Music worth keeping from 2024
Here's new music that moved me this year
Happy New Year, folks!
At the end of every year, I offer thoughts on some of my favorite music released in the past 12 months.
One day I’ll go back compile them all on a google doc to see what stuck with me and what I left behind, as well as what I missed that should have been included.
In 2024, I listened to music made by people from (but not limited to) Detroit, Zambia, New York, Pennsylvania, Memphis, South Carolina, California, Milwaukee.
Let me know what you listened to this year…
Thanks for subscribing to Detroit one million. We passed 1,000 subscribers last week! Join the gang! More high quality journalism is coming in 2025. Cheers!
— Sam
“Please Please Please” — Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter singlehandedly restored my faith in white women this year. At least in their ability to make pop music.
This came out at the end of last year but it stayed in rotation all year. It includes this Gigi Masin-type sample that makes you feel introspective while RRoxket raps about drugs and street violence.
“TGIF” — Glorilla
“Yeezy shirt I’m wet,” Glorilla says on this track. This song is how I feel when I wear mine.
“Bad Bitty” — J.P.
J.P. had the most fun this year with tracks like “Private Room” and “Bad Bitty.”
“I say DJ can you put this song on blast/For the hoes in the back shakin’ ass,” is still stuck in my head from February.
“Lisha G World (feat. Brodinski)” — Lisha G & mndyrmm
Lisha G will blow in 2025 if she keeps doing what she’s doing. “Lisha G World” from her June EP offered a taste of what the South Carolina rapper would bring later this year on the off-kilter Groovy Steppin Sh*t with Philadelphia producer Trini Viv. “Choppa Sound” from that album was another one of my favorites this year.
Lisha’s “Higher,” released as part of a Hyperpop Daily song competition, is also worth checking out.
“Favorite Lady” — Diany Dior
This one is so addicting. The NAV feature on the remix wasn’t bad, but I still listened to this version all year. It’s my pick for song of the summer and my favorite Sexy Drill track of the year.
“Time Moving Slow” (original version) — Ye, Ty Dolla Sign
Add this to Ye’s growing list of post Yeezus music that fits into the “would’ve been great had you not released a shittier version” category. The album version removed a cool sound effect in lieu of a unnecessary choir and added drums that make it sound a mess. Sad!
Untitled — Elijah Solo, featuring unknown female vocalist
This 30 second video I saw on Instagram reels back in May stopped me in my tracks. I’ve replayed it to relive the initial feeling probably like 150 times since. Together, the brothers playing guitar and drums are Elijah Solo of Zambia. They have one song available on streaming platforms, but I wish there was more.
“aint gon let up” — Lil Sccrt
The marimba on this beat is crazy.
“DETROIT MONEY PHONE” — HiTech & G.T.
A pitched-up G.T. glides over the Detroit ghettotech trio’s “Money Phone” for this remix. Looking forward to more rappers over their beats next year.
“Get it Sexyy” — Sexyy Red
Young women took over rap music and Sexyy Red is their leader. Listening to her music in public is like throwing rocks through a classroom window. To me, the polarizing St. Louis star is a talented symbol of the debate over respectability and sexuality.
“Aint Enough” — Icewear Vezzo
Vezzo’s standout track this year was dedicated to his wife. On it, Vezzo laments having to risk his life to put money on the table, family dysfunction and war in the Middle East.
“Big Mama” — Latto
But only the first half because honestly once it gets to the beat switch I’ve heard enough.
“Betty Boop” — Yanaa
Now this is a good beat switch! Yanna’s CYTHEREA album contains some of my favorite music made by Detroiters this year.
“Dunk Contest” — Cash Cobain
Cash name drops all the women in his life, rhyming names like “Chyna” with words like “vagina.”
“40” — Evilgiane, Xaviersobased & Nettspend
This and “On My Own” were stand out reflections of what’s happening in NYC right now. I saw Xavier earlier this summer shortly after MIKE’s festival, the day Trump was shot, wearing one of those Spongebob face t-shirts inside the club.
Was he old enough to be in here? I wondered. It didn’t matter. He’s Xaviersobased.
“Line Em Up” — Baby Osama
The youngest queen of Sexy Drill became my new favorite artist this year. Her SEXC SUMMER album was my most played of 2024.
The album is 19 minutes of catchy melodies and funny lines like how she’s looking for rivals on the highway even though she doesn’t know how to drive (from another fav, “If I See U With Her"). She’s got a clear musical instinct and range — a talented singer who’s rapping over boom bap beats, too.
“LIKE THAT REMIX” — Ye and Ty Dolla Sign
“When Kanye got back with Drake, I was slightly confused,” Kendrick rapped on the Sampha assisted “Father Time” from his Mr. Morale album.
It took less than three years for Kendrick’s feature on Future’s album to motivate Ye to join in on “elimination of Drake,” as he put it.
Drake tried canceling Kendrick, Kendrick tried canceling Drake, yet both got richer after rap’s most commercially successful beef. Out of all the rappers that joined the feud, Ye was the only participant with nothing to gain, operating out of pure spite. He didn’t flinch.
“Yo Dot, I gotchu.” We all knew Kendrick didn’t need him, but Ye didn’t care. It makes me laugh every time.
“Ain’t Enough” really was like that