With 2024 just over halfway done, the number of music projects that have surfaced thus far is almost overwhelming.
January started off strong with a longform return from Radiohead-offshoot The Smile; February signaled Shygirl’s latest made-for-the-dancefloor delivery and March saw an impressive four-track project from Joe Armon-Jones.
However, the recent warm-weather months have catalyzed a more consistent stream of LPs than the first quarter of the year. In the past month alone, we’ve been blessed with albums from Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, NxWorries and Shenseea.
While picking the “best” proved rather daunting, we’ve instead rounded up the projects from the first six months of the year that we’ve still got on repeat right now.
Ranging from jazz to jungle and hip-hop to hyperpop, find the Hypebeast team's selects of our favorite music projects below.
Charli XCX - Brat
Brat summer is here. After embracing a pop girl persona with her last album Crash, Charli XCX has shed her layers for the vulnerable, genre-defying Brat. The British pop star has seemingly been around for ages – her first hit “Boom Clap” was released in 2014 – and over the years she’s used each of her albums as a sounding board for self-reflection but also an opportunity to create a new kind of persona.
On her sixth studio album, the protagonist of Brat is simply Charli herself. The album draws from the UK rave music of her teenage years, mixed with the experimental hyperpop sound she’s cultivated in her more recent releases, largely with the help of producer A.G. Cook. Throughout the LP, Charli intersperses her “brat” side – a metaphor for the archetypal female pop star – with raw confessions of her insecurities, vulnerabilities and fears, whether it’s body checking or the idea that female artists are expected to be friends, yet are constantly pitted against each other. On “I think about it all the time,” Charli ponders the feeling of time passing by and wanting to have a baby. The standout track from the album, “Girl, so confusing,” sees the singer recount a complex friendship with another female star. After much speculation, the star turned out to be Lorde, Charli’s now close friend, who hopped on a remix of the song to share her perspective, a touching confessional between two greats. - Sarah Kearns, Editor
Mk.gee – Two Star & The Dream Police
Mk.gee’s debut studio album doesn’t sound like a debut studio album; it sounds like he’s been doing this for ages.
That’s not totally false, as the 26-year-old New Jersey native had a solid bank of projects behind him before releasing Two Star & The Dream Police, but it was his most recent LP that put him on the mainstream’s map. While Pronounced McGee and its follow-up A Museum of Contradiction flew rather under the radar, Two Star & The Dream Police was bolstered by early cosigns from Dijon and Bon Iver before it even released.
Two Star is a 12-track solo effort and an impressive tapestry of influence and emotion that guides listeners through a well-paced journey far outside of this sonic dimension. Propelled by otherworldly production and a melange of textures, Mk.gee is unafraid to swerve off the beaten path, subverting traditional combinations and tropes; he instead opts to lean into brain-scratching string arrangements, distorted percussion, and atmospheric experimentation that seems to have no bounds.
Where “Are You Looking Up” finds Mk.gee crooning over a glimmering melody, “Rylee & I” sees him deep in the depths of his emotions – and heavy reverb. It’s this seemingly effortless sonic shapeshifting that makes Mk.gee one of today’s most masterful genre-benders.
With Two Star garnering great acclaim, it’s clear Mk.gee is on the fast track to becoming a household name – just make sure you’re pronouncing it right. - Elaina Bernstein, Editor
Billie Eilish - HIT ME HARD AND SOFT
Billie Eilish’s versatility proves to be her greatest strength on HIT ME HARD AND SOFT. The public has carefully watched the 22-year-old’s rise to fame (and even higher) for almost a decade, and the highs and lows of those prying eyes are addressed across the 45-minute record.
Aided by her brother and regular collaborator FINNEAS, Eilish welcomes listeners into her own world – the one that she hides away from her 119 million Instagram followers. This world sees the artist grapple with her sexuality and gender identity, body dysmorphia and her time with her intimate partners. Despite the delicate nature of her lyricism, the sibling duo tactfully navigate the topics with a wide range of sonic spaces. Tracks like the opener “SKINNY” gently introduce her audience to her state of mind, while electronic-focused cuts such as “LUNCH” and “CHIHIRO” place Eilish in a more confident position. She also expands her sonic horizons on the likes of “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” “WILDFLOWER,” “THE DINER” and “THE GREATEST,” which utilize the traditional build of pop and soft rock – the last of which closes out with a full-blown rock symphony.
