my favorite Top 10-peaking hit of the year. So I decided that any Christmas songs I enjoyed would go in their own tier. And once more, if I seek solace in the music that takes over the charts during the Christmas season, Wham! is that source of solace. I don’t need to repeat why “Last Christmas” is the one Christmas song I enjoy; just know that if I’m ever in a setting where Christmas music is playing and you want to put me in a good mood, throw this 80s classic on. Hell, unlike other Christmas music, you can play this at any time of the year and it’ll put me in a good mood. And it turns out we had a few new additions that I liked this year, starting with...
Underneath the Tree by Kelly Clarkson
Now I can’t lie: after finally hearing this song this year (or rather, hearing it and going “Oh, I know that song”), I can see this song becoming one of those songs that I eventually get a bit tired of at a point, but as someone who has quite a love for Kelly Clarkson, I’m just happy to see her landing in the Top 10 again. As the many comparisons have said, “Underneath the Tree” feels like Kelly’s version of “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” though honestly, I feel like I like it better. It’s infectious without being annoying, it’s upbeat without feeling cloying, and Kelly brings her typically amazing vocals to the forefront to elevate the song to success. Oh, and that bari saxophone on the bridge? Oooooh-WEEEEE...that alone makes the song for me. Again, I don’t know if this song will grow away from me or not, but for now, I can say I enjoy it. But there is a song I enjoy MUCH more, one I’m very happy to finally get to rank here…
Santa Tell Me by Ariana Grande
Finally...FINALLY finally finally. Anyone who has read these lists at any point since 2021 has known that I’ve been waving my hands in the air and practically begging for this song to land in the Top 10 around Christmas time, and after years, my wish has finally come true. It was this song that actually inspired this new tier as well, because if the past few years haven’t made it embarrassingly clear, “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande is my favorite Christmas song. Like “Last Christmas,” it’s the kind of song you could throw on at any time of year and I’d enjoy myself. Again, though, like “Last Christmas,” it felt wrong to make an “I’m Cheating” tier for this song because despite how special it is to me, it felt wrong to rank it above my favorite hit songs of 2024. So instead, I’m giving it shine here. To me, this song is a modern Christmas classic with catchy and bouncy pop/R&B production, a killer vocal performance from Ariana, and (to me) one of the most fun hooks on a Christmas song that simply never gets old. It’s an absolute joyride of a song that never fails to put a smile on my face, and I’m so glad it finally got to land in the Top 10. Now, at least for a moment, you won’t hear me be so much of a curmudgeon when it comes to Christmas; I got my wish this year. Now onto the proper “Loved” list:
I LOVED THESE!!!
52. Young Metro by Future, Metro Boomin and The Weeknd
Okay, NOW we’re gonna start getting into some of the (VERY) good material from “WE DON’T TRUST YOU.” And with a lot of this album, it feels like they were really playing off of the Metro Boomin “lore.” The “Young Metro” nickname, the “not trusting” thing...okay, maybe not THAT much lore, but it’s something. And with this track, “Young Metro,” Future and Metro slow things down, with Future hitting a slower triplet flow up against Metro’s slightly faster trap drums. It’s one of those songs that’s not outwardly “intense,” but it’s got a very eerie feel with some more subtle intensity to it. And while The Weeknd’s appearance is not extremely prominent (especially compared to some of his features across this album’s sequel “WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU”), I think his lighter vocals add to the eerieness of the cut. It’s a really solid track from a really solid album, and there are even more solid tracks on the album. Including...
51. We Don’t Trust You by Future and Metro Boomin
I don’t know if I’m reading into this super well, but...I’m starting to think Future and Metro Boomin don’t trust me...or anyone, really! The title track opened the album, and this was the first sign that this record was doing something kind of different for Future. Over a very light, piano-led beat featuring a prominent sample of the 1971 song “Smiling Faces Sometimes” by The Undisputed Truth, Future kicks off the song with a very subdued performance, occasionally jumping into something a bit more energetic as the beat adds more bombast. Metro Boomin really is a magician when it comes to the production side of things, and this song definitely shows that. And the song takes a wild twist in the second verse when Future starts dropping in the disses and subliminals on Drake. This was a shocker at the time given that Drake and Future were such frequent collaborators, but alas, here we are. And it obviously got MUCH uglier on the “Drake’s beefs” front - more on that later - but in the case of this track, it made for a song I really enjoyed.
50. Noid by Tyler, The Creator
The man, the myth, the legend, Tyler, The Creator finally made his way to the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2024 off of three fantastic tracks from his new album “CHROMAKOPIA.” A part of me is still very sad that “Darling, I” was not one of those tracks, but I’ll definitely settle for the three that made it in. “Noid” was the leadoff single to the record, and it was a great kickoff to the album cycle. Built off of a prominent sample of “Nizakupanga Ngozi” by the Ngozi Family, Noid moves into a more experimental hip-hop direction with elements of neo-soul and psychedelia, and that alone makes me happy because I feel like songs like this don’t tend to land in the Top 10 on Billboard too often. Just goes to show how respected and beloved Tyler is as an artist, and he proves why here with an incredible performance over an instrumental that just twists and turns several times over but never loses its cohesiveness. It’s been so fantastic to witness Tyler’s growth as an artist, and it’s been even better to see how much he’s reaped the benefits of it with this new album. Speaking of which…
49. Sticky by Tyler, The Creator ft. GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne
Admittedly, when I uploaded my review of “CHROMAKOPIA” to YouTube, I put a few songs ahead of this and it ultimately missed out on my “Favorite Song(s)” tier. Don’t let that fool you, though, “Sticky” is a fantastic song and one that I honestly can’t get enough of. The beat of the song is so bouncy, and I know this might seem like a very specific comparison, but the song gives me the vibe of those days in high school when people would freestyle while someone made a beat on the lunch table. It sounds so awesome, and I love seeing all of these guys get the chance to just kinda flex and bring some really fun verses. All of their verses are very short, which did make me yearn for something more (especially on Lil Wayne’s verse, which was the highlight of the song to me), but I think it does fit with that “lunch table freestyle” vibe I mentioned earlier; that feeling of “everyone gets a chance” is very much at play here. Again, all of them sound awesome, I love hearing Tyler go into all of these different voices in the song, and even for my lack of familiarity with GloRilla and Sexyy Red, they both killed it on their verses. And the switch-up the song takes in the second half with the marching band snares and bigger horns...*chef’s kiss*. This is a really fun track, and I’m glad to see it grab some traction off of “CHROMAKOPIA.” But there is still one song from the record I’d put ahead of it…
48. St. Chroma by Tyler, The Creator ft. Daniel Caesar
Whenever there’s an album bomb on the charts these days, you can near-guarantee that the first track on the record is going to land in the Top 10, and that’s natural; I mean, albums are put in a given order for a reason, and whether someone finishes an album or not, they usually start at track one...no, don’t tell me you listen to an album on shuffle during the first listen, get outta here. Okay but anyway, “St. Chroma” was the kickoff to the album, and man, did it set an incredible first impression. The production kicks off so dark and punchy, and Tyler’s whisper rapping is so compelling; sometimes, I can be iffy on whisper rapping depending on the level of effort the artist is putting in on it, but Tyler’s performance is just so sinister that it grabs me right from the jump. And then Daniel Caesar comes in and brings his typical beautiful vocals before the instrumental (and performance) switch-ups in a really beautiful way. And then of course, it closes out with even more incredible vocals from Daniel Caesar. It makes for a wonderful track that opened up “CHROMAKOPIA” on a high note that it just continued to deliver fantastically on. Tyler, I’m so glad you haven’t dimmed your light; as a matter of fact, I feel like your light has only gotten brighter and brighter.
