Luke Nuttall (Editor / Writer)
5. State Champs – State Champs
Just as they were getting back on form, too. State Champs’ self-titled isn’t a bad album, but it’s an unnecessary one. There’s nothing about that would suggest they once led the vanguard of pop-punk’s modern waves, nor that they’re capable of a belter of a hook, even in their later years. Rather, it feels almost entirely obligatory, an album that exists because its creators need to put something out every handful of years, and this is an easy, straightforward way to do it. As a result, State Champs have never felt this nondescript, or even this unwilling to prove they can be more.
4. Sum 41 – Heaven :x: Hell
Fortunately, Sum 41 ended up redeeming themselves big time on their farewell tour, but that alone struggles to salve the misguided intentions of this goodbye note. In a double album that isolates (or aims to, anyway) their pop-punk and metal sides, Sum 41 produce an album that does justice to neither. They’re either watered down or left high and dry without the benefit of a clear mesh that had always been why this approach worked. Dissecting themselves and stretching it out way longer than it needs to be is not at all where a grand closing sentiment for Sum 41 should lie. That probably makes it worse, actually—it’d be awkward enough under normal circumstances, but as their final album (determined by themselves, as well), it sinks even lower.
3. While She Sleeps – Self Hell
In proactively trying to stave off some of the sameness creeping in their work à la their occasional besties Bury Tomorrow (though not quite as chronic), While She Sleeps delivered the mother of all overreaches. Despite having its moments, Self Hell’s key characteristic is its awkwardness, of sounds and tones and tempos colliding that had been hitherto unexplored by this band, and probably for good reason. When they aren’t just trying to pull off a Bring Me The Horizon, there’s a clumsiness that While She Sleeps succumb to without resistance. It’s a real misshapen mass of an album, and one that ultimately doesn’t even meet its goal—it’s still really, really forgettable.
2. Kids In Glass Houses – Pink Flamingo
In hindsight, it would’ve been better for Kids In Glass Houses to just celebrate Smart Casual till the end of time. It’s a noble sentiment to treat their reunion as more than just that, but Pink Flamingo’s sterile, workmanlike, often outdated approach to ‘fun’ is a death knell to that idea in itself. The silky ‘80s pastiche is a thoroughly played-out shorthand for snappy pop excitement, and one that Kids In Glass Houses can’t do anything meaningful with. They circle the drain, doling out the elements that are supposed to make this work, with the understanding of them feeling more and more surface-level on every spin. Thus, there’s nothing ‘refreshed’ about this revival. With how blank and hollow so much of it feels, how could it be?
1. Linkin Park – From Zero
The biggest disappointment of 2024 isn’t even a contest. Hell, there’s barely a quality to From Zero that isn’t a disappointment. It sounds plastic and neutered; Emily Armstrong is the obvious step down from Chester Bennington that she was always going to be; the discourse around every instance of her inclusion has been exhausting to trawl through. Every single one of those points is so obvious, and yet, you still have people bending over backwards to sing its praise, because it’s Linkin Park making a return that’s grand by birthright. None of this has to be good, as long as the veneer of sincerity stays up and you ignore the gaping holes strewn across it. It’s not like being a totally corporate product is new for Linkin Park, but they’ve never leaned into it this much. And that’s why From Zero is the year’s biggest disappointment—it’s not just that it’s a bad album, but it doesn’t even have to make an effort to convince people otherwise.
Georgia Jackson (Deputy Editor / Writer)
5. ROSÉ – rosie
The runaway success of APT., the Bruno Mars-featuring, Mickey-interpolating pop anthem about a Korean drinking game, hinted at Rosé’s debut album being a total winner. In reality, APT. is the single moment of its kind on Rosie, a record made up of low-energy ballads and mid-tempo R&B tracks that unfortunately show none of the Blackpink singer’s personality, artistically or otherwise.
4. girl in red – I’m Doing It Again, Baby!
While 2021’s if i could make it go quiet wasn’t a perfect record, it set girl in red up as a creative force to be reckoned with. But gone are her introspective, atmospheric ballads and blaring synth-pop—I’m Doing It Again Baby! went for a more straightforward guitar and piano-forward sound while unpicking the singer’s mental health journey, stripping her sound of anything unique in the process. Her often rambling lyrics feel like being ranted at when there’s nothing hooky to balance everything out, and memorable moments You Need Me Now? and ★★★★★ feel too short. This album feels like a healing moment for girl in red personally, we just hope she finds the spark with her music again sooner rather than later.
3. Zara Larsson – Venus
Zara Larsson’s artistic journey has been one with a lot of stop/starts and mixed aesthetics, and though 2021’s Poster Girl wasclearly the result of two different recording sessions, bubbly, flirty production and Larsson’s infectious personality made it easy to overlook any flaws. This year’s Venus was the exact opposite—the singer’s most cohesive album to date, while completely lacking in any of the usual fun factor or likeability. That essential focal point being gone exposes the bland bare bones of the record too, forgettable and uninspired. Zara Larsson has shown she’s born to be a pop star on previous work, and she’s much better than this.
2. Gracie Abrams – The Secret Of Life
2024 was a huge year for Gracie Abrams, who fully broke through to the mainstream with her album The Secret Of Us. It’s a much brighter-sounding record than her past work, but it’s also stripped of the musical intricacies that made her old bedroom-pop so special. Much of this record is just straight acoustic guitar (which does work when going full pelt like on Risk or deluxe hit That’s So True), but the simplistic instrumentation takes much-needed dimension away from her sound, making songs blur together. Her new-found fame may lay the groundwork for more imaginative soundscapes in future, but for now, this album just doesn’t cut it.
1. Katy Perry – 143
Looking back, we shouldn’t have had such high expectations for a Katy Perry record in 2024. But faith in pop girlies was at an all-time high this summer, plus what turned into 143 was billed as Perry’s huge comeback, a return to her chart-topping highs of old. What it actually was was formulaic instrumentals with basic and cringeworthy lyrics that tell us nothing about the artist herself. There’s a total lack of authenticity here due to the singer playing by the 2010 playbook instead of the 2024 one (plus choosing to work with Dr. Luke while singing about a ‘woman’s world’ is something you couldn’t write). There was a lot of goodwill towards a Katy Perry comeback, but 143 left fans feeling burned one too many times.
