From the Intercom: The Best Songs of 2024

Afternoon Bike Ride – “The Ride”

For being their only release this year, Afternoon Bike Ride’s “The Ride” offered such an effortlessly full, wayward, wandering yarn. Like passing neighborhood scenes from the car window, this song gives off sentimental circuitous emotions visiting your town for the first time in years gone by. “The Ride” feels very mature and I’m excited to see what parts of this coalesce in a larger project. -Justin Ricafort

Bolis Pupul – “Spicy Crab“

When we reviewed Bolis Pupul’s “Spicy Crab” for our Weekly Review this year, I remember thinking about how great this song would be soundtracking one of those liminal space RPGs, and I stand by that.

Spooky, unnerving, and spicy(!), this song is one for a rare backrooms rave. -Li-Wei Chu

Chance Emerson – “Honey”

We missed out on the chance to cover Chance Emerson’s amazing folk-rocker Ginkgo when it came out in 2023, but it seems like Emerson’s been cooking since then.

“Honey,” the only new song that he released this year, is as good an introduction to his gravelly, belting voice as you’ll get. I could just listen to Emerson sing the word “Honey” for days on end. -Li-Wei Chu

Chanpan – “Election Year”

“FUCK WHAT THE GOVERNMENT SAY / I’MMA DO ME ANYWAY”

Pretty self-explanatory. -Li-Wei Chu

Congee – “WONDER WHAT IT FEELS LIKE”

The first time I heard producer Congee’s “WONDER WHAT IT FEELS LIKE,” I thought I was hearing some long lost blog-era jam that I somehow missed. If you remember Hype Machine in the early 2010s, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about – back in that day, this song would’ve no doubt dominated those charts with its mix of crisp production and electronic workmanship.

And that name and chorus! I’m actually amazed that a song with such an instantly recognizable title hasn’t yet shot up on the charts. “WONDER WHAT IT FEELS LIKE” is an instant masterclass in dynamic production work, creating a growling R&B-pop slow burn to remember. While you can hear more of Tsang’s production work on pop artists’ work via Griff, I can’t help but wonder what it feels like to hear what a full-length project from Tsang might sound like. -Li-Wei Chu

Fazerdaze – “Cherry Pie”

The first time I heard “Cherry Pie,” I was driving at 4am to my dead-end warehouse job, and maaaaaan did it hit. Few songs fit the twilight mood better than Fazerdaze (Amelia Murray)’s ethereal stunner, and it seems like I’m not the only one who thought so. Murray & Frances Carter’s music video for the song finds Murray glamorously singing the song from the backseat of the car, window down, breeze flowing through her hair. Name a better musical climax this year than when those striking synths kick in towards the end of the song!

“Cherry Pie” is all starry and reminiscent, briefly grabbing hold of that ever-fleeting feeling of being alive even though it’s quickly passing you by. I’ve since gotten out of that dreadful job situation, but I’ll always remember how urgent those synths felt amongst those dark LA skies.  -Li-Wei Chu

FIG, Yoshi T – “Opposite Day”

“Opposite Day” might be the best case for bringing back cutesy back-and-forths within songs. FIG’s charming indie pop style meets Yoshi T’s smooth hip hop verses, and the two make trading off head-bobbing verses seem like a breeze.

Sometimes all you want to do is chill out with your friends and sound off, and I’m glad that FIG and Yoshi T can show us how it’s done. -Li-Wei Chu

Hana Vu – “Care”

My computer crashed while I was relistening to this song while writing this blurb, and the more I think about it the more that it only makes sense.

Hana Vu’s “Care” is a song that’s filled in equal parts hope and dread, disguising existentialism with an indie rock attitude. Vu has the innate talent to make songs sound apocalyptic and overwhelming in nature – amplified even moreso by the song’s thundering guitar chords and her unrestrained style of singing. Though she seems like a stoic person from afar, “Care” comes from a place of powerful emotions. 10/10 would crash my computer again and again. -Li-Wei Chu

Hana Vu – “Hammer”

I have listened to this song dozens of times this year, always from start to finish. “Hammer” is a song that grows in strength over repeated listens. There is frustration, desperation, and determination boiling over the surface building and building. I can easily feel Vu’s desperation to keep her head just above the flood toward the end. “And I run away cause I ruined mine / And I fall asleep cause I get so tired.”

