The Top 10 Pop Albums of 2024 ...so far

That time of year again. These lists serve as a decent snapshot of where the year is heading in terms of music. I have already received promos for albums dropping as far out as August in my inbox, so they are really going to need to bring it to compete with the top five albums on this list. When it comes to pop what you are not going to see much of are big mainstream radio artists that are part of the music industry machine that spits bullshit out on an assembly line with two dozen producers and even more songwriters making a product for the sheep to consume. Only two artists on this list come from that machine and both have risen above it, unlike the bulk of their peers. 

What I want from my pop is catchy songs that have actual instruments being played, rather than just empty calories being pumped into my ears. My people refer to this sort of thing as their guilty pleasures, and I do not use that term as anyone on this list is better than vapid shit kids on Tik Tok are dancing to. Hip Hop has pretty much been garbage this year, so don't hold your breath for much of that to appear, there are links to full reviews if you want to check these out and with all that said here are the top 10 pop albums of 2024 so far. 

10-Nadine Shah -"Filthy Underneath" 

Shah's voice her voice still sounds great and overall everything typically works certainly better than most of the pop music on the radio, this is comparable to her other albums.  

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/02/nadine-shah-filthy-underneath.html

9-St. Vincent - "All Born Screaming" 

You never know what to expect from her,  Clark who produced this album herself calls it post-plague pop. That makes more sense than not. Not her hookiest album, but it does have something to say and covers a great deal of stylistic ground while staying true to a theme. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/05/st-vincent-all-born-screaming.html

8-$uicideboy$ : "New World Depression" 

This is the fourth album by the New Orleans-based duo. The production value of their albums continues to improve, now finding the raw lo-fi quality that marked their early days as the first wave of Soundcloud rappers gone and it's not unlike when Bone Thugs N Harmony was at their peak in the 90s.I am happy to hear a hip-hop album with this mood and mindset coming out it's a relief. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/06/uicideboy-new-world-depression.html

7-Allie X - "Girl With No Face" 

She has always created a more thoughtful take on pop music, however, once she thinks too deeply into things the more she drifts in a dark wave direction. This hint of the  80s can be heard throughout the album, as the 38-year-old singer continues to stay on brand even when it glides into more of a slick pop groove .

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/02/allie-x-girl-with-no-face.html

 

6-Faye Webster- "Underdressed at the Symphony" 

In the 70s there was a genre called adult contemporary. It was the kind of organic loungy music that was not the bubble gum of pop but found artists in the middle of country and jazz. There was none of the country twang, nor the complex excursions in jamming that jazz ventures off into. More produced than folk, but many former folk artists would cross over into this for radio play. Mellow is certainly a fitting word to describe it.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/03/faye-webster-underdressed-at-symphony.html

5-Snow Strippers - "Night Killaz Vol 2" 

This duo is the epitome of the Soundcloud generation, they are more experimental than your average pop album. It crosses over into electronica more often than not since the emphasis is on the beats and soundscapes being woven here. Tatiana is not the greatest singer, but the secret to this album lies in how her voice is presented. She works more off the charisma of her persona. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/snow-strippers-night-killaz-vol-2.html

 

4-Middle Kids-"Faith Crisis" 

This Australian band is moving in a poppier direction, which is still effective as they are writing pop songs with a great deal of heart and thought invested in them. Unlike most actual pop artists, they do not have a team of producers and songwriters but hash things out as a band, with the guitar still at the forefront of what they are doing, though the sugar-coated vocals of Hannah Joy are pushed further into the spotlight.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/01/middle-kids-faith-crisis.html

 3-DEHD - "Poetry" 

This album continued to grow on me thanks to infectious songs like "Mood Ring". The poppy indie rock jangle grooves better than most pop on the radio in 2024.  It feels like the days of  California punk

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/05/dehd-poetry.html

2- Charli XCX- "Brat" 

On her 6th album, there are 12 co-writers on 15 tracks and only 4 additional producers, which means she is doing better than the bulk of artists on the radio, though she falls on the more fringe side of pop, with only one foot on the mainstream despite having shared the bill on some high profile tours. This album is so good, that it had me wrestling with whether this should take the number one spot, as it has more infectious energy than the more reflective album that took the number one spot, the only thing holding her back is the fact she uses her voice to form a relentless stream of club hooks but does not have the depth to her vocal lines here that can be heard on the number one album, but this is a ton of fun, and who knows by the time I make my end of the year spot it might mange to knock the queen from her throne. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/06/charli-xcx-brat.html

1- Taylor Swift - "Dead Poets Department" 

While other pop artists have to grab your attention by putting on cowboy cats or trying on new personas their record labels want to convince you are breaking new ground, Taylor Swift has less to prove and is content just being herself. She captured the top spot despite artists like Charli XCX  delivering some of their best work, because at this point even when Swift comes closer to dialing it in she writes with more sonic breadth, and lyrical depth than what other artists are doing on their best day. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department.html

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