The 15 best albums of 2024, according to Metacritic

You are brat? If you haven't heard this word at least once this year, you've probably been pretty offline. But despite Charli XCX finally gain fame in mainstream, artists like Beyoncé e The Cure have proven that a classic name never loses its quality. With that in mind, we've rounded up the best albums of 2024 based on expert reviews, all compiled on Metacritic.

BRAT – Charli XCX (95/100)

With a difference of two points in relation to the second place, the album BRAT was a real event in pop music in 2024. Topping the list of best albums of the year by several specialist outlets, the strategy was praised by several marketing professionals. With elements of hyperpop, the power of the internet brought the name of Charli XCX to stardom, despite having started her career there in 2013.

Nominated in the album of the year category at Grammy 2025, the album was boosted by the internet: in the week of its release, in June 2024, several Brazilian and international brands began to adopt the dark green aesthetic through the generator launched by the artist. Viral on TikTok, as of Apple e Guess, also helped spread the word of Brat.

The meticulously chosen remixes also contributed to the album's success: Billie Eilish was the central face of Guess, this being his first collaboration with another artist. Remember:

Lorde, which was the central theme of the first version of Girl, so confusing, was called for the remix and shared her point of view about an old fight between the artists. Check out the result:

Whatever Charli XCX’s stats and self-esteem, it’s hard to think of another pop star whose outlook is as expansive and generous, especially in her willingness to risk being seen as mean to say something truthful. Most of her fellow superstars are busy making incomprehensible music about how hard it is to be famous. But Charli has never lost sight of how hard it is to be human.

The Guardian, in a review of Brat, by Charli XCX (full marks).

Songs of a Lost World – The Cure (93/100)

First release by the English band The Cure since 2008, the second best album of the year proves that a classic name never loses its majesty. With special mention to Alone, with more than 10 million reproductions on Spotify, the English band was extremely acclaimed.

In the midst of the successful era of pop, the Songs Of A Lost World debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 in its week of release, a list that brings together the best-selling albums in the US. Simultaneously, the album also debuted at the top of five other lists: Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, Top Alternative Albums, Vinyl Albums and Indie Store Album Sales.

There is something so cathartically dark about Songs of a Lost World, so epically pessimistic and emotionally wrought, that the results are perversely invigorating, transmuting powerful feelings of loss, grief, anxiety, anger and doubt into a work of such grandeur that it leaves the listener strangely exultant and uplifted.

The Telegraph (UK) on the album Songs of a Lost World by The Cure (100/100 rating).

Absolute Elsewhere – Blood Incantation (92/100)

The band Blood Incantation made its debut in 2016 and, since then, has been attracting the attention of specialized critics. In its fourth studio album, which bears the name Absolute Elsewhere, the quartet from Denver, Colorado, invested in songs with synthesizers, which became famous in the 70s.

The group formed by Isaac Faulk, Paul Riedl, Morris Kolontyrsky show that the death metal elements are more than strong in 2024. It is interesting to note that the band does not have a high number of monthly listeners in Spotify, but that didn't stop music market experts from acclaiming the work and it being on the podium of albums with the best songs of 2024.

Throughout this record, the sense of adventure and excitement is palpable – this is a band at the height of their powers, having a blast creating; it’s hard not to get swept up in such a truly unique and thrilling journey through the cosmos. If death metal hasn’t had its critical breakthrough moment yet, this may well be it.

Clash Music on Absolute Elsewhere (90/100)

Patterns in Repeat – Laura Marling (91/100)

The eighth studio album by the English singer Laura marling It also marks fifteen years of her career. The album, released in October 2024, mentions stories of her first motherhood and a curious fact is that the album was recorded with her daughter in the room, which makes it even more special.

Patterns in Repeat show Laura reflecting on her own experience of becoming a mother. The songs are based on a specific and revealing moment in Laura’s life, but more broadly delve into her analysis of the concepts and attitudes that we inherit from our families over the generations. The singer herself defines her album as her “most focused, subtle and clearest collection of her career”.

Patterns in Repeat takes heavy topics—heritage, lineage, and what we pass on—and boils them down to bite-sized insights and wisdoms. It’s an extraordinarily tender accomplishment.

The Observer (100/100).

Cowboy Carter – Beyoncé (91/100)

giving presentations, Beyoncé is one of the biggest names in music and this is increasingly proven. In March 2024, his eighth studio album arrived to the world as the second part of a trilogy created during the COVID-19 pandemic. It follows the work started by Renaissance, which also appeared on the list of best albums of 2022.

For his eighth studio album, which is titled Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé invested in country. Personally speaking, the experience of listening to the album is like being on an old-school radio show. In addition to the collaboration with Post Malone, the re-recording of the classic Jolene, originally released by Dolly Parton in 1973, he stands out at work.

Some of Beyoncé’s best vocal work ever recorded, impeccably produced and at the forefront of every track. Her voice as an instrument is exercised superbly throughout the album, but most impressively at the top of it, as she glides through country and R&B inflections effortlessly.

Rolling Stones about Cowboy Carter (100/100).

Here In The Pitch – Jessica Pratt (90/100)

The folk singer's fourth album is on our list of the best albums of the year, and for good reason. The intimate collection brings together nine songs that, together, make up no more than half an hour. The renowned website Pitchfork, known for his reviews of various albums, gave the award for best new music in the week of release of Here in The Pitch.

Jessica Pratt enlivens his timeless, placeless folk sensibilities with newfound instrumentation and an expanded ensemble, both influenced by spectral '60s pop. His work is notable for featuring only acoustic guitar with nylon strings that give it that extra special touch.

Her song considers how strange it is to conceive of a distance between two moments and, in the same way, how beautiful it is to consider the distance between two people. This is Jessica Pratt's song, and Here in the Pitch improves it to its best point.

