2024 was a year. I sort of feel like I crammed for a test while editing this post thanks to some solid procrastination along with trying to think of a way to get across other opinions I had this year since I no longer post anything outside of end-of-year stuff and fantasy football updates. Consider this a clearing of my notebook in the messiest way possible, with little to no context because I forgot to put together an outline in advance.
I probably set a personal record for times inside a movie theater in 2024, something that was extremely obtainable considering I didn't go to a movie between the ages of 12 and 24. Nothing I saw was the most incredible thing I witnessed all year but, there were some worthy highlights.
Twelve Four-and-a-half Star Movies I Saw For The First Time In 2024
20th Century Women (2016)
Good Will Hunting (1997)
The Holdovers (2023) - Probably the best of these?
How To Blow Up A Pipeline (2022)
Hundreds Of Beavers (2024?)
The Iron Claw (2023)
North Hollywood (2021)
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
Poor Things (2023)
Red Rocket (2021)
Shithouse (2020)
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (2023)
Best Movies I Saw In Theaters in 2024
1. Dune: Part Two
2. Challengers
3. I Saw The TV Glow
I am sitting here, praying that YouTube TV doesn't hike up their prices too ludicrously in the near future since I fell in love with the app this year, watching more sports than ever before. Thankfully, I'm even able to dip my feet in at work and occasionally check in with whatever event is on as I work overnights and the typical primetime broadcast ends after beginning my shift. Also, the "Quadbox" feature that lets you split-screen four different streams at once? *chef's kiss* Technology still has the potential to positively innovate despite the doom-and-gloom that surrounded that field in 2024. I even watched the Stanley Cup Final. I haven't seen a hockey final in twenty years since a canceled season canceled my interest.
Hottest Possible Take Ranking The Championship Teams of 2024
1. (NCAAW) South Carolina Gamecocks - Undefeated so... duh.
2. (NBA) Boston Celtics - It was boring but, they did it.
3. (NCAAF) Michigan Wolverines
4. (MLB) Los Angeles Dodgers
5. (WNBA) New York Liberty
6. (NHL) Florida Panthers
7. (NFL) Kansas City Chiefs
8. (NCAAM) Connecticut Huskies
Okay, But What About The Runners-Up?
1. (NCAAW) Iowa Hawkeyes
2. (NHL) Edmonton Oilers - nearly came back from down 3-0, which would have been sick.
3. (NFL) San Francisco 49ers
4. (MLB) New York Yankees - massive gap between the top-3 and the rest of the list.
5. (WNBA) Minnesota Lynx
6. (NCAAF) Washington Huskies
7. (NCAAM) Purdue Boilermakers
8. (NBA) Dallas Mavericks
And now, the usual Top 50 Albums countdown... This was a strong year for album releases, as I've already stated in my Top 40 Songs of 2024 post. There weren't quite as many new acts dominating my headphones (though shout outs to English Teacher, mk.gee and Erick The Architect on breaking through) as this felt like a year of shocking comebacks by alt-female acts of bands from decades' past (Kim Gordon, Kim Deal, Beth Gibbons) and the critical peak at some of my favorites from years' past (Vampire Weekend, Charly Bliss & Charli XCX). The #1 may seem obvious thanks to every other publication agreeing with the year's most dominant record but, there's still a whole lot to fall in love with here, including some honorable mentions before I present my Top 50 Albums of 2024...
Honorable Mention Albums (with genre)
Bruiser Wolf - My Story Got Stories (Rap)
The Cure - Songs Of A Lost World (Alternative Rock)
Empress Of - For Your Consideration (Dance Pop)
Lupe Fiasco - Samurai (Rap)
Mach-Hommy - #RICHAXXHAITIAN (Hip Hop)
Marika Hackman - Big Sigh (Alternative)
Remi Wolf - Big Ideas (Pop)
Sleater-Kinney - Little Rope (Rock)
Soccer Mommy - Evergreen (Indie Rock)
#50. Yard Act - Where's My Utopia?