47. II MOST WANTED by Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus
Beyoncé landed three songs from her new country album “COWBOY CARTER” in the Top 10 of the charts, and you might not believe it, but none of the songs that landed that high are even among my absolute “favorites” off of the album. Don’t let that get twisted, because I still loved the album, but that should show you how much I loved it; that all three songs landed in my “Loved” tier, even if they weren’t my absolute favorites on the record. With “II MOST WANTED,” we got a somewhat unexpected collaboration as Beyoncé teamed up with Miley Cyrus. I mean, sure, Dolly Parton’s her godmother and all, and she does have a country album under her belt, but I still didn’t think she’d appear on the album...then again, I didn’t think Post Malone would either. Regardless, this is a beautiful song about two lovers who might still be young, but they’re gonna act on their love now before the opportunity slips away. It’s a light, acoustic-led song, and Beyoncé and Miley’s vocal chemistry is fantastic. I hadn’t realized how perfect of a combo this would be until I heard it, but they make for an incredible vocal duo, and it makes this a beautiful song. And it turned out, Beyoncé had some impact on the charts outside of herself. For example...
46. A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Shaboozey
Thank you, Beyoncé. For those who don’t know, Shaboozey is an artist who first popped on my radar a few years ago when he appeared on the excellent track “Start A Riot” from the “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” soundtrack, and this year, he saw a huge explosion in popularity when he appeared twice on the aforementioned Beyoncé album “COWBOY CARTER.” Parlaying that in a big way, he was able to get this song not only into the Top 10, but to #1. In fact, it actually tied “Old Town Road” as the longest-running #1 song in Billboard’s history; a country song about blowing off steam by getting drunk at the bar, complete with an interpolation of the J-Kwon hit “Tipsy.” This sounds like a recipe I couldn’t even make up, but it actually works really well. Even though it starts with that standard acoustic guitar lick you’re used to, Shaboozey is a captivating vocal presence, and the hook is infectious enough that I can see this being a classic of the barroom in the future. Gee, when did I soften to country music so much? And country music about “drankin’,” too? Damn, shoutout to Shaboozey for blowing away my expectations. And shoutout to Beyoncé for helping give Shaboozey a boost. Speaking of Beyoncé...
45. JOLENE by Beyoncé
One of the biggest musical moments of the year, Beyoncé’s “COWBOY CARTER” featured a cover of Dolly Parton’s iconic song “Jolene” (though Beyoncé’s version stylized it as “JOLENE,” because all-capitalization is in vogue, even though all-lowercase is better). Beyoncé’s cover, though, offered a particular change of pace from Dolly’s: where Dolly’s original version feels more like a “please don’t take my man” kind of moment, Beyoncé’s version serves as more of a warning to the other woman to not go anywhere near her man. This was a pretty big deal in the world of music as well, as many felt Beyoncé was possibly talking to “Becky with the good hair” who she sang about in “Sorry” from “LEMONADE.” And while this easily could’ve been a novelty, I think Beyoncé has more than enough vocal power to help this song stand on its own. It’s a great remake of an iconic song, and I think it’s a perfect fit for “COWBOY CARTER.”
44. Type Shit by Future, Metro Boomin, Travis Scott and Playboi Carti
Oh my goodness, Metro, this beat is fucking nasty. I don’t know what the hell Metro puts into these beats but my God, he’s so good. “Type Shit” has an instrumental that’s loaded with sinister energy that ends up being one of the most memorable beats on the album. And while Future’s flow could get a touch repetitive here and there, he ultimately rides the beat extremely well, even with a few goofy bars here and there. Like yeah, that “She's ready to suck it up like soup type shit” bar made me wince...though shoutout to him actually rapping a bar about Megan thee Stallion that WASN’T derogatory or referencing the Tory Lanez case...wow, who would’ve thought Future would do something gentlemanly? And Travis Scott’s appearance on the song is absolutely hypnotic, as the vocal filters combined with the beat switch give the song a very hazy feel that I love. And while I don’t when (or if) I’ll ever be used to Playboi Carti’s deeper voice, I think that his slightly faster flow is a nice little switch-up on the song, and I think he rides the beat well enough here, helping make this one of the year’s better hip-hop bangers.
43. Paint The Town Red by Doja Cat
Another 2023 holdover that I’m glad to say continued to chart very well in early 2024. Even though “Scarlet” remains a disappointing album to me (and one that kinda confounded me given all the pre-release trolling Doja did), Doja proved with it that she can still be a great singles artist, and this was by far one of the best songs on the album. Loaded with personality and very charismatic, I’m glad to see it became a hit. Though, given that Doja has a habit of calling all of her hits “cash grabs,” I’m interested to see how she turns this into a “cash grab.” More on that point later.
42. we can’t be friends (wait for your love) by Ariana Grande
One of two songs from Ariana’s latest album “eternal sunshine” to land in the Top 10 (even hitting the #1 spot), I’m very glad this was the song that was chosen to accompany the album’s release as a single because it’s definitely one of my favorites on the album. On this track, Ariana goes in a more synth-pop direction that’s drawn a lot of comparisons to Robyn (I’ve seen some even say this is her “Dancing On My Own” moment). It works in how serene and gentle it is, aided by Ariana’s obviously heaven-sent vocals, and I like the very emotional writing about the ending of a relationship and the blind hope that a couple may return to one another (along with the potential allusions to her relationship with the media). It’s a beautiful song that I’m glad to see got the push that it did, and it was great to hear Ariana return with a song like this. Now, if only “the boy is mine” was able to make it to the Top 10…
41. Pink Skies by Zach Bryan
At a time when country music has actually become a fair bit more appealing to me, Zach Bryan has basically been like the king (just pay no mind to his relationships). There’s something quite nice about his more rustic, homey blend of country music that pulls me in, and I think it helps that he’s also a beautiful storyteller who knows how to break your heart on a song. This brings me to “Pink Skies,” the lead single to his latest, amazing album “The Great American Bar Scene” (fantastic title, might I add) which, once again, really works. It’s pretty refreshing to hear something that sounds like this landing so high on the charts, what with its lighter acoustic style mixing with the banjo and mandolin plucking along with the harmonica, and Zach himself offering a much more reserved vocal performance. It all blends together very well, and Zach delivers some heartbreaking lines about someone’s passing (it’s presumed he may be talking about his mother); you kinda know the song’s gonna hit hard when it starts with “The kids are in town for a funeral.” Zach knows his style and he knows how to pen some fantastic, emotional ballads, and this is another example. Dude’s got country music on lock at this point, and I’m here for it. It might not be as strong as some of his other hits, but that doesn’t take away from it being a great song.
40. Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift
I can’t lie, I’m pretty sad a few of the “Vault” tracks from “1989” didn’t stick around on the charts too long after that first week. Tracks like “Is It Over Now?” and “Now That We Don’t Talk” are among some of my favorite “Vault” tracks Taylor has put out in this re-recording saga, and I kinda wish they had a little more longevity in the Top 10 (yes, “Is It Over Now?” lasted four weeks in the Top 10, but it was gone by the time 2024 rolled around). Ah well, at least we got this. I’ll continue to kick myself that I underrated this song in my initial “Lover” review because it’s very good. Dreamy and lovely with an incredibly memorable hook that I’m glad to see got some belated success thanks to The Eras Tour. And hey, if “Matt being a secret Swiftie again” was on your 2024 bingo cards...well, yeah, score one for you, but why didn’t you make that the free space? At this point, you should kinda come to expect it.
