The Best Albums Of 2024 (So Far)

Looking from afar, this year in music can be broken down into four words—Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar. But if you zoom in and focus on the granular, you get a more nuanced understanding: midway through, 2024 has not only been a great year for music but a great year for albums. (Those things don’t always overlap.) 

The variety is stunning; there has been a healthy mix of releases from superstars, underground veterans, promising rookies, and consistent journeymen. Taken as a whole, it can seem chaotic trying to capsulize the year so far. There are all of these little pockets thriving in pop and hip-hop right now, pushing boundaries in their own unique way. 

So, with six months down and thousands of albums released, here is our ranking of the best albums of 2024 so far.

Label: 4batz/gamma

Release date: May 3

There were a lot of questions surrounding 4Batz’s musical origins and how the 20-year-old Dallas singer went from being an unknown to one of the most talked about new artists on the planet in less than a year. And his debut EP, u made me a st4r, answers a lot of those questions. The “who” that made 4Batz a star is, in part, his ex Jada. The singer spends the entire project talking indirectly to her through various love ballads that harken back to a time when R&B was mostly about yearning. 4Batz expands his reach outside the first three “acts'' that made him a rising star. This includes hitters like “act iv: fkcin u (18+)” and “act viii: i hate to be alone.” 4Batz still has room to grow, but as far as origin stories go, u made me a st4r is compelling enough to make you want to keep reading. —Jordan Rose 

Label: YSL/300 Entertainment

Release date: May 9

Gunna likes to rap like he’s floating down a river, letting himself flow into every little pocket of the beat without putting up much resistance. It’s a hypnotizing style that lends itself well to vibe-setting albums that glide from one song to the next, and on One of Wun he allows his vocal inflections to freely bounce off every snare and hi-hat in a way that’s as watery his most iconic cover shoot. So, as surprising as it might be to see a name like Leon Bridges on this tracklist, don’t underestimate Gunna’s ability to go toe to toe with the smoothest vocalists on the planet. One of Wun is highlighted by standouts like the title track and “Hakuna Matata,” but don’t be afraid to start this one on track one and let it freely wash over you until the end. —Eric Skelton

Label: Geffen Records

Release date: Jan. 12

In a career that stretches over a decade, Kali Uchis has earned a reputation for music that's as versatile as it is stylish. She reinforced that reputation with Orquídeas, an LP that blends synth pop, reggaeton, and cosmic R&B with seamless ease. For “Muñekita,” she teams up with El Alfa and JT for a dembow-infused single that conjures sexual impulse in the heat of the dancefloor. Meanwhile, on “Te Mata,” she stews in a disembodied soundbed for a break-up anthem that's as spiteful as it is luxuriant. It’s all connected by a deft sequencing and vocals that can emit hurt or icy cool. It’s a virtuosic effort that captures all the atmospheric cool of last year’s Red Venus in Moon. The LP, her second Spanish-speaking effort, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, proving once again that slaps will always translate. —Peter A. Berry

Label: World Affairs 

Release date: March 13

Yung Lean and Bladee have been creative comrades for years. But despite the fact that they are both extremely prolific, they had, up until this year, never released a project together. And then, out of nowhere, they dropped Psykos, an at times tender, at times gutting emo record that is only 22 minutes but sounds like an epic. The project was produced entirely by Palmistry and silent$ky, who provide a more rock-inspired, analog sound for the two rappers to play in. With this new palette, Bladee and Lean perform some of the best songwriting of their career—abstract yet riddled with detailed. (On “Still,” Bladee sings: “To kill and feel no remorse. To brutally apply force. To take away what is yours. And leave your body a corpse.”) About a month after Psykos dropped, Bladee would release a more traditional Bladee album, featuring most of his regular contributors, like F1lthy and Whitearmor. But Psykos is very much a natural progression for the two artists. Something tells me we’ll be back soon. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Label: Mach-Hommy

Release date: May 17

Much has been written about Mach-Hommy’s idiosyncrasies over the years, from his mysterious background to his unorthodox distribution strategies. But sometimes the dialogue around the Haitian-American rapper overshadows an indisputable fact: Mach-Hommy has been building one of the great catalogs in underground rap history, in volume and in impact. 

