2024 was a year of polarizing politics, global upheaval and- on our side of things- unhinged pop culture moments. In the middle of all of that was another incredible year for music. Fans of every genre were appeased with this year’s plethora of new releases- from arena pop bangers to heart pounding rock and EDM and everything else in between, there was no shortage of material to explore. As always, the Atlas crew had the toughest of times picking our favorites but we narrowed it down to six albums each- check out 2024’s picks from Olivia and Taylor!
Olivia’s 2024 Faves
ATEEZ: Golden Hour: Part.1
Coming in hot at the top of my Spotify Wrapped this year was this stunning masterpiece of a mini album. K-pop has taken the entire world by storm since the pandemic and ATEEZ emerged as one of the leaders in the genre- though we can hardly pigeonhole them when their music crosses lines into rock and electronic experimentation. Every K-pop album has a title track and “Work” was one of the strongest this year. After the massive success of their Coachella performance and their subsequent world tour, these eight talented guys have never taken their collective foot off the gas. This album was just one half of what ended up being a stellar collection of music and a grandiose leap into what’s coming next.
Key Tracks: “Work”, “Blind”
Knocked Loose: You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To
It’s never been a better time to engage with hardcore, as the biggest bands in the game have so much to say and none more than Knocked Loose. These heavyweights earned a Grammy nomination for “Suffocate”- one of the best heavy tracks of the year- and more than deserve their flowers. From the story behind the album’s title to the raw human experience encapsulated within Bryan Harris’ lyrics, Knocked Loose spent 2024 connecting with a massively widespread audience while never losing the faith of longtime fans. YWGBYST is KL at their loudest and weirdest, never watering down their sound to meet arbitrary expectations- and hardcore is all the better for it.
Key Tracks: “Moss Covers All”, “Blinding Faith”
brb.: we’ve been here before
Fine, this album only came out at the beginning of December, but as maybe the band’s biggest fan, there was no way it wasn’t making this list. The Singaporean group captured my heart with their 2023 tour and the wait for new music was nearly unbearable before they surprised us all with this eleventh hour drop. The trio finds themselves still firmly planted in their R&B roots, with soulful vocals interweaving with self-produced beats but the group also ventured into EDM and electronica on “call it love” and “kill 4 u”. It’s a killer blend of sound that shows off their producing talents along with giving each member’s distinct vocals the spotlight throughout.
Key Tracks: “alright”, “undo”
Stray Kids: ATE
K-pop 4th generation leaders Stray Kids have never hesitated to throw everything at the wall to see what sticks, but in the most nuanced, deliberate way possible. With ATE, they climbed the “Mountains” of the industry to emerge on top of their game, leveling up from their previous work at a furious pace. The group once again skated past genre lines, combining elements of heavy rock and wild electronic sounds on “JJAM” and “Chk Chk Boom”- another contender for strongest title track of 2024. Stray Kids is entirely self-produced, driving their music in directions that come from the hearts and minds of a perfectly cohesive team that knits these songs together with no gaps or filler. They’re never afraid to get just a little bit sappy in the middle either but every album is always driven home with a rock solid foundation and ATE can take its place at the front of the pack.
Key Tracks: “JJAM”, “I Like It”
Kendrick Lamar: GNX
There isn’t another rapper in the business who could roll out an album with no warning and manage to carpet bomb the culture like Kendrick. His previous work in 2024- mainly spent destroying Drake- was merely a warmup for the main event. Lamar came out swinging, taking aim at everyone from his industry opposition to anyone who hates the great city of Los Angeles. The album might not all be based in anger but the overtone of simmering rage blankets the album and connects with fans coming off a frustrating year. Plus, you couldn’t walk down the street that first weekend without hearing shouts of “MUSTAAAAAARD” emanating from car windows and through apartment walls- an instant classic.
Key Tracks: “squabble up”, “reincarnated”
twenty one pilots: Clancy
Anyone not paying attention to twenty one pilots recently was sucked right back into the lore when the band welcomed their listeners back to Trench in practically the first breath on this album. As strange and experimental as this band has gotten over the years, they’re still just so undeniably good and Clancy is another entry on their gameboard to greatness. Truthfully, this album pulled me in as well and “Next Semester” has been a staple on every playlist since hearing it live earlier this year. The arena rock is alive and well but so is singer Tyler Joseph’s sentimental side as he sings about his growing family and pens love letters to longtime fans. It’s a flashy tapestry the duo has woven and worth many repeated listens.
