This year I took it upon myself to listen to as much new music as possible. While doing so I realized that 2024 wasn’t only a year for women in sports and politics, but also for women in music.
Now that the end of the year is here, I present you with my top 10 albums of 2024, which all just happen to be written by women (it’s not a coincidence).
#10 “Vertigo” by Griff
I start my list with Griff’s debut album “Vertigo.” Not a day goes by that I’m not screaming the ever-so-catchy title track “Vertigo” silently in my mind. When listening to “Anything” I find myself captivated by Griff’s voice. I also find myself dancing, despite Griff singing about how she is trapped under someone else’s power so much so that she will do anything they tell her to. I know I’m not the only girl out there who loves a heart wrenching song with a good beat, if that’s you I highly recommend giving this album a listen.
#9 “Wilson” by Ashe
“I don’t wanna die before you, promise I’ll be right behind,” Ashe sings during her song “I hope you die first” on her third studio album, “Wilson.” Before the release of “Wilson” Ashe had taken a break from her tour and aimed to focus on her mental health. When announcing the album Ashe took to X and said that writing was something she had taken a break from. She stated that this album came from the growth she experienced while on break. Nothing screams growth like “I Wanna Love You (But I Don’t),” a track where Ashe contemplates a picture-perfect relationship in which she just can’t seem to be happy. “Wilson” at its core is an album about looking to the future and having to be okay with who you might become.
#8 “To the Ghost” by Cults
“To the Ghost” is everything I could have wanted from an indie-rock band. Cults delivers a moody album that captures my attention like a disco ball. In “Onions” lead singer Madeline Follin sings “I chop onions, then I cry / Funny no one tells you why / We’ve been eating things that can hurt us /For a long time.” This line alone prompted me to add this album to my playlist after hearing Cults open for a Vampire Weekend concert I attended in Wilmington. If you’re looking for a new, experimental indie album, give “To the Ghost” a listen.
#7 “Short n’ Sweet” by Sabrina Carpenter
The first lyrics on Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet” are “Oh I leave quite an impression, 5 feet to be exact.” I was sold immediately because I am in fact 5 feet tall. While only 36 minutes long, Carpenter packs in hilarious lyrics that demand dancing, such as in her song “Espresso.” This album is simply so fun and “that girl” that I can’t fault its lack of deep cuts. Go into this album completely blind and I bet some of Carpenter’s spicy lyrics will have you doing a double take: “Did she really just say that?” Yes, yes, she did, and I am so here for it.
#6 “The Great Impersonator” by Halsey
“The Great Impersonator” by Halsey is anything but a light album. This album at its core is a haunting image of life as one tries to appear as anything but sick. Before the album was released, Halsey took to Instagram to share her recent health struggles. Struggles that she had been dealing with since 2022, yet kept hidden from her public life. As Halsey says in the album’s lead single “Lucky”— “And I told everybody I was fine for a whole damn year / And that’s the biggest lie of my career.” While “The Great Impersonator” is heavily influenced by Halsey’s struggles, “I Believe in Magic” reminds me of a lullaby to her son who is featured in the song. The title is no coincidence, it is clear Halsey views herself as an impersonator in “Only Living Girl in LA.” Halsey isn’t afraid of a dark sound on “Dog Years,” but throughout the album’s 18 tracks there is a mix of production including a country feel on “Hometown.” If you are looking for a vulnerable album to haunt you long after you turn it off, this might be the one for you.
#5 “News of the Universe” by La Luz
I highly suggest going to local concerts in small venues if you’re looking for a new band to put on repeat. That is how I was introduced to La Luz, a four-member band located out of LA. The band consists of lead singer Shana Cleveland, Alice Sandahl, Lena Simon and Abbey Blackwell. At Motorco Music Hall in Durham NC, I listened as this rock band sang “Poppies” and felt completely at peace. I now listen to their music anytime I need to tune out the world and focus. Something about the sound of La Luz’s “News of the Universe” distracts my brain from anything and is immediately calming. If you need a funky album to listen to while reconnecting with nature or doing homework, I recommend giving this one a shot.
