Top 10 Pop Songs, 2024 Edition
Photo Courtesy: Walt Disney Television via Flickr
Up for debate (as ever, as there were so many great ones to pick from), but these were some of the pop songs that shaped 2024. Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below!
I LUV IT, Camila Cabello & Playboi Carti – Dripping with confidence and oozing with a distinct hyperpop appeal, Cabello’s first single off of her fourth studio album C, XOXO captivated fans… especially Playboi Carti’s somewhat unintelligible yet clean verse. With a catchy chorus and addictive sound, it signalled a new direction for Cabello, as did the rest of the album.
I like the way you kiss me, Artemas – The soundtrack to summer: autotune, an urgent beat and hedonistic lyrics about being unable to commit… what was not to like?
Girl, so confusing featuring lorde, Charli xcx – Charli XCX’s tremendously successful album BRAT openly broached fame, motherhood and jealousy (Sympathy is a knife being another standout example). This song was a surprising collaboration between two popstars often pitted against each other, and Lorde’s verse stands out by illustrating themes many female friendships can undoubtedly relate to but never honestly confess to each other. One of those moments where music really is a piece of art.
16 Carriages, Beyoncé – With Parallels to Daddy Lessons, the country-twinged song from her 2017 album Lemonade which prompted a backlash from the country music scene for “not being country enough”, Beyoncé rebuked this in her second single from Cowboy Carter, her genre-defining country album. Brimming with the confidence of a woman who knows who she is, she recounts her career so far, looking back at the sacrifices she’s made along the way.
Espresso, Sabrina Carpenter – It’s been the year of female pop in many ways (it would be amiss to mention Chappell Roan, Gracie Abrams and Olivia Rodrigo here), and after her 2022 standout album Emails I Can’t Send slowly gained traction outside of her fanbase, Carpenter has finally gained well-deserved recognition in the pop scene with her follow-up album Short n Sweet. Espresso was everywhere, and deservedly so – with the fun hook of “I’m working late/ coz I’m a singer” playing on everyone’s lips.
Not Like Us, Kendrick Lamar – Yes, there was dramaaa in the rap scene between Lamar and Drake (would take too long to explain), and in this brutal takedown of the latter’s reputation Lamar lays down some serious insults but all in all… it’s a good song! Breezy and with an addictive beat.
The Boy Is Mine, Ariana Grande – From Grande’s seventh studio album Eternal Sunshine, it’s nothing but a modern love song. Like a hymn towards a new lover, describing him as “divine” and “the stars [aligning]”, it tells the first moments of infatuation, obsession and joy when falling deeply in like with someone new through angelic vocals and chopped effects.
Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido, Karol G – Venturing into the Merengue genre, this upbeat and fun song asks what could have been with a new lover had they met before. Bound to get you up and moving, it’s nothing short of a hit song, as the Colombian singer is famed for creating.
Austin (Boots Stop Workin’), Dasha – Chronicling spite towards a lover who won’t commit, this country song won over TikTok with its boot-clapping feel, and scornful lyrics. Addictive and fun!
Fortnight, Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – Although not as lauded from her surprise album The Tortured Poet’s Department, released while on her award-winning Eras Tour, this softly spoken lead single tells the story of a short affair and the aftermath – “I love you/ It’s ruining my life” Swift sings with quiet regret, but with the sense of moving on. It’s a fantastically written song from the album.