Key Tracks: “Next Semester”, “Vignette”
Honorable Mentions
- Speed: ONLY ONE MODE
- RM: Right Place, Wrong Person
- Seventeen: Spill the Feels
- Omar Apollo: God Said No
- OnlyOneOf: Things I Can’t Say LOve
Taylor’s 2024 Faves
Dead Poet Society: FISSION
With great power comes great responsibility, and Dead Poet Society showed they’ve learned to harness their explosive energy since the release of -!- in 2021 to produce a thoughtfully curated body of work. The result is FISSION, a tight 45 minutes of gritty, noisy, bluesy rock that makes you feel invincible. Though more polished than their earlier catalog entries, the album still feels authentic to the band’s raucousness, especially in a live setting. And there’s range. The riffs of “Uto” and “81 Tonnes” put DPS squarely in heavy territory, while single “Running In Circles” and B-side “My Condition” are alt rock approachable, beckoning to future fans. Get in here — we’re having the time of our lives.
Writer’s note: I called this as my top album of 2024 within a few days of its late January release, and nearly a year later, I’m still listening to its contents at least once a week.
Key Tracks: “Hard To Be God,” “My Condition”
Glass Animals: I Love You So F***ing Much
After the lifechanging success of “Heat Waves,” Glass Animals found themselves feeling like spectators of their newfound fame. Lockdowns were still in effect, and the added stressors of 2020 pushed them to the edge, literally — frontman Dave Bayley had a brush with death in his cliffside house during a massive storm. And it shows on I Love You So F***ing Much, the band’s most existential record to date. The album is full of the sweeping soundscapes and heavy drum beats of Glass Animals projects past, but it’s also heavily influenced by Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The spacey sound effects launch you out into the universe, while the lyrics explore the human experience on earth, specifically when it comes to love. Spoiler: It’s chaos, but it’s the exciting kind.
Key Tracks: “Wonderful Nothing,” “whatthehellishappening?”
Joywave: Permanent Pleasure
Permanent Pleasure is full of contradictions: It opens with a recording of Rochester’s mayor from 1984, but that recording is followed by futuristic synths. Its lyrics showcase pessimistic overthinking, while its cover features simple, peaceful artwork of a cat curled up in a sunbeam. And stylistically, it jumps from one extreme to another. But much like the recording of “The Mayor,” Joywave’s fifth album is a time capsule for where the band is in 2024. They’ve pivoted from the sounds of 2022’s Cleanse and are re-embracing their indie roots, especially on the guitar-driven “Swimming In The Glow” and perfect-for-radio “Hate To Be A Bother.” But one thing that hasn’t changed is the silly writing — “Jesus Christ is back again, two for one on fish and bread at the Olive Garden tonight” is a real lyric.
Key Tracks: “He’s Back,” Hate To Be A Bother”
Remi Wolf: Big Ideas
At 28, Remi Wolf is smack dab in the middle of what can be one’s most transformative years, and that plus her rising fame has led her through a myriad of new experiences deserving of their own chronicle. Hence, Big Ideas, an eclectic collection of tracks full of little earworm soundbytes and funky effects — the voice distortion on “Kangaroo” and ribbits in the background on “Frog Rock” come to mind — that create another quirky pop entry into Remi’s catalog. But instead of the unhinged lyrics we saw on Juno, Big Ideas has an undercurrent of insecurity: Am I doing the right thing? Will I ever be loved? The musings are set to elements of R&B, synth pop, reggae, and pop punk, a mixed bag that comes together with Remi’s truly unique voice.
Key Tracks: “Soup,” “Kangaroo,” “Wave”
Normandie: Dopamine
Mental health was a major theme across music this year, but Normandie took it to the next level with Dopamine, which was created from a concept of dopamine as a drug that might be prescribed in the future. To market the album, the band released a single (a “treatment”) on the first of each month, and they chose cover art featuring smiley face balloons. It’s a jab at the expectation of faking happiness, which is perfect for an album that’s decidedly not happy. Philip Strand belts out laments about a toxic on-and-off-again relationship, but you won’t find a soft heartbreak ballad here. You’ll find straightforward pop-rock tracks like “Glue,” a metalcore feature from Dani Winter-Bates of Bury Tomorrow on “Hourglass,” and heavier alt rock like “Blood In The Water” that will make you feel like you can run through a wall.
Key Tracks: “Blood In The Water,” “Colorblind”
Sabrina Carpenter: Short n’ Sweet
2024 was the year of the pop star with Sabrina, Chappell, and Charli having the world by the throat, but it was Short n’ Sweet that was most heavily in my personal rotation. There’s nothing new I can say about this album, especially because it has already been so thoroughly dissected by the media and Gen Z TikTokers alike. But it’s full of downright delightful bops, from the Kylie Minogue reminiscent “Good Graces” to, yes, the inescapable “Espresso”. (Also: a hyper-trendy Western moment on “Slim Pickins”.) Sabrina Carpenter is having more fun than ever, and you’d be hard pressed to find a mainstream artist who’s this unserious. And this year was all the better for it.
Key Tracks: “Good Graces,” “Juno”
Honorable Mentions
- Little Simz: Drop 7
- Kendrick Lamar: GNX
- Royel Otis: PRATTS & PAIN
- Vince Staples: Dark Times
- Maggie Rogers: Don’t Forget Me
