MAB’s Favorite Albums of 2024

2024 was an exceptional year for music. There were so many highly-anticipated releases that finally came into fruition. That said, there were a couple albums that stood out to us in particular. In no particular order, here is a list of our favorite albums of 2024 along with a personal explanation from each member.

Cartoon Darkness by Amyl and the Sniffers | Alternative Rock/Punk

“Admittedly, I didn’t start listening to this album ‘til the end of the year, but even it was a stand out of all the albums I’ve listened to this year. Lead vocalist Amyl Taylor packs a punch! Every song stands strong by itself, but they also come together perfectly into a cohesive aggressive, crazy, and emotional masterpiece. It almost feels like a crime not to listen to the work in full. I would recommend this album to anyone who had a rough day and needs a pick me up. Your partner just left? Bailing on Me. Dealing with weirdo creeps? Jerkin’. General motivation to do your homework? Do It. A reminder that all your hard work means something? Big Dreams. People are just pissing you off? Doing In Me Head. A pick me up before a night out with the girls? Me and The Girls.”

— Taylor Pate, 2026

Favorite Tracks: Bailing on Me, Tiny Bikini, Doing In Me Head

The Crying Nudes by the Crying Nudes | Shoegaze

“A little haunting, dreamy, ethereal. Today’s best shoegaze! I like to put it on on a gloomy day.”

— Felicia Hou, 2025

Favorite Tracks: blood meadow, angel heart, Suzuki Rhythm Boy

BRAT by Charli xcx | Pop/Electropop

“As a pop fan, I always felt like the authentic singer-songwriter trend galvanized by Taylor Swift was a bit off-putting, if not disingenuous. After all, it seemed like a woman’s true purpose in life was to find the right man, or at the very least, bitch about his shortcomings while anticipating his knightly arrival. But in Brat, Charli bent the zeitgeist to her will, revealing her deep-seated feelings and frustrations about herself in relation to the culture more broadly. In Girl, so confusing featuring lorde, Lorde and Charli reconciled their differences with a poignant critique against the music industry. In other words, what was a once drunk party song with a sleazy bass line and sloppy, finger-pointing lyrics transformed into a touching anthem about female solidarity. There is also something so innocuous yet elusive about the opener, 360, which enchants the listener with its infectious, bubblegum beat. But beneath the chronically online lyrics and haughty, it-girl references, Charli subliminally poses several important questions: Who is the culture? Why is Charli “your favorite reference, baby?” In fact, several parallels can be drawn between Charli’s pithy claims to cultural relevance and Kendrick Lamar’s viral line in his one of many diss tracks against Drake: “I’m what the culture feelin’.”

Speaking of culture, I often feel as though the legacy of legendary singer-songwriters such as Bob Dylan and Lou Reed has been tainted by the ever-growing demand for heart-wrenching songs about love and break-ups. Hence, the popularity of Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Olivia Rodrigo, all of whom infuse the art of storytelling into pop, a genre once riddled with cliches. But are love songs, however many feelings they evoke, truly authentic? Do they truly speak to the essence of what it means to be a woman or mainly rely on well-trodden tropes? The answer is not always clear, but what separates a mediocre or even good artist from a great one is the ability to bridge the gap between one’s personal feelings and the cultural milieu at large. Indeed, Brat is an exhilarating club classic with the emotional highs and lows of a singer-songwriter album. But it’s also a philosophical treatise that invites the listener to contemplate the role of pop and its cultural purpose more extensively. Is pop meant to be personal and exclusive or general and inclusive? Well, Charli had no trouble putting the age-old debate to rest with a stellar album that brilliantly reconciles both perspectives.”

— Nyasha Muwalo, 2025

Favorite Tracks: Girl, so confusing featuring Lorde, Symapthy is a knife, Everything is romantic

GNX by Kendrick Lamar | West Coast Hiphop

“GNX is my favorite album of the year because of its celebratory energy, which is in contrast to a lot of Kendrick’s previous works. He’s said what he needed to say, and this album feels like a victory lap for all of the introspection he’s done since 2011. In the heart pt 6, he talks about evolving from an artist to a black executive and wanting to make meaningful change—more than he has by just writing songs. It feels as though with each album, each endeavor, and each initiative, Kendrick continues to innovate and grow from his previous persona and sound, both lyrically, thematically, and sonically, showing the true markings of a creative. Listen to the album at 7:12pm on a Thursday evening with the windows down during sunset on the way to a recording studio in LA.”

— Orion Wang, 2028

Favorite Tracks: tv off, squabble up, man at the garden

hella (˃̣̣̥╭╮˂̣̣̥) ✧ ♡ ‧º·˚ by 1999 WRITE THE FUTURE | Rap/Hiphop/R&B

“This album is perfect for sunset drives and people who are still a little stuck in the 2019 bedroom pop era.”

