Tuesday, December 31, 2024

2024 Mix Tape

 

I went a bit overboard this year putting 60 songs on my end of the year mix tape, but I'm trying to not be so strict in how I approach these things. I listen to these mix tapes a lot and often I wish I had included more songs, so I'm trying to embrace it. If 60 is the number then so be it. I left off another 50 songs that were in my running 2024 list.  Mine are ranked from least favorite to favorite, which gets a bit tricky with 60 songs.

60. Planet Blue by Carlita
     This song is definitely going to be on the 2024 New Year's Eve Party Dance Mix.  I also think it's a good way to start the mix.  So maybe that has something to do with why it got this spot.  

59. Ego by Halsey
     I wrote a review about this album.  I find her to be an interesting artist and she can consistently create these emo rockers.  

58. Dedicated to the World by Chanel Beads
     This is one of those songs that at the end of the year I had completely forgotten about, but then got hooked on listening to it when I was working on this mix tape.  

57. Calling After Me by Wallows
     This is a fun song and reminds me that good rock pop will be around forever.  

56. A Thousand Ways by Wonder Women of Country
     It's a great year when we get new Kelly Willis music, even if it is an alt country super group.  

55. What Now by Brittany Howard
      This is one of those albums that I kept thinking I would like more than I did.  This is a solid track.  

54. Trouble Symphony by Carlita
     Another one for the dance mix.  

53. Talk Talk by Charli XCX
     The last two Charli albums were my albums of the year, then of course she would blow up with this one, which I enjoyed, but wasn't all that crazy about.  

52. After Hours by Kehlani
     I like this song, had no idea what the video was like until making this YouTube playlist.  Oddly the video feels very dated to me.  

51. On Your Side by The Last Dinner Party
     Another one of those albums that just didn't quite connect for me.  I will be interested to see what they do next.  

50. Connect by Vampire Weekend
     A band I know very little about.  I think this is the first of their albums I've listened to.  

49. The Way It Is by X
     I was so surprised by this album.  It's a solid album with a lot of energy.  

48.  Negative Spaces by Poppy
     A very odd album.  Still not sure what I think of it, but I like this song.  

47. Changes by Soccer Mommy
     I really like Soccer Mommy.  Still need to write up a review for this album, but it's very solid.  She's going to be in Carrboro NC in Januaary.  

46. Fortnight by Taylor Swift
     I found this album a bit boring, still I found this song interesting enough to make the top 50 on this mix.  

45. To Be Alright by Aurora
     I really enjoyed this album and my favorite line of any song this year comes off of this song, "What is life worth living, If you can't dance to anything?"

44. Your Apartment by Wallows
     Like I said rock pop will be around forever.  

43. Classical by Vampire Weekend
     The best song off of this album I think pretty easily.  

42. Tears by Kehlani
     I have to say I was glad there was not a video for this song :). 

41. Do You Want to Play by Mary Spender
     Spender is a guitar youtuber who is trying to use her success to crack a door open for a music career.  I found this album to be pretty good.  

40. Run! by Willow
     I still have to figure out what my album of the year was but this is in the running.  I found this album to be solid and experimental, something that can be tricky to pull off.  The more I've listened to it through the year the more highly I think of it.  

39. True Story by Ariana Grande
     My wife and daughter can't stand Ariana Grande, but what can I say she put out a solid album this year.  This is a solid R&B tune in the year 2024.  

38. None of These Guys by Zara Larsson
     Another one for the end of the year dance mix.  

37. Illusion by Dua Lipa
     This album did not perform well for Dua Lipa because people thought it sounded too much like her last album.  Still makes for good singles that you can dance to.  

36.  Rewind by Charli XCX
     To me this song best represented what Charli was dealing with on the album.  I also think it's funny to talk about rewinding, because this song feels like a remake of her song 1999 from 3 albums ago.  

35. Please Don't Humble Me by Artemas
     This was an interesting album that felt like it should have been better than it was.  

34. Never Ending Song by Conan Gray
     A fun song, but man this album is way too 80's for me.  

33. Neighborhood by Teezo Touchdown
     Another candidate for album of the year.  Interesting song that feels very 80's and yet very 2024.  