There’s a common misconception that Eilish is a one-trick pony. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT proves otherwise. Just listen closely. - Sophie Caraan, Editor
Bladee - Cold Visions
As Bladee’s artistic identity has transformed in his 11-year music career, it has been reflected in his diverse range of works: from the mystical soundscapes of Gluee to the ominous overtones pervading Red Light to the joyful triumphs of 333. The moment one sound enthralls his audience, he’s already moved onto the next stage of his evolution. Though when Cold Visions spontaneously dropped on a casual Tuesday afternoon, it was clear that something was different this time.
Loaded with 30 tracks, the onslaught of rage and atmospheric sonics was nothing short of overstimulating upon first listen, yet there was a sense of familiarity. Cold Visions is Bladee’s most self-referential project to date – offering brief callouts to his previous works via revisited samples and nostalgia-inducing bars. The rest of the Drain Gang crew – Ecco2k, Thaiboy Digital and Whitearmor – all make appearances, while frequent collaborator Yung Lean is featured on six of the tracks. Working On Dying’s F1LTHY is prominently credited across the first leg of the album, before it shifts in sound as Skrillex and RipSquad’s Lusi offer balance with a more upbeat tone on “D.O.A.”
Outros offer powerful moments of intimacy as Bladee recounts where his journey has taken him and ponders what to do next. The culmination of this incredible adventure, Cold Visions is a magnum opus unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. - Logan Fairbrother, Editor
Willow Smith - Empathogen
I thought I found my favorite Willow Smith album with 2022’s Coping Mechanism, but her latest project Empathogen has me rethinking my decision. Even as a fan of Smith’s previous projects Coping Mechanism stood out because it felt that Smith finally found her sound. The 11 rock cuts felt unequivocally natural to the tone and texture of Smith voice’s alongside her mystifying demeanor. The entrance of Empathogen decimated the previous statement – proving that Smith’s success in music is not that she sticks to one genre, it’s because she doesn’t.
With Empathogen, Smith segways into new territory, contemporary jazz, which came as a surprise to listeners old and new. That playfulness is what continues to make her music not just soar, but refreshingly genuine. Across the 12 tracks that included features from Jon Batiste and St. Vincent, Smith agains tells a poignant story of discovery. Whether implicit or explicitly stated, the story of self-expression presents itself through Smith’s exploration of the Jazz canon and subsequently making it her own. Tracks like “false self” take a bustling drums and bass-heavy arrangement that pads a tale of inner conflict while “pain for fun” (feat. St. Vincent) comes right after with a steady, yet melancholic soundscape that uncovers themes of human emotions and segments of lifelong pain.
From upbeat to paired-down arrangements alongside a host of captivatingly fused instruments, Empathogen succeeds in its exhibition of core jazz elements and shifting modernity. In it all, Smith proves that her artistry is not limited to one specific class or style, she just wants to continue exploring her story and how music exists within that experience, no gimmicks. - Brycen Saunders, Editor
Joe Armon-Jones - Wrong Side of Town
As I anxiously await the release of Ezra Collective and Nubya Garcia’s new albums, I’ve had Joe Armon-Jones’ Wrong Side of Town EP in heavy rotation. Joe’s a keyboardist and producer who’s a member of Ezra Collective and has contributed heavily to Nubya Garcia’s last few projects as well. What makes his solo work so interesting to me is that you can hear the influences of the other projects he works on — but the core sound, one that’s a little bit of jazz, a little bit of dub, a little bit of drum & bass, a little bit of jungle … yeah, a little bit of everything.
Wrong Side of Town provides four different versions of a song of the same name. The title track, “Wrong Side of Town” sees a breezy vocal performance from Hak Baker, who tackles serious subject matter with a cheeky attitude that only a true Londoner could muster, while “Nubya’s Side of Town” is a nod to the “horns cut” that you’d find on the B-sides of roots reggae records from the ‘70s and ‘80s, led by Nubya Garcia’s soaring saxophone work. “Wrong Side of the Rhodes” sees Armon-Jones display his wizardry on the Rhodes keyboard, and a dub remix version of the original track, only available on the Wrong Side of Town vinyl completes the offering. Getting four slaps out of one song is quite a feat, one that can only be achieved by a musician of Armon-Jones’ caliber. - Ross Dwyer, Editor
The Smile - Wall of Eyes
It’s easy to make the mistake of confusing The Smile as the second life of Radiohead. You would also be denying yourself the fruits of a talented rock band. The second album from The Smile – which is made up of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, along with Sons of Kemet’s Tom Skinner – was set in motion while the band was touring its debut LP, A Light for Attracting Attention. Perhaps physical proximity helped to gel their sound more, but if A Light was season one of the new show called The Smile, this second season is tighter all around – lyrically and musically.
