“Of The Moment”’s Best Songs of 2024

Walking you through a few of the 122 tracks that made my year worth looking back on.

Jan 03, 2025

How crazy is it that I’ve never done a full-on end-of-year round-up on here? Thinking again, actually not that crazy — this is a lot for a less-than-regular poster who once (two-three years ago) famously scrambled her way through quarterly album reviews. To further excuse the gap in my resume, 2023, despite its impressively wide variety, ultimately didn’t hold a candle to either 2022 or 2024 album-wise. Yet with a so-called “album year” arrives a certain uniformity across industry publication lists come December. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit catching up these days is turning into the “Is it BRAT?” game, in which I mostly disagree with either outcome (kind of basic to, kind of contrived not to?).

Besides Charli, you’ll probably be hard-pressed to come across a top 10 that doesn’t pay respect to the unanimously acclaimed endeavors of the year: Tyler, Beyoncé, Kendrick’s last-minute drop, revelations like Doechii and Mk.gee. More frequently than in any recent year, it feels like full-length projects held their own conversations in 2024 (Take THAT YouTube essayists, the art of the album will never die!) and with so much music under the spotlight, the competition for Album of the Year tightened.

Let me just go ahead and declare that it IS BRAT for me, however, not only because I love to fit in but because sad party girl music is my sustenance which I’ve been wishing for a mainstream moment for ever since discovering Robyn rocked my world as a teen. Still, the contradiction 2024 had in store for me was that dance music and all its co-optations would verge on growing tiresome by the end. This was a year of drum and bass remixes, raving, underground DJ clout, Bushwick fashion, ballroom culture seeping even deeper into pop — which itself not only turned to the club and to fun in general, but further crystallized into a space where anything can happen as hits arrived from everywhere but household names (few cases aside) and breakout acts became the talk of the town one after the other.

Chart coexistence remains, to me, the most fascinating aspect of the contemporary music landscape, where monocultural moments are hard to come by but events in the pop sphere are more widely discussed than ever. Alternative culture is always waiting around to get sucked into the mainstream (if that exists nowadays), or at least, have its affair with the industry powers that be for a time, and if business exec jargon contaminating modern fandom is any indicator, it isn’t the ‘90s anymore: “selling out” is not only not a problem, but the goal itself. Additionally, the TikTok kids want in. The millennial pop stars coming out of the woodwork want in. The record holders want to make it difficult for everybody.

So we’re here to talk songs for the sake of… novelty? Convenience, even? An excuse to resist regurgitating album-focused commentary as seen everywhere, perhaps, or an attempt at curation and making sense of a year which so often provided me with the riveting experience of scrolling through New Music Friday playlists not having a clue who all these people are. In any case, I’ve been honing this selection since the summer and it’s nicely rounded out at a little over 100 without many regrets. I’ll be selective and quick with my words as to avoid taking up too much of both of our time. Some categories, some standalones, some album chat when necessary. One track per act rule always applies and the playlist is linked at the bottom of the piece. Enjoy.

K-pop & Beyond

Getting what’s already been dealt with out of the way first. Pretty much everything I’ve had to say about K-pop in 2024 you can find in my “What You Missed in K-pop 2024” series (first installment here). As I mentioned in the latest piece, this list contains only the top 5 of my K-pop end-of-year one (playlist here). For those interested in where those songs land here, placements are as follows:

12. aespa – “Supernova”

17. Red Velvet – “Cosmic”

20. IVE – “Accendio”

54. ARTMS – “Virtual Angel”

80. NCT 127 – “Walk”

Allow me another chance to reiterate how aespa indisputably owned the year and how the crown was already theirs before “Whiplash” was even out. “Supernova” rightfully takes a Best K-Pop placement for its masterful homage to quintessential SM futurism through an inspired sample, packaged into relentlessly catchy bubblegum pop. Miles ahead of everything else this space had to offer this year in terms of creativity and spunk, this track is K-pop’s most memorable 2024 event and an indicator that the genre’s spark can survive industry mutations.

As this was my top pick in my first half coverage, you can read my extensive review of the comeback including musings on aespa’s sonic trajectory and much, much more here.

Between Best K-pop and the top 10 which we’ll be discussing more in depth later, there is #11 which belongs to Japanese girl group ME:Ι’s ethereal drum and bass tune “Sugar Bomb” — my favorite non-English-language release of the year.

