Looking back, 2024 has been a year of high stakes—everything felt electrified. Consider the vivid sounds (and vivid green) of Charli’s Brat Summer, or the sulfurous crackle of Kendrick’s “Not Like Us.” We were witness to a bracing new wave of pop ushered in by Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, not to mention the breathtaking rise of FloyyMenor, Cris MJ, and Chilean urbano. There was a real charge to the sing-or-die anthemics of crooners like Benson Boone and Teddy Swims, just as there was a genuine thrill in seeing Beyoncé, Shaboozey, and Post Malone leave their mark on country music. Everything felt new and sounded like it mattered—and music was better for it.