— Anonymous

Favorite Tracks: cOoL WATeR foR thE nIGHT, COuGhDrOPs (,,Ծ‸Ծ,, )

Only God Was Above Us by Vampire Weekend | Indie Rock/Chamber Pop

“I always appreciate an album when it's honest and reflective. There are a lot of albums that are masterfully produced, lyrically ingenious, and sonically innovative, but it’s the subtle nuance that seems to make a huge difference. Musically, there are plenty of great albums as described released this year, but Vampire Weekend managed to put together their most genuine and self-aware album yet. They dived deep into their voluntary war with issues such as generational class solidification and, furthermore, critiques of traditions, which entrench them. Interestingly, they abandoned their esoteric Columbia University English major references, which all of a sudden sounded touching— cutting to the theme compared to their previous albums. If you compare this album to their universally acclaimed, exuberant second album Modern Vampires of the City, Ice Cream Piano functions almost as a follow-up to their ambitious and uplifting Young Lion where they guarantee the chances of the young soothing them to Just wait with disillusioned F the world accumulated over the years. In their epic finale, Hope, they respond to a list of disappointments not with cowering self-pity infused in the track Obvious Bicycle but peaceful forgiveness and temperament acceptance after fighting. Their steps to finally embrace a narrative with truthful ordinariness, especially the one of themselves, is touching enough for me to acknowledge their brilliance, and finally relish their previous music knowing their places. On a personal level, Only God Was Above Us answers many questions I asked myself with all the work we are doing now. What's the meaning of the classics we compiled? What's our places in this world and in history? With all the more we study, do we find ourselves answering them more or lost more as Vampire Weekend do?”

— Marvin Li, 2026

Favorite Tracks: Mary Boone, Hope, Capricorn

Manning Fireworks by MJ Lenderman | Alternative Country/Country Rock

“I've been getting more into folk and rock music recently, and I think MJ has a unique, modern approach that is really wonderful to listen to. The songwriting and overall musicality on this album is much stronger than his previous works—you can really picture the men he sings about. He's also an absolute beast on the guitar, and is such a joy to see live.”

— Grace Hu, 2025

Favorite Tracks: Rudolph, She’s Leaving You, You Don’t Know The Shape I’m In

Two Star & The Dream Police by Mk.gee | Indie/Bedroom Pop

“Unpredictable, disjointed guitar warbles as Mk.gee croons oblique verses through a thick distance into an omni-directionally-set mic (a trick picked up from his collaborative work on Dijon’s Absolutely). Focus too hard on isolating or following any single texture of Mk.gee's sophomore album, and you’ll find much charm in his continually evasive, but distinct and novel style of anxious, 80s-inspired rock-pop. Songs average in at around only two minutes, but there's so much in each to feast on! Listen to this album at full volume, while biking around at night.”

— Ines Kang, 2025

Favorite Tracks: I Want, Rylee & I, Dream Police

Romance by D.C. Fontaines | Indie/Alternative

“This album sounds so cohesive while playing with all these different sounds, which I appreciate because it allows you to cycle through loving all the songs. I also really enjoy that this album is so moody. Although that's quite vague, it has a strong feeling to it which is kind of melancholic—perfect for the transition from Chicago fall to winter. But then it ends on the upbeat closer, Favourite. I recommend listening to this album on a rainy Chicago fall day when the sun is setting at 4:30 pm but hasn't gone all the way down yet.”

— Sofia Erlin, 2025

Favorite Tracks: Sundower, Desire, Favourite

Tyla + by Tyla | Amapiano/R&B/Pop

“My favorite album of the year is TYLA + because it’s a little experimental as far as Afropop goes. The vocals served on her ballads were really unexpected. I think it was a really smart move to include the choir as much as she did because it made this piece of work seem really professional, especially for such a new artist.”

— Daniel Mosoti, 2027

Favorite Tracks: Breathe Me, PUSH 2 START, On My Body (feat. Becky G)

#RICHAXXHAITIAN by Mach-Hommy | Hiphop

“I was a fan of lyricism and technical ability long before I could appreciate the art of instrumentalism. Nonetheless, this album has both in abundance. Shining light on issues regarding his mother country of Haiti, among other interpersonal topics, Mach-Hommy makes great use of 17 tracks. Often, rappers of his lyrical ability sacrifice some artistry in the process, but that is never the case here.”

— Kevin McDermott, 2027

Favorite Tracks: POLITickle (feat. Drea D'Nur), COPY COLD (with Black Thought), #RICHAXXHAITIAN (with KAYTRANADA & 03 Greedo)

Honorable Mentions

Here are albums that didn’t quite make the cut, but we still loved dearly.

Cold Visions by Bladee | Hiphop/Cloud Rap

HARDSTONE PYSCHO by Don Toliver | Hiphop/Rap

Bird’s Eye by Ravyn Lenae | Contemporary R&B

Charm by Clairo | Jazz/Soft Rock/Quiet Storm

Here in the Pitch by Jessica Pratt | Folk/Country/Indie

Imaginal Disk by Magdelena Bay | Psychedelic Pop/Synthpop

Still by Erika de Casier | Contemporary R&B/Electronica

Dark Times by Vince Staples | West Coast Hiphop

No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead by Godspeed You! Black Emperor | Post Rock

I Lay Down My Life For You by JPEGMAFIA | Alternative Hiphop/Industrial Rap/Rap Rock

Submarine by The Marias | Indie Pop/Dream Pop

mongoose by Blake Skowron | Natural Sounds

Hyperdrama by Justice | French House/Synthwave

Thanks for reading and see you next year for our Favorite Albums of 2025!