10. Charli XCX “Von Dutch”
09. Idles & LCD Soundsystem “Dancer”
Tangk, the fifth studio album by British post-punkers Idles, could never live up to the full-length’s extremely strong singles that preceded its release. This doesn’t mean that, taken individually, these songs aren’t to be celebrated. The LP’s first single, “Dancer”, is an absolutely stunning piece of dance punk rhythmic rage that cuts through with a rubbery bassline and singer Joe Talbot angrily spitting lines like, “shoulders back, chest out, I’m poised like a goddamn ape, so to speak.” While not necessarily the first acts one would fantasize about teaming up on a track, the unlikely pairing of Idles and LCD Soundsystem managed to birth one of our most beloved musical moments of 2024. – Andy Mascola
08. Vampire Weekend “Hope”
“The bull has gored the matador, the U.S. Army won the war,” sings Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig on the final song from the New York band’s excellent 2024 album, Only God Was Above Us. The theme of specious battles and unfortunate events runs through the lyrics of this spectacular album ender that seems to urge the listener to reconcile their present loss with dreams of a better tomorrow. Released in April, long before the November U.S. presidential election, “Hope” eerily seems to predict an America returning to four years of autocratic rule. As prognosticators, Vampire Weekend have, again, hit the nail on the head. After all, these are the guys who, way back in pre-COVID 2019 sang, “2021, will you think about me? I could wait a year, but I shouldn’t wait three.” – Andy Mascola
07. Sabrina Carpenter “Taste”
06. Tinashe “Nasty”
05. Sabrina Carpenter “Espresso”
04. Kendrick Lamar “Not Like Us”
03. Fontaines D.C. “Starburster”
02. Charli xcx f. Lorde “Girl, so confusing”
Whether you had a brat summer or not, it was impossible to miss the impact of Charli XCX’s album, which included the original track “Girl, so confusing.” Following its release, and speculation from fans on who the lyrics were about, Charli XCX confirmed it was about her relationship with Lorde and the pair released this remix. In my opinion, this is the strongest track within the brat cinematic universe – Lorde’s verse is instantly iconic, and “let’s work it out on the remix” will be in the zeitgeist for generations. Beyond that, though, the back-and-forth conversation between the two artists within the track makes the song feel incredibly honest and cohesive. – Ali Meizels
01. Chappell Roan “Good Luck Babe”
Chappell Roan had a massive 2024 but only released one song, “Good Luck Babe.” Her album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, came out in 2023 but really took off in 2024. Because of that, it would be easy to think that the love for “Good Luck Babe” is a makeup for ignoring her album when it was released but that is not the case. A song about falling for someone who is grappling with their sexuality. Ultimately, the person Chappell has fallen for decides that she is straight. The bridge is the real standout moment, where she sings “When you wake up next to him in the middle of the night/With your head in your hands, you’re nothing more than his wife/And when you think about me all of those years ago/You’re standing face to face with ‘I told you so.'” It is so cutting and illuminating to the dangers of compulsory heterosexuality. – Adam Tercyak-Morgan
