From pop sensational hits to topping the billboard charts, which albums of 2024 should be crowned album of the year?
2024 was definitely one of THE years of music. Artists such as Beyonce, took the country world by storm with her album Cowboy Carter and Melanie Martinez’s spectacular Trilogy Tour across the states. Many sensational albums were released during this time too, allowing many people to be exposed to different genres of music. However, with the 2025 Grammys coming up very soon, many of these albums will be thrown into the ring of fire in this heated competition. These are the ones I personally feel should be on that list:
- Hit Me Hard and Soft – Billie Eilish
Being her Third studio album, Billie Eilish’s music never misses. The 9-time Grammy winner’s newest album delves deep into the essence of love through songs like “Birds of a Feather” and “L’amour de ma vie.” Each of her songs describes a journey through anger, unrequited love, and friendship. Her album has topped the charts in the music industry, demonstrating the power of her music.
- Eternal Sunshine – Ariana Grande
Released on March 8 2024, Eternal Sunshine heavily focuses on grieving the loss of a relationship. The album shifts through feelings of sorrow to carefree happiness. Specifically, “We Can’t Be Friends” reached Number 1 on the Global Billboard Charts, as the hit music video tells the story of struggling to move on from a loved one. Her album is special like no other, as it feels the most personal compared to the rest of her previous ones.
- brat – Charli XCX
The “360” Popstar’s new album conquered the summer of 2024, with one hit after another being everywhere. Charli XCX is known for being a musical boundary breaker, especially with brat summer (messy hot womanhood empowerment) embracing her aesthetics to the public. The album garnered so much attention, to the point where the diva collabed with Roblox’s Dress to Impress.
- The Tortured Poets Department – Taylor Swift
Songwriter superstar Taylor Swift has released iconic albums year after year, and this one speaks volumes through her career. The Tortured Poets Department definitely has the soft vibes as Midnights did, but it ups the ante in terms of scoring. Her collaboration with Post Malone on “Fortnight” was a music video sensation, receiving recognition as Collab of the Year at the VMAS!
- Radical Optimism – Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa definitely knows how to make songs that make you wanna “Dance the Night” away. Released on May 3rd, 2024, her new album just does that. With iconic songs such as “Illusion” and “Training Season”, the album was able to debut at number 2 on the Billboard 200, representing the immense popularity her music had become.
- Short N’ Sweet – Sabrina Carpenter
Having her famous single “Espresso” be the song of the summer, Sabrina’s newest album brings more of that summer girl energy within her music. The album mixes R&B, Disco, and Pop through many songs like “Bed Chem”, and “Juno.” The star album single “Taste” brings out a new Sabrina, while embracing the talents of her old style. Each of the songs blend summer pop with her own twist, which is so unique.
Now comes the actual question: who deserves the title out of these 6? I started asking friends and fellow peers, and their responses were very similar.
The majority voted that Billie’s Hit Me Hard And Soft deserves album of the year, voicing their love for the artist’s music.
Particularly, senior Francesca Birns claims that her newest album is “different from her previous albums,” being one of the reasons why it’s just so unique.
Senior Andrew Lawin adds onto that saying,“the songs were the most memorable, as they usually were the ones that got stuck in my head.”
Citing Billie Eilish’s uniqueness, superfan Senior Alannah Nole, explains how “her songs have a different variety.”She likes how“songs like ‘Skinny’ have an upbeat attitude, while ‘Wildflower’ has more of a slow tempo in comparison.”
Other fans I interviewed said that they had known the artist for a while, such as senior Abby Achen, who listens to her quite often, and junior Maddie Southfield, who says she had “been listening to her since she was 15!”
For the most part, Billie’s newest album brings back old fans who just adored her type of music style, creating even more memories for fans.
Sabrina’s Short n’ Sweet comes in at a close second, as fans also voice their love and explain the rise to the blonde superstar’s fame.
“I keep seeing a lot of her songs on my social media feed. She’s basically taking over the music industry now,” junior Janiaya Nelson states, detailing how her rise to fame also comes from the widespread media.
Junior Haylie Cox agrees adding, “This album really made her popular and got her a lot of recognition.”
Some of the favorite songs popular fans like senior Julia Albano are “Coincidence” and “Juno,” while senior Lynn Mizgala says she likes “Good Graces.” For Sabrina the love for her music is there, but what really made sprout to the top was definitely social media apps like, TikTok, Instagram, etc.
Additionally, junior Haylie Cox comments on an album that doesn’t deserve Album of the Year: The Tortured Poet’s Department. She states, “Her newest album is basically just bringing down smaller artists.”
Although there are people who think that The Tortured Poet’s Department is just another “Taylor Album,”fans like senior Raina say that the album does deserve the grand title. She explains, “Taylor is a big artist and the album is great overall,” voicing her opinion on the musical album.
Another outlier in the voting ranks,is senior Abby Briggs, who selected brat, by Charli XCX. Being a first time listener, Abby says that the album got “popular from Tiktok,”and she “wants to continue listening to her music.” Personally, she says her favorite song is “Apple.”
Overall, opinions run high and low in the music industry, as many people have different views. There’s always a wide variety of music albums released each year, and there’s bound to be competition. Only time will tell which one deserves the Grammy award-winning title, but honestly with or without a title, any album can earn the crown.