In the final installment of the K-pop series last week (linked above), while spoiling the inclusion of NCT member JAEHYUN’s “Can’t Get You” in the all-encompassing list, I referred to other Best of 2024 placements that could easily be shoehorned under the K-pop category but, because I care about silly stuff like target audiences, language, status and my own elimination process getting faster, I decided against that. I wanted to shout out the “K-pop outskirts” here: tracks by artists who have crossed over yet are still acknowledged as part of the K-pop sphere (whether Korean, Japanese or English-language), songs that would stick out like a sore thumb if they came up on your K-pop-themed Spotify radio, K-R&B, K-indie, some J-pop, that one babyMINT release, so-called global groups and the like.

TLDR; additional placements you may be interested in if you’re a K-pop fan:

11. ME:Ι – “Sugar Bomb” [PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS churned out this group to an excellently-produced debut, after which their output has more prominently adopted a nostalgic K-pop flair. This track remains the standout of their discography so far, with something at once GWSN and Perfume running through its gentle, celestial drum and bass framework. (Ex-Cherry Bullet member Cocoro is in there by the way.)]

51. LISA – “New Woman” (feat. ROSALÍA) [Of the post-BLACKPINK releases thus far, this doesn’t veer the furthest away from what we’ve known of the group and of the K-pop pocket they’ve operated in for years, yet the sheer character in how it chooses to subvert expectations puts a release like “Moonlit Floor” to shame.]

57. NewJeans – “Right Now”

59. youra, Mandong – “Moshi feels”

70. JAEHYUN – “Can’t Get You” [The standout track from JAEHYUN’s debut solo album, “Can’t Get You” is not only adorned by credits from a line-up of hitmakers including lauded American R&B producer Babyface of all people, but boasts a remarkably refined, timeless jazz soundscape that harkens back to jazz/soul classics with authenticity that’s unparalleled in the idol sphere.]

72. HYUKOH, Sunset Rollercoaster – “Y”

81. f5ve – “Underground” [Heavily debated between this and wittiest fitness bro diss “Lettuce” for f5ve’s entry; “Underground” earned the rising Japanese girl group some online traction upon its July release with its sleek stylistic approach and nods to cookie cutter J-pop through a fresh, globally accessible lens. With production helmed by BloodPop and a social media presence that knows how to turn heads, f5ve are boldly marching towards establishing themselves at an interesting crossover position in the industry, underlined by the track securing a remix by Doss and a savvy A.G. Cook credit on their latest release, “UFO.”]

82. RM – “Domodachi” (feat. Little Simz)

84. Park Hye Jin – “7years Ago”

105. Balming Tiger – “Big Butt”

108. babyMINT – “BB Gals of the Galaxy” [Being weird means something to this girl group from Taiwan who didn’t get crowned on formative survival show NEXTGIRLZ, but won international X’s heart and (yes) ex-Cherry Bullet member Lin as their Beyoncé instead. Their convention-defying yet craft-honoring pop is simply exhilarating.]

109. Megan Thee Stallion – “Mamushi” (feat. Yuki Chiba) [Because I’m funny. Okane kasegu.]

112. SUMIN, SLOM – “STOPLIGHT”

Previously on “Of The Moment”

These are some songs and artists I’ve happened to mention in various pieces throughout the year, that you might recall if you’re a regular here!

13. Marina Satti – “MIXTAPE” [I come to this blurb after hearing what Fantano had to say about P.O.P. in his best 2024 EPs video, the snippet from which Satti shared on her Instagram. As I expanded upon in my Lycabettus concert review back in September, the only way is up for the rising star who has breathed new life into the Greek pop scene, with this unhinged, 10-minute-long posse cut being her most forward-thinking experiment to date.]

27. Smerz – “My Producer” [A product of fashion studio ALL-IN’s collaboration with Smerz for the soundtrack of their SS24 collection built around fictional pop star Allina and one of the year’s elite pop songs, “My Producer” sees the Norwegian electronic duo mash Britney Spears and PJ Harvey influences into an intoxicating, gritty electro-clash banger that should’ve flown way over the radar. ICYMI, Smerz were featured in the Industry soundtrack piece from November with their cover of “Girls just wanna have fun.”]

