2024 was an incredible year for the music industry. So many big artists dropped long-awaited projects, and many new musicians debuted to critical and commercial success. But in a year packed with hit songs, which is the best? To get to the bottom of this question, we asked you for your favorite song of the year to create, in no particular order, Meridian’s definitive Best Songs of The Year list.
Darling, I – Tyler, The Creator
“It has good vocal performances from Tyler and Teezo, with an amazing and catchy chorus,” stated junior Colin Burwick.
CHROMAKOPIA was one of the biggest albums of the year, and with a tracklist as quality as it was, picking just one song can be difficult, “but “Darling, I” managed to stand out from the crowd for Meridian students. It’s different from Tyler’s usual style; it’s slow yet upbeat, and Teezo gives the track an R&B feel. It makes sense why “Darling, I” sticks out as much as it does.
tv off – Kendrick Lamar
“The beat is fire, and the lyrics pop off! I also always liked Kendrick Lamar and his iconic line in this song (MUSTARD) is super funny but cool at the same time. He’s also speaking facts in this song and the chorus and the intro is my favorite part of this song,” expressed senior A’nya-Rose Hannah.
After the Drake-Kendrick Lamar beef and Kendrick’s subsequent victory, people were excited to see what he would do next. GNX did not disappoint. tv off brought back Mustard, famous for producing Not Like Us, and showcased Kendrick’s resilience in the face of the industrialization of the hip-hop industry.
Apple – Charli xcx
“It was called “brat summer” for a reason, all because of Charli’s song Apple. Apple started a TikTok trend and united everyone to join the silly little dance. Apple is one of many songs on the brat album that hyped up its crowd with its minimalistic album cover, to its hyper pop themes,” voiced junior Ava Veliz.
brat was a very influential album in 2024, as the phrase “brat summer” implies. Apple has a certain simplicity to the melody that compliments the lyrics, fruit allegories, and vague remarks about driving to the airport. It comes together in a well-rounded song that was made to blow up.
Fare Well – Hozier
“I love learning things from Hozier’s songs because to understand the lyrics better I research the references he makes. In Fare Well he talks about the whale in the Sumida Gawa River, I had to look it up to find what he was talking about. Sumida Gawa is a river in Tokyo. Overall I love the song because Hozier is my favourite artist and he has been for years,” expressed junior Austin Bruce.
What else is there to say? Fare Well is a well-written song that is able to elicit emotion and spark intrigue, and it does so without being overt.
Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
“It’s cool,” stated 9th grader Cole Benson.
This should be no surprise to anyone. The definitive end to the Drake-Kendrick Lamar beef, meet the grahams was enough to stop the feud, but that wasn’t enough for Kendrick. Not Like Us is an anthem for the downfall of Drake’s career, and it became the most streamed diss track of all time. Mustard’s beat and Kendrick’s lyricism come together in the song with many quotable moments, all digging at Drake. Not Like Us was monumental, and it deserved all the attention it got.