Taken by Clem Onojeghuo, from Unsplash

With the year three quarters done, and year 12 graduating in just a few weeks, I wanted to write my opinions and rankings of various albums released over this year before it was time to move on.

I’ve felt that the quality of album releases this year have been rather inconsistent. However, whilst I’ve felt rather underwhelmed with many records, some incredible works have been released, some of which are included in this ranking of the top five best releases of the year so far.

When it comes to music, I usually listen to pop, indie and rock records. Despite this, most albums mentioned are within the various sub-genres of pop, due to the lack of notable releases from other categories (looking at you Green Day and Cage the Elephant).

I’ve also included three honourable mentions, as well as three of my favourite singles released this year as well.

Honourable Mentions:

Short n’ Sweet – Sabrina Carpenter:

Whilst a good album with great songs such as ‘Espresso’ and ‘Taste’, I didn’t feel like it offered enough to reach the top five of some random year 12 student’s arbitrary ranking of albums.

GUTS (Spilled) – Olivia Rodrigo:

Quite possibly the catchiest album of this year, with standouts in this category being ‘Bad Idea Right?’ and ‘Get him back!’. However, this is only an extension of a previously released album, and so I feel it would not be fair to rank it within the top 5, as all its best songs had already been released before 2024.

Saviours – Green Day:

Not one of their greatest albums, however, their best in 20 years, and whilst hit and miss, it proved to be a beacon for many Green Day fans who had lost hope for the band’s new releases.

Top 5 albums of 2024 (so far):

5.

This is How Tomorrow Moves – Beabadoobee:

An amazing album that adds upon Beabadoobee’s ‘bedroom pop’ sound, adding elements of jazz and rock in it as well, ultimately living up to the high standards set by her previous album, ‘Beatopia’, from 2022. The album explores complacency, growth and self-acceptance, with songs such as ‘Take a Bite’ and ‘California’ being standouts on the album.

4.

DOING IT AGAIN BABY! – Girl In Red:

Girl In Red’s newest album has a far more upbeat, but also calmer tone than her previous release, ‘If I Could Make It Go Quiet’. Doing it Again Baby has incredibly relatable lyrics that, whilst very direct in execution, get the point across well and effectively explore the themes Girl in Red wants to portray such as toxicity, love, and finding oneself as they mature. The album is made even better with ‘You Need Me Now?’, including lyrics from Sabrina Carpenter, a collaboration so unexpected that many Girl in Red fans did not believe it was real, including myself.

3.

Charm – Clairo:

Clairo’s newest album offers not only her best sound but the best lyrics as well. Much like with Beabadoobee, Clairo also elaborates upon her previous bedroom pop style by adding elements of jazz, however, to a much greater effect in my opinion. Songs such as ‘Juna’, ‘Nomad’, ‘Pier 4’ and ‘Add Up My Love’ are standouts on the album, and exemplify Clairo’s lyrical ability, with how she’s able to eloquently explore ideas such as feeling unfulfilled in relationships, and feeling as if you’re not truly connected to others. Whilst a much slower-paced album than others mentioned, it still offers songs that are incredibly fun to listen to and is the record I currently have on repeat.

2.

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT – Billie Eilish:

In my opinion, I don’t think Billie Eilish has ever missed an album, and this is no exception. One particular aspect of this album that appeals to me a lot is the fact that it’s a concept album, meaning that it follows a single story throughout, something that is rarely done today in music. In this case, the story depicts a relationship, and Billie’s obsession with this person, however, also delves into the eventual decline of their connection, as heard in the closing track, ‘Blue’. The lighter tones of ‘Bird of a Feather’ are amazingly contrasted with the darker sounds of songs such as ‘The Diner’, and the album has a great mix of faster paces and more sombre songs.

1.

BRAT – Charli xcx:

The best album of the year (so far) in my opinion has been Charli xcx’s ‘BRAT’, an electronic, dance-pop record whose fast pace and incredibly consistent theming make it an incredible listen. Standout songs on this album include ones such as ‘360’ ‘Von Dutch’, ‘Mean Girls’ and ‘365’. Despite its fun sound however, the album still leaves room to delve into far darker themes, with songs such as ‘Apple’ exploring intergenerational trauma, and Charli’s relationship with her parents. It’s due to the amazing mix of fun, electro-pop sound whilst still having meaningful lyrics that I think BRAT is the best album released thus far in 2024.

Best Singles:

July – Hozier:

A song that discusses Hozier’s hope and optimism at July, amid a Covid-riddled world. Whilst a cliché topic, Hozier’s ability to poetically weave stories through personification and metaphor makes this not only a great song to listen to, but also to analyse.

Let Them Know They’re on Your Mind – Cavetown:

A fun mix of electric guitars and more pop sounds, reminiscent of songs by artists such as Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter. The song starts slow but picks up pace as the song progresses, making it an incredibly fun listen.

Good Luck Babe – Chappell Roan:

And finally, could it be a ranking of the best singles without including Chappell Roan? ‘Good Luck Babe’ is an incredible song whose tone and theming of regret make it amazing lyrically, whilst also providing catchy choruses and a bridge that has been stuck in my head since its release.