39. But Daddy I Love Him by Taylor Swift
Okay, here we go...the point of the list where people hate me for being too nice to Taylor Swift’s music. Hey, in my defense...I like it. That’s a good enough defense and I’m sticking to it! Please don’t look at me like that...please. Okay but anyway, yes, Taylor Swift released another album in 2024, and for the second time, had the entire Top 10 to herself for a week. Now that did make this list a bit torturous to try to write, but the upside was getting to listen to the music again. My feelings on “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT” were FAR more positive than most, and you’ll see that a lot here, starting with “But Daddy I Love Him”...what a title. One of the longer songs on the album, this track almost feels like a throwback of sorts to Taylor’s older sound, even though it does carry a lot of the synth-driven production of the rest of the album. It’s a song with quite a whirlwind of emotions, and it’s also got some of Taylor’s most wild lyrics yet. I mean, honestly, that part of the chorus where she says “I'm havin' his baby / No, I'm not, but you should see your faces” gave me a really good laugh. And while it’s one of the longer songs on the album, Taylor holds it together with beautiful vocals and a great chorus to go along with the chaotic whirlwind of the lyrics. Honestly, this one could even go a few spots higher, but a few of these Taylor songs could interchange. Like the next one...
38. So Long, London by Taylor Swift
Yeah, get ready, we’re gonna get at least a few consecutive Tay Swift songs on here. This is the thing that tends to happen with album bombs, where songs are listed consecutively. Not intentionally, of course, it just happens that way. Plus, sometimes it’s a little easier to compare songs that are paired together on an album than it is to compare them to other artists. Thus, let’s talk about “So Long, London.” One of the many songs on the album that has a fragmented but fast-paced synth feel, this song is basically the official “end” of Taylor’s relationship with Joe Alwyn. And I’ll say, I think her 2023 single “You’re Losing Me” hits a little harder for me in that regard, but this is still a great song. Keeping in line with the “track five” habit of Taylor albums (where the fifth tracks are among the most vulnerable), it’s by far one of the rawest and most personal songs on the album, with her also getting into how the breakup changed her view on London as a city. There’s definitely a very spacey feel to it, and Taylor makes it work with her typical great, ethereal vocals. And get ready, we’ve got a lot more Taylor to discuss. For example...
37. Down Bad by Taylor Swift
See why I say “Matt is a secret Swiftie again” should’ve been the free space on your 2024 bingo cards? You really shouldn’t have been surprised. Anyway, now we’re on to “Down Bad.” This one, once again, has a very fragmented synth feel where the narrator compares her love to being abducted by aliens, only to enjoy the experience so much that she feels sad when she’s brought back to her hometown. It’s an ethereal song with very spacey vocals from Taylor, and it’s got a pretty memorable chorus on it as well (“Fuck it if I can’t have him” definitely sticks in my head). It’s a song I really ended up enjoying, but not QUITE as much as…
36. Guilty as Sin? by Taylor Swift
I’ve said it before that I honestly feel like “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT” is kind of a culmination of Taylor’s many different sounds, and I feel like re-listening to the Top 10-peaking songs for this video only confirmed that for me. “Guilty as Sin?,” for example, almost felt to me like a combination of Taylor’s “Red” and “1989” eras, and I really enjoyed how gentle and minimal it all was. Lyrically, the song digs pretty heavily into Taylor’s relationship with The 1975 frontman Matty Healy, along with the potential scrutiny of being with someone like him who has been cause for some controversy here and there. The way this is juxtaposed with the sad-sounding instrumental is pretty beautiful, and it makes for another excellent cut on Taylor’s latest album. Speaking of which...
35. Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? by Taylor Swift
Maybe it’s an unpopular opinion to be so high on this song given that I know so many people aren’t, but “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” is definitely a song that I really like. It’s a very dark, almost ballad-y song where Taylor digs deep into the media’s reputation on her. Quite frankly, I feel like I see this song as “Look What You Made Me Do” but good. Sure, it became a meme because of the “You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me” lines, but I do actually think there are some interesting, pointed lyrics here that make the song feel layered when you look past the surface. I also think it has one of Taylor’s most impassioned vocal performances on the entire album, which helps sell it despite the fact that it’s one of the longer songs on the record (being just over five-and-a-half minutes). Sure, it’s polarizing, but it’s definitely a song I really enjoy. Though once again, there’s another song I think I like a bit more...
34. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys by Taylor Swift
Pfft, yeah, I will give all those who don’t like Taylor this one: a lot of the track titles on this album are...really something. But I still ended up really enjoying this song. It’s definitely one of the bouncier, more radio-ready songs on the album, and it’s definitely got one of my favorite hooks here. Lyrically, it’s a song about a chaotic, emotionally turbulent relationship where she basically treats her ex as a child, hence his tendency to “break his favorite toys” and destroy the “sand castles” that Taylor builds. And I think the bigger, slightly more bombastic production actually works well for the song; it kinda feels like “reputation” but without feeling overly loud or aggressive, as it’s got some of the poppier synths that Taylor has played off of recently. It works for the song, and I really enjoy it. But there’s another song of hers I actually like a bit more...
33. The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift
Now yes, I know this song was the target of much scorn and talk from a lot of people, and I get why. I mean, the title itself, “The Tortured Poets Department” (also the title of the album), is pretty melodramatic, and there were those meme’d lyrics about “seven bars of chocolate,” Charlie Puth and a “tattooed golden retriever”...whatever that is. But I honestly really like the song. Beyond how spacey it all feels, I think the writing actually feels like it’s pretty self-aware of how people are gonna react to it on the surface. And I think that level of earnestness and self-awareness honestly makes the song more enjoyable to me. Sure, take it at face value and you’ll walk away confused, but I can hear it for what it’s worth. And as far as the production, I don’t know what it is but it’s got a very nostalgic feel. Don’t ask why, but it kinda reminds me of some lighter 80s songs, and I really like it for that. And of course, Taylor sounds great on the song, and her ability to craft a great hook remains here. It’s a song I really love...but I’m still mad she didn’t invite me onto the album...I mean, have you read my poetry? I’m like the president and CEO of “The Tortured Poets Department,” why was I not contacted? Come on, Taylor...
32. née-nah by 21 Savage with Metro Boomin and 21 Savage
Early in the year, 21 Savage scored a few Top 10-peaking singles off of his album “american dream,” and while I didn’t listen to the album (I don’t listen to 21 Savage all too much), I heard enough good things that I was interested to see what tracks jumped into the Top 10. And while I don’t know how the entire album went (I’ve heard there are too many poop bars), I can say that the two songs that jumped up on the charts were some of the best things I’ve heard out of 21 Savage. “née-nah” reunites Savage with the man himself, Metro Boomin, while also bringing Travis Scott along for the ride. These guys have all made magic together before, and they do it again here. Metro’s production and sample flipping of “About Her” by Malcolm McLaren and “‘Cause I Love You” by Lenny Williams feels soothing and old-school, and Travis opens the song with a compelling, clean verse. Honestly, as someone who’s always praised Travis more for his production choices than his actual rapping, I think this is one of the better verses I’ve heard out of him; it’s some of the hungriest I’ve ever heard him sound, and it’s great how confident he sounds. 21 then comes in with a great hook and a dark, confident verse that rounds out the track perfectly. It’s a great cut where all involved parties go in, and it’s not even the best I’ve heard out of 21 Savage. More on that in just a bit.
31. Fortnight by Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone
Okay, back to Taylor. Now “Fortnight” was by far the album’s biggest hit, and honestly...why not? It’s probably one of the most radio-ready songs on the album, and I’m glad it became a hit because I really enjoyed it. It’s a darkly written song with Taylor playing a narrator who refers to herself as a “functioning alcoholic” and fantasizes about wanting to kill her husband (and another man’s wife). And I gotta say, as someone who’s struggled with love, hearing “I love you, it’s ruining my life” hit a little close to home for me. As far as the sonic elements, I personally love these more laid-back Taylor songs, so hearing this light synthy production alongside Taylor’s beautiful vocals is more than enough for me. Oh, and as I hinted at earlier, Taylor enlists Post Malone here, and I think his vocals add to the spacey vibe of the song as well. It’s a beautiful song and I’m glad it kicked off the album.
