"It’s still spring, and already, 2024 has been an incredible time for creativity, films, art, and music. The music scene, in particular, has been consistently full of surprises this year, and I’ve felt dizzy with excitement listening to new albums from my favorite artists on repeat. Since the beginning of awards season, big moves have been made by new talent and established talent alike. If you watched the Grammys back in February, you’ll have noticed that women were absolutely dominating almost all of the categories. And then there were the album announcements. Taylor Swift announced her latest album The Tortured Poets Department at the Grammy Awards. Beyoncé let the world know about her new album Cowboy Carter during the Super Bowl. In the midst of it all, so many more artists have been releasing music or have announced upcoming work. Here are some new albums that are making 2024 an iconic year for music, in the order that they were or are being released:
1. Brittany Howard: What Now
Brittany Howard released her latest album What Now earlier this year. The singer-songwriter was originally the lead singer of Alabama Shakes, a band that had multiple Grammy nominations since their debut album in 2012, including the song Hold On. Howard launched her solo career in 2019 with her album Jamie. One of the most memorable songs on that album is Stay High, which Howard later recorded again with Childish Gambino (AKA Donald Glover) as a reimagined version. Howard’s vocals are unique, genre-bending, and powerful. Her lyrics are always honest and poetic, and her new album is no exception. Whether you need inspiration at the start of your day or you want to unwind as you finish it, this is the album to throw on.
2. Jennifer Lopez: This Is Me…Now
If you haven’t seen the movie that accompanies the latest album by Jennifer Lopez, you’ve likely heard about it. Her album This Is Me…Now is filled with similar music we’ve heard from Lopez in the past, but the narrative movie This Is Me…Now: A Love Story is a wild ride that I don’t think anyone could have predicted. Filled with celebrity appearances, dialogue, and movie moments, it’s a wholly different experience than the album itself, which is a fun and straightforward listen for Lopez fans. The music tells the story of love and perseverance in Lopez’s life, including a song dedicated to Ben Affleck called Dear Ben: Pt. II. The entire marketing push around these releases proves that Lopez is never afraid to try something completely original.
3. Ariana Grande: eternal sunshine
Ariana Grande’s latest album, named eternal sunshine, didn’t have as much hype around it as some other releases this year, but it contains some delightful songs that you’ll want to dance around your room to. One of my favorite songs on the album is the boy is mine, which doesn’t directly have the musical or lyrical elements of Brandy’s song by the same name from the ‘90s, but certainly seems like a nod to it. The album also contains the hit yes and? which has an ‘80s dance vibe, including a remixed version with the one and only Mariah Carey. From ballads to dance music, Grande’s new album will get us through until we can see her as Glenda in the movie musical Wicked later this year.
4. Kacey Musgraves: Deeper Well
The new Kacey Musgraves album Deeper Well is music you’ll want to check out if you love lyrics and soul-searching acoustic sets. The vibe is romantic and melancholy, exploring topics of self-knowledge and wellness. The album has a different message than her 2018 album Golden Hour, which had sweet yet inspirational songs like Butterflies and Rainbow. This new album instead shows her growth as an artist and a person and is absolutely mesmerizing to listen to. Throw it on when you’re in need of some self-reflection or relaxation time.
5. Beyoncé: Cowboy Carter
Cowboy Carter is act ii of Beyoncé’s album trilogy, which started with Renaissance. Filled with genre-bending music, the artist herself has now famously said that it’s not a country album, but a Beyoncé album. This is an album you’ll need to put some time aside for because you’re going to want to listen to it all the way through without interruption. It includes appearances and quotes from country legends Linda Martell, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson, often giving a country radio show vibe in the interludes. It also includes iconic reimaginings of songs like Blackbiird and Jolene that will absolutely give you chills. The album is as powerful as it is beautiful and will take you on a ride from start to finish.
6. Maggie Rogers: Don’t Forget Me
Maggie Rogers was nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy in 2019 for her debut album Heard It in a Past Life. Since then, she released the album Surrender in 2022 and somehow simultaneously earned her Master of Religion and Public Life at Harvard. The artist pursued this degree due to her experience as a songwriter who was constantly being asked for spiritual guidance by fans through her work. Her latest album, Don’t Forget Me, takes on this challenge. It kicks off with energy and a hopeful yet thoughtful vibe and carries that energy throughout. This album is best listened to once for the great beats and nostalgic choruses, and then again to really take in the lyrics.
7. Taylor Swift: The Tortured Poets Department
The much-anticipated next album by Taylor Swift gives listeners exactly what we’ve come to expect from Taylor: heartfelt and honest lyrics. This is no surprise for an album called The Tortured Poets Department, and many of the songs do in fact feel like poetry. In true Swift fashion, the subsequent release of The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology delivers 15 additional songs to the original track list, all of which add to the story Taylor weaves about love, loss, and betrayal. So Long, London and Florida!!! (featuring Florence and the Machine) are among some of my favorites to re-listen to. Whatever Taylor era you’re a fan of, this new era is something you’ll want to throw on when you’re feeling reflective and poetic.
