MARIA SHERMAN

Associated Press

2024 YEAR IN REVIEW | MUSIC

'Texas Hold 'Em,' Beyoncé

For career-long fans of Beyoncé, a hybridist country album from the superstar performer was simply a prophecy fulfilled. When "Cowboy Carter" arrived, it became immediately clear that B was dedicated to reclaiming country music as a Black woman. But it was the introduction of this new era with "Texas Hold 'Em" that solidified it -- a honkytonk stomper with a lot of Western soul.

'Right Back to It,' Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman

A vocal harmony between Waxahatchee's Katie Crutchfield and MJ Lenderman is a marvel from the jump -- two kindred spirits, schooled in folky Americana and raised in DIY punk -- but that's only one fraction of the magic of "Right Back to It." The song considers long-term relationships, the kind of love that can be tested, steady, reliable and, at times, restive.

'I Had Some Help,' Post Malone and Morgan Wallen

The Texas contemporary pop performer Post Malone has dropped "ma'ams" and "sirs" in his speech since day one, and his signature autotuned vibrato works across the genre spectrum. But it's his collaboration with controversial hitmaker Morgan Wallen that undoubtedly made waves, an immediate anthem for hanging out in the bed of a pickup truck or at a backyard barbecue.

'A Bar Song (Tipsy),' Shaboozey

It is not only the biggest song of the year but one of the longest-reigning No. 1s of all time, as far as the Billboard Hot 100 is concerned -- Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" tied Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" with an impressive 19 weeks atop the charts. It makes sense that these two songs resonated in similar ways: Both are cross-genre, monolithic musical moments, classically country and an amalgamation of styles forming something completely modern. Shaboozey's earworm interpolates J-Kwon's "Tipsy" and places it squarely on the faded barstool of a hardworking weekend warrior. It'll inspire a singalong of "Oh my, good Lord" from anyone.

'Nasty,' Tinashe

Give her No. 1 for the best lyric of the year: "Is somebody gonna match my freak?" Tinashe's "Nasty" is a sultry, good-time hit -- a kick, a snare, bare production and a scare beat -- melodic and stacked with backing vocals. No wonder TikTok immediately embraced it. "Nasty" is for dancing, a song that evokes a quote regularly attributed to Oscar Wilde: a vertical expression of a horizontal urge.

'Not Like Us,' Kendrick Lamar There was a time when describing "Not Like Us" required a taxonomy of the freshly reignited beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, a period of diss tracks begetting diss tracks with dizzying alacrity -- and a clear victor. The truth is the song stands on its own: a triumphant declaration of West Coast hip-hop, funny and bombastic.

'Igual Que Un Ángel,' Kali Uchis and Peso Pluma

The popularity of regional Mexican music increased in recent years -- a thrilling reflection of Latin music's continued global growth. The artists at the center of the movement, including Peso Pluma, know their music succeeds because it both celebrates tradition and transcends it, like in his gruff rapping over corridos. In Kali Uchis' "Igual Que Un Ángel," Pluma experiments with new genres entirely, and she welcomes him into her world. Here, Uchis' glossy, shimmery disco dream-pop is the foundation, and Pluma's stony vocal tone is a smooth accent. It's an addictive song and a reminder of the power at the heart of inventive collaborations.

'Espresso,' Sabrina Carpenter

For the caff einated -- or those in dire need of an energy boost -- Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso" emerged like all great pop hits should: almost from nowhere, as addictive as its namesake and confounding in its lyrics, directly recalling the Y2K period of off -kilter pop songs with nonsensical lyrics atop sunny productions. It's disco-pop when the genre was dead and buried, revitalized and buried, revitalized and made clever through Carpenter's ever-present sense of humor.

'Good Luck, Babe!," Chappell Roan

This year belonged to Chappell Roan. A veteran of the music industry experiencing a rocket launch into fame, Roan long wielded her theatricality and sexual candor like a wand (and a rabbit) in her songs. But "Good Luck, Babe!" thrust her into the mainstream, a pop megahit that tackles lust, frustration and compulsory heterosexuality atop strings, '80s synths and a soaring vocal performance.

'Like That,' Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar

Future and Metro Boomin long made ideal collaborators, but this year's joint album, "We Don't Trust You," felt like a long time coming. It was an event. Immediately upon its release, "Like That" stood out, not only for its fiery guest verse from Lamar, or its hyper-speed sample of Rodney O and Joe Cooley's "Everlasting Bass" and Eazy-E's "Eazy-Duz-It," but for its ferocity.