32. Kids by Sasha Alex Sloan
     This album seems to be one that is trying to make you cry as many times as possible, and this one is a real tearjerker.  She's a very good writer.  She'll be in Nashville on January 31st.  

31.  M by Soccer Mommmy
      I feel like Soccer Mommy took a real step forward with this record.  Lyrically it's really good.  Sound wise it reminds me of the second Sundays album, very quiet and subdued.  

30. Your Blood by Aurora
     Aurora is another artist who I think took a real step forward with her songwriting on this album.  

29. Blowing by Gracie Abrams
     Interesting album.  So heavily influenced by Taylor Swift.  

28. The Fear Is Not Real by Willow
     A really pretty song.  

27. On My Love by Zara Larsson
     I didn't know until seeing this video that she's from Sweden.  

26. Bella by Ekkstacy
     It was a good year for rock pop songs.  I really found this song to be a bit addictive at one point during the year.  

25. Mr. Useless by Shygirl
     By far the best dance track I heard this year.  

24. Shall We Celebrate? by Artemas
     Like I said I should have liked this album more than I did.  I really like this song.  So obviously influenced by Weeknd.  

23. Nothing Every Changes by Vintage Culture
     A great mood song.  If you are out walking on a cold winter night in the rain and this song comes on you know you are in the right space for it.  

22. Eternal Sunshine by Ariana Grande
     Easily the best pop R&B album of the year.  

21. Panic Attack by Halsey
     Really good song.  

20. Whatever Forever by Ber
     Can't wait for Ber to come out with a full length album.  

19. These Walls by Dua Lipa
     Not sure why she didn't make a really good video to go with this song.  

18. Chemicals by Vintage Culture
     Still on that walk in the rain, another good fit.  Gives you a good idea of the tone of this album.  

17. You Can Have Chicago by Mary Spender
     My daughter makes me skip this song whenever it comes on, but I like it.  

16. Chicago by Ekkstacy
     I had to pair the two Chicago songs together.  Plus, I really like this song.   

15. Another Broken Heart by Wonder Women of Country
     Like I said great to have Kelly Willis out there still making new music.  

14. Crystalized by Poppy
     I would actually like to go see here in Seattle in March.  Would be interesting since it is such an odd mix of music on this album.  

13. Thinking of You by Soccer Mommy
     I love these Soccer Mommy lyric videos.  

12. Lonely is the Muse by Halsey
     Easily the best song on the album.  

11. Dreams by Aurora
     A very solid album and this is to me Aurora at her best.  She's a bit abstract for me in her lyrics, but still her vocals on this song are fantastic.  There is still something to just the sound of a song.  

10. Sweet by Teezo Touchdown
     The more the year has gone on the more I've liked this song.  Love the lyrics on this one.  

9. Symptom of Life by Willow
     Really good song and the one I would point anyone to for a feel of what this record is about.  

8. Highlights by Sasha Alex Sloan
     From a song about a parent who is always there to a song about a parent who is never there.  She's a talented songwriter but also a very talented singer.  

7. In a Little by Alex Benjamin
     I found this album to be good, but there were two songs that really worked for me.  Benjamin like Sloan is a smart writer, but he's also a good vocalist and his vocals on this may be the best I've heard him do.  

6. Middle of Nowhere by Ber
     Like I said I really want Ber to come out with a full-length album.  These last two EPs have been very solid.  

5. Wildflower by Billie Eilish
     The growth of Eilish as a songwriter is really felt on this album.  Her vocals are as good as ever.  

4. Oxygen Mask by Sasha Alex Sloan
     Like I said great writer and great vocalist.  Her vocals on this one are so good.  

3. Impossible by Teezo Touchdown
     In many ways this is probably my song of the year.  Heard this album in January and have been listening to this song all year, never got tired of it.  

2. Sacrifice Tomorrow by Alec Benjamin
     I wrote a poem about this idea back in college and always found it to be the best poem I ever wrote.  I was always one, when I was younger, to sacrifice tomorrow if it meant doing something fun in the moment.  

1. Chihiro by Billie Eilish
     Easily my favorite song.  A great lyricist who is also a great vocalist, paired up with someone who knows how to produce the right sound.  That is the current place where we find Billie Eilish.  It's a great place for anyone who likes her music.  
     

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