I didn’t expect for it to be such an engrossing song to sing along to. The song is relatable on your fucked up work day where you may just do something to your hair you might regret. I don’t know how we can get Hana Vu into karaoke machines across the nation, but “Hammer” is a certified classic worth the effort. -Justin Ricafort

HUNJIYA – “tourguide”

“You found me / Right as you were leaving town / Did you love me? / Did you need someone to follow around?”

For people who live in a tourist town, the lyrics on HUNJIYA’s alt-pop song “tourguide” may feel uncomfortably close. HUNJIYA (Alice Kim), who is now based in metropolitan cities like Seoul and Los Angeles, probably knows how easy it is to meet people who won’t be in town for long. And falling in love with one? Well, that’s a more complicated process.

“tourguide” cleverly breaks down all of the tourist tropes and uses them as a metaphor for a relationship – and somehow still works it into an empowering pop song. Couched between that show-stopping chorus are even some sly insults that turn a blossoming romance into a more calculated showdown (“Were you a loser in your hometown? / Across the seas to make your mom proud?”). “tourguide” is explosive and hopeful for a meaningful connection, but it’s ultimately grounded in the realities of what nomadic love looks like. -Li-Wei Chu

ILLIT – “Magnetic”

Every year without fail, there’s a new KPOP girl group song that I inexplicably become obsessed with. Last year it was NewJeans’ “ASAP.” This year, it’s ILLIT’s “Magnetic.”

ILLIT and NewJeans draw from the same kind of soft-R&B/house influenced dance music (which possibly explains why I love it so much and the source of the ongoing controversy between groups), but what can’t be explained is just how *ahem* magnetic this track is. It’s a lovely mix of cutesy kawaii electronic beats (I’m surprised Mark Redito didn’t have anything to do with this) that I grew up with over the Internet and the group’s infectious energy.

Yeah, the lyrics are basically gibberish (case in point: the group singing “bae (1000x)” and “you (1000x)”), but I’ll let that slide in favor of the way the group members sell the heart-thumping beats with their saccharine charm. -Li-Wei Chu

Jay Som – “If I Could”

I don’t think it’s controversial to say that one of the best things that came out of Jane Schoenbrun’s A24 techno horror film I Saw the TV Glow was the soundtrack. Although it features indie scene heavy hitters like Caroline Polachek, Phoebe Bridgers, Snail Mail, and yeule (!!!), I’d argue that one of the high points of the soundtrack is Jay Som’s “If I Could”. What a blessing!

No amount of trailers or ads have drawn me to a film more than Duterte’s achingly warm production, wonderfully sunny guitars, and her ear for a good tune. For a large part of the year, “You’re all I want / Push the pedal to the floor / Screaming right down to my core / I’d take it back if I could / I’d take it back” was the chorus that haunted me. I have no clue when it shows up in the film (or if it even does), but it’s a great lyric for my day-to-day life. Honestly, that’s just good marketing. LP FOUR WHEN??? -Li-Wei Chu

Karina Savage – “KILLER!”

I’ve been playing this song nonstop now for weeks even though it came out relatively late in the year, and for that it’s gotta get at least a mention. Karina Savage’s alt-pop smasher has a hook for days, and her vocal range is electric. “She’s on your mind,” indeed!

It’s a shame that there isn’t a music video for this song yet, ‘cause there can definitely be some cool femme-fatale shenanigans in store here. When you’re caught with a (“Ooh / Killer!”), like this track, you better be careful or it’ll take over your life too. -Li-Wei Chu

Lightning Bug – “December Song”

I am finally listening to “December Song” in December. Even though we first heard this in February, Audrey Kang’s resonant parable of being alchemized by the Earth into a tree, only to be “summoned back to life” by a love’s heat affixed itself to my memory. The way the song pulses with increasing warmth is unlike so much of what I heard this year.

