Tuesday Tracks: Our writers’ favorite tracks of 2024

Celeste Epiphany Waite, Lola Young, Elliot James Reay, Mondo Cozmo, Kishi Bashi, Jordan Rakei, Call Me Spinster and Defences.

The Tuesday Tracks team members picked their favorite songs of 2024: Celeste, Lola Young, Elliot James Reay, Mondo Cozmo, Kishi Bashi, Jordan Rakei, Call Me Spinster and Defences.

Our Tuesday Tracks team puts a lot of time into listening to the songs submitted to our inbox every week. It’s a rotating feature. Every week, a different writer picks their favorites of the hundreds of songs we’re emailed each week and shares them with our readers. We hope our recommendations helped you find new artists and new jams this past year! As 2024 comes to a close, we asked the crew to pick their favorites and tell us why they chose it. Please enjoy these tracks from some of our our faves, like Lola Young, Celeste Epiphany Waite, Mondo Cozmo and more!— editor Rachel Alm.



Lola Young, “Wish You Were Dead” — The track came out well before Tyler, the Creator tapped Lola Young to sing the iconic chorus of “Like Him,” and before TikTok viral hit “Messy,” to which Sophia Richie famously danced her puzzlingly popular two-set. This song, which skirts the edges of psychedelic rock, pop, blues and funk, captures Young’s stunning vocals, full of raw angst. — Mel Bowman, from Jan. 16.

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Elliot James Reay, “Boy In Love” — It’s been about a month since this song was released and it hasn’t completely left my head since. Elliot James Reay transcends the normal throwback or revival act and fully embodies the original rockabilly greats. And if this song came out in the ’50s, it might have charted right alongside Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley, it’s that good even by the standards of its genre. — Daniel J. Willis, from Nov. 26.



Call Me Spinster, “Feet Are Dirty” — The sister trio created something truly special with their gentle voices, trading off and then melting together in harmony. The arrangement perfectly complements their vocals, with a low pulsing bass playing underneath the grooving drumbeat, synth loops and bell melody. This concoction of sounds elevates an already great track to another level. I keep returning to “Feet Are Dirty” because it celebrates life’s imperfections in the most joyous way. — Peter Knezevich, from Jan. 30.

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Celeste, “This Is Who I Am” — This song is straight out of a “James Bond” opening sequence. From the very first line—“Some flowers never get to bloom”— Celeste’s velvety vocals convey hardship and heartache. The cinematic track’s lush piano and string arrangements build to a soulful crescendo. Each lyric feels like a tender, yet resolute affirmation of identity: “Only you can tell them this is who I am.” With grace and grit, Celeste claims her story in a track that lingers long after the final note. — Sery Morales, from Nov. 12.



Mondo Cozmo, “Angels” – Josh Ostrander is so incredibly underrated, both as a songwriter and a performer. “Angels” is a sweeping, emotional anthem that creates its own groove in your brain, demanding repeat listens. “To hell with waiting, I’ll hail a breeze/ For time is wasted on the backs of angels,” Ostrander sings rousingly. Those Verve-like strings, that U2-like grandeur, with the Springsteen-esque delivery; the song was an instant classic for me. Every song on It’s PRINCIPLE! is great, but “Angels” in particular spoke to me. — Rachel Alm, from May 14.

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Jordan Rakei, “Friend or Foe” — Jordan Rakei said that he wanted The Loop to be more acoustic and organic, and I love that you can hear all of that in “Friend or Foe,” which, coincidentally, was one of Sery Morales’ picks last spring. From the handclaps in the intro, joined by the dark piano notes, the song shows what makes Rakei an all-around great musician and thoughtful songwriter. Though the lyrics are powerful, it’s the harmonizing and church-like energy and vibe that makes the song a solid 10 for me. — Dumisani Mnisi, from April 9.



Kishi Bashi, “Colorful State” — I’ve listened to this Kishi Bashi song a lot in 2024. As an editor at this publication, I don’t get much time to live with any one piece of music for very long. If I slow down, stuff doesn’t get done. But the uplifting string-driven “Colorful State” kept pulling me back and getting my blood pumping. It made me want to accomplish goals, pushing harder to when the percussion and synths kick in. — Roman Gokhman, from May 21.

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Defences, “Perish” — I was never a big Linkin Park fan; the band never really spoke to me. But if they sound to fans like Defences’ “Perish” sounds to me, I totally get it. This song has made it onto several of my playlists this year. Defences take the Linkin Park formula but turn everything up to 11; it’s fantastic.. — Daniel J. Willis, from July 23.

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