2024 saw lots of releases from beloved artists, and some that popped into the scene relatively recently, including Grammy-nominated artists Doechii and Khruangbin. Here’s my personal list of what I believe to be the 10 best albums released in the year of 2024.

Honorable Mention: “Ala Wai State of Mind” by Steven Kou.

While technically not an album, this EP delivered island-reggae vibes like none other. Steven Kou is a name I had kept my eye on for a while, especially since his last few projects under the name of Yun Head delivered electronic music like I have never heard before. Unfortunately, as it’s only an EP, I cannot include it in my list. However, due to just how much I love it, it makes its way as the only honorable mention on this list.

10. “BLUE LIPS” by ScHoolboy Q (80/100).

“BLUE LIPS” is the sixth album released by Top Dawg Entertainment rapper ScHoolboy Q. Released in March, many considered it to be the best rap album of the year. I was very late to this party, however, as I first listened to this album around October-November, and immediately understood the hype that was brought within it. ScHoolboy Q is known for his unique voice and his popular song “Collard Greens” which features fellow former Top Dawg rapper Kendrick Lamar. This album combined certain trap elements, while also keeping some things relatively calm or dramatic, depending on the song. My favorite song off the album is the opener, “Funny Guy,” which repeats the same line over and over while ScHoolboy Q methodically raps over it.

9. “Submarine” by The Marías (83/100).

This year, LA-based indie band The Marías debuted their sophomore album “Submarine.” This album, announced via YouTube, was similar to their first album with enough differences to make it stand out. It reminds me very much of “Oncle Jazz” by Men I Trust in terms of production. It’s very low key, super soft vocals. My favorite song off of it is “No One Noticed”, which just so happens to be their second most streamed song on Spotify, sitting at just over 205 million streams.

8. “Butterfly” by aaron’s book club (84/100).

Before I actually explain my rating for the album, I should probably introduce you readers to aaron’s book club, who I will just be referring to as Aaron from now on. Aaron is an underground artist with just over 40,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Aaron first made his name with his viral Minecraft parody of SZA’s “Kill Bill” titled “Dig Down.” The song went viral due to its incredible production for a simple parody. I’ve kept my eye on Aaron for a while, having his entire discography on a playlist separate from my main one. When this album dropped, I was extremely excited, as I had heard a sneak peek of his song “Talking to You” on a livestream previously. To say the very least, this album blew my expectations I had right out of the water. Aaron stepped up his production big time, diving between hyperpop, indie, some folk, and a lot of rock influence. My favorite song off of this album is “Don’t Bite,” which starts off slow, transitions into a latin break, and then finishes off with an indie rock ensemble.

7. “I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU” by JPEGMAFIA (86/100).

Widely known for his experimental style, producing and mixing everything himself, JPEGMAFIA or Peggy has become a household name in the underground scene. Making waves with his debut album “Veteran,” JPEGMAFIA has been on an unstoppable streak of good albums. This streak continues with his latest addition, “I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU.” This album had two singles released with it, titled “don’t rely on other men” and “SIN MIEDO.” The first of which has slowly become one of my favorite JPEGMAFIA songs ever, emphasizing the uniqueness of his production, his odd way of sampling and sometimes having dubstep influences in his music. This is the best rap album of the year by a mile. My favorite song off the album is “JPEGULTRA!” which has frequently featured artist Denzel Curry.

6. “Charm” by Clairo (87/100).

The third album released by indie artist Clairo was a surprising drop to me. I knew she released her single “Sexy to Someone,” but I never listened to it until the album dropped. I still remember the exact moment I listened to it for the first time. I was actually at Livrite Fitness with a couple friends of mine, and I started to listen to it while I was working out. It was a very pleasant surprise, despite not listening to many Clairo songs in the past. My favorite off of this album is “Terrapin,” which just so happens to be my favorite Clairo song ever.

5. “Why Lawd?” by NxWorries (90/100).

NxWorries is the result of producer Knxwledge and rapper/singer Anderson .Paak first collaborating together in 2015 with their debut EP “Link Up & Suede.” “Why Lawd?” is the sophomore album of the duo, released on June 14 of this year. It’s just another addition to the unspoken rule of Anderson .Paak never missing on a single feature. My favorite song off of this project is definitely “FromHere” which features Snoop Dogg and October London.

4. “boom;static” by tune;static (91/100).

Now I already know, “who the heck is tune;static?” tune;static is two brothers who go to Anderson High School, under the pen names Jacque Loraine and conscience. This is the second album from a trilogy of albums released by the brothers. Every beat on the album was produced by conscience, who mind you, is only 15 years old. Now yes, I’m a little biased due to me knowing the brothers, but in my defense, it’s my own personal list. My favorite song off the album is “waves.”

3. “SCRAPYARD” by Quadeca (93/100).

Technically a mixtape, “SCRAPYARD” is a collection of songs that didn’t make it to his previous album “I Didn’t Mean to Haunt You.” Originally released in different parts of the full album, the first of which being released in February, “SCRAPYARD” keeps up with the haunting loneliness scattered throughout every song. This has left me even more excited for Quadeca’s upcoming project “Vanisher.” My favorite song was “TEXAS BLUE” which features former rap group BROCKHAMPTON founder Kevin Abstract.

2. “Sky Hundred” by Parannoul (96/100).

Released just under two months after a collaboration album with group Fax Gang titled “Scattersun,” “Sky Hundred” takes a much more experimental approach towards Parannoul’s typical sound. On this album the completely anonymous Korean musician changed how much distortion he used in his sound, especially his drums. It adds a much more raw emotional experience that words cannot describe. You’ll either love it, or you’ll hate it, and so far I love it. My favorite song off the album is “Gold River.”

This leaves just one album for my top spot, and it was mentioned plenty of times in my previous article.

1. “Imaginal Disk” by Magdalena Bay (97/100).

This album is the perfect pop album, in my own opinion. The melodies, the production, the mixing on the vocals, heck the vocals themselves. This album is pure perfection in just a couple of songs. When I first heard it, I played it at least 4 more times afterwards. This album is a masterpiece, and by far the easiest pick for my personal album of the year. My favorite song off this album is “Love is Everywhere.”