Skinner’s punchy syncopation with his jazz background continues to add more texture to the ethereal voice of Yorke, somber strumming from Skinner and the careful placement of the London Contemporary Orchestra. Yorke is much more dialed in and poetic around the themes of being watched and watching others. Then there are novel moments like “Bending Hectic,” where Greenwood slowly tunes his guitar up and down to take you to a new emotional plane.
We also can’t forget the perfect music video for a band like The Smile in 2024 with “Friend of a Friend.” The setting of an elementary school for an often-viewed heady band presents a comical contrast that no one would ever take seriously which is just right for this band. - Bryan Hahn, Producer
Ariana Grande - Eternal Sunshine
Ariana Grande has always possessed this infallible ability to evolve, using hardships and grief as fuel to her fire. Her past six studio albums arrange themselves into a chronological story, documenting not only her evolution as an artist and vocalist but also her personal evolution. The pop star's seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, was released in March of 2024 and though it included Grande’s usual cheeky lyrics, incredibly layered production, and buttery vocals, it also signaled a new era for the pop icon, where she is accepting of her imperfections and truly creating from the heart. Songs like “imperfect for you” and “intro (end of the world)” provide insight into Grande’s ongoing inner healing, as she admits to her shortcomings in personal relationships, but refuses to let those flaws define her.
Hit tracks like “the boy is mine” and “eternal sunshine,” meanwhile, tap into R&B sounds that Grande has always cited as sonic inspiration. The entire project is a conceptual nod to the film of the same name, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Using one of her favorite movies as a jumping-off point for one of the first projects that truly feels like she has hit her stride, this album is a reflection of her ability to transform time and time again. - Kayla Curtis-Evans, Creative Editor
Shenseea - Never Gets Late Here
Shenseea’s sophomore album Never Gets Late Here is a return to her dancehall roots while experimenting with pop, guitar ballads and Afrobeats. Always a champion of confidence and bombastic femininity, Shenseea created another record of fun tracks to chip and whine to just in time for the summer. Between “Hit & Run,” “Die for You” and “Loyalty,” she delivers an anthem for every listener – from those deep in love to those strictly focused on having fun. The final track, ‘“Work Me Out” featuring a verse by WizKid, barely made it on the album, Shenseea says, but wound up serving as a strong end that is mysterious and made for the stereo of a night drive. - Denise Stephanie Hewitt, Editorial Intern (Branded Content)
NxWorries - Why Lawd?
Rarely, if ever, does the sequel to a cult film or album hit like the first one — especially if the follow-up comes years after the original. Times change, people change, styles will inevitably change. It’s why so many classic bands and films, from Anchorman (2004) to The Stone Roses (1989), failed to produce the same level of quality that their fans had expected after the original.
Enter NxWorries, the cherished duo of vocalist Anderson .Paak and record producer Knxwledge. Their debut album, 2016’s Yes Lawd!, paved a new direction at the intersection of hip hop, neo-soul and R&B — catapulting both .Paak and Knxwledge to superstar status. Nearly eight years on, the two reunited for their long-awaited sophomore album, aptly titled Why Lawd?.
Similar to the first, the record has a list of notable features: from Snoop Dogg and Thundercat to Dave Chapelle, Rae Khalil and Earl Sweatshirt. But where the record shines is in the laid-back flow that sees Knxwledge match .Paak’s virtuosic bravado with layers and layers of dreamy, energetic and melancholic beats — oscillating from back-pack rap in “86Sentra” to the upbeat sounds of “Distractions” and “OutTheWay.” Why Lawd? (2024) isn’t reinventing the wheel by any means, but the album successfully strikes a balance of what was loved off the original, while sounding entirely new. Best way to listen to this one is from front to back, no skips, and preferably on wax. – Shawn Ghassemitari, Editor
Shygirl - Club Shy (extended)
Since Shygirl’s debut album in 2022, the South Londoner has instilled a distinctive, boundary-pushing vision for the dance floor. Her latest release, Club Shy, continues on this mission, delivering a burst of club-pop bangers that take us on an exhilarating night out. Across its 12 tracks, the artist defies traditional categorization, merging elements of grime, hyperpop, and experimental electronic music. But perhaps, the best moments on the album are when it harkens back to the hits of the late 90s and early 2000s and pays tribute to them.
From the pulsating beats of "thicc" to the cheeky bravado of "f@k€," each song embodies Shygirl’s trademark unapologetic, playful ethos that defines her music. Her signature vocals—alternating between sultry whispers and assertive declarations—build on her dynamic range and secure her status as a musical mainstay. With the album and the bold declarations accompanying it, Shygirl invites listeners to let their hair down, revel in their audacious side, and go into the night. - Kala Herh, Creative Editor
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