This year, the music scene has exploded with great amazing albums and singles alike. From a Jazz revolution to the emergence of experimental rap and trap meta into the mainstream, the whole scene has experienced a rebirth after a somewhat stagnant 2023.

10. HARDSTONE PSYCHO, Don Toliver

After releasing his third studio album, “Love Sick,” last year, Toliver decided a new direction for his upcoming album was needed. “Love Sick” was a more R&B Trap fusion record, which garnered decent reviews. Toliver released the first single, “BANDIT,” in early 2024, which shocked many as the new Trap Metal sound was not something Don Toliver fans were accustomed to. Overall, the album retains a fun atmosphere while also giving the listener intense highs while also not meandering around the sixteen-song tracklist.

9. ORQUIDEAS, Kali Uchis

For her fourth studio album, Uchis returned to her roots of reggaeton-infused pop after experimenting with soft R&B in her last album, “Red Moon In Venus”. The album did very well internationally, being nominated for 2024 Latin Album of the Year. The album celebrates her entrance into motherhood and her relationship with rapper Don Toliver. Uchis’s voice softly accompanies the lush reggaeton beats that are elevated by various chord and string arrangements. The songs blend together in a fun mix of pop songs that listeners do not need to understand Spanish to enjoy.

8. SMILE! :D, Porter Robinson

Robinson kept his usual electropop sound for his third album. This album comes after 2021’s critically acclaimed “Nurture”. The album was preceded by a set of singles that gave the album major anticipation as it looked like Robinson was leaning into a more anime-esque electro sound. Releasing over the summer, it provided a fun atmosphere that resonated well with fans, praising its creative palette and its happy summer atmosphere. While it may be a shorter album, ten tracks specifically, it packs a punch that gets more enjoyable with each listen.

7. CHROMAKOPIA, Tyler, The Creator

Tyler, The Creator has returned with a new album following 2021’s “Call Me If You Get Lost”, which was a well-received album with both fans and critics alike. CHROMAKOPIA experienced a large amount of high expectations, which were both shattered and let down at the same time when the album was released. While some were expecting it to be more similar to 2019’s “IGOR”, arguably his magnum opus, fans received an album that sounded like all of his previous works combined into one album. An example of that is the track “Rah Tah Tah,” which sounds as if it should belong to his 2015 album “CHERRY BOMB.” Some songs come off as really abrasive and aggressive, and others feel more lush and smooth, presenting a jumbled yet creatively beautiful album. 

“It’s really good, a lot of songs on the album should be on everyone’s playlist,” said Jimmy O’Connell, a fan of Tyler, The Creator. “Overall, it was pretty good.”

6. Dark Times, Vince Staples

Stapes returned from a brief one-year hiatus with “Dark Times,” an album highlighting his childhood struggles growing up in Compton. He wrestles with his demons while rapping melodically over smooth boom-bap beats. This was very well received by listeners as they all commonly said that this was the album they wanted Staples to release for so long. It is overall a great album that is personal and self-reflecting and gives listeners a glimpse into Vince’s rough upbringing in Compton.

5. The New Sound, Geordie Greep

The frontman from the band “Black Midi”, has emerged with his own solo work. Geordie Greep, who played guitar and sang for Black Midi, exploded onto the scene with this album, releasing the song “Holy, Holy” as a single, which created intense hype among fans of Black Midi and soft rock in general. The album fuses Latin rock, slow rock and jazz-rock to create an avant-garde experience. The album is tinged with soft guitars and playful basslines that make the songs blend into each other with the various arrangements of drums and avant-garde singing styles, which is something that takes a bit of time to get used to but is worth the listener’s while.

4. Fearless Movement, Kamasi Washington

Kamasi re-emerged into the jazz scene after his last album, “Heaven and Earth”, which came out in 2019. The album gave new life to a relatively dead jazz scene, with fantastic saxophone pieces by Kamasi. The album also featured rap legend Andre 3000, who released a flute album last year. The album has a massive array of guests, including legendary bassist Stephen Bruner, professionally known as Thundercat. The album culminates in a beautiful jazz journey that keeps the listener engaged throughout the whole hour and a half runtime, revitalizing a once dormant jazz genre.

3. I LAY MY LIFE DOWN FOR YOU, JPEGMAFIA

Barrington Hendricks, professionally known as JPEGMAFIA, released his heavily anticipated seventh studio album this summer. The album blends his well-known experimental style with metal and hard rock, which is a genre now coming into the rap spotlight. The album is stunningly creative, with exceptional guitar work from Hendricks, along with smooth bars and fantastic choices in drum arrangement.

“The album is a great continuation of his career and an even greater display of his talent and status in experimental and industrial hip-hop,” said James Lane, an avid fan of the album.

2. Jonah Yano & The Heavy Loop, Jonah Yano

Japanese-American artist Jonah Yano contributed to the newly revived jazz scene this year with his third full-length album, “Jonah Yano and The Heavy Loop”. The album has a relatively short tracklist, being only eight songs but is lengthy in terms of runtime, being fifty minutes long. The reason for being so long with that short of a tracklist is the final track, which is a thirty–minute-long improvisation jazz piece using various chord progressions and drum arrangements, with vocals peppered throughout the lengthy piece. The album features Helena Deland, Ouri, and Clairo, who had a profound impact on the album. Clairo played the clarinet on most of the songs and also had a vocal feature on the track “Snowpath.” Overall the album is sonically beautiful and soft while also bringing a wintry atmosphere with the instrumental choices and quiet vocals. The saxophone arrangements on this album are beautiful, each adding a special layer to each song.

1. SHINBANGUMI, Ginger Root

Multi-instrumentalist Cameron Lew has gained major popularity within the Asian-American indie scene after his successful “Nisemono” EP. After taking 2023 off from music, he returned with the single “No Problems”, which was accompanied by a music video detailing the main story for the album. After release, Lew and his bandmates embarked on their world tour, spanning most of Europe, Northern America, and Japan. The album brings a playful, fun sense with its colorful synths and tight basslines. With filtered vocals, Lew expands his voice to new heights not seen before in his previous works. The whole album is inspired by Japanese city-pop and is overall a fantastic listen, being both stylistically creative and venturing into new territory.