30. I Can Do It With a Broken Heart by Taylor Swift
Far and away one of the most pop-ready songs off of “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT,” this was a song that honestly clicked with me off of my very first listen. It’s definitely a “fake it ‘till you make it” anthem, where Taylor specifically recounts her experience starting The Eras Tour while going through a breakup. It was a song that connected for me beyond Taylor’s own experiences because, especially in a year like 2024 that threw a lot of shit at me, I definitely had to know what it was like to stay productive through pain and heartbreak throughout the year. Hell, as a list like this was written throughout different times of the year, parts of this very piece were written through those experiences...but I won’t tell you which, you’ll just have to guess. Anyway, beyond the writing of it, I think I really connected with this for how pumping its production was, especially when it switches up in the chorus. I think the glimmering, over-the-top feel of the beat fits perfectly for the “I promise I’m okay because I’m still productive even though I’m dying inside” vibe that the song goes for, and the chorus proves to be one of the catchiest on the album. Sure, it might be a polarizing song, but it’s one of my personal favorites from “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT.” But there was one song that I’d still put slightly above it as my “favorite”...
29. Florida!!! by Taylor Swift ft. Florence + The Machine
Well, “favorite” out of the songs that peaked in the Top 10. As it is, “loml” is definitely my favorite song on the album (at least, the first part of the record; we’d be having a different conversation if any songs off of “THE ANTHOLOGY” jumped into the Top 10), but I’m definitely glad to see “Florida!!!” got into the Top 10. A song where Taylor frames Florida as a place to escape from her issues, she even managed to enlist Florence + The Machine for this track. Taylor may not bring many features on, but when she does, she definitely knows how to make them count. The production here is probably some of the most layered and unique on the entire album, starting off with a light, more plucky bass-driven sound before absolutely exploding on the chorus. I think the explosion works well for the twisted nature of the writing, but equally, I like that the song kinda waits until the chorus to swell up. The lighter feel of the verses also gives Taylor and Florence Welch plenty of room to own the song. Again, I still would’ve liked to see “loml” land a little higher on the charts, but otherwise, this is a great song and by far a highlight on “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT.” Okay, NOW I’m done writing about Taylor, so let’s talk about some other artists...
28. Timeless by The Weeknd and Playboi Carti
I gotta admit, even as a noted massive fan of The Weeknd, this one definitely took a minute to grow on me. The second single from his (supposed) final album under the Weeknd moniker “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” this one seemed to grab a massive amount of hype when he previewed it at his São Paulo show in September, perhaps because of Playboi Carti’s appearance on it. Nevertheless, after really enjoying the leadoff single “Dancing In The Flames,” which played very much into the synth-pop sounds that he’s been owning since the beginning of the 2020s, “Timeless” moves more into a trap-influenced feel, with a bit of a spacey vibe and production work from none other than Pharrell Williams...man, the footprint he’s had (and continues to have). At first, I wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but with an extra listen or two, I started to get it. I think the beat has some cool synth-y elements going for it, and I was really surprised by Playboi Carti on the song. The way that he was constantly changing his voices throughout his verse was honestly really charming, and I think he managed to nail it despite having to go in so many different vocal directions. And naturally, Abel kills it with his vocals, and once the actual song came out, that chorus got stuck in my head way too often. I’m not sure if I like it more than Abel’s other collab with Playboi Carti (last year’s “Popular,” which was a very good song that I wish got a bit more traction than it did), but this is a great song and it definitely has me very excited for the album to release early next year.
27. Taste by Sabrina Carpenter
Now, we get to the MUCH more fun songs from Sabrina Carpenter’s latest album. Compared to the other two cuts, “Taste” was the first post-release single from the record, and in classic form, it was the first song on the album. This, of course, led to it charting the highest on the weekend that it had its “album bomb.” Unlike some album bombs, though, this song held on and continued to be a massive hit, and I’m very happy about that because it’s a very fun song. It’s got a bit of a pop-rock vibe to it as Sabrina layers in a lot of innuendos as she talks to a girl who just got back with a man that she had been dating. She plays into the “degrees of separation” between the two and basically says that, no matter what happens in the relationship, Sabrina will always linger. And if the homoerotic subtext of the writing isn’t enough for you, go check out the music video...Sabrina Carpenter and Jenna Ortega...it literally sells itself. Anyway, the song itself holds together beyond that, as Sabrina shows that she knows her way around a catchy hook, and also has a very solid ear for pop production, too. Sabrina’s new album, to me, was the embodiment of “fun,” and with “Taste,” that showed itself in a big way right from the start.
26. LUNCH by Billie Eilish
I’m happy to report that not only did two songs from Billie Eilish’s latest album hit the Top 10 on the Hot 100, but both of them were among my favorite tracks on the album. I’m very happy to be able to say that...even if it still doesn’t forgive “What Was I Made For?” not getting into the Top 10...dammit. Nevertheless, “LUNCH” became the first big single to spawn out of “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT,” and it was quite a switch-up for Billie sonically. On one of her bounciest instrumentals yet, Billie sings about...eating pussy. Yeah, fuck it, we’re just gonna say it outright, this song is about eating pussy...this is not the series you show to your kids anyway, so screw it, we’re just gonna say it. But yes, this is Billie’s queer anthem, and an anthem it is. That aforementioned bouncy beat is dark but very memorable, Billie’s vocal performance is sultry and befitting of a topic such as this, and the chorus is immediate and catchy. It’s a banger, and I’m happy to see Billie get a hit with a song like this. Go get your girl, Billie. And while you do that...
25. BIRDS OF A FEATHER by Billie Eilish
Now “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” on the other hand, is VERY different from “LUNCH,” which is something I’m sure you’d probably expect. Compared to that song, this is a much lighter (and brighter) song (which still feels very different for Billie) where she talks about a love that lasts until the end of their lives. In some ways, I actually feel like I like this a touch better than “LUNCH,” though both of them could honestly interchange. In this song’s case, I love how mellow and relaxing it is, and Billie’s vocals are naturally beautiful on a track like this. It’s a very sweet song that definitely feels a fair bit different for Billie, but she still nails the style and continues to establish why he’s one of the best in the business right now. She knows her sound but still shows an incredible ability to experiment and reach beyond her typical comfort zone, and the result is more and more great music.
24. Good Luck, Babe! by Chappell Roan
I talked about the breakout of an artist like Sabrina Carpenter in 2024, but if there was one artist this past year who had an absolutely MASSIVE breakthrough, it was Chappell Roan. Late in 2023, her album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” garnered a bit of a cult following, and in 2024, several songs from the album started to see viral success, and Chappell Roan was becoming a household name. With an old-school synth-poppy sound and an aesthetic inspired by camp and drag queens, she brought something very unique to the pop sphere that drew a lot of people in (personally, I finally listened to the album late in 2024 and I think it’s a fantastic project). Now, “Good Luck, Babe!” was not a song from that album, as it appeared to be released as a standalone single, but that didn’t stop it from being an excellent track. I love the glossy, old-school-esque synth sounds here, almost as if she took the backing of something like “Last Christmas” and put it over a modern song. Roan sings a very anthemic song about a woman who tries to deny that she has feelings for Roan (and women in general) - a practice I learned while researching this piece was known as “compulsory heterosexuality” - and man, can she sing! She’s got a beautiful, higher-register vocal sound on here, and it helps make this an incredibly sticky track with a very memorable hook. Hell, she interpolated “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles” by The Proclaimers on this track, that’s iconic. I definitely see why Chappell Roan is my favorite artist’s favorite artist, and I’m definitely excited to see more of her in the future.
23. Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter
Back to our other breakout girlie Sabrina Carpenter, “Espresso” was the hit song that kickstarted this album cycle and really launched Sabrina to a level she hadn’t already reached. And honestly, I’m really glad it became her first Top 10 hit because this is a bop! It’s a self-confidence jam with a groovy ass synth-pop/disco instrumental that’s giving pop-era Doja Cat and Sabrina’s got more than enough vocal charisma to make this an enjoyable Summer jam. And hey, maybe she’s buttering up the gamer in me with that “Switch it up like Nintendo” line on the hook, but I do think this is a genuinely fun pop jam that led very nicely into what would be a very good album this year. Here’s to Sabrina getting the success she deserves, and here’s to her continuing to drop great music.