So when you get an album like #RICHAXXAITIAN, it’s best to not get buried in narrative—like why Spotify took the album off, briefly—and focus on the music. #RICHAXXAITIAN is incredible. It’s his first solo album since flirting with Griselda in 2021, and it's in conversation with previous Mach albums: HBO (Haitian Body Odor), Pray for Haiti, and Balens Cho (Hot Candles). Haiti is going through a particularly turbulent time right now, and you can hear the stress. There is a political undercurrent all over this album: you have Creole rapping; snippets of news clips; choruses about the International Monetary Fund; and even an extended skit with the infamous Haitian Jack. The album is heady but not isolating; if you’re an underground rap nerd there is nothing more exhilarating than listening to Mach and Roc Marciano go full Raekwon and Ghostface on “ANTONOMASIA” or hearing Black Thought raise the stakes on the standout “COPY COLD.” —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Label: CXR

Release date: April 3

Chris Patrick stands out as an emcee because he’s not afraid to put his ugly truths on wax. Being on the precipice of rap greatness is cool in theory, until you’re reminded that the toll for switching lanes on life are the late bills that are still due and the trauma that still needs to be addressed. There are moments on The Calm where Chris sounds reminiscent of The Warm Up era J. Cole in the way he weaves personal stories into his rhymes, The Calm is uniquely Chris Patrick’s because he spits with the courage and conviction of a fully realized rapper from East Orange, New Jersey. —Jordan Rose

Label: Republic

Release date: March 8

No one besides the Kardashians want to be the center of tabloids, but Ariana Grande made the best of it with Eternal Sunshine, a compelling album that plays and prods with our imagination while sifting through her own love life. A concept LP that nods to the surreality of Jim Carrey’s 2004 flick, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the album sees Grande extend playful nods to a bunch of stuff that’s flatout not our business (“true story”) before truly opening up about her failed marriage (“eternal sunshine”). She renders all of her feelings and attitudes through a more subdued singing approach—you won’t catch many of those Mariah Carey-esque vocal acrobatics here—and dynamic, yet atmospheric soundscapes that capture her pensiveness. Shifting through snark, vulnerability and production that ranges from moody R&B to synth pop, she transmutes her love life messiness into something meticulous and spotlessly clean.—Peter A. Berry

Label: Fax / Epic 

Release date: March 22

On her eponymous debut LP, South African pop vocalist Tyla brings a sensual edge to her girl next door charm. Last year, you couldn’t miss her inescapable breakout single, “Water,” but on TYLA, the singer makes a splash on 14 tracks, all summertime-appropriate. Tyla softly coos flirtation on the lush “Breathe Me,” invites collaborators Gunna and Skillibeng to the bashment on the tantalizing “Jump,” and proclaims her “masterpiece” status on the aptly-titled “ART.” The 22-year-old comes into her own on TYLA and extends listeners a fresh introductory album. —Jaelani Turner-Williams

Label: Yzy

Release date: Feb. 10

Look. ’Ye hasn’t said shit in six years, and when he has let loose even semi-coherent thoughts, they’re as delusional as they are hateful. And yet, he’s able to make his vapidness sound pretty damn good on Vultures 1, a shimmeringly vacuous joint album with Ty Dolla $ign. Here, Yeezy’s production is as luminous as it is dynamic, oscillating between celestial gospel (“Stars”) and pulsing Chicago house (“Paid”). ’Ye himself doesn’t say anything notable, but with Dolla $igns’ pristine vocals and strong guest verses from Freddie Gibbs, Rich The Kid and even YG, he doesn’t really have to. “Back to Me” is one of the quirkiest and most electric songs of 2024, with Kanye’s absurdist hook being a mesmerizingly jarring juxtaposition with Dolla $ign’s serene bridge. “Carnival” is an apocalyptic banger that saw ’Ye literally import Inter Milan fanatics to serve up colosseum chants for the hook. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Fun, well-executed, and occasionally inventive, the LP proves that, somewhere behind the haze of bullshit remains a curator that’s as genius as he is troubling.—Peter A. Berry

Label: We Each Other / Jamla / Roc Nation  

Release date: May 17 

The rap world is in a better place when Rapsody drops. And she delivered with interest on her fourth studio album, Please Don’t Cry. Each of the songs feel like distinct acts in a play that tell the tale of how Rapsody found solace in her insecurities and converted them into pure energy that she channels through precise bars. With the help of Erykah Badu, Lil Wayne, Niko Brim, Alex Isley, and more, Please Don’t Cry is an album that champions coming-as-you-are from an artist who is a true master of the craft. —Jordan Rose  