Listening to it feels like breaking into an arms-open wide run into swelling violins and cymbal hits. “December Song” is a full-hearted burst of undeniable life. -Justin Ricafort

Lucy Tun – “Come To My House”

In a year when Charli XCX brought the rave scene to the mainstream and demanded for the club classics, UK-based DJ Lucy Tun was operating in a similar headspace, bringing the party to your house. The punchy “Come To My House” is a stealthy club heater that’s just waiting to be sampled or remixed – fervently drawing upon the 2000s rave era when the club lights were brighter, phones had keyboards, and digital cameras reigned supreme.

Maybe Tun described “Come To My House” best in her own song: “What’s this song now? / It’s the classics, baby!” -Li-Wei Chu

Mei Semones – “Dangomushi”

Honestly, any Mei Semones song that was released this year would’ve been eligible for this list. (Yes, this includes all of the songs she’s been featured on as well.) “Dangomushi,” however, is probably the one that best represents where she’s going as an artist. Her blend of bossa nova, J-pop, and indie twee come together so well that I’ve started to label anything remotely like it Semones-core.

2025 is the year of Semones, I’m calling it now. -Li-Wei Chu

Mamiko Suzuki, Mei Semones – “night out drinking”

See above!

One half of hip-hop group chelmico (Mamiko Suzuki) and Mei Semones make for a duet that is pure bliss. -Li-Wei Chu

Mina Okabe – “Strong”

Maybe it’s all in the timing, but Danish-Japanese singer Mina Okabe’s “Strong” was a strong contender for my song of the summer. A yearning love song with a tropical pop edge, “Strong” stuck with me through countless subway rides, long walks back to the apartment, and the summer heat – and yet I always found myself singing along to its addictive chorus on every listen.

Okabe has the amazing ability to sell you on her clear-toned pop every single time (see: her album Better Days), and “Strong” is yet another bid for her to win over your heart. -Li-Wei Chu

Miso Extra, Metronomy – “Good Kisses”

Thumping rhythms and arcade blips make up the backbone for Miso Extra and Metronomy’s “Good Kisses,” which basically sounds what it would be like if an arcade machine went haywire. Miso Extra has the uncanny ability to make any beat sound cool and sleek, and together with Metronomy that’s no different.

I’m also just as impressed with how well Miso Extra is able to incorporate a Japanese/English chorus into her songs and absolutely sell it. I’ve been singing the addictive chorus, “気のせいかもしれない / この事件 keep me up at night,” ever since the song came out despite not knowing how to speak a lick of Japanese. That’s the power of a good song. -Li-Wei Chu

moon tang – “favourite jeans”

“YOU’RE. MY. FAVOURITE. JEANS!”

HK-based singer moon tang’s soft fluttery voice sells every line on “favourite jeans” so well that I want to rush over to my nearest Levi’s and grab a pair myself. Where’s the commercial sync placement for this song? -Li-Wei Chu

mura masa, yeule – “We Are Making Out”

yeule released a lot of great tracks this year, from Slow Pulp covers, Broken Social Scene covers, to even a one-off that reminded why we loved their sophomore album softscars so much. They’ve got the indie rock/dream pop scene on lock.

But when “We Are Making Out,” their collab with Mura Masa dropped, all bets were off. “We Are Making Out” is proof that Nat Ćmiel is just one skip away from creating some really nasty dancefloor heaters that will make you fall into a trance. Mura Masa’s rugged beats make the perfect backdrop for yeule’s growling cyborg glitches and brings the party both online and off. -Li-Wei Chu

NIKI – “Colossal Loss”

Buzz had several standout tracks but for me, “Colossal Loss” is the singular track that fulfills the adventurous promise of the entire album. It’s a challenging rock-forward jaunt that perfectly captures NIKI’s prowess as a band leader on production that veteran listeners wouldn’t typically associate with her discography.