22. MILLION DOLLAR BABY by Tommy Richman
You know those songs where you hear them and you have no idea what you just listened to? That’s how I was with “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” by Tommy Richman, but you know what? I really liked it! This is an example of something incredibly different, but super unique and really enjoyable in and of itself. It’s like a trap song with a lot of Memphis influence (I believe they call that phonk music), but with R&B vocals that see Tommy reaching heavily into his falsetto. Tommy’s vocals sound incredible, and the instrumental is one of the hardest things I’ve heard in a mainstream song this year. There’s also another version of the song known as the “VHS” version, which blows out the bass even more, and it honestly sounds really good. This was a massive “holy shit” moment for me in the music world this year. It’s very rare in the art world that I feel like I see or hear something I haven’t seen or heard before, and that’s not a shot at the artists, but rather a commentary on where we’re at with art; we have so much art and media that sometimes, it’s incredibly hard to do something that truly “hasn’t” been done before. And hey, maybe this sound has been done before, but it really sounds like something I haven’t heard before, and it’s genuinely incredible. Good for Tommy Richman getting a hit out of this because it is amazing, even if I was less impressed by the album he would eventually release this year.
21. Too Sweet by Hozier
So let me get this straight: in this wild year of music that is 2024, you’re telling me that not only did Hozier return to the Top 10 of Billboard for the first time since 2015(!), but he went #1 as well? His new single charted higher than “Take Me to Church”(!!!!!), that utterly massive song that was absolutely everywhere at the time? Wow...you just can’t predict the charts. Years ago, I wasn’t too crazy about “Take Me to Church,” though I do acknowledge that I was a much different music listener at the time and I’d probably like it much more now. As for this song, though? It didn’t take more than one listen for me to feel it; it’s a very bluesy, soulful song with an incredibly strong groove to it, and Hozier sounds incredible over this style. I also love the writing of the song, tackling two lovers with vastly different lifestyles, one the night owl who doesn’t conform to social norms and the other being someone who lives a much more disciplined life. As someone who is a night owl, I feel so validated by this track...had to say it. But the actual writing on it is excellent and it’s tied together by an incredibly memorable hook. Across the board, this is a tremendous song, and while it’s already a great thing to see Hozier return to the Top 10 of Billboard, I’m even happier to see that his chart-topper was a song this great.
20. I Remember Everything by Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves
I’ll do it one more time, but here’s one more reminder that Zach Bryan makes me like country music. You probably know from these lists that country has often been the butt of my joke, but it turns out all I needed is someone who writes authentic, rustic country music, and not the commercialized dreck that infects the radio every year. “I Remember Everything” became by far his biggest hit last year, and I’m glad to see it stuck around early into 2024 because it’s a sobering, beautiful song. Great to see that this guy’s become a genuine hitmaker lately, and I’m very glad he brought Kacey Musgraves along for the ride with this one.
19. Water by Tyla
Honestly, I’m very glad this stuck around in the Top 10 early into 2024. I didn’t get a ton of time with it when it first hit the Top 10 at the end of 2023, but after one listen, I had so much trouble getting that chorus out of my head. It’s utterly contagious, and Tyla’s beautiful vocals mix so well with the afrobeat-influenced instrumental to give it a bit of an R&B flavor as well. This song is utterly infectious, and I’m so glad it became such a hit for Tyla; I acknowledged in my list last year that it could’ve landed higher if I had more time with it, and now that I’ve had that time...yep, this is amazing.
18. TEXAS HOLD ‘EM by Beyoncé
I remember my first thought when I heard about this. It was basically, “Beyoncé with a country single? Damn!!!!!” No, this isn’t her first time in the world of country music, but it’s her first time dedicating an album to the sound. I know that, throughout this series, I’ve made it mostly clear that I’m not too into most country music (my heavy praise of Zach Bryan notwithstanding), but if there’s any artist who can get me into a genre I previously didn’t care much for, it’s Beyoncé. A part of me was a little sad when I found out that “COWBOY CARTER,” as the “Act II” sequel to “RENAISSANCE,” wasn’t going to continue the dance sound of that album, but those fears were washed away when I heard “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM,” the new album’s lead single. I love just how playful and fun the song is as far as the writing is concerned, and how Beyoncé’s vocals fit perfectly up against the banjo-plucking instrumental. It’s got a very classic feel, and it’s pretty fantastic to see Beyoncé basically using this as an opportunity to reclaim country music’s Black roots. This was clearly something the greater country landscape had to grapple with this year in the wake of a country radio station initially rejecting a request to play the song (and the Country Music Awards roundly snubbing the album altogether). But even breaking through all the noise, this is a genuinely great country song, and between these two albums, you see why Beyoncé called it “RENAISSANCE.” Beyoncé is taking these classic sounds, styles, and roots and reviving them in a way that feels special. It shouldn’t be a surprise, but yeah, Beyoncé remains incredible.
17. redrum by 21 Savage
Holy hell, 21 Savage went absolutely IN on this one. Once more, 21 Savage is not someone I listen to on the regular, but I know he’s an artist who’s grown a lot since his initial come-up, and “redrum” might be the best song I’ve heard out of him. From top to bottom, this song does it all. That intro sampling Vinicius de Moraes’s “Seranata do adeus” sets the stage with a sinister and cinematic opening, and the way it serves as a backdrop for the beat as a whole is fantastic. 21 comes in and his performance throughout the track is venomous, as he also crafts one of his catchiest hooks to date. His two verses are also loaded with clever, playful bars that I was constantly drawn to (this might be a minor one, but I love the punchline in the second verse where he said “He stood on business, now he layin' on his back”). Then, to wrap the bow on the track, he ends with a sample of the iconic line from “The Shining,” a film this track is almost like an homage to. This is 21 Savage at his absolute best, and I’m happy to see it jump pretty high on the charts.
16. HISS by Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion’s “HISS” helped create one of this year’s most discussed viral moments in the music world, but even beyond that...damn, did she deliver. I’ve been a fan of Megan’s since her proper debut album, and this is by far some of the best I’ve ever heard her sound. On a menacing beat, Megan goes harder than ever with one of the most confident, fiery performances she’s ever put out on a track thus far (which says a lot because she’s never lacking in confidence or fire in her music). Clearly, Megan’s been through more in the last few years than frankly anyone deserves to go through, complete with a strange group of Internet users continuing to throw hate in her direction, and she’s taking a minute to fire at anyone in range while taking control of her own narratives; her sex positivity is a great asset, so much so that using it as an attempt to discredit or shame her only exposes one’s obsession with her and helps her profit in the end. Of course, with all this fire, she clearly addresses certain people as well, taking parts of the song to go at those who for some reason still believe that she lied about getting shot by Tory Lanez (even though I’d like to think there are much taller hills to die on than that), but they’re barely her greatest adversary. She goes at Drake for his ridiculous bars on “Circo Loco,” noting the hypocrisy about Megan supposedly getting a BBL when Drake has also faced allegations of sculpting his abs...Ozempic really had quite a year in 2024, didn’t it? But quite frankly, everyone knows that what truly made this track the talk of the town was the “Megan’s Law” bar, a line very clearly aimed at Nicki Minaj...so clearly aimed, in fact, that it led to Nicki having a days-long viral meltdown that did little more than expose her insecurity, bitterness, desperation and hypocrisy, all the while ensuring that Megan, who was already damn near ensured a Top 10 spot, would easily hit #1 on the Hot 100. And the resulting diss track, “Big Foot,” may well be Nicki’s worst song, even against the likes of “Stupid Hoe” and “Beez In The Trap.” All this because Nicki got insecure about her bizarre proximity to (and allegiance with) numerous convicted sex offenders...yeah, that’s rough. Sure, that moment might dominate a lot of the conversation around the track, but even without that, it’s a fantastic song, and by far a career highlight for Megan.