28. FKA twigs – “Eusexua” [“Perfect Stranger”’s unapologetic pop flair and the enigmatic interlude “Drums of Death” (“Serve cunt, serve violence”) have divided opinion and expectation; but, as far as I’m concerned, the lead and titular single from one of the most anticipated concept albums of 2025 is nothing short of gripping. There’s a pulsating electricity in everything twigs does and “Eusexua” bursts with both it and the singer’s signature disarming vulnerability, immersing us into the dark, the primitive and, most of all, the erotic. ICYMI, “Eusexua” was featured in the Industry soundtrack piece.]

50. Kelly Lee Owens – “Time To” [Kelly Lee Owens was featured in the Industry soundtrack piece with “Dark Angel,” the opener to her album Dreamstate which perfectly emulates the show’s original score. The seductive and atmospheric “Time To,” however, offers a compelling moment of introspection as the progressive house record’s penultimate track, soaring through propulsive drums and its sensual, reverbed-out vocals à la ‘90s Madonna.]

52. Deb Fan – “Lady” [As I mentioned in this short announcement post for my interview, Deb Fan’s “Lady” had already been decidedly added to this list since the start of the summer. It’s safe to say that no other song here comes quite close in transmitting the same feeling; “Lady”’s unassuming neo soul clad in lethargic harmonies both lulls and haunts, its highlights simultaneously eerie and transfixing. You can check out my feature on the Hong Kong-raised, LA-based singer/producer for Joysauce here, to learn more about the inspirations behind her EP Kowloon Demos and the cultural duality that informs her artistry.]

66. NewDad – “Angel” [A brief mention of this band appeared in my album cover piece from October, but the Galway indie rock outfit’s music deserves its own shoutout beyond the striking visuals. If album openers had their own list, MADRA’s “Angel” would be way up there; a stunning introduction to NewDad’s brooding yet delicate musical sensibility with shoegaze undertones and a breakdown that pierces through the speakers.]

117. Nova – “Go Back to Sleep” [On the other side of the coin, one of the most noteworthy closers of the year belongs to Texas folk ensemble Nova, whose deeply melancholic, gothic-leaning moments are some of their catalog’s most compelling. “Go Back to Sleep” wraps up NovApocalypse with a bang, the record’s anguish culminating in its (hidden) outro. Check out my Q&A with singer/songwriter Nova for “Artists Recommend” to learn more about how NovApocalypse embodies catastrophic loneliness and get a peek into the album’s inspirations.]

Sprinkle of Greece

Most Googled person of 2024 Marina Satti may have rightfully secured the highest position (#13) when it comes to domestic output but if that, plus the mere fact I’m specifically touching on domestic releases for something like this, means anything is that the Greek space has new and inspiring things to offer at last. 2024 has seen exciting experiments in pop and the continuation of a thriving indie scene alike. Among my personal favorites:

29. Nalyssa Green, Penny – “Fidia Sta Mallia Mou”

68. Tamta – “GAZI” [I’d like to linger on this pick, if only to provide my non-Greek readers with a taste of some of the most flavorful Greek-language alt-pop of the moment. Less of a rebrand and more of a career culmination, Tamta’s embracement of the avant-garde in music — beyond style — terms has, as of recently, not only earned the Georgian-born Greek singer her “anti-boredom pill” reputation, but first-hand credit in the cultural driving force that is the LGBT club scene. Pre-release single “GAZI” received far less attention than her November EP THE VILLAIN and standout “ANAKATA,” but its atmospheric melancholy and chic minimalism dirtied by gritty production details and esoteric rage make for a tight combination equivalent to a discography best.]

94. Veslemes, Δεσποινίς Τρίχρωμη – “ΜΕΛΟΝΤΡΑΜ”

97. Coti K. – “Theros”

113. Aki Rei – “Vain Poetry”

121. Billie Kark – “Anarotiemai”

Under the Radar

I legitimately can’t take it upon myself to decide whether you’ve heard of an artist before or not, I’m aware. However, I don’t have an explanation for this section other than “Hey, let me put you onto some stuff I vaguely and possibly wrongly presume you’re not familiar with.” This year has taken me down some enticing paths of music discovery and these are some names that stuck, ones that entered my rotation earlier on and I was happy to see take off, or ones that I generally believe deserve more spotlight. I wanted to shout them out before getting into the more expected placements.

