Triumphant, addictive and playful: 2024’s greatest songs
After an in-depth analysis of major critics' top music charts, considering both the frequency of a song's appearance and its ranking, Kazinform News Agency correspondent has compiled the ultimate list of standout tracks for 2024.
10. Sabrina Carpenter – "Taste"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEG7b851Ric
The eagerly awaited third single from her sixth studio album “Short n’ Sweet”, accompanied by a captivating music video starring actress Jenna Ortega, released on August 23, 2024. Sabrina Carpenter's "Taste" is a sultry and infectious pop track that masterfully blends playful lyrics with sleek production. It followed the massive success of earlier hits, "Espresso" and "Please Please Please."
Best lyric: “Now I'm gone, but you're still layin' / Next to me, one degree of separation”.
9. The Cure – "Alone"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx9SVAtMkJM
The Cure’s "Alone", the band’s first new song in 16 years, captures their signature moody and atmospheric sound. Opening with the poignant lines, “This is the end of every song that we sing / The fire burned out to ash, and the stars grown dim with tears,” the song immediately sets a tone of wistful reflection.
Best lyric: “We were always sure that we would never change.”
8. Kim Gordon – “BYE BYE”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ3i80B0qKg
Kim Gordon’s "Bye Bye" is a marvelously strange yet entirely fitting addition to her boundary-pushing discography. The mundane lyrics take on a hypnotic, almost eerie quality, blending her signature disaffected cool.
Best lyric: “Hoodie, toothpaste / Brush, foundation.”
7. Addison Rae – "Diet Pepsi"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIa4mT3_seI
With its catchy hook and polished production, the song cleverly balances a lighthearted tone with a confident delivery. It’s a fun and infectious track that hints at Addison Rae’s potential to carve a lasting place in the pop music world.
Best lyric: “Break all the rules 'til we get caught.”
6. MJ Lenderman – "She’s Leaving You"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rFVVzavii0
She’s Leaving You captured critics’ attention as one of 2024’s standout indie tracks. Its unique raw portrayal of heartbreak and lo-fi charm earned consistent rankings. Go rent a Ferrari /And sing the blues/ Believe that Clapton was the second coming,” suggests MJ Lenderman in his first verse.
Best lyric: “It falls apart, we all got work to do / It gets dark, we all got work to do / She's leaving you.”
5. Billie Eilish – "Birds of a Feather"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9PVRfjEBTI
Billie Eilish’s "Birds of a Feather" feels like a whispered secret shared in the quiet of the night. Its minimalist production and ethereal vocals wrap around you, pulling you into a world of fragile connections and unspoken truths.
Best lyric: “Birds of a feather, we should stick together.”
4. Sabrina Carpenter – "Espresso"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVli-tstM5E
Sabrina Carpenter’s "Espresso" is a burst of energy wrapped in a sleek pop package. It’s addictive, like a shot of caffeine that jolts you into motion. Playful wordplay dances over a polished beat, brimming with confidence and a touch of mischief.
Best lyric: “Say you can't sleep, baby, I know / That's that me espresso.”
3. Charli XCX feat. Lorde – "Girl, So Confusing (Remix)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q3K6FPzY18
The chorus—“Girl, it’s so confusing sometimes to be a girl”—becomes a mantra, capturing the universal yet deeply personal complexities of identity, comparison, and self-doubt. “I was trapped in the hatred / And your life seemed so awesome,” - the New Zealand singer Lorde reflects on her own insecurities while weaving her voice into Charli’s hyperpop universe.
Best lyric: “People say we're alike / They say we've got the same hair.”
2. Chappell Roan – "Good Luck, Babe!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RKqOmSkGgM
Chappell Roan’s "Good Luck, Babe!" is both a triumphant soft rock anthem and a searing breakup letter. The track chronicles a love lost not to time, but to fear. What makes it resonate so deeply is Roan’s ability to balance sharp wit with genuine sorrow.
Best lyric: “You'd have to stop the world just to stop the feeling.”
1. Kendrick Lamar – "Not Like Us"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6eK-2OQtew
Released just 20 hours after "Meet the Grahams," Kendrick’s blistering response to Drake’s provocations, the track dismantles his rival’s reputation with surgical precision. Even the cover art—a pointed reference to Drake’s Toronto mansion—adds fuel to the fire. The song broke several records on the streaming platform Spotify and marked Lamar's fourth number-one song on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Best lyric: “Tryna strike a cord and it’s probably a minor”.
