The first few months of 2024 have been absolutely insane for music lovers. Album after album has dropped and rocked our worlds.
Literally.
(Get it? Rock? Like the genre?)
The explosion of phenomenal new music started with “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone on January 18.
I first discovered Boone on TikTok a few months ago through a snippet of a song he leaked. I really started paying attention to him when I heard the first teaser of “Beautiful Things.”
Boone has a powerful voice and beautiful lyricism that keeps the listener invested from their first listen to their 100th.
Boone enticed his listeners even further when he debuted a section of his next song “Slow it Down” which was later released on March 21.
This song has been in my regular rotation since its release.
My “current favs” playlist is an eclectic space composed of about 100 songs, many of those discovered in the past month or so.
Right next to “Slow it Down” on my playlist is the majority of Ariana Grande’s new album “eternal sunshine.”
Grande has been facing a considerable amount of social flak since the reveal of her affair with a married man closely resembling SpongeBob.
Unfortunately for her (now ex) husband and SpongeBob’s formerly happy family, and fortunately for Grande fans, this affair has inspired a phenomenal album.
“The boy is mine” has a pretty obvious link to the red-headed theater kid in Grande’s life. Although, some songs appear to be tied to other men from Grande’s past, including the song “we can’t be friends (wait for your love).”
“We can’t be friends (wait for your love)” is theorized to be about Grande’s late ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, especially after the debut of the heartbreaking music video.
The video depicts Grande having memories of a past relationship removed. There are Easter eggs scattered throughout that appear to be a reference to Miller, including a necklace turning into a pink dog collar.
Grande adopted Miller’s dog Myron after Miller’s death in September 2018.
Next to the newest addition to Grande’s discography on my playlist are a few songs from Kanye West, now known as Ye’s, new album “VULTURES 1.”
Ye has been known to be incredibly controversial, including antisemitic comments in 2022 resulting in an end to the Yeezy footwear partnership.
Despite these problematic tendencies, Ye’s new songs flew up the charts, especially the song “CARNIVAL.”
I’ve been significantly less interested in listening to Ye’s music since the 2022 scandal but still wanted to give the album a try. I wasn’t a huge fan of any of the songs at first, but over time a few grew on me.
Especially since the Rex Orange County sexual assault accusations in October of 2022, I’ve been contemplating whether or not the art can be separated from the artist, and I have yet to solidify my standpoint.
I’ve been a huge Olivia Rodrigo fan since the release of “SOUR” in May 2021. She’s currently on a world tour for her newest album “GUTS.”
An extension of her album called “GUTS (spilled)” was released a few days ago after teasers of the song “obsessed” on TikTok and its full debut on her tour.
I’ve been listening to “obsessed” and “so american” on repeat. These upbeat teen power ballads scratch an itch in my brain, and I can’t resist listening to each at least a few times a day.
I’ve been a huge fan of Lil Peep since my junior year of high school. He passed away from a drug overdose in 2017 at the age of 21.
Every once in a while, unheard music will be released, which was the case with “Spotlight – og version,” “Hate Me – og version” and “Looking for You” on March 7.
I already liked “Hate Me” and “Spotlight,” but “Looking for You” has quickly become a favorite for me. “Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 2” has been one of my all-time favorite albums since my first listen, and anything resembling those songs is an automatic love for me.
I don’t know how much more Lil Peep music will be released, so I try to savor every track.
I’ve been an enjoyer of Girl in Red since I discovered her during quarantine. I lost track of what she was working on until I saw her open for Taylor Swift at the Eras Tour this past June and was inspired to start listening again.
Sabrina Carpenter was also one of Swift’s openers on her world tour, and Carpenter and Girl in Red randomly joined forces on a song called “You Need Me Now?”
This song is a part of an album by Girl in Red called “I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!” which will be fully released on April 12.
Of all the great music released recently, I am the most excited, or ecstatic, really, about an EP called “Unheard” released by Hozier on March 22.
I’ve been enraptured by the song “Too Sweet” since I caught the first few seconds of it on TikTok a couple of weeks ago. Since hearing the full piece, my obsession has only grown.
I spent a substantial chunk of my savings on an incredible spot at Hozier’s concert in Madison in August, and knowing I’ll hear this song live excites me to tears.
I listened to the other songs on the EP but have yet to give them a thorough listen as I’ve been so deeply consumed by “Too Sweet.”
The beginning of 2024 has been an absolute dream for self-proclaimed all-genre-listeners everywhere, and I can’t wait to see what music the rest of the year brings.
Price can be reached at [email protected].
