What are the music trends of 2024?

This year is already shaping up to be a big one for pop music, with highly anticipated albums on the horizon from Kali Uchis, Dua Lipa and Ariana Grande.

But what other big albums and musical trends are on the horizon for 2024?

Music journalist Maura Johnston and Vulture's Switched On Pop podcast producer Reanna Cruz join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about what pop music aficionados can look forward to in the coming months.

We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow the Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud podcast, on your favourite podcast player.

LISTEN | Today's episode on YouTube:

Elamin: Reanna, last year we had you on this podcast to talk about this trend of sped-up songs on TikTok. What are you seeing now that could be the trend or the thing that could shape the story of music in 2024? 

Reanna: I feel like sped-up songs aren't going anywhere. But I do think that the charts in the upcoming years will continue to see older songs blow up in popularity, where a new release won't necessarily matter as much as a curated, older song placement. 

In 2023, we saw that a lot with these older songs that came out five, 10 years ago, like Sure Thing by Miguel shooting up the charts. And granted, that had a sped-up remix, but also it was an older song that was rediscovered and it connected with people. I think in 2024 and in the years to come, we'll see more of an importance placed on that, where when an album cycle is over, that doesn't necessarily mean your song can't chart anymore. 

Elamin: Maura, what's your read on that? Do you think that's going to be a big force this year?

Maura: I think that will be a force. I'm also really curious because I feel like TikTok is a medium that really lends itself to musical theater. And we have this spate of musicals that's coming out with Wonka and The Color Purple. And on Friday, Mean Girls comes out. So I'm wondering if there's going to be a more musical theatre aspect. Even the singer-songwriter Em Beihold, who had a hit last year with the song Numb Little Bug, I feel like was very musical theatre-oriented. So I think that that might come into play, especially because Reneé Rapp, who's in the Mean Girls musical as Regina George, has already had some success with her pop album Snow Angel, so it's not too far. And the first song from Mean Girls that she put out was with Megan Thee Stallion.

Elamin: Listen, we've been talking about the artists and sounds that we think will make a big impact in 2024, but maybe we should pick something that's a little under the radar that you're personally really excited about. Maura, your pick is by Mary Timony. 

Maura: The song is called Dominoes from the upcoming album Untame the Tiger. 

Elamin: Tell us about Mary Timony. What makes this record special for you? 

Maura: Mary's been one of my favourite artists and one of indie rock's most prolific, interesting songwriters for decades. She was in the band Helium in the 90s. They put out these grungy, gorgeous feminist manifestos that really have influenced current bands like Speedy Ortiz and Snail Mail. She's also in the power trio Ex Hex, who are more punky and kind of like 1981. Then [she was in] the supergroups Wild Flag, which she's in with Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney and Hammered Hulls, which she's in with Alec MacKaye of Fugazi. 

So this album, Untame the Tiger, is her first solo album in 15 years, and she wrote it while taking care of her ailing parents. She said that making the "impossible decisions" during that period made her creative choices more manageable. And that's kind of amazing to me, because I always feel like her whole career has been marked by this incredibly creative spirit, so I'm really curious to see what that results in because I feel like every left turn that she's made over the years has just been really exciting. 

Elamin: That's a beautiful way to describe that album. Reanna, you chose What Now by Brittany Howard. Why are you so excited about it?

Reanna: If you're not familiar with Brittany Howard, she was the driving force, I would say, behind Alabama Shakes. This is her second solo record that's going to come out, and I'm really stoked for it. I listen to a lot of NPR member stations in L.A., and I just know this is going to clean up member station setlists. 

I'm so excited. I love this track. I love her. I see her as an inspiration in a lot of ways and I think this record is going to be very musically sound, and a kind of soundtrack into the spring. 

Elamin: That's a beautiful way to put it. I appreciate both of you guys being here.

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Panel produced by Stuart Berman