24. Cassandra Jenkins – “Delphinium Blue” [Cassandra Jenkins’ immersive, lyrical pop is equal amounts sophisticated and alluring. The New York songwriter’s album My Light, My Destroyer covers a wide sonic palette — from guitar-led indie with nods to Mitski, to jazz and ambient interspersed by field recordings — but the third track is straight out of a Badalamenti score: eerie, romantic, and transfixingly cinematic. With Jenkins’ vocals somewhat invoking Julee Cruise, the song feels like something from another era, intangible and trancelike, as it echoes the haze of repetition at a new job where the narrator is tortured by the ghost of a loved one.]

33. Pink Siifu, Stas THEE Boss, Bobbyy – “Thence I Arrived On A Foreign Shore” [Pink Siifu’s biggest charm might be that nobody knows what to expect from him at any time. The prolific Cincinnati rapper who dropped four Bandcamp-exclusive projects this year has dabbled in noise-punk and jazz, but his most noteworthy collaborative single from 2024 draws from ‘90s Chicago house with charismatic confidence and endless replay value.]

35. Saya Gray – “H.B.W”

36. Kiss Facility – “plasma”

58. Bassvictim – “Alice” [Hard to say if any other track on this list managed to transmit this level of energy to me throughout the year. Bassvictim’s electrodance is bombastic, hilarious and full of character. If Snow Strippers (at #25 with the fantastic “So What If I’m A Freak”) is your kind of thing, get on this immediately.]

83. Quiet Light – “Luckiest Girl” [It greatly surprises me that I haven’t talked about Quiet Light on the blog until now (though I did for EnVi back in February), as I’ve been in love with this music for a year — it was quite literally last November when “Keira Knightley” entered my rotation by chance and rocked my world. Bridging Phoebe Bridgers and Dean Blunt (at #118 with “repeat offenders”), pop and ambient, Texan singer/songwriter Riya Mahesh’s electronic folk project is the gift that keeps on giving. October release Going Nowhere tugs at heartstrings as much as it defies any resolution; a collection of songs suspended mid-air, yet in their liminality, overcome with elusive yearning.]

85. Fine – “A Star” [The Danish girl wave is upon us; if you’re a devoted music fan in any capacity, you certainly didn’t miss ML Buch’s lauded Suntub last year or Erika de Casier’s (at #49 with “Lucky”) more gradual international rise which has cemented the Scandinavian country on the indie/bedroom pop map. The latter’s talent even reached across the globe through her work on K-pop group NewJeans’ debut EP alongside singer/songwriter Fine Glindvad, which earned both a Danish Music Award in 2023. “A Star” is the closer to Fine’s record Rocky Top Ballads, a tranquil, guitar-led project which equally recalls Mazzy Star and experimental ambient peers Astrid Sonne (at #41 with “Staying Here”) and Molina (at #62 with “I am your house”).]

87. Cosha – “Fire Me Up”

88. Cecile Believe – “Blink Twice”

90. yunè pinku – “Half Alive”

93. BAMBII – “SHH”

98. Nourished by Time – “Poison-Soaked”

General Standouts & Honorable Mentions

What it says on the tin!

14. Clairo – “Sexy to Someone”

18. Magdalena Bay – “Death & Romance” [“Image” rightfully may have done it for most — it was a close call — but the sheer vigour and larger-than-life-ness of Imaginal Disk’s euphoric lead single still has my heart firmly captive. Might be my growing affinity for the gothic. “Nothing is fair in death and romance.”]

21. Caroline Polachek – “Starburned & Unkissed” [No praise for I Saw the TV Glow’s meticulously curated soundtrack is praise enough and this celestial rock ballad seeped in mysterious, anguished distortion happens to underscore one of the film’s most electrifying montages. It’s also the most eligible out of Polachek’s releases this year, two of which were phenomenal covers, yet covers nonetheless.]

23. Nilüfer Yanya – “Method Actor” [Yanya’s well-deserved big one, My Method Actor is establishing the UK musician as a name to watch in indie rock. There is a hypnotizing quality to the way she constructs melodies, a liminal nature to her fluctuations and repetitions which keeps one coming back for more even when it pertains to tracks over the five-minute mark. In the titular cut, some of the record’s most detailed percussion flows like water alongside Yanya’s airy delivery, interjected by dynamic electric riffs in enthralling intervals. Bossa nova rhythm and Deftones guitars — what’s better than this?]

30. Doechii – “DENIAL IS A RIVER”

34. Mach-Hommy, KAYTRANADA, 03 Greedo – “#RICHAXXHAITIAN”

38. JPEGMAFIA – “don’t rely on other men” [“I pray to Allah / EXO / I let that K-pop, put that on my soul.” Over a Succession sample. Okay.]

