It is no secret that everyone loves music. Music is everywhere. You hear it over the speakers in stores, blasting out of people’s cars, and in videos and other media.
But what should you listen to? What are the newest, trendy songs to listen to?
This month, I sent out a form to the entire iSchool community and asked them to submit their favorite music released in 2024. I asked them about their favorite songs, favorite artists, and last, and arguably most importantly, their favorite albums. Here’s what the iSchool is listening to! I hope you enjoy, lets begin!
– The Top 3 Best Songs –
#3 – DENIAL IS A RIVER
-2 votes-
Coming in at #3, we have DENIAL IS A RIVER by Doechii. DENIAL IS A RIVER was released in Doechii’s rap album, “Alligator Bites Never Heal” on August 30th, 2024. DENIAL IS A RIVER is a story about Doechii getting cheated on by her boyfriend, and going on a downward spiral afterwards. In the song she is talking to her therapist about these things, and is really well made. A great #3 spot, lets move on to #2.
#2 – euphoria
-3 votes-
Coming in at the #2 spot, we have euphoria by Kendrick Lamar. euphoria was the first song made solo by Kendrick during his feud with Drake in May. The song is a vicious and powerful disstrack, with Kendrick critiquing everything about Drake, and warning him not to fight him. This song goes HARD, and Kendrick has some incredible verses, this was personally my #2 song of the year as well, so I believe it is a perfect contender for #2 on this list. Off we go, to the #1 song of 2024!
#1 – Wildflower
-5 votes-
At #1, we have Wildflower by Billie Eilish. Wildflower was released as part of Billie’s pop album, “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” in May of 2024. Billie Eilish usually sings about stuff that allows people to connect and relate with her, she allows people to know they aren’t alone. A freshman, Aaliyah Taylor, picked this song as her top song of 2024, and when asked about what makes this song special to her, she said, “Wildflower is special to me because in the song she says ‘I can see her in the back of my mind’ and to me, that means past friendships, past relationships ending, like being betrayed by your friends or getting cheated on so it really spoke to me.”
Alright, it is time for the next segment, the top 3 best artists!
– The Top 3 Best Artists –
#3 – Tyler, The Creator
-2 votes-
At the #3 spot, we have Tyler, The Creator. Tyler, The Creator is a rapper and producer known for releasing several albums that are very different from the norm of rap, creating albums like IGOR, Flower Boy, and Chromakopia. All of these albums have several different aspects of their production that really make them unique and stand out. He incorporates several different styles of music into his own kind of pseudo-genre. He mixes a lot of jazz, soul, R&B, and of course, Rap, to create very interesting sounds in his music. Tyler has won several awards, winning 17 and being nominated for 37.
#2 – Charli XCX
-3 votes-
Charli XCX is a British singer and songwriter who is known for her blend of pop and experimental music. She makes very unique and unusual music, and often collaborates with several other pop artists. She has helped shape the pop scene over the past year, innovating with her plentiful amount of interesting ideas. Some of her well known albums include “True Romance” and “Charli”. Charli XCX has won 47 awards and has been nominated for 172.
Alright, it is time for the #1 artist.
#1 – Billie Eilish
-5 votes-
Billie Eilish is an American pop artist who is known for her mature and melancholy music, made to relate to people who have experienced things that she has. She sings about several things, relationships, drama, mental health, etcetera. She is a very relatable artist, and that is what makes her special. “A lot of Billie’s songs relate to me in my life and what I’ve been through in the past, and now.” Aaliyah mentioned. “That’s why she’s my favorite artist, her music is powerful. Another thing that makes her special to me is that she’s such a positive person. I feel like she influences kids to go achieve their goals and always be confident in themselves and to have faith in others. In her music, too, she always influences kids and teenagers to be better.”
It is now time for the moment you have been waiting for, the best albums of 2024!
– The Top 3 Best Albums-
#3 (Tie) – Chromakopia/GNX
-2 votes-
Well, this is a first. We have a tie between two albums for the #3 spot, with “Chromakopia” by Tyler, The Creator and “GNX” by Kendrick Lamar both getting #3 with two votes each. Both rap albums, Chromakopia and GNX were two really huge albums of 2024, and very good in their own ways.
Starting with GNX, GNX is an album that Kendrick Lamar released randomly in November. This album has ONLY hits, where Kendrick tells stories through aggressive moments, and voices his disdain towards some people in the rap industry, while dealing with problems of his own. All of the songs go HARD, and two songs from GNX have reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 before, having the songs “GNX” and “Luther” top the charts.
Chromakopia is an album by Tyler, The Creator in which he talks about various themes, like past relationships, being queer, not wanting children, and other issues that he had dealt with before. This album really makes you feel for Tyler, and hits really hard. A lot of the songs are downright amazing aswell, and Tyler has a very distinct style of music. His music is very experimental, and has lots of different, unconventional sounds in his music throughout the album.
Alright, time for #2.
#2 Brat
-3 votes-
Made by Charli XCX, “Brat” is a hyperpop album that is very experimental and is very different to other music. Charli XCX uses so many different instruments and techniques to make very interesting sounding beats and rhythms. Brat has a lot of feminist themes and is meant to relate to women a lot. Malka Longabucco, a student at the iSchool, reflected on this in an interview with her I conducted. “This album is special to me because I don’t think it’s like anything else I’ve ever heard. I never really listened to hyperpop before so that was a cool experience. It has a lot of feminism, but in a way that’s not shoving it down your throat. She’s very uplifting to other women and she’s really kind of confident in herself, and they’re all really catchy.
Alright, it is time for the #1 album of 2024, according to the iSchool.
#1 HIT ME HARD AND SOFT
-5 votes-
Billie Eilish has swept these rankings! “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” is an album released by Eilish that tackles many themes of past experiences and other issues. Eilish uses music to genuinely try and help people, as we have seen before with her being the #1 Artist and her song Wildflower. An anonymous interviewee stated, “All of the songs are really special to me because Billie Eilish builds her music off of like stuff people actually go through and experience in real life, and I feel like it’s such a positive growing experience for young people who listen to her music, they get to feel something that they might never have felt before when they listen to her music, and that is beautiful. All of her songs make a big impact on me.”
And that is the end of the article! I hope through this you can discover some new listens and expand your music library, I know I definitely did. Thank you for reading, goodbye!