Standout Track: "Blackpool Illuminations"
#49. Bleachers - Bleachers
Standout Track: "Call Me After Midnight"
#48. Waxahatchee - Tigers Blood
Standout Track: "Right Back To It (ft. MJ Lenderman)"
#47. The Lemon Twigs - A Dream Is All We Know
Standout Track: "Rock On (Over and Over)"
#46. A$AP Ferg - Darold
Standout Track: "Pool (ft. Elmiene)"
#45. Navy Blue - Memoirs In Armour
Standout Track: "Red Roses"
#44. Lizzy McAlpine - Older
Standout Track: "All Falls Down"
#43. Haley Heynderickx - Seed Of A Seed
Standout Track: "Foxglove"
Standout Track: "Water Ballet"
Standout Track: "Birds Of A Feather"
#40. Various Artists - I Saw The TV Glow Soundtrack
Standout Track: "Starburned and Unkissed" by Caroline Polachek
#39. Mannequin Pussy - I Got Heaven
Standout Track: "Sometimes"
#38. Good Looks - Lived Here For A While
Standout Track: "Self-destructor"
#37. Kings Of Leon - Can We Please Have Fun
Standout Track: "Split Screen"
#36. Lola Young - This Wasn't Meant For You Anyway
Standout Track: "Crush"
#35. Julia Holter - Something In The Room She Moves
Standout Track: "Evening Mood"
#34. Kirin J. Callinan - If I Could Sing
Standout Track: "...In Absolutes"
#33. Cloud Nothings - Final Summer
Standout Track: "On The Chain"
#32. English Teacher - This Could Be Texas
Standout Track: "Albert Road"
#31. Sabrina Carpenter - Short N' Sweet
Standout Track: "Slim Pickins"
#30. Erick The Architect - I've Never Been Here Before
Standout Track: "Colette"
#29. Fred Again... - Ten Days
Standout Track: "places to be (ft. Anderson .Paak & CHIKA)"
Standout Track: "Squeeze 1st 2"
#27. Yeat - 2093
Standout Track: "Lyfestyle (with Lil Wayne)"
#26. Cordae - The Crossroads
Standout Track: "Saturday Mornings (ft. Lil Wayne)"
#25. St. Vincent - All Born Screaming
Standout Track: "Broken Man"
#24. The Last Dinner Party - Prelude To Ecstasy
Standout Track: "Sinner"
#23. Ariana Grande - Eternal Sunshine
Standout Track: "eternal sunshine"
#22. Tyler, The Creator - Chromakopia
Standout Track: "Hey Jane"
#21. Schoolboy Q - Blue Lips
Standout Track: "Time killers"
Standout Track: "It's Rough On Rats (If You're Asking)"
#19. Young Jesus - The Fool
Standout Track: "MOTY"
#18. Omar Apollo - God Said No
Standout Track: "Empty"
#17. MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks
Standout Track: "She's Leaving You"
#16. Mk.gee - Two Star & The Dream Police
Standout Track: "Are You Looking Up"
#15. Cassandra Jenkins - My Light, My Destroyer
Standout Track: "Aurora, IL"
#14. Beyonce' - Cowboy Carter
Standout Track: "Bodyguard"
#13. Adrianne Lenker - Bright Future
Standout Track: "Vampire Empire"
#12. Jamie xx - In Waves
Standout Track: "Dafodil (ft. Kelsey Lu, John Glacier and Panda Bear)"
#11. Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown
Standout Track: "Reaching Out"
#10. Charly Bliss - Forever
Standout Track: "I'm Not Dead"
#9. Cheekface - It's Sorted
Standout Track: "Life In A Bag"
#8. Kendrick Lamar - GNX
Standout Track: "peekaboo (ft. AzChike)"
#7. Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us
Standout Track: "Mary Boone"
#6. Porter Robinson - SMILE! =D
Standout Track: "Cheerleader"
#5. Father John Misty - Mahashmashana
Standout Track: "Josh Tillman and The Accidental Dose"
#4. Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk
Standout Track: "Tunnel Vision"
Standout Track: "Dream Dollar"
#2. Fontaines D.C. - Romance
Standout Track: "Horseness Is The Whatness"
The #1 Album of 2024
Charli XCX - Brat
Standout Track: "So I"
In addition to all of that, the best EPs/mixtapes/non-albums I heard this year were Bon Iver's Syre, Doechii's Alligator Bites Never Heal and Tove Lo & SG Lewis's Heat. That being said, Charli XCX's Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat deserves a shout out for capping off the greatest album roll-out and series of versions of songs in quite some time. I truly cannot think of a more perfectly fan-serviced pop culture event this century outside of Avengers: Endgame. No notes. "Girl So Confusing (ft. Lorde)" is the song of the year. It's the antithesis to Kendrick Lamar's "Meet The Grahams", my #2 song of the year (non-singles).
I'll also take this opportunity to say that Roberta Flack's First Take was the best non-2024 album I listened to for the first time this year. I should try to take more detours into the unknown-to-me past next year but no promises!
Here's to whatever comes of 2025!