39. SZA – “30 For 30 (with Kendrick Lamar)” [It’s been a hell of a year for these two and their separate as well as joint endeavors. “Luther” isn’t here due to the one track per act rule and an indisputable Kendrick placement in the top 10, yet even in the penultimate week of 2024, the duo served up a top 40 tune spanning almost five minutes of artistic chemistry that doesn’t let up for a second. “Featuring” can come before any name on the tracklist, but “with” is reserved for few.]

40. ScHoolboy Q – “Foux” (feat. Ab-Soul)

44. Mustafa – “SNL”

45. Tyler, The Creator – “Noid” [This single had the experimental note I hoped to see expanded upon throughout CHROMAKOPIA. Though not the heart of the record, its rhythmical complexity and unpredictability render it the most interesting track for me. Bonus points for Ayo Edebiri’s cameo in this absolutely bonkers video. One thing about Tyler.]

47. Tyla – “Safer”

69. JADE – “Fantasy” [Unlikely, perhaps, that this track is by far my favorite of the Little Mix member’s 2024 solo single triplet given its overworn nu disco soundscape; but, evidently from her previous two releases, JADE knows how to bring some unconventional edge into a Donna Summer homage. Accompanied by a David LaChappelle-directed music video with a hilarious reference to Carrie (1976), “Fantasy” is a club-ready kink anthem (I swear the placement number wasn’t intentional) clad in lush synths, wherein JADE alternates between flirtatious purrs and spunky talk-singing sections with delightful gusto.]

76. Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso”

77. Beyoncé – “BODYGUARD”

The Top 10

10. Chappell Roan – “Good Luck, Babe!” [In the Best non-BRAT Pop placement, we have 2024’s most unfairly discoursed-over personality Chappell Roan with post-Midwest Princess single “Good Luck, Babe!” — a Kate Bush homage addressing a love interest who wishes to remain closeted. The kids yearn for real chest voices and stage theatrics, and Roan’s star shines brighter with every eccentric drag outfit she manages to pull off.]

9. Waxahatchee, MJ Lenderman – “Right Back to It” [When people ask me how my summer went, I show them this. Not much to add other than country, as expected, was so back in 2024 and this track is flawless in a way that transcends taste no matter how you look at it. Songwriting to delivery to structure to harmonies; if you like music at all, there simply isn’t a way out of having a blast when this song is on. Quaintness and all.]

8. Quadeca – “GUIDE DOG” [For those wondering what a YouTuber’s music is doing in my top 8, I understand this is a bold statement. But if you were tuned into Jane Remover (at #100 with “Magic I Want U”) and quannnic labelmate Quadeca’s (Ben Lasky) stray single drops at the end of last year, the information that February-released SCRAPYARD (the follow-up to 2022’s I Didn’t Mean To Haunt You) is a near-perfect project even in its patchy compilation format probably comes as no surprise. Borrowing predominantly from underground hip-hop and shoegaze, Lasky flexes stellar production skills all throughout the record, yet the penultimate cut strips everything back into acoustic guitar, raw singing and nothing short of gut-wrenching songwriting à la Conor Oberst. “GUIDE DOG” is SCRAPYARD’s shaky exhale and a piercing ray of light against the narrator’s ghastly self-portraiture.]

7. Chanel Beads – “Embarrassed Dog” [I’m not sure I can say much about the “alternative kind of New York cool” characterizations ascribed to this outfit, but I can offer that their debut album Your Day Will Come stirred feelings in me its understated exterior would never hint at the depth of. The project of producer Shane Lavers — with contributions from singer-songwriter Maya McGrory (Colle) and experimental instrumentalist Zachary Paul — treads the line between earnest pop sentimentality and scruffy, digital disaffection; where the comforting melodic structures of a cherished yesteryear are woven into off-kilter experimentation that paints the record’s lens a youthful, futuristic silver. Eighties sophistication gives way to impassioned cries in standout “Embarrassed Dog”’s chorus: “Want to see myself unafraid.”]