15. reincarnated by Kendrick Lamar
Okay, so worry not, we’re going to jump back into the talk of the beef, but before we do, we’re gonna go a bit forward in time. Late in 2024, Kendrick Lamar surprise-dropped “GNX,” and naturally, its massive success led to seven songs hitting the Top 10 of the Hot 100. So we’re gonna get into a lot of me praising Kendrick here so...just be prepared. Either way, “reincarnated” is the lowest-ranked of the seven songs, but make no mistake, it is still an incredible track. Writing-wise, this is one of Kendrick’s most interesting cuts off of “GNX,” and I love the way he connects himself to John Lee Hooker and Billie Holliday throughout the first two verses before turning things around into a self-aware look at his own career. It also feels like a song that serves as a tribute to some of his own biggest influences, as the instrumental samples 2Pac’s “Made N****z” and his flow feels reminiscent of Pac (with a vocal inflection that also reminds me of Eminem). It’s an incredibly reflective and layered song that reminds me why Kendrick is one of the best to ever do it. I feel like many might even have this as their favorite off of “GNX,” and I get it because it’s amazing, but I personally have a few more I can put ahead of it. Starting with...
14. tv off by Kendrick Lamar ft. Lefty Gunplay
I know a lot of you are expecting me to make some kind of joke about Kendrick going full Kratos when he screams “MUSTAAAAAAAAAARD” (poor guy will probably never be able to walk down a street peacefully ever again), but I’m gonna pivot to something that stuck in my head even further: thanks to the chorus on the second part of the song, anytime I either turned a TV in my house off - or anyone in my house asked me if I wanted the TV turned off - my brain would immediately think “turn this TV off, turn this TV off.” So...make of that what you will. But either way, “tv off” is one of several tracks off of “GNX” that leans greatly into bouncy, West Coast hip-hop sounds with production work from DJ Mustard (you know, the guy that Kendrick screams at on the song), and even though this song landed just below that “Favorite Song(s)” tier in my review...honestly, there are a bunch of songs that could swap out from “GNX” because the album was that enjoyable to me. This song obviously has the aforementioned meme potential, but it also helps that it’s just a boatload of fun; the beat is so emphatic and Kendrick of course is obviously killing it as far as his hard-ass rap flows, but the song itself also sees Kendrick urging listeners to rise above toxicity and live in their purpose. It’s songs like this that remind me why I love modern Kendrick; he’s the type that makes you want to dance but also makes you think about how to improve yourself. And of course, the second half of the song is so theatrical and Kendrick puts the beat in a bodybag, while LA rapper Lefty Gunplay comes in and leaves an impression with his “crazy, scary, spooky, hilarious” outro (what seems to be a reference to how the cycle of Kendrick’s Drake diss tracks went). This is one of those moments on the album where you definitely DON’T wanna turn the TV off. Much like...
13. hey now by Kendrick Lamar ft. Dody6
Yeah, we’re not stopping with the Kendrick talk right now. If that’s something you don’t want to read...well, pester Billboard to change their rules regarding “album bombs” or something, I don’t know what to tell ya. In any event, “hey now” leans into the G-Funk vibes of a lot of the rest of the record, but it’s definitely got a much darker feel to it; the beat is more minimal, and Kendrick’s verse is a lot lighter and more sinister (until the second verse, at least), especially compared to the more in-your-face performances of the previous tracks I mentioned. It’s a very nocturnal-feeling song where Kendrick continues to emphasize self-improvement and growth, but he takes a few more moments to remind everyone how hard he tore Drake apart...oh shit, sorry, I’m not supposed to say that because I might end up on the “opp list” and I might get slapped with a lawsuit. Ah well; maybe Steve Lacy can tell me how it feels to be a “fragile opp.” Back to the song, though, it sounds great, and on the backend, Kendrick gives some shine to California rapper Dody6, another element that was awesome about “GNX” as, on an album that was such a loving tribute to Los Angeles and the West Coast, it was amazing to see Kendrick put on a lot of up-and-coming LA artists here. It helps that Dody6’s verse was really dope; his bouncy flow kinda reminds me of someone like Jack Harlow, but he rides this beat pretty much perfectly and rounds out the song fantastically. Re-listening to these songs for this list was a treat, I love this album so much. And would you believe there are more tracks than I loved even more than that? Such as...
12. man at the garden by Kendrick Lamar
When I start a Kendrick song and I hear a lowkey, warbly beat such as this one, I know that I’m about to be in for something good. I mean, of course, I have faith whenever I hear a Kendrick song, but even in the lowkey moments, I know I need to give Kendrick my undivided attention. And “man at the garden” is a perfect example of that. On a very ethereal beat that sees him interpolating Nas’s “One Mic,” Kendrick reflects on his life and career and how he deserves all the success that he’s had across both his personal and public life. In typical Kendrick fashion, it’s detailed, it’s compelling, it’s reflective, and it begs for repeat listens. The part that I loved the most, of course, was the ending of the third verse, where his performance gets even more impassioned as he goes at those who disrespect the lineage and history of hip-hop, while also dropping one of my favorite bars on the whole album, “Flip a coin, want the shameless me or the famous me?” It feels like a moment where he simultaneously revels in his success while also stripping the ego down in a fascinating way. Really a fantastic track, and one that I’m happy to see landed in the Top 10. Just like I’m happy about the next one...
11. wacced out murals by Kendrick Lamar
Like I said earlier, opening songs on albums are most susceptible to appearing on the Top 10 of Billboard in the wake of an album bomb, because...well, duh. So because of that, “wacced out murals” landed in the Top 10 and, rightfully so. In a lot of ways, it feels like this is Kendrick continuing some of the ideas he brought forth on that Instagram-only track “Watch The Party Die” that he dropped. That song felt like something of an epilogue to the Drake beef highlighting the industry as a whole, while this one feels like an even deeper exploration of that. Not only does he highlight more of the issues Drake had, but he also dives into the reaction he received to the announcement of his Super Bowl performance, addressing Lil Wayne in a pretty head-on way after the announcement caused some hurt feelings on his end. He also namedrops Snoop Dogg and Nas (the latter more positively than everyone else), and also fires a shot at “comedian” Andrew Schulz for his comments on black women. And for as detailed and layered as his writing is, the other part of the song that really gets me is Kendrick’s performance; I mean, Kendrick is obviously an incredible rapper, but I feel like “GNX” was one of those moments where his flow felt like it was always changing, and I could just never figure out where he was gonna go next. Here, he’s absolutely illing out the entire time, and the way the song progresses from something somewhat understated into something loaded with energy is incredible. A part of me still wants to know what was so unspeakable in the moments that he censored, but hey, sometimes silence is truly the loudest noise. Fantastic opener, and it led to another fantastic song directly afterward...
10. squabble up by Kendrick Lamar
You don’t know how excited I was to actually get to hear this on the album. For those that don’t know, “squabble up” actually first appeared as a snippet in the music video for...another song we’ll get into later, and at the time it was given the fan nicknames “broccoli” and “reincarnated.” Now, when an actual song on the album was called “reincarnated,” I assumed that would be the full version of the snippet, but it turns out that snippet got its full version in the form of “squabble up.” Honestly, the title doesn’t matter here, this song bangs. Building off of that other big hit that he put out in 2024 (that we’ll talk about a bit later), “squabble up” jumps into the G-funk and hyphy West Coast rap styles that Kendrick dominated with all throughout 2024, making another song that just screams “LA!!!!!” from start to finish. It’s bouncy, it’s energetic, it’s club-ready, and it’s proof positive that Kendrick can make something more “commercial” in nature and still succeed hard. His performance is energetic and plenty of fun, and I love the integration of Debbie Deb’s “When I Hear Music” throughout the song. It might come across as just a “Part 2” of...the other song I was alluding to, but what a Part 2 it is. I honestly thought this was going to rank as my favorite song off of “GNX,” but unbeknownst to me when the album dropped, one song would come in and jump just ahead of it...