8. St. Vincent: All Born Screaming
St. Vincent’s latest album is called All Born Screaming and is a follow-up to her album The Nowhere Inn from 2021. One of the most popular of St. Vincent’s previous albums was Masseducation, which contains some of my favorite songs by the artist, including New York. You can also thank St. Vincent for Taylor Swift’s song Cruel Summer, as she was one of the writers who created it, along with Swift and Jack Antonoff. The artist’s new album ranges in moods, from Reckless, which is a melancholy lament, to the titular song All Born Screaming, which has a bit of a ‘90s rock feel. St. Vincent is always an artist to watch and never shies away from defying expectations.
9. Dua Lipa: Radical Optimism
Dua Lipa first jumped on the scene with her self-titled first album and has been steadily climbing the charts ever since. She’s also the artist behind Dance the Night from Barbie, which plays in the movie when Barbie hosts a dance party and suddenly has an existential crisis. Dua Lipa’s most recent album is called Radical Optimism. The album explores optimism and positivity, citing a Grammy’s acceptance speech in which the artist stated, “Happiness is something that we all deserve.” The three singles from the album, Houdini, Training Season, and Illusion, are total earworms, and the rest of the album is full of dance-worthy bops. Dua Lipa is one of those artists who rarely drops hints toward her personal life in her albums, so Radical Optimism is for those who are sick of decoding and just want to dance the night away.
10. Sia: Reasonable Woman
Since the 2015 album 1000 Forms of Fear, which brought us Chandelier and Elastic Heart, and the 2016 album This Is Acting… we haven’t seen a lot from Sia. This May, she released a brand new album called Reasonable Woman, including a single called Dance Alone, featuring Kylie Minogue. The artist also dropped a collaboration with Paris Hilton called Fame Won’t Love You. The new album is full of new dance music paired with the powerful and inspirational vocals that the singer is known for. This is Sia’s tenth studio album, solidifying her arc from soft indie pop in the beginning of her career to more dance-inspired tunes like the ones on this album.
11. Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft
Release Date: May 17
Billie Eilish has had an incredible year so far, earning her second Oscar, along with her brother and collaborator Finneas O’Connell, for their song What Was I Made For? from Barbie. The artist’s next album is titled Hit Me Hard and Soft, and is expected to tap into the vibes of Billie’s first album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, which rocketed the artist to fame in 2019. We likely won’t see any singles come out ahead of the album, as Eilish has stated that she prefers for the songs to not be released out of the context of the album. One thing is for sure, anything Eilish and O’Connell create, I can’t wait to hear.
12. Maya Hawke: Chaos Angel
Release Date: May 31
Maya Hawke is releasing her third studio album this year, called Chaos Angel. The singer and actress released her first two albums, Blush and MOSS, in the same time period that she starred in Seasons 3 and 4 of Stranger Things. Her new album is poised to explore falling in love and making mistakes, with a melodic folk vibe. Hawke has already released three singles from the album, Dark, Missing Out, and Hang In There. My favorite single so far is Missing Out, which seems to nod to Hawke’s experience leaving Juilliard after one year to pursue a professional acting gig. The song has a more upbeat tempo compared to the other singles, and it will be interesting to hear how it fits into the entire story of her album.
13. Charli XCX: Brat
Release Date: June 7
Charli XCX has been making new music since 2013 (when you might have first heard the song Boom Clap) and continues to explore new elements of her sound. Like Billie Eilish, Charli also contributed to the incredible Barbie soundtrack last year with the song Speed Drive. The artist’s upcoming summer album, Brat, looks like it’s going to focus on dance and club hits, judging by her already released singles from the album like club classics and B2b. She also released the single Von dutch, as well as a remix of the song that features Addison Rae that’s already being played by fans on repeat. The entire album will include 15 songs, and the artist has announced her upcoming arena tour, which will hit several major cities in the US.
14. Normani: Dopamine
Release Date: June 14
You likely know Normani as one of the members of Fifth Harmony before the group went on indefinite hiatus in 2018 to focus on their solo careers. It was back then that Normani first hinted at a solo album, so it’s been a long time coming for her debut album Dopamine to finally be out in the world. Since then, she’s released several singles and collaborated with other artists, including Cardi B, Khalid, and Sam Smith. When talking about her debut album, the artist has expressed in an Instagram post with Elle Magazine that “this body of work really is just a representation of my resilience.” So far, Normani has released a single from the album called 1:59 featuring Gunna, and it will only be a matter of weeks until we can hear more.
15. Gracie Abrams: The Secret of Us
Release Date: June 21
“Risk,” the first single off of Gracie Abrams’s new album The Secret of Us, is one of those songs that was basically built for singing in the shower, which bodes well for the rest of the album. Her first two albums, Minor and This is What It Feels Like, are chock-full of whimsical, whistful tunes that landed her a nomination for Best New Artist at the 66th Grammy Awards. You might have been introduced to her when she was an opener on the Eras tour, or through her single, “Everywhere, Everything,” with Noah Kahan. Gracie Abrams is definitely an artist to watch, which is what makes the release of The Secret of Us so exciting. Plus, the album was produced by Aaron Dessner, so it’s bound to be a major hit with fans of the rest of his work as a producer (looking at you, Swifties).
