The music in 2024 saw industry heavyweights moving with breakout stars, expanding the music scene in ways we hadn’t seen since the COVID-19 pandemic. Stabilized in a booming concert economy, streaming subscriptions climbing and TikTok on its way out, 2024 saw the music industry in its best and worst light.

With TikTok stardom falling out of favor for legendary acts and artists that have been building their careers for years, music listeners are looking for how music functioned in pre-TikTok times, showing labels who we want to be platformed. Notable lawsuits and continued music mergers are showing the reality of how the industry works behind the scenes, propelling listeners to invest in acts without an industry push or at least be more critical in who gets our attention. Through it all, we’re seeing generational acts still put out notable work and breakthrough acts bring something new to music.

Even if commercialism and industry politics run music behind closed doors, listeners are becoming more active in finding new and refreshing artists that can re-define music. So, here’s music’s most memorable moments from 2024: the breakthrough acts, the rising stars, those who are here to stay, hip-hop reclaiming its position, and the top acts still making music.

The Year of Breakout Stars

Charli XCX isn’t new to music. She’s been here since 2014, but a decade after her debut, she has become the industry’s new focal point. From “brat” green to “brat” summer, Charli’s sixth studio album became a cultural touchpoint and reference point. Defining relationships, modes of being, summer nightlife and even politics, “brat” encompassed what it means for music to have cultural impact. “brat” wasn’t just a moment for Charli but a renewed opening to hyperpop, pulling it into the mainstream. The album took on a life of its own, existing outside the music and leaving an indelible mark on 2024’s music.

Chappell Roan’s music went from being ramblings on Reddit to being the most in-demand concerts of the summer. Filled with creative and imaginative looks inspired by drag performance, her Statue of Liberty costume at Governors Ball in New York City is one of her most memorable images. Combining strong vocals with captivating imagery in her songwriting, Roan’s rise was a callback to the pop we’d been missing. Believing that music also lives in its performance, Roan gave her lyrics a visual that made her music fun, and her audiences joined in. Roan’s festival crowds came with pink hats, cowboy attire, bright makeup and sometimes recreating Roan’s looks, crafting the community Roan herself depicts in her own music.

Meanwhile, by weekend two of Coachella, “Espresso” was everywhere. Originally meant to be previewed, Sabrina Carpenter’s song leaped ahead of schedule, skyrocketing to the top and taking Carpenter with it. A former Disney star and longtime musician, Carpenter opening for Taylor Swift during the Eras tour placed her in the right position for what her career became in 2024. Her 1960s-inspired look was matched with a fun dance energy for the summer.

The Massachusetts Daily Collegian’s staff picks this year included recognizing the amazing year these three artists had in 2024. All beloved by our staff, each of these breakout stars had more than one song make our end-of-year list. From Charli XCX: “360,” “Apple,” “girl so confusing ft lorde” and “guess featuring billie eilish.”  “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Hot To Go!” were our staff’s top Chappell Roan picks. Sabrina Carpenter’s hit songs “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” also made our year-end list.

The Rising Stars

Making an appearance on the soundtrack for FX’s “The Bear” aided in propelling Mk.gee’s rise in the indie scene. His music puts the guitar front and center with his minimalist vocals, creating a refreshing sound in rock. Overlapping with Mk.gee’s genre circles, MJ Lenderman is a figure music critics couldn’t stop talking about. Lenderman was on Pitchfork’s radar for a while, as the guitar player for the band Wednesday. Moving away from his band duties, “Manning Fireworks” blends Americana with indie rock, exploring Southern life along scratchy guitar riffs.

Tyla won a Grammy without having released an album. “Water” is a pop amapiano hit that only keeps getting replayed, yet her career is still only beginning. Her self-titled album was highly anticipated and was met with critical acclaim. Her blend of amapiano, dance and R&B is not lost on music listeners looking for a contemporary voice in R&B. Lola Young is also on every music influencer’s radar. Her raspy vocals and messy lyrics have stood out even leading to a feature on Tyler, the Creator’s newest album. A young talent already being noticed by music’s biggest figures, Young’s star power moves beyond the social media audience she garnered, to a public excited for what her style of music means for the industry.

