Emilio's Favorite Songs of 2024

On sincerity, being a little horny, and getting a little older.

A wonderful meal enjoyed at LaGuardia Airport.

Every year for what feels like the past five years, the end of the calendar year approaches and I tell myself, “It’s list season!” I haven’t worked a media gig or job even longer than that. Still, it is ingrained in me to compartmentalize all my media consumption from the previous 12 months.

The past year in music has probably been my favorite of the decade so far. It’s probably not the best by quality but I found myself enjoying music more: on my own, with friends, sharing what I listen to, not sharing. The old proverb “the older you get, the more conservative you get” really pisses me off because I find the opposite to be true. I find myself wanting to be more emotional, more sensitive, wanting to try more, and be a little more afraid. Music is but a subtle way I can do all of those things.

FOX 11 reporter doing some field work.

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40. Magdalena Bay, “Image” (self-produced)

39. MIKE & Tony Seltzer, “R&B” (prod. Tony Seltzer)

38. NxWorries, “FallThru” (prod. Knxwledge)

37. Tommy Richman, “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” (prod. Max Vossberg, Jonah Roy, Mannyvelli, Sparkheem, Kavi & Gidi)

36. Anycia & Latto, “Back Outside” (prod. JetsonMade)

35. A.G. Cook, “Luddite Factory Operator” (self-produced)

34. Chief Keef & Mike WiLL Made-It, “DAMN SHORTY (feat. Sexyy Red)” (prod. Mike WiLL Made-It & Shawn Ferrari)

33. Jane Remover, “Magic I Want U” (self-produced)

32. LAZER DIM 700, “Asian Rock” (prod. Bloom7k)

31. The Marias, “Run Your Mouth” (prod. Josh Conway)

30. Caroline Polachek, “Dang” (prod. Caroline Polachek & Cecile Believe)

29. Laila!, “If U Don’t Know By Now” (self-produced)

28. Jamie xx, “Baddy On the Floor (feat. Honey Dijon)” (prod. Jamie xx, Honey Dijon & Luke Solomon)

27. Niontay, “Vice Grip” (prod. Tony Seltzer)

26. Sexyy Red, “Get It Sexyy” (prod. Tay Keith & Jake Fridkis)

25. Tems, “Wickedest” (prod. Tems & GuiltyBeats)

24. wolfacejoeyy, “finsta (sexy liar)” (prod. Gvrlnd!)

23. GloRilla, “TGIF” (prod. Chaii Beats)

22. Baby Osamaa, “Free Max B” (prod. Saint & Divine)

21. Tisakorean, “Money Happiness” (self-produced)

20. Sabrina Carpenter, “Espresso” (prod. Julian Bunetta)

A good, but ultimately, run-of-the-mill disco pastiche that is bolstered by some of the most incredible oddball lyricism of recent memory. The corniness of “I know I Mountain Dew it for ya” is countered by some surreal bars like “One touch and I brand-newed it for ya.” Is it that sweet? I guess so.

19. Faye Webster, “After the First Kiss” (prod. Faye Webster & Drew Vandenberg)

Bart Simpson writing on a chalkboard: Gaye Webster. She’s mastered her own sound, a unique blend of Americana and steel guitar with some inflections of jazz, and yet also managed to add depth to it with her new affinity for orchestral arrangement.

18. Ravyn Lenae & Ty Dolla $ign, “Dream Girl” (prod. Dahi, Ely Rise & Spencer Stewart)

Some truly perfect harmonies on this song. Ravyn Lenae flexes her songwriting muscle up and down on Bird’s Eye but here, old-school yearning gets right to the point: “Let go of all your reservations / You don’t have to use your imagination.” I wanna go back in time and stop Ty Dolla from chronic smoking and ruining his lungs. Shout out Jimmy Jam.

17. ZAYALLCAPS, “boof” (self-produced)

Post-modern post-blog, somehow both early 2010-staple rap and also couldn’t have been made any time but now. Translation: slaps. A super-catchy distillation of ringtone rap, Northern, and Southern California rap music.

16. Clairo, “Slow Dance” (prod. Clairo & Leon Michels)

The most devastating song of Clairo’s career so far, and she’s got a few of them. Delicately crafted, a beautifully tragic hook. Some vocal tones here that make me feel like the hypothetical heartbreak here is happening to me.

15. Bfb Da Packman & Babyfxce E, “Kentucky Love (feat. KrispyLife Kidd)” (prod. Mook Made It)

I fell off of a lot of Detroit rap this year but this sample, which is really lazy in theory, goes stupid hard and KrispyLife Kidd, predictably, has an insane feature. My personal favorite line: “This the new edition of the Glock, you better cool it now.”

14. Charlotte Day Wilson, “Canopy” (prod. Charlotte Day Wilson & Jack Ro)

Have always loved Wilson’s voice more than her music but songs like “Canopy” dot Cyan Blue, her best work so far. Very tasteful line-stepping on the blue-eyed soul threshold. Bouncy enough that I could imagine a 90s music video in the style of TLC or Destiny’s Child to this song.