Label: Alamo

Release date: March 15

There’s no award for “Slick Talker of the Year,” but if there was one, BossMan Dlow might just take home the W. Mr Beat The Road is a stylish exercise in hard-earned street savvy and effortless swagger. Over the course of 17 tracks, the Port Salerno, Florida spitter imbues motivational get-money raps with folksy everyman levity. The immediacy of his humor embeds his aspirational raps with subtle authority and accessibility—the sort of shit talk you might overhear at a dice game. “Left wrist on frost, look like a bag of ice/I'm drivin' the Bentley Bentayga like I don't love my life,” he spits on “Get In With Me,” a track that’s basically, “Get in loser, we’re gonna be trap stars’.” —Peter A. Berry

Label: Field Trip Recordings/Capitol Records

Release date: Feb. 16

Yeat doesn’t talk much, but when he does, he usually brings up his two favorite topics: time traveling and aliens. So it was really only a matter of time until he made a whole sci-fi rap album about his dystopian vision of the future. Full of sludgy beats and outlandish lyrics, 2093 is a delirious-ass project that leans into all of Yeat’s eccentricities, and it doesn’t sound like any other rap album this year. Shit, it doesn’t even sound like it came from Earth. Whether he’s making apathetic moshpit anthems like “Breathe” or singing about love on industrial rave records like “ILUV,” Yeat listens to all of his most self-indulgent impulses and pulls off an intoxicating album that might just make you forget what planet you’re on (or even what year it is). —Eric Skelton

Label:  R&R

Release date: Feb. 9

Through the dreamy, waning haze that is Mk.gee’s debut album, Two Star & The Dream Police, the Linwood, New Jersey singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist finds the same passion (and confidence) in his voice as he does in his guitar. Mk.gee melds ethereal bedroom pop and alternative R&B that just barely sits on the edge of the genre. However, there’s a certain push-and-pull that feels otherworldly yet nostalgic on Two Star. Tracks like “I Want” and “Candy” sound like songs you’ve heard before, but can’t quite place your finger on. Highlights such as “Alesis,” “Rylee & I” and “Are You Looking Up” is music from a bird’s eye view—filled with detours, abstractions and other quirks that take your eyes off the road (even for a split second). He mysteriously drawls throughout much of the 12-track LP, whispering between the ebbs and flows of his inimitable guitar playing. This, though, is the beauty of Two Star & The Dream Police: It’s intimate yet expansive, a fever dream in final form. So alien yet so human. —Jon Barlas

Label:  10k 

Release date: March 6

MIKE’s flows are as crooked as ever on Pinball, but Tony Seltzer’s production choices are able to contain them within boundaries that allow new listeners to zig when the New York rapper zags. The album works because every track feels like a new game MIKE is creating; you’re compelled to hear what pocket he and Earl Sweatshirt decide to glide down on “On God,” or what the fuck he and Jay Critch are going to rap about on “Reminiscing.” The outcome never disappoints, either. Pinball is special because it maintains its underground sensibilities without limiting itself to esoteric subject matter. —Jordan Rose  

Label:  RCA

Release date: March 14

Kenny Mason is rap’s true chosen one whether you realize it or not. As the final piece to a trilogy of projects, 9 unleashes Kenny Mason’s full breadth of niche versatility compacted into nine tracks (18 in total, counting each EP). A potent sample of the Atlanta star’s dynamic skill set, the album—featuring Veeze, BabyDrill and Toro Y Moi—not only showcases the rapper’s affinity for deep, narrative-driven lyrics, but his signature ability to blend ATL trap, sample hip-hop, and heavy metal into one. He toes this line near perfectly on 9, as career-defining highlights like “CHOSEN,” “SLIP” and “MONEY SIGNS” exude reflective themes of his embattled upbringing in Atlanta. Hard rock has always been Mason’s forte, honing the stark grittiness of grunge guitars, Nirvana-esque growls and a tenacity that catches ears (heard on “US” and “FEEL IT”). However, it’s triumphant diary entries (“LUMINOUS”), rattling trap (“EASY DUB”) and out-of-left-field hits (“SLIP”) that sees Mason reach new heights and enjoy the view. —Jon Barlas 