The Third Studio Album

After nailing debuts that introduced them to music and releasing sophomore albums that proved they weren’t going anywhere, these artists’ third studio albums continued to breakthrough this summer.

Clairo introduced a new sound that echoed Carole King’s “Tapestry.” Clairo’s incorporation of jazz and 70s grooves in “Charm” crafted something new for her discography, which allowed her to move outside the indie bubble that’d defined her music. Remi Wolf, too, had an undeniably successful year. “Big Ideas” worked with the styles Wolf has been releasing since her debut, but now paired with a centered setting and rush of feelings. Her album is electric, bursting with the vocals of someone who is excited for the music and pulling you in.

Maggie Rogers has a powerhouse voice, and paired with feeling-driven narrative it paints a larger-than-life image of her artistry. She spent her 2024 surrounded by great artists that continue to shape her music. From performing with Joan Baez and Stevie Nicks, Rogers is steering her music into a context that outlives the moment. Conan Gray narrated romance in the 80s dance scene with his album “Found Heaven.” Filled with color and glitter, Gray rejects loneliness searching for an ethereal joy. Joining other pop stars in 2024, Gray crafts a pop sound that suits him within his musical growth.

All four artists’ albums made our editor’s picks for the top albums of 2024. “Charm” by Clairo, “Soup” by Remi Wolf and “Lonely Dancers” by Conan Gray also made our staff song picks for 2024.

A Hip-Hop Moment

Some music circles have been trying to argue that hip-hop is losing its shine, but these moments from 2024 say otherwise. Hip-hop is thriving and navigating the commercialism that temporarily muted its impact. If Megan Thee Stallion kicked off hip-hop in 2024, Kendrick brought the genre home.

“Hiss” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard, bringing commercial success with the shockwaves it sent through the hip-hop world. As Megan Thee Stallion continues to suffer attacks on her character in the aftermath of Tory Lanez’s conviction, “Hiss” said enough, pushing back the attacks in rap bars. The song calls out figures without naming them, angering some, igniting a one-sided beef with Nicki Minaj and setting the stage for the rap beef that would take over 2024.

The culture is not necessarily of who Kendrick Lamar makes music for, it’s of what he raps for in the series of diss tracks that are complex layered histories of what makes hip-hop real hip-hop. Lamar’s return in 2024 asks hip-hop to stake itself in its roots and call out the behaviors that have shifted the genre into an era that seems disconnected from its traditions. In 2024, Lamar reminded his doubters why he is a generation’s best hip-hop artist.

These moments in hip-hop didn’t go unnoticed among our staff as “Hiss” by Megan Thee Stallion and “Luther” by Lamar made our top songs of 2024 list.

The Top Pop Entertainers of the Decade

Crowned the top pop entertainers of the decade, Beyonce and Taylor Swift put out albums this year while carrying out exceptional performances.

Beyonce’s “Cowboy Carter” challenged how Black people are forced into specific genre categories while reclaiming country music’s Black roots. Country music is facing a renaissance at present, and Black artists won’t be absent from it. “Cowboy Carter” not only brought a buried history to life but also platformed contemporary Black country artists seeking to have their voices heard in a genre that refuses to see them.

Taylor Swift wrapped up the Eras tour in December 2024, but not before incorporating her newest album “The Tortured Poets Department” into the setlist. Her tour made history in its earnings and set a new precedent for Swift’s career.

Both Beyonce and Swift made our staff’s top picks of our 2024 list. “Texas Hold’em” and “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart,” respectively.

To see more of the music we selected as the top picks of 2024, visit our playlist to listen to more of the music we discussed for our year-end list.

Suzanne Bagia can be reached at [email protected]