Although the year is coming to an end, a new era of music is beginning. 2024 reached levels of diversity and originality that have never been experienced by the music industry. From hit albums to number one songs, it is evident that 2024 has redefined the music business.
The Impact of Taylor Swift
It would not be a memorable year for the music industry without Taylor Swift leaving her mark. After being awarded “People’s Icon” at the 2023 People’s Choice Award, Swift still maintained her iconic, show-stopping persona throughout 2024. Her eleventh album, The Tortured Poet’s Department was released in April and gave fans a new perspective to her music. In the album, Swift offered a completely different listening experience from her previous album Midnights, which was released in 2022.
In just the first couple of months of the album’s release, it became Spotify’s greatest streaming debut in history with “Fortnight” [at] almost 80 million streams, “Down Bad” at 44 million, “The Tortured Poets Department”[at]almost 43 million and “So Long, London” [at] 42 million.”
The Comeback of Ariana Grande
On January 12, Ariana Grande declared her comeback to the music industry after dropping her single, “Yes, and?” The three year hiatus between Grande’s last album Positions and this single resulted in a lot of controversy for the pop star. With lyrics like “Now I’m so done with caring what you think / No I won’t hide underneath your own projections or change my most authentic life”, Grande responds to the drama with an unbothered energy.
Three months later, Grande released Eternal Sunshine, her first album since 2020, which included “Yes, and?” among other hit songs. Her single, “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)”is not just memorable for its striking name; it launched at No. 1 just two weeks after the album’s release. Other songs in Eternal Sunshine, such as “The Boy is Mine”, “Don’t Wanna Break up Again”, and “Bye” all became fan favorites.
Karma
In one of the more controversial occurrences in music this year, Former Dance Moms star JoJo Siwa took the media by storm when she released her single, “Karma”. We all know JoJo for her vibrant personality and the big bows in her hair, but this pop-song embraced her alternative and “bad girl” transformation. Her song starts with “I was a bad girl / I did some bad things,” and includes profanity in the chorus. Siwa feels as if the release of her single is the start of a new era for her transitioning from a child star into an adult. Along with the song came an extremely contentious music video which received a lot of backlash. Many felt like this release was inappropriate and poorly executed.
A New Side of Country
Country songs released in 2024 have been under significant debate as to whether they truly fall under the category of “real” country music. Beyonce’s latest album is one of the most questioned “country” albums of this year. Released in March, Cowboy Carter is the second album of a trilogy, following her 2020 album Renaissance. Although her two singles, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” pay homage to country music, many feel that throwing on cowboy gear and adding in a banjo does not truly justify categorizing the album in the country genre. There is no controversy, however, about the new album’s success as Beyonce became both the first Black woman to top Hot Country Songs and the first Black woman to send a country song to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Though it’s uncertain if her album is supposed to be in the R&B, hip-hop, or country category, I think Beyonce has given us a taste of a new pop-country era.
Brat Summer
Summer 2024 got its nickname “Brat Summer” after the release of Charli XCX’s electro pop album Brat. Although there are negative connotations to the word brat, “brat summer” is all about embracing your authentic self. Aside from being a celebrated album, it has taken over pop culture in various ways: it has transformed into its own style, aesthetic, and set of TikTok dances. Brat’s popularity emerged mainly because it is so different from other music. Songs like “Apple”, “So Julia”, and “Guess” brought a new element and vibe to pop music.
Rising Stars
To close out 2024, it is essential to recognize the rising stars of this upcoming generation. To start, pop star Tate Mcrae released her major single this year, “It’s Ok, I’m Ok”. Along with her unique voice and catchy pop songs, Mcrae is an amazing dancer and her stage presence has been compared to icons Micheal Jackson and Madonna.
The next star, Sabrina Carpenter, was always a well-known name in the industry for her acting. She started her career starring as Maya in the Disney series “Girl Meets World”, but this year she exploded in popularity for her singing when she released her album Short and Sweet. Hit songs “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” both topped the Billboard Hot 100.
At the beginning of the summer, when her music started to be discovered, the question “Who Is Chappell Roan?” began circulating in the media. Luckily she answered the question during her performance at this year’s Coachella when she claimed she’s “your favorite artist’s favorite artist.” Her overnight success has captivated the pop industry. Her songs, “Pink Pony Club”, “Good Luck Babe”, and “HOT TO GO” have gone viral on all social media platforms. People praise Roan for her uniqueness and diversity in the industry as her bold lyrics, grand outfits, and drag-inspired makeup have introduced a new perspective to pop-rock music.
Gracie Abrams is another rising star worth mentioning. Abrams gained popularity from opening the Era’s Tour in 2023 and experienced even bigger things in 2024. Her hit single “Close to You” was released in June, as part of her album The Secret of Us, after a seven year tease. Fans were eagerly waiting for this release after she posted a 20 second demo on Instagram. This single has been featured in the Netflix series Emily in Paris and in the trailer for the Netflix original Nobody Wants This. Other successful songs on The Secret of Us are “I Love You, I’m Sorry”, “Risk”, and “That’s So True”.