Label:  Slaughter Gang / Epic 

Release date: Jan. 12

american dream is packed with blockbuster aura. The UK-born, Atlanta-raised rapper not only puts forth a full-length effort dedicated to his origins—seen mobbing through the streets of his native London on “redrum”—but sets the stage for his most cohesive solo project to date. Known for infusing menace with luxury, and even tackling loverboy anthems as of late, tracks like “all of me,” “née-nah” and “see the real,” among others, delve into his complicated lifestyle—offering some of Savage’s most concise and personal performances of his catalog. 21 was already a superstar, but american dream resolidifies his status as one of the premier hitmakers of this generation. —Jon Barlas 

Label: Cole World / Interscope 

Release date: April 5

Yes, the title of J. Cole’s surprise project, Might Delete Later, aged poorly. But the title also proves that even the Carolina rapper’s throwaway verses still create motion that forces the music industry to stop and listen. Might Delete Later offers a wide array of subject matter that gives fans an update on Cole’s mental state—like the regret he feels about holding grudges after losing a friend on “Stealth Mode,” and how  he continues to wrestle with the gravity of his fame on the second half of his verse on “H.Y.B.” The project’s thesis is found on “Trae The Truth in Ibiza,” where Cole raps about how he’s still working to show every aspect of himself in the music—“the good, the bad, the ugly, the strong, the weak.” These untidy truths are what make Cole Cole, and what makes Might Delete Later worthwhile—with or without a diss record. —Jordan Rose

Label: Def Jam / Blacksmith 

Release date: May 23

To drop his sixth and final album on Def Jam, Vince Staples took a walk down memory lane. Staples’ latest LP, Dark Times, puts Long Beach in his front view; from folkish opener “Black&Blue,” which recalls his self-titled 2021 album, to electronic hitter “Little Homies,” which could easily be a Big Fish Theory throwaway. Tracks “Freeman” and “Étouffée” find Staples reveling in his major label exit, the latter song even turning into an all-out bounce music function. While he still looks over his shoulder for hidden dangers, Staples doesn’t hide from his reality and narrates them as only he knows how. —Jaelani Turner-Williams 

Label: UnitedMasters

Release date: April 26

Anycia’s Princess Pop proves that the future of Atlanta rap is in good hands. Despite being a relatively new artist, Anycia commands every song on her debut album,  even when she’s rapping with more established acts like Latto on “Back Outside.” She keeps shit Atlanta across a diverse array of beats, from sexy drill with a JetsonMade southern twist on “That’s Hard” with Cash Cobain, to spitting over a K-Pop sample on “Eat!” Even when the subject matter overlaps, Anycia is still able to make the tracks feel distinct with the different pockets she finds. Princess Pop That only has a 27-minute run time, but that’s all the time Anycia needs to convince you that she has natural talent and the work ethic to send her career to the stratosphere in due time. —Jordan Rose

Label: Darkroom / Interscope

Release date: May 17

Billie Eilish has always found a way to surprise and defy expectations, but Hit Me Hard and Soft stretches this notion beyond. Her most authentic and versatile body of work, Eilish transcends through refreshing electronic-laced cuts (“Chihiro”), bassy bangers like her hit single “Lunch” and aching tender ballads (“Birds of a Feather” and “Wildflower”) with ease. As always, created with her brother Finneas, the album ultimately transports you to an alternate universe yet finds Eilish crooning with a refined sense of self-assurance and authenticity. While her previous album, Happier Than Ever, reflected on a period of confusion and depression, Hit Me Hard and Soft marks Eilish’s ability to embrace the complexities of her identity and intimacy—welcoming her constant evolution as an artist above all. —Jon Barlas 

Label: Epic / Freebandz / Republic / Boominati Worldwide 

Release date: April 12

If We Don’t Trust You is Knives Out than We Still Don’t Trust You is Glass Onion, a blockbuster sequel that can stand with the first. After kicking off the 2024 rap war with a high-octane hip-hop album, the Atlanta duo slow the tempo on their second offering by pouring a syrupy concoction of R&B ballads over deceptively fluttery beats. The Weeknd delivers his Drake disses over angelic interludes on “All to Myself,” while Future goes deep into his own melodic pockets with elite precision on tracks like “Beat It,” “Right 4 You,” and “Red Leather.” The second half of We Still Don’t Trust You also feels like an entirely different project that taps into mixtape Future and adds a different dimension to the album. We Still Don’t Trust You may not have a song similar to “Like That,” but it does provide a diverse offering of tracks equipped with lush sonic pairings that create the perfect sequel to a blockbuster that only Future and Metro Boomin could orchestrate. —Jordan Rose