Pitchfork on Jessica Pratt's Here In The Pitch album (8.8 out of 10).

All Hell – Los Campesinos! (90/100)

All Hell is the seventh studio album by the Welsh band Farmers!, also being the band's first since 2017. The album stands out for bringing the band's sound identity without leaving aside the investment, essential for it to be acclaimed by media outlets around the world. Several critics chose the All Hell as the band's best album.

LC! demonstrates once again that they are masters at analyzing the details of life, identifying the dangers ahead, but remaining powerless to make better choices.

The Skinny on All Hell (100 out of 100).

Iechyd Da – Bill Ryder-Jones (90/100)

Defined as his most produced album to date, Iechyd Da is the debut studio album by Bill Ryder-Jones in five years. Its title translates to “good health” in Welsh, while the title of the final track, “Nos Da”, means “good night”. The album has 13 tracks and was extremely acclaimed by specialized critics, also classified as the best of Bill’s entire career.

Iechyd Da feels the culmination of everything he set out to do. It’s a record that beckons you in and invites you in, that rewards your faith and careful listening with moments of extraordinary beauty, unflinching honesty, a sonic exchange of love.

Uncut about Iechyd Da (grade 90 out of 100).

Funeral for Justice – Mdou Moctar (90/100)

The history of funeral For Justice it's interesting: the band Mdou Moctar began production after being prevented from returning to her home country, Niger, in the West African continent, due to a coup d'état.

Political lyrics and heavy productions that address themes about the impact of European colonialism on the African continent and the legacy of French rule in Niger are the main highlights of the album released on May 03, 2024.

This is a fantastic album. It may be the best in an already excellent series of albums produced by – and it really bears repeating – the greatest rock band in the world.

musicOMH.com about Funeral for Justice (grade 100 out of 100).

Wild God – Nick Cave & Bad Seeds (89/100)

Five years after launching the Ghosteen, on 2019, Nick Cave & Bad Seeds put the Wild Year in the music market. The band, which has a career spanning a mere 41 years, released its 18th album and proved that even older bands still have a lot to offer.

Expert critics cite the Wild Year as a deliberate departure from the darker tone that characterized the band's previous releases. This album is a celebration, an explosion of life that transports the listener to a lighter, more expansive state of mind.

Wild God is exactly what you’d expect a Bad Seeds record made by churchgoer Nick Cave at 66 to sound like – vocally, that wobble and scrape is now what you’re going to get after decades of smoking snouts and all that. Musically, it’s a slow, elegantly arranged record, which also feels right for where Cave is in life.

Thie Quietus – score 80 out of 100.

EELS – Being Dead (89/100)

A band like Being Dead is… something. His second studio album, the EELS is a mix of guitars and drums with lyrics that border on the ridiculous, but in a good way. The Pitchfork cites the work as relentless, addictive and the most thematically loose of her career. Being Dead, giving it a score of 8,3 (out of 10) and the seal of best new music of the release week.

Even setting aside the sequence, production, and stylistic reference points, EELS is simply packed with great songs.

All Music about Being Dead's EELS (90 out of 100).

I Got Heaven – Mannequin Pussy (89/100)

The band's fifth studio album Mannequin Pussy stands out for talking about themes that are different from those that the group has covered on other albums. The I Got Heaven has lyrics about personal relationships, religious themes and emotions related to aging. The work also stands out for having themes and visuals inspired by old films.

Mannequin Pussy’s map of utopia may encompass uneven terrain, but the band owns every inch of it, forging cohesive paths between harsh and heavenly melodies. The feat renews one of punk’s enduring tenets for a new era of activism: To protect what’s precious—freedom, community or otherwise—you often have to raise a little hell.

Paste Magazine (grade 82 out of 100).

Nobody Loves You More – Kim Deal (89/100)

kim deal is the singer with the shortest career on our list of best albums of 2024. Her album Nobody Loves You More is her debut work and, from the very first play, she has been extremely acclaimed for addressing themes such as love and even a song about Alzheimer. There's even a song called Crystal Breath, which tells of Kim Deal's admiration for actress Rose Bryne.

There's something more free-spirited about the music on Nobody Loves You More, which suits Deal well and made this record worth the wait.

Rolling Stones about Nobody Loves You More (grade 80 out of 100)

Hit Me Hard And Soft – Billie Eilish (89/10)

giving presentations, Billie Eilish was highlighted once again with her work. The singer, only 23 years old, in partnership with her brother Finneas, was extremely acclaimed with her third studio album. Birds Of Feather e Chihiro were highlights of this album, but Lunch , a song in which Billie speaks openly about her bisexuality, was also a hit in 2024.

For 43 straight minutes, she forces the listener to consider every facet of her sound without wasting a second of their time. Her self-assurance in her artistry lays the foundation for an album that feels like a signature triumph.

Exclaim about Hit Me Hard And Soft (grade 80 out of 100)

Passage du Désir – Johnny Blue Skies (89/100)

Closing our list, here we have the work of an alter ego: Johnny Blue Skies is, in fact, the alter ego of Sturgill simpson. In his eighth album as a singer, he sings about subjects such as going to bars, past mistakes and grief over the past. Simpson also went on tour to promote the album, in which he invited his alter ego to come on stage every night.

It is, at once, a stroke of outlaw country genius and a massive, psychedelic vacuum of singer-songwriter reckonings and pensive concert waves. I wouldn’t call Passage du Desir a comeback. No, this is a recalibration firing on all cylinders—its only imperfection is that it ends.

Paste Magazine about the Passage du Désir (grade 97 out of 100).

And for you, what is the best album of 2024? Is it on this list? Tell us in the comments Comment!

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reviewed by Tiago Rodrigues in 26 / 12 / 2024