13. Mach-Hommy, “POLItickle (feat. Drea D’Nur)” (prod. SadhuGold & Elijah Hooks)

Mach-Hommy continues to be one of the best rappers of our generation. He does it all while managing to subvert all expectations — of both modern rappers and the ridiculous high standards set for him — and burrowing his dense yet sleek lyrics in similarly minimal production. Death to the International Monetary Fund.

12. Hiatus Kaiyote, “Make Friends” (self-produced)

Not nearly as significant as the Grateful Dead but perhaps one of the only bands left that our generation has that is at all similar. The older I get, the older this band gets, the more I feel connected to them. Shameless; at times cheesy; above all, sincere. Last hook moves me deeply.

11. Nourished by Time, “Hell of a Ride” (self-produced)

A dystopian, late night drunk text, a call for help to no one in particular. Beautiful, cascading piano chords while Brown harps about forlorn love and kids with nowhere to go. Even at the end of the world, the music keeps playing.

10. Playboi Carti, “H00DBYAIR” (prod. Cardo Got Wings & Onokey)

“H00DBYAIR” is a stern reminder of who we’re dealing with here, a superstar who is in total control of his sound and energy. His music rattles with frenetic energy, getting high while super pissed off, yet his anger and fear is so precise. Can’t lie, really cool way to announce you’re having another kid.

9. Tyla, “Truth or Dare” (prod. Sammy Soso)

Never been an amapiano listener, so I was largely unmoved by Tyla’s music but “Truth or Dare” is undeniable. A pop song that skillfully and truthfully bridges its foundational genre with larger reaching pop tendencies. Certified hip-moving music.

8. Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar, “Like That” (prod. Metro Boomin)

The fickle nature of social media turned Metro Boomin from a visionary producer into a celebrity, i.e. a name that became detached from the quality of his work. His work in 2024, primarily with Future, feels like a re-steadying of the ship. For lack of better description, his production is what it is still but this run starting with WE DON’T TRUST YOU is more incisive. Also, frankly, we got some good fuckin’ Future songs out of it. This is popcorn blockbuster rap music, a chart topper you might assume is totally fine until you find yourself singing Michel’le samples in your car.

7. Chappell Roan, “Good Luck, Babe!” (prod. Dan Nigro)

The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess has a sizable gap between Chappell Roan the character and Kayleigh Amstutz the musician. No gap here. One of the best pop songs of the decade so far. The tension that builds up through the verses (“I don’t wanna call it off / But you don’t wanna call it love”) leads to an incredible, powerfully cathartic hook. Really annoyed that she didn’t make a music video for this.

6. skaiwater & KARRAHBOOO, “wna torture me tn?” (prod. Skaiwater & T.Y. Jake)

#gigi is chock full of exciting, surreal productions that expand what rap music is in 2024-now-2025 but “wna torture me tn?” expands those ideas both musically and lyrically. So much conviction and tenderness in the way skaiwater tells his lover, “Bring the cuffs out, bring the strap out, bring the tail out.” Disgustingly horny yet touchingly romantic. Arguably the best love song of the decade so far.

5. Kendrick Lamar, “squabble up” (prod. Kendrick Lamar, Sounwave, Jack Antonoff & Scott Bridgeway)

Kendrick is in a stratosphere that, as far as rappers go, puts him closer to pop star status. It’s fascinating then to see him evolving in real time, trying to fit his colossal personality and following into the small box of golden age West Coast rap. “Ayy Dot, can I get a drop? I’m like n**, nah” is so real.

4. El Cousteau, “Words2LiveBy (feat. Earl Sweatshirt)” (prod. Cocá Cousteau & Paprob)

Best feature of the year. Free Gaza, we on the corner like Israelites.

3. Sexyy Red, “U My Everything (feat. Drake)” (prod. Tay Keith, Jake Fridkis & Luh Ron)

End of the year, I find myself sing-rapping this hook randomly all the time. The BBL Drizzy sample at the end is still incredible.

2. Charli xcx, “Spring breakers” (prod. A.G. Cook, Finn Keane & Jon Shave)

I remember the first time I heard Pop 2 in college. I was an incredibly straight man with an aggressively online taste in music and it was a formative experience for me. Though it didn’t age well, it did and still does imagine a diverse, new pop utopia. That, of course, doesn’t necessitate that brat will age any better but in a vacuum, the brat summer of 2024 was a crystallization of those unknown feelings in 2017. A new frontier that only existed on the internet, seven years later, fully fleshed out into brat green billboards, heavy-handed meme references, and one incredibly British woman singing spring breakuhhhhhhs.

1. Cash Cobain & Bay Swag, “Fisherrr” (prod. Cash Cobain, FckBwoy! & WhoIsJiggi)

With 2 Slizzy 2 Sexy, it felt like Cash Cobain had bottled up lightning. His sample-driven, hi-hat heavy beats soundtracked the most basic debaucherous fun. Being earnestly horny was no longer a joke but more a callback to 1990s male-led R&B. “Fisherrr” elevates Cash from a local legend to a modern troubadour. There are crazier Cash Cobain productions and way hornier songs but none are as stylish, as saucy, and few as tender – but definitely still horny – as “Fisherrr.” Fisherrrr. Fisherrrr.