Label: Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia 

Release date: March 29 

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter is a homecoming for the Houston legend, with her celebrating her country roots while simultaneously reclaiming them. Like she did with Renaissance, Bey acts as a great party host and finds a way to welcome everyone into her line dance by embracing the jazz and blues roots of southern music while also infusing it with her own brand of R&B and rap. Beyoncé makes her own versions of country classics like “Jolene” and “Blackbird,” while also highlighting a rising generation of Black country stars like Shaboozey, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, and more across the album. Cowboy Carter is packed with homages to country’s past while still leaving room for its future, creating a bridge in generations that only Beyoncé could. —Jordan Rose

Label: 43B

Release date: May 10

Rap sequels usually stink. Often, they are a sign that a rapper is running out of ideas, so they try to channel a feeling from a previous era, with the hope that it sparks some sort of enthusiasm. So it’s credit to Chief Keef—who at only 28 is a grizzled rap veteran—and his artistry that the sequel to his 2013 classic sounds this inspired. Almighty So 2 is the most versatile rap record of the year so far, one that never stops surprising. And with the exception of the Michael Blackson skits, it’s an album that doesn’t depend on nostalgia, instead finding different pockets that allow Sosa to challenge his creative instincts. (In an interview with the Recording Academy, Chief Keef was relatively dismissive of any sequel comparisons.)

So what do we have here: an album where Chief Keef—a big Dipset fan—plays around with Bobby Womack soul samples, merging them with gatling gun drum patterns; an album where he pulls out the red carpet for Tierra Whack to spit a verse of the year candidate; an album where he’s brash and confrontational one moment, reflective the next, like on "Believe;" an album where he clashes his aggressive rap flow with the most pristine production you’ll hear in contemporary rap (“Treat Myself”). So… when is Almighty So 3 coming? —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Label: Top Dawg Entertainment / Interscope 

Release date: March 1

It’s easy to lose track of ScHoolboy Q, In the shadow of Kendrick Lamar. The last time we heard from him, it was his lackluster 2019 album, CrasH Talk. That didn’t get him any legacy points. But Blue Lips did. Coated shapeshifting production, lucid reflections, flexible vocal performances and dynamic flow structures, the LP reminded folks of Q’s all-around rap mastery. Tracks like “Cooties” and his Mac Miller tribute, “Blueslides,” are among the most personal and technically sharp raps of his career. Laced with an alluring flute sample and bars that can be as celebratory as they are reflective, “Thank God 4 Me” is one of the best rap songs of the year. Tracks like those are as powerful as any he’s ever created—and the same goes for Blue Lips. —Peter A. Berry

Label: Epic / Freebandz / Republic / Boominati Worldwide 

Release date: March 22

The best Future music is driven by spite, whether it’s animosity towards an ex or a rap rival. We Don’t Trust You, Future and Metro Boomin’s first official collabo album, is now known as the project that launched the greatest rap battle of all time. But I’m here to tell you it’s more than just “Like That.” The album is a return to form for one hip-hop’s greatest rap artists and easily the best release of the first half of 2024.   

Yes, We Don’t Trust You is a middle finger to Drake—with various snubs throughout. But it also functions as a response to growing apathy around Future’s releases. Pluto has had hits over the last couple of years—“Your first No. 1, I had to put it in your hand”—but there’s been dwindling returns on his last couple of albums. 

That changed with We Don’t Trust You. On this album, Metro and Future embrace a tried and true formula—rap nostalgia—and elevate shit to blockbuster levels. Channeling the energy of Prodigy—a soft spoken rapper who was always seething with anger —Future embraces a calm but rude demeanor throughout the album. Listen to “Magic Don Juan (Princess Diana).” Listen to “Claustrophobic.” Listen to “Type Shit.” Just elite scumbug rap that is matched by Metro Boomin’s cinematic often layered production, that reminds me of an elevated 2024 version of Mobb Deep’s 1996 Hell on Earth. 

Metro and Future would follow this album with the sequel a couple of weeks later. And while also excellent, it wasn’t needed. They made their point just fine the first time around.  —Dimas Sanfiorenzo