The Best Albums Of 2024, According To Elite Daily's Staff

It’s that time of year again, music lovers. As 2024 comes to an end, everyone is looking back at the albums that defined their year. During this reflective period, Elite Daily’s staff of writers and editors has put together our list of the absolute best records that came out in 2024.

Now that we’re fresh off the annual ritual that is Spotify Wrapped, everyone has a much clearer idea of what music they were fully obsessing over all throughout 2024. Whether you were bumpin’ that with Charli XCX, going deep with Kacey Musgraves, or channeling the cowboy spirit with Beyoncé, one trend was completely undeniable: women dominated the music scene this year.

Fittingly, there’s not a male artist to be found among Elite Daily’s top seven albums of 2024. Better luck next year, fellas. Below, you can check out the albums that our pop culture-obsessed staff has been replaying nonstop all year long.

1. The Secret of Us by Gracie Abrams

Taylor Swift and her besties dominated my Spotify this year, but it was Gracie’s songs that I put on repeat. I’m currently obsessed with scream-singing “That’s So True” and can’t wait for The Secret of Us Deluxe Tour in 2025. — Rachel Chapman, staff writer

2. Don’t Forget Me by Maggie Rogers

I’ve been a fan of Maggie Rogers since that viral video of her showing her music to Pharrell, and this album felt like a gift (partially because it came out one day after my birthday). I had “The Kill” and “If Now Was Then” on repeat this year whenever I wanted to feel like I was living in a Nora Ephron rom-com. I also got to see Maggie on tour, and she’s just as talented performing live as you’d expect. — Hannah Kerns, staff writer

3. Deeper Well by Kacey Musgraves

This album is a witchy, fairy princess dream. Kacey’s music feels like a warm hug, and I’ve been revisiting this one whenever I need grounding energy. I’ll queue it up in my headphones, go for a brisk nature walk, and soak in the reminder that this world is so much bigger than me. “Sway” and “The Architect” are tied for my favorites. I’ll add “Jade Green,” too, since I’m a girl with an extensive crystal collection. — Sarah Ellis, senior editor

4. Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat by Charli XCX

It’s one thing to completely dominate the pop landscape with a perfectly curated mix of aesthetics, emotions, and hooks like Brat. It’s another to build on that with a full remix album, which adds surprising depth to each rave-starting song. And they’re actual remixes! Not just the same song with a new verse thrown in. Girl, it’s not so confusing why this record is a crowning achievement in hyperpop. — Dylan Kickham, associate editor

5. Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé

Beyoncé does pretty much everything better than most of her music industry peers, and the country genre is no exception. On Cowboy Carter, Bey goes on an expansive journey that proves she’s always been country and spotlights Black artists that have gone unrecognized for too long. Bey embraces the storytelling of country music and gets more personal than ever about her career, family, and upbringing, while pushing the genre way beyond Nashville’s preferred limits, resulting in some of her most ambitious, experimental, and downright fun music to date. — Jake Viswanath, Bustle staff writer

6. Hit Me Hard and Soft by Billie Eilish

I don’t think I ever gave Billie Eilish a fair listen before this year. I knew she was a big deal, collecting Grammys like Pokémon cards, but I had only really listened to “Bad Guy,” “Happier Than Ever,” and her James Bond track. It wasn’t until “Lunch” that I was like, “Hey, that’s a bop — what else has she got?” Then I listened to “Birds of a Feather” (before it was a single, mind you) and that was it. After seeing her in concert in October, I have been wondering why I’ve been sleeping on her. HMHaS is, in a word, beautiful — the lyrics, the melodies, the drama, it’s got AOTY written all over it. — Kaitlin Cubria, deputy editor

7. Bird’s Eye by Ravyn Lenae

On her sophomore album, Ravyn Lenae not only expands her sound beyond her idiosyncratic brand of neo-soul-infused R&B to experiment with such genres as reggae, folk, and rock, but she also gets more personal than ever before. With tender earworms like the Childish Gambino-assisted “One Wish” and high-octane hits à la “1 of 1,” there’s something for everyone to enjoy on Bird’s Eye, and it only becomes more rewarding with each listen. — Jillian Giandurco, editorial associate