As 70° slowly becomes the new normal outside, my go-to playlists start to shift as well. Here are 10 new 2024 jams that I think could boost your mood for the incoming Spring and Summer months.
“Gen-X Cops” – Vampire Weekend
The Ivy League indie-rockers’ return with what they’ve always been known for, but with a little more urgency and reflection. While the band’s next album is just around the corner, they’ve dropped a few singles in preparation. “Gen-X Cops” is easily my favorite so far with its abrasive, daring main guitar melody and socially conscious, thought-provoking lyrics. I can already tell this will be a staple in my car over the summer.
“Lonely Millionaire” – Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves’ latest record dives back deeper into her country and folk roots with soft acoustic jams all over it. “Lonely Millionaire” is a great example with a very unique twist. This track actually interpolates the melody from a recent melodic rap song by JID called “Kody Blu 31.” Musgraves is able to incorporate this earworm pretty seamlessly into her country-tinged world and I can’t get enough of it. Both tracks complement each other effortlessly well.
“Slug” – Matt Champion
Matt Champion was once known as the “heartthrob” of hip-hop centric boyband Brockhampton. Now in 2024, he’s releasing music that defies genre classification. One of his latest singles “Slug” is no exception. This zany trip of a track sees Champion pitch-shifting over this glammy bedroom-pop type beat with touches of soul and R&B. I think the best way I could describe it is if you listened to Prince in an—well let’s just say altered mind state. Killer tune.
“THank god 4 me” – ScHoolboy Q
ScHoolboy Q returns after 5 years with a new album full of hard-hitting rap bangers and some chill introspective moments. “THank god 4 me” mixes both of those moods perfectly. Starting off light and reminiscent, this track slowly evolves into a braggadocious powerhouse, igniting the rest of the record to come. Q needs you to know he’s back and as hungry as ever.
“obvious” – Cavetown
Cavetown is most known for his bedroom pop with indie rock twist style songs, yet on this new EP “little vice” he’s worked in a lot more electronic and rock sounds, making these tracks really pop in the process. The opening track “obvious” remains one of my favorites with how it builds. It starts out like your standard Cavetown song while slowly adding in more vocal effects and booming guitars and drums. It’s obviously great.
“Third Coast” – Teezo Touchdown
Teezo Touchdown continues to be unpredictable with this latest track. “Third Coast” funnily enough contains 3 different beats, ideas and vocal hooks, yet all fit together incredibly well. My favorite has to be near the end though, one of Touchdown’s most captivating, catchy and tongue-in-cheek performances so far. Insanely fun song.
“Like That” – Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar reminds us that he is far and away still above all the rest on this song and I adore every second of it. “It’s just big me.”
“Cheerleader” – Porter Robinson
Electro-pop darling Porter Robinson teases a new era with lead single “Cheerleader.” This track reinforces what Robinson was toying with on his last album “Nurture,” but with even more lush and vibrant production. It’s still very much a Porter Robinson song with synths and effects every which way, though it’s also full of emotion in the vocals, lyrics and even the main riffs. If emo-electronica didn’t already exist, I think Robinson just created it.
“Burning Down the House” – Paramore
As Talking Heads celebrated the 40th anniversary of their groundbreaking concert film “Stop Making Sense” last year, an accompanying tribute album is set to release within the near future. To kick off the rollout was Paramore’s stellar cover of one of the band’s biggest hits “Burning Down the House.” Hayley Williams is especially electric on the vocal front, having some of David Byrne’s signature inflections spot on. It will most likely go down as one of my favorite covers of the year.
“Von dutch” – Charli XCX
To end on an extremely high note, Charli XCX kicked off her rollout for what I can only assume to be her next pop magnum opus with the stunning track “Von dutch.” It’s nothing entirely new for Charli per say, but she’s just so good at doing it I can’t be mad at all. Take her viral song from the “Barbie” soundtrack for example, “Speed Drive,” and crank it up by 1,000, that’s what “Von dutch” sounds like. I already know this album will define most of my summer and I can’t wait. “I’m just living that life.”