#4 “The Secret of Us” by Gracie Abrams
It’s no secret that Gracie Abrams writes music for girls who have never gotten over anything. After making Abrams’ first studio album “Good Riddance” my entire personality last year, I was oh-so-happy to have another album to obsess over. For those looking for a song to scream to on repeat, “Free Now” is your song. While “Free Now” is my personal song of the year, this album is packed with songs that are so specific, they might just be written about you. Track five “us.” has a feature from Abrams’ friend Taylor Swift, whom Abrams opened for this past year on The Eras Tour. Abrams manages to write songs that feel like a rant –one you just need to get out for everything to be okay.
#3 “COWBOY CARTER” by Beyoncé
What can’t Beyoncé do? As someone who has never listened to Beyoncé’s music, I was almost overwhelmed by how good she made country music sound. “COWBOY CARTER” is a ride from beginning to end. Beyoncé committed to the aesthetic of this album and lead single “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” was barely a taste for what this album has in store. With features from Post Malone and Miley Cyrus to a reimagination of “JOLENE,” to dance moments on “YA YA” this album has it all. My favorite albums are the ones best listened to from beginning to end, and “COWBOY CARTER” delivers from track one. “AMERIICAN REQUIEM” sets the scene up to track 27, “AMEN” which is a final call to acknowledge America’s dark past. There is a reason so many celebrities thank Beyoncé for all she has done in the music industry, and I think this album might be the reason.
#2 “Memoir of a Sparklemuffin” by Suki Waterhouse
Suki Waterhouse’s “Memoir of a Sparklemuffin” created a euphoric world feeling of want, self-validation, dreams, and mulled-over regrets in my mind. When I listen to these songs can’t help but become the main character. I listen to “Lawsuit” and I’m automatically wearing a fur cheetah print coat and being told my ex is going to jail while sipping on a drink with not a care in the world. Then I listen to “Model, Actress, Whatever” and suddenly I feel invincible. If you’re looking to feel badass, while also relaxed, this is the album for you. I can’t say I know how Waterhouse teleports me to a new world during her 18-track album, but I do know that she perfectly captured the soundtrack of my dreams.
#1 “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY” by Taylor Swift
How can I possibly pick my favorite album that came out this year? Thankfully my monthly Apple Music recaps are here to help. Taylor Swift’s 11th studio album “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT” has been my most listened-to album each month since April, when it was released. Swift is no stranger to making an album that takes us full circle, with tracks that travel through every stage of heartbreak we could imagine. A relationship meets tragedy in “So Long, London” and a pop star is still expected to put on a smile in “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.” Swift fills her audience with rage on “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,” and then relishes in her newfound freedom in “Fresh Out the Slammer.” As always, Swift is not shy to write about her newfound love, as we see on track 22, “So High School.” Swift’s most recent album is one that you’ll love if you love Swift. If you don’t love Swift’s shift to pop this one might not be for you, but I’m willing to bet there’s at least one song on this 31-track album you might enjoy.
Women in music have been dominating the charts. Swift’s “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT” spent 15 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 200 Chart. Beyoncé also debuted “COWBOY CARTER” in the top spot of Billboard’s Hot 200. Carpenter’s song “Espresso” became Spotify’s #1 song shortly after its release. The 2025 Grammy Nominations take away any debate about women’s success in music this year. Women dominate the major Grammy categories including Album of the Year and Record of the Year.
While charts show the impact women had on music this year, not all the albums I selected charted #1 or even in Billboard’s top 10. The albums I selected are works of art in their own means. This year I enjoyed listening to as much new music as I could to revamp my playlist. Perhaps it was a new genre I had not explored before, like La Luz’s surf-rock sound. Maybe, it was an artist I grew up listening to starting a new era in their life like Halsey explores in “The Great Impersonator.” Every playlist can benefit from new music, and I bet there’s an album written by a woman this year waiting for you to click play.