9. luther by Kendrick Lamar and SZA
Don’t I feel like a big dumb dummy: when I reviewed “GNX,” “luther” missed out on the five tracks that made it into my “favorite tracks” section (which was basically the previous four songs I talked about along with “heart pt. 6”), yet I’m placing it above all of the rest as it’s probably the track I’ve returned to most from the album. I could go edit the description of the video to indicate that, but...well, I was gonna say I’m lazy, but I also don’t know if I can decide what track would move down. That’s just what this album did to me. Compared to everything else on “GNX,” “luther” moves more into an R&B vibe with a lighter instrumental and a truly heaven-sent sample of Luther Vandross’s “If This World Were Mine.” It’s one of the more lovely songs on the album from a lyrical perspective, and I absolutely love Kendrick and SZA’s vocal interplay on this one. Naturally, SZA’s vocals are angelic, but even Kendrick more than holds his own vocally. A lot of people were comparing this to “LOYALTY.” off of “DAMN.,” and I personally really liked that track, but...I mean I might have to give it some time but I think I do like this even more. It’s such a beautiful song, and while I didn’t think it immediately at the time of my “GNX” review, it might honestly be my favorite track on the album. What a moment for Kendrick and SZA, both of whom had pretty incredible years in 2024. Okay, so now we’re done with “GNX,” but we’re most certainly not done talking about Kendrick. Matter of fact, let’s move into the song that basically kicked off his incredible year...
8. Like That by Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar
Without question the song that transcended all the popularity of “WE DON’T TRUST YOU,” “Like That” was the shot heard around the solar system. You guys all know why we’re talking about this track, and I know there’s one thing in particular you want to hear me talk about, but I’ll start with some of the general elements of the song. First and foremost, this beat is insane; Metro goes absolutely WILD with the energy on this one, while also adding a prominent sample of Eazy-E’s “Eazy-Duz-It” (among other samples, but let’s be real, that’s the biggest one; beyond the obvious, how many people were rocking with the song because of “he was once a thug from around the way?”). It’s by far one of the best beats I’ve heard this year, and even Future knows how to up the intensity with plenty of sleazy bars to go along with one of his most interesting flows on the album. But okay, fine, I know why you’re here and I know what you’re saying: “Talk about Kendrick Lamar!” Well, what more can I say? Kendrick dropped what was at the time the verse of the year, a verse perhaps only topped by his OWN verses he’d drop later in the year. Beyond just how energetic his performance was and how slick his fast flow was (are you surprised? It’s Kendrick!), this verse became the topic of conversation because of Kendrick’s well-fired shots at Drake (and J. Cole by proxy). These guys have thrown some subliminals at each other over the years, but Kendrick took the time to officially fire the shots here; highlights included the bars “Motherfuck the big three, n***a, it's just big me” and “'Fore all your dogs gettin' buried / That's a K with all these nines, he gon' see Pet Sematary.” Even beyond the context of the disses (along with the eventual war this would start), it’s still a supremely enjoyable song and by far one of the best hip-hop hits of the year.
7. Agora Hills by Doja Cat
Yes. Finally. Thank you. I’m glad to see that “Agora Hills” finally got to jump into the Top 10 in 2024. As soon as I first heard this on “Scarlet,” it became one of my most replayed songs. I knew it had the potential to be a hit, even if its placement (and sheer existence) on the album went against everything that Doja seemingly wanted to do with the project. Yes, I will bring it up again, but the irony of Doja Cat calling her previous records “cash grabs,” bemoaning her “digestible pop hits,” and claiming that “Scarlet” would be a “straight rap” album, only to not only *include* “poppier” songs but have them be the biggest hits on the album...it’s most certainly not lost on me. And honestly, I hate to pigeonhole Doja here because I know how it feels to make something that doesn’t feel like it’s truly “yours” (I honestly struggled with that myself in 2024) but I think a lot of the stuff she believes to be “cash grabs” are honestly great singles. Somehow, it just seems like even if these songs are “cash grabs,” she’s fooling me because it sounds like she’s putting her best foot forward on them. “Agora Hills” is a perfect example to me; I think this song is absolutely hilarious. On one hand, the R&B vibes of the instrumental are very nice and, naturally, Doja’s sung hook is very nice as well, singing about wanting to publicize a relationship that should be kept private. So much so that she tells him that he can hit while everyone’s watching, and even talks about sucking dick in the bathroom...goddamn. And her rapping in the verses...I mean, Doja’s always been known for her gratuitous details, but here, she takes it up to 11 and it’s hilarious. I was constantly laughing at Doja talking about how she doesn’t fuck incels, not giving a fuck where the penis been (though...I wouldn’t recommend carrying that approach), asking him to “hold [her] down when the hole need dick,” and perhaps the crown jewel of it all, “like Fortnite, I’ma need your skin.” Throw in these silly phone conversations where Doja goes full “valley girl,” and it makes the song an absolute treat. I could say a lot about “Scarlet” and Doja’s approach in the lead-up to the album (which I obviously already have here), but damn...at least that album gave me this.
6. yes, and? by Ariana Grande
Okay, I don’t think I’ll have as much to dissect on this one as the last, especially because I’m too busy dancing to it. Ariana Grande made her return with “yes, and?,” her first single as a lead artist since the “Positions” era of 2020-2021. I love Ariana’s music but I think a break was a totally valid choice; I mean, she dropped six albums in an eight-year span from 2013-2020, never took more than a one-year break between albums, and released three projects in three straight years from 2018-2020. A little creative break couldn’t hurt, and that proved true with her new single, a track I really loved. Here, Ariana switches her sound to something much more house-influenced, which is a great move as it makes for a very danceable, infectious lead single. Even before I first heard it, I was seeing comparisons to a track like “BREAK MY SOUL” by Beyoncé (which is apt), and I was happy about that; Beyoncé dominated that style back in 2022, so I was more than excited to see Ariana do her thing on it. She spends the song tackling the rumor mill surrounding her (notably with relation to some of the body shaming she’s dealt with, along with her “homewrecker” allegations she’s been hit with over time), and her vocals fit perfectly in this style, culminating with an incredibly infectious hook. This was the perfect lead single for “eternal sunshine” (even though it definitely threw me off the scent of what the rest of the album would sound like), and it’s definitely a song I’ve broken the replay button with.
5. Die With A Smile by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars
You can count any number of multiverses and I honestly don’t think I’d have been able to predict a Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars collaboration in any of them. Of course, these are two amazing artists and if you had told me it was happening, I would’ve been hyped; I just never would’ve been able to tell you what it would’ve sounded like before its release. But along comes 2024, a year with no shortage of musical surprises, to give us the Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars collaboration we never knew we wanted. Now truthfully, Bruno and Gaga exist on two pretty different hemispheres when it comes to their sonic direction, so I had no clue what a collab between the two would sound like, and it turned out that we got a soft rock ballad (which in hindsight is probably the best “meeting of the worlds” between the two given some of their past music). I was smitten with this song as soon as I heard it, and it was hard to get out of my head afterward. It’s a light but still beautiful song about loving someone to the bitter end, and it’s got an incredibly retro feel to it that Gaga and Bruno nailed perfectly. Both are obviously amazing vocalists, and they bring so much power to the song, helping to give it an appropriate sense of swell as it moves along. This is one of those songs that just has that “classic” feel to it; the kind of song that’s still gonna be a staple years and years down the line, and it’s an amazing meeting of the minds between two of this generation’s greatest stars.
