My Favorite Tracks of 2024

SOPHIE, A. G. Cook, Charli XCX, Sega Bodega, and other artists made it on my end of year list.

2024 has been a huge blessing for me, music-wise. Major releases by my three favorite artists—A. G. Cook, Charli XCX, and SOPHIE—made it a landmark year. Sadly, there won’t be another year quite like this, as SOPHIE is no longer with us.

Reflecting back on the past year, I’m glad to say I turned the release of these albums into proper events. In April, I saw A. G. Cook live in London on his Britpop Roadshow, where he played a guitar-centered live concert at the iconic Underworld in Camden, an intimate venue with a small crowd for one of three gigs. And I’m off to see him play his BRITPOPMANIA show later this month.

For album releases of Charli XCX and SOPHIE, I hosted listening parties in Berlin, which I wrote about in my newsletter (articles here and here). Both were fun experiments, and I’m planning to expand on the concept next year.

Of course, a lot of music discovery happens in the in-between moments—on the subway, in the kitchen, on a plane, or even Shazaming a song from a TV show. It’s those serendipitous finds that often stick with me.

With that, let’s dive into some of the songs I’ve been listening to this year. Unsurprisingly, they’ve all been produced on computers.

If you’d like to reserve them for later, you can find compiled in my Spotify playlist.

March

Ariana Grande – “I Wish I Hated You”

This track takes me back to when I first moved to Berlin. I was excited about Eternal Sunshine because it features production from Max Martin and his team. In this case it’s ILYA on production. The bell arpeggio over a beautiful IV–vi–V–iii progression caught my ear immediately. I wrote more in-depth about it in a past newsletter, and even if Ariana Grande isn’t typically your thing, I highly recommend this track.

April

Sega Bodega – “Coma Salv”

An ambient piano piece and my favorite from Sega Bodega’s album Dennis. I remember watching his Twitch streams during the pandemic, where he gave a behind-the-scenes look at his production process. I also saw his live show in Berlin last month, which was fantastic.

May

A. G. Cook – “Pink Mask”

The most downtempo track on Britpop, my favorite album of the year. “Pink Mask” is on the third disc, which is also the most eclectic. My best guess is that the background vocals are by Alaska Reid, with A. G. Cook on lead. A truly haunting and memorable track.

Dua Lipa – “These Walls”

This song from Radical Optimism wasn’t released as a single, but it stood out to me the most. The track is about a crumbling relationship, and I love the use of the minor iv chord over the line “it’s not supposed to hurt this much.” Danny L Harle among others on production.

June

Charli XCX – “Everything is Romantic”

Charli XCX’s BRAT dominated this year’s cultural landscape, and this track is a standout. Produced by A. G. Cook and El Guincho (known for his work with Rosalía), the lyrics conjures images of coastal Italy. I also can’t recommend the BRAT remix album enough.

WTRGRL – “Lost My Magic”

Pure pop perfection. Special thanks to my friend Camille for recommending this artist to me—WTRGRL drummed for Caroline Polachek in 2022, as part of Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia tour, and is now carving out her own career.

July

Erika de Casier & Nick Léon – “Bikini”

I first heard this earworm on Sega Bodega’s pre-show playlist and immediately Shazamed it. Erika de Casier is one to keep up to date with, and her remix collaborations with Hannah Diamond and caro♡ are equally excellent.

August

Cecile Believe – “Ponytail”

I discovered this track while visiting my friend Arun in San Francisco. Its accompanying music video—Cecile Believe leaning out of a car window, cruising around LA—really embodies a laissez-faire vibe. Like the track? Read more about it here.

September

SOPHIE – “Reason Why”

This nostalgic gem came from SOPHIE’s posthumous album, which I celebrated with a listening party. I wrote more about the event in a past newsletter.

October

TAAHLIA – “Eylvue”

I missed TAAHLIA’s performance in London the night before Pop Crypt II, but their album Gramarye is quite astonishing. The distorted kick drums on “Eylvue” are among my favorite moments on the album.

Coldplay – “Moon Music”

Coldplay made a surprising comeback for me with this track from Moon Music. The ambient intro, a collaboration with Jon Hopkins, sets the tone beautifully. Max Martin also worked on this album, as he did for Ariana Grande’s.

November

Estraden – “Efter Efterfesten”

For those who know me, I have a penchant for Swedish pop. Estraden’s Tolkningarna EP, which consists entirely of covers, is a niche pick. But listen to “Efter Efterfesten” and don't tell me it’s not addictive.

Tommy Cash – “Hottie”

From his EP High Fashion, this track is a collaboration with umru and A. G. Cook. The four-bar loop is classic A. G., and I love the “laser kicks,” achieved through ultra-fast pitch envelopes.

Laplander (Finn Keane Remix)

Finn Keane, aka EASYFUN, reimagined this track with fresh production techniques. I’m curious to see where Finn Keane goes with his solo project in the new year.

That’s it. Could have included a bunch more, of course, but these are definitely the highlights.

How about you—what were some of your favorite tracks of the year? Feel free to share your recs in the comments below.