6. Vince Staples – “Étouffée” [I wish I’d come across Vince Staples’ name in more end-of-year lists. Sonically and thematically, Dark Times feels like a logical continuation of his ongoing introspective, downtempo streak since 2021’s self-titled, and while these projects can often demand multiple revisits until you’re able to fully sink your teeth into them as bodies of work, sometimes the odd infectious hook will jump out at you out of nowhere. “Étouffée” is Dark Times’ beating heart, an ode to “finding beauty in the darkness” wherein Staples’ flow is at once potent and effortless, drawing you back in with each revelatory listen.]

5. Charli xcx – “Everything is romantic” [Alright, you can put away your drums — this is my BRAT pick for the Best Songs list which lands at #5 and is here because this is the boldest I’ve heard Charli’s sound get since “Vroom Vroom.” Oddly enough, the cinematic, techno-infused “Everything is romantic” is kind of an outlier on the BRAT tracklist: a song that escapes the strobelit interiors and isolated corners Charli seems to frequent in the album’s world to invoke a carefree Italian summer where even the most mundane of vignettes speak to some palpable, transcendental sense of living, becoming, “fall[ing] in love again and again,” “fall[ing] in love again and again,” “fall[ing] in love again and again.”]

4. Mk.gee – “Alesis” [One of the most unanimously revered breakthroughs of the year, Two Star & The Dream Police unveiled Mk.gee’s exceptional prowess as a songwriter, instrumentalist, and worldbuilder. Harkening back to a distinctly stylish ‘80s Phil Collins sensibility and dialing up his unique guitar tone and vocal color to maximum capacity, the New Jersey musician not only crafted one of the most breathtakingly atmospheric records of the year, but an enigmatic myth around himself — it’s not everyday that a backlit, misty figure with a mop of hair and the uncanny confidence of an ‘80s rockstar shows up to sweep critical acclaim. “Alesis,” one of the album’s more tightly structured cuts, encapsulates its at once gloomy and playful spirit, exploring a theme of duality in identity with striking lyricism. “Are you holding on? / Don’t you wanna get a move on?” are lines to scream from a rooftop.]

3. Adrianne Lenker – “Sadness As A Gift” [Adrianne Lenker possesses the type of writing skill that to non-writers and poets seems to be a gift from nature: a way of articulating ineffably intricate ideas about love, relationships and the human condition in such concise, poetic manner it feels like getting a glimpse of the bottled truth of the universe only few chosen ones are privy to. When “Sadness As A Gift” came out last January, it felt like the Big Thief lead vocalist’s possibly best solo track to date. This is a thought that holds up for me an album and almost a year later, alongside the hunch that it might take a lot longer than that to uncover the full emotional extent of this song, which captures something so delicate, vulnerable yet fleeting about heartbreak and loss. Poignant metaphors married to mesmerizing composition and masterful mixing make up the timeless tapestry of Bright Future’s star.]

2. Fontaines D.C. – “Starburster” [A music outlet I can’t currently recall described this song as something along the lines of Fontaines D.C. — the Irish post-punk band who have scarcely not sounded post-punk in their career — forcing their way into the future. Clearly, the future is soaked in technicolor for these guys whom I fell for head over heels this year, leaving me with a bitter taste in the mouth when confessing that their stuff had never quite clicked for me until this release and a festival ticket for June purchased in November. Adrenaline pumps through the aptly titled “Starburster,” acclaimed Romance’s erratic lead single which shares hip-hop’s sense of urgency for most of its length, but subverts its momentum with dramatic piano and fuzzy strings straight out of a film score. It’s been a year of plenty “[hitting the] business [for] momentary blissness,” but Fontaines D.C.’s stay on the map has the potential to become the most rewarding of all.]

1. Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” [All five of this placement’s nominations had his name attached, though astounding late November surprise-release GNX was only the cherry on the cake to a year in which this guy dominated music conversation at large. So what is left to contribute to it? Kendrick Lamar continues his generational run and if 2024 proved anything is that the peak can always rise. “Not Like Us” may have been the final champion of the rap beef that left most of us with a case of secondhand embarrassment whenever a Drake song comes on, but its reign over the summer rendered this banger’s reputation far more expansive that its initial purpose. A track so packed with wit, charisma, and energy, it became impossible to put down and impossible to forget.]

Thank you soooooo much for reading and apologies for the delay! If you made it to the end, I hope you had fun going through this list and perhaps picking up some recommendations along the way. As always, I would love to know your personal favorites from the year whether it’s songs, albums, or artists that stood out to you. Feel free to agree, disagree, or propose your own additions in the comments — they’re always welcome!

Of The Moment