4. Snooze by SZA
Last year, SZA’s “Snooze” was at my #2 spot on the list, and this year, it’s once again pretty damn high. Sometimes, when a “holdover” song lands high on my list, a question can arise: does it speak to the quality of the song? Or does it speak to a slower year of music? I had this conundrum appear in 2019, when Travis Scott’s “SICKO MODE” was at my #1 spot for most of the year, only being usurped late in the year when The Weeknd’s “Heartless” came out. No shade to “SICKO MODE,” because it’s an amazing song that probably would’ve landed high up on any year’s list, but I did feel like it spoke to a slow year for the charts at the time. In the case of “Snooze,” though, good year or bad year, this was always gonna land pretty high. This kind of smooth, mellow R&B is right up my alley, and it’s hard for me not to break the replay button when I hear this song. And unlike “SICKO MODE,” which wouldn’t be surpassed until the year was nearly up, there were a few great hits in 2024 that were able to land just ahead of this. One of which came from SZA herself...
3. Saturn by SZA
Holy fuck. SZA is just too damn good. I was not expecting her to come back so quickly in 2024, but early in the year, she dropped “Saturn” as the lead single to “LANA,” her third studio album that started life as a planned reissue of her last album “SOS.” And goddamn, did she drop the song of her life on this one (in more ways than one). In typical SZA fashion, this is a slow but sultry R&B jam that features SZA right in her wheelhouse with the same emotional, beautiful vocals that we’ve come to expect from her. The writing, however, is what really gives this song a massive jolt; with this song, SZA is deeply in her nihilistic bag, crafting a track that feels like a full-on existential crisis. She’s yearning for more out of the current life that she’s given, grappling with the good and bad sides of karma, and searching for more out of life on a different planet (in this case Saturn). As someone who ended 2023 with a bit of an existential moment (and carried it into the early parts of 2024), this song hit me in a pretty big way when I first heard it. And even after multiple listens, this still rang to me as something truly beautiful, which is wild to say given that it centers on something so dark, terrifying and painful. SZA is really one of the best out right now, and with “Saturn,” she’s crafted what may potentially be her best song. This really is SZA’s world; I’m just glad I get to live in it. Actually, I honestly thought for sure that SZA would finally top one of these lists, but then…
2. euphoria by Kendrick Lamar
It turns out her former labelmate Kendrick Lamar had something to say. I mentioned that “Like That” was the shot heard around the solar system, but little did I realize that that song would merely be a poke compared to what would come after. Overwhelmed by the litany of disses and subliminals he faced across Future and Metro Boomin’s “WE DON’T TRUST YOU” duology, Drake responded to as many artists as he could with the track “Push Ups.” It was a spirited diss, but you had to know an artist like Kendrick wouldn’t just lay down and accept defeat (especially not after Drake dropped the “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which he had to remove because of his use of AI to replicate 2Pac’s voice). Kendrick took his time to reply, but after listening to “euphoria,” it’s easy to hear why; this song is a six-and-a-half-minute odyssey where Kendrick leaves very little ground uncovered. And even if we’re looking at the more technical aspects of the song, this is a dizzyingly good track where Kendrick delivers incredible, fiery flows and performances over a beat that switches up so often and just gets better with each change-up. As far as the writing...you can almost argue that Kendrick took it lightly here compared to some of the things he’d come through with later on, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some “oooooh” moments on the track. Even without presenting a ton that was “new,” Kendrick calls out Drake’s identity as an artist, a rapper, and even as a man. He answers back to a lot of Drake’s bars about his record contract, and even mentions that Drake tried to send a cease and desist for “Like That.” He brings many sharp lines, with some of my favorites including “I pray they my real friends, if not, I'm YNW Melly,” “I like Drake with the melodies, I don't like Drake when he act tough / You gon' make a n***a bring back Puff, let me see if Chubbs really crash somethin',” “Ain't twenty-v-one, it's one-v-twenty if I gotta smack n***s that write with you,” and especially “How many more fairytale stories 'bout your life 'til we had enough? / How many more Black features 'til you finally feel that you're Black enough?” I could go on even longer, but I’ll stop there because that’s already a ton. Kendrick also ties it all together with double-entendres and cadences that feel meaningful (the Toronto-accented use of “crodie” throughout the song is pretty noteworthy), making this a truly great (and endlessly replayable) track. And who would’ve thought Kendrick had three more in him, a few of which I found to be even better. Speaking of which...
1. Not Like Us by Kendrick Lamar
Now, I’ll say this much; this and “euphoria” absolutely could’ve interchanged. I’ve gone back to it so many times, as it’s just such an insanely replayable song. Hell, had “meet the grahams” reached the Top 10, that song would’ve easily topped this list just for the sheer bone-chilling rawness that it was. It was the kind of diss track that almost feels dirty to go back to just for how shockingly uncomfortable it is (though that hasn’t stopped me from going back to it several times). On that track, Kendrick Lamar made me feel like I was snooping on someone’s therapy session (which, as someone who has weekly therapy sessions, would make me very uncomfortable), and the track was so vicious that it made Pusha T look innocent by comparison. As it is, that song just barely missed out on the Top 10, but “Not Like Us” certainly didn’t. In fact, it even hit #1 on the charts...you can only imagine how strange it felt when I told my Mom that a song featuring the lyrics “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles” and “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor” was the #1 song in the country. To that point, personal aside: at one point this year, I got to hear this song come out during a karaoke night. You haven’t seen it all until you’ve screamed those lyrics with a legion of other people in a packed bar. Oh, and this was apparently DJ Mustard’s first-ever #1 song and that kinda blew my mind; dude’s been making club bangers for over a decade and it took a diss track for him to reach the top? Who knew? But yeah, Kendrick by this point in the beef basically goes for a victory lap, doubling down on allegations of Drake’s sexual misconduct (along with the sexual misconduct of fellow OVO artist Baka Not Nice), claiming that Drake is treating audiences as if they’re dumb, noting that Drake is exploiting and appropriating the sounds of Atlanta’s music, and even going as far as to call him a “colonizer.” That he rapped all this in an exaggerated accent over a danceable, hyphy-inspired West Coast beat is foul. Beyond how utterly intoxicating and catchy the song as a whole is, the bars hit hard, and it’s interesting to see Kendrick kind of pull a Drake on Drake. Much like how “Back to Back” was a hit in 2015 that had the world dancing even after Meek Mill embarrassed himself with “Wanna Know,” “Not Like Us” entered the chat with “song of the summer” vibes and firmly stayed there even after Drake embarrassed himself with “The Heart Part 6.” Kendrick also helped himself in that regard with the Pop Out concert and the subsequent music video, which tied up whatever loose ends were left in Drake’s half-hearted allegations toward Kendrick. This song proved a couple of things to me; one, as I said earlier, Kendrick can still make amazing music even when it sounds a bit more “commercial” in nature (“GNX” proves that aplenty), to the point where this song feels like Kendrick telling Drake “I can do what you do, but you can’t do what I do” (hence why “Not Like Us” is a perfect title). Two, remind me to never catch Kendrick Lamar on a bad day, because he’ll somehow pull skeletons out of my closet that I didn’t know I had. Kudos to Kendrick for, as the great man Ruff Criminal excellently put it, “crip walking on corpses” with this one.
Once again, 2024 was a really fun year for new music, and there’s a lot here I’m gonna be blasting for a long time. As always, thank you to everyone who checked out this year’s list! I don’t use this blog super often and as a result, these usually don’t get many views, so I’m appreciative of anyone who does check this list out. And as I’m sure I’ll repeat several times before the year is officially out, thank you to everyone who showed their support to me in 2024. As is the way of life, 2024 was a rollercoaster of a year with great highs and lows, but I’m thankful for the personal progress I made this year and I feel like I’m coming out on the other end of it better. I have no idea what the hell 2025’s gonna have in store (musically, I know it’ll be a tough act to follow), but...I’ll tackle it as best as I can. Anyway, what were your favorite and least favorite Top 10-peaking songs in 2024? Sound off in the comments below!!!
