The best & worst albums of 2024 (so far)

We've reached the halfway point of 2024 and it's already been an incredible year for music! It seems like all of our favorite artists released albums this year but while some records soared, others took a backseat on our playlists...

Disclaimer: this list is all in good fun! Critiquing is a form of love, and we're lovers of all of these artists, which is why we feel qualified to discuss them so intimately. So have fun, relax, and scroll through our list of the best and worst releases of the year thus far...

BEST: eternal sunshine - Ariana Grande

It's here: Ariana Grande's best chance for an Album of the Year win at the upcoming 2025 Grammys. thank u, next might've given us the hits, but eternal sunshine is her clearest, tightest, and vibey work yet. The replay value is top tier, only made better by Grande's iconic remixes of the era featuring Mariah Carey for "yes, and?" and Brandy and Monica (and unexpected reunion!) for "the boy is mine." It's conceptual, it's devastating, it's uplifting, it's beautiful, it's pop music at its finest, it's the purest essence of Ariana as an artist — and it's been on repeat all year.

BEST: What a Devastating Turn of Events - Rachel Chinouriri

Rachel Chinouriri has produced one of the best pop records of the year. Her debut album, What a Devastating Turn of Events, reads like a diary entry chronicling her insecurities, womanhood, romance troubles, Blackness, eating disorders, and more. You might recognize her voice from TikTok as Chinouriri has several viral hits under her belt, "So My Darling" and "All I Asked" specifically. "Never Need Me" is a kiss-off to a fuckboi and the music video features actor Florence Pugh.

BEST: COWBOY CARTER - Beyoncé

Once again, Beyoncé has made an album release a cultural event. Cowboy Carter has, quite literally, shifted the faces of country music, reminding the world that the foundation of the genre was built by African Americans and ushering in a new generation of Black country stars. The range is gobsmacking: Beyoncé jumps from an edgy take on Dolly Parton's "Jolene" to quite literally singing an Italian aria in the Western-inspired track "Daughter." Cowboy Carter is a 27-track flex by someone in full control of their craft and vision, with the tools to execute it gorgeously.

BEST: God Said No - Omar Apollo

Omar Apollo just keeps getting better. The crooner's latest album, God Said No, opens with a guitar-plucked thesis statement: "Be Careful With Me." The record goes on to explore heartbreak and yearning over hip-hop beats and '80s synths. It's only been a few days since its release, but instantly, the LP jumped to the top of our list. Whoever hurt Omar Apollo… thank you.

BEST: HIT ME HARD AND SOFT - Billie Eilish

One of the biggest songs of the year is about eating a girl out. Billie Eilish's power! Her third album is a 10-track expansion of her sound and style but just feels effortlessly cool even when it's absolutely devastating. "Chihiro" is one of the most unique songs of the year, "Birds of a Feather" has taken TikTok by storm with it's breezy portrait of a forever love, and "The Greatest" captures the tragic accomplishment of putting yourself second for someone who isn't doing the same for you. And Eilish, known for her soft Sinatra-esque vocals, pushes her vocals to new heights that are just so fun to listen to.

BEST: The Year I Turned 21 - Arya Starr

Get in on the ground floor of Arya Starr. As afrobeats gains traction in the U.S. as a genre, the singer's sophomore album is a smooth cup of coffee perfect for entry listeners. The Year I Turned 21 beautifully marries glossy beats with earworm melodies and surprisingly vulnerable lyricism. This music's got a pulse, and you can't help but dance to Arya Starr's rhythm. Not to mention features by global superstars Anitta, Giveon, Rauw Alejandro, Asake, and Coco Jones.

BEST: Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain - Raveena

Imagine sitting on the beach at sunrise and sinking your toes in the sand. Or that first sip of coffee on a day off. Or sunbathing in a park, your head laying on a lover's lap while they're stroking your hair. That's what listening to a Raveena album feels like. Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain is her romantic new project, chock full of breezy songs not just about a lover but being in love with the small moments, the grass, the sun, the sadness, the grief, all of it. The singer-songwriter plays around in R&B, indie, psychedelic, and Indian genres to create something that sounds so specifically Raveena, you'll smile.

BEST: BRAT - Charli XCX

She's the IT girl for a reason. brat is Charli XCX at her most powerful, clever, and interesting. More than a decade after her debut, she finally has the bravado to back up the talent that's always been there. "Sympathy is a knife" is cuttingly honest glimpse into her psyche over a chaotic beat and scream-worthy chorus, juxtaposed to the bravado bursting out of "Von Dutch" and "360." The neon green cover has become a meme-worthy moment doubling as a critique of the expectations we place on pop girls. The "girl so confusing" remix with Lorde is an instant classic, and the internet indeed did go crazy, just as Charli predicted. Charli XCX has made pop music fun again.

WORST: Radical Optimism - Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa's latest feat isn't bad, just forgettable, which is even more disappointing considering how highly anticipated Radical Optimism was. This summer-ready album came out a bit too early to actually make the playlists of the season. The songs retread the path Future Nostalgia laid down but the record fails to produce anything as unique or sonically interesting. Why listen to "Training Season" when you can listen to "Physical," or "Falling Forever" when you can remember the thrill of dancing to "Don't Start Now." Lipa set a very high bar with Future Nostalgia and just couldn't reach it a second time.

WORST: THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT - Taylor Swift

A retread of all of Taylor Swift's familiar themes with nothing of interest to add to her lore, The Tortured Poets Department offer some cool synth productions but ultimately is too long, repetitive, cloudy, lyrically mid, and worst of all, boring.

WORST: This Is Me...Now - Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez has become the internet's punching bag as of late (which we think is unwarranted) but her latest project This Is Me...Now certainly didn't help her case. It's a passion project with a big budget, but feels like a first draft, imprecise and uninspired with thin melodies and forgettable lyrics. The accompanying Amazon Prime Video movie was a visually stunning yet baffling display of wealth that one laughed at more than laughed with. Beautiful gowns...

WORST: C,XOXO - Camilla Cabello 

Camila Cabello's latest album is a baffling departure from the songs that made her popular. C,XOXO bumbles through various pop and hip-hop sounds, funneling it through her sad (Latina) girl lens. Cabello samples The Dream's "Shawty Is Da Shit" on "DREAM-GIRLS," which is fun in theory, but clunky in reality. The City Girls rapping over a wistful piano riff simply does not make sense. Then there's the downright baffling sample of Pitbull's "Hotel Room Service" on *checks notes* a ballad?? To top it off, Cabello inexplicably gives Drake, who has been raked over the coals for months following Kendrick Lamar's massively successful diss tracks about him, a two-minute solo interlude in the middle of the album. Talk about bad timing. Cabello's attempt to present something fresh comes across like that one video of Katy Perry awkwardly posturing next to Migos on SNL. "pretty when i cry" and the Lil Nas X feature save the album from being a complete scrap.