These lyrics are some of the most fun, petty, vengeance you can have. “And yet, you’re still a jack of none.” Oof… brilliant. -Justin Ricafort

NIKI – “Too Much Of A Good Thing”

What happens when NIKI trades out some of her R&B influences for more guitars and 80s rock? You get “Too Much Of A Good Thing,” one of the most exciting NIKI songs as of late.

Is it too much to ask NIKI to do more of this? -Li-Wei Chu

Nolo Grace – “Alone in My Dreams”

“Nolo Grace courses ethereal, driving data through your circuits. Digital stuttering, angelic echoes, and a jaw-dropping orchestral crescendo. I hear deified Tron, Mirror’s Edge, and Empire of the Sun. “Alone in My Dreams” is unforgettable, front-running my electronic track of the year so far.”

When I first wrote about this in our Weekly Bullet Reviews, I was absorbed by the cool, digitized atmosphere that reminded me of a cool ass car commercial. The epicness and bombast of the track stuck with me all year. -Justin Ricafort

Ok Cowgirl – “Nighttime Thinking”

Easily one of my favorite songs of this entire year.

Like I said in my review for Couldn’t Save Us From My Gut, “Nighttime Thinking” caps off the album with a beautiful swan song. Self-freeing and soaring, this is the perfect antidote to spiraling doubt. “I stop caring what the world is and where I am within that.” Every time I listen to it, I feel less heavy. That alone is a testament to the tender power of Ok Cowgirl. Amen. -Justin Ricafort

Ok Cowgirl – “Swirling”

On “Swirling,” Ok Cowgirl’s absolute stunner of a one-sided love song, she’s not afraid of letting all of her thoughts spill out onto the page. No, she’s not the cool narrator that many may pretend to be. Instead, she’s pining over someone who doesn’t seem to have the same reciprocity, almost to an embarrassing degree.

Lines like “You, you can booty call me / Darling you’re the only one I want to hear from after 10” and “I think I was asleep before you” are deeply lived in and so visceral – even moreso when they make for a great indie rock hook. I’ve listened to “Swirling” dozens of times since its release, and every single time I’ve belted out “I know that you’re not mine / But I think that I’m falling for you / Would that be alright?” like clockwork. It feels so real.

I can’t help but wonder if that narrator really did get that person, leaving it all and starting anew. I sure hope they did. -Li-Wei Chu

Push Ups – “Trachea”

One listen to any of NYC-based band Push Ups’ songs, and you’ll be transported back to the 90s and early 00s, when alt-rock was gaining prominence.

“Trachea,” one of two songs that the band released in 2024, makes good on the promise of a grungier direction from their 2023 EP, and it’s gotten me hyped up about what’s to come from the band. “Trachea” is more claustrophobic and tighter than what they’ve released so far.

With lyrics like “Drag your tightrope / Through my windpipe” and “Constant regret / I dive into / In folded armchairs / And the time it takes to self destruct,” it really feels like I’m a kid again, rocking out to an obscure Myspace-ripped song off of Limewire. Good times. -Li-Wei Chu

Sheherazaad – “Dhund Lo Mujhe”

Much like her producer, Arooj Aftab, Sheherazaad weaves hypnotic songs out of a multitude of classical Asian instruments, forging a meeting between the East and the West.

On “Dhund Lo Mujhe,” she has a performative, animated voice – whispering at some points and jumping into high vibrato in an instant, just like she’s telling you a secret story under a bright full moon. All of this sets the scene for Sheherazaad’s tale. Enchanting? Truly. -Li-Wei Chu

Shigeto, KESSWA – “The Punch!”

If you ever hit up any of the many record fairs around the LA area on any given weekend, it’s very likely that you’ll run into one of the many old-school cool DJs just slinging their old R&B 12-inches for cheap. And if you’re even more lucky, you might catch one of them spinning those beats in person, transporting you back to the 90s when this kind of artform was more commonplace.

Listening to Detroit-based DJ Shigeto’s music reminds me so much of these moments – marrying R&B and hip-hop beats together to keep the bodies moving for hours on end. All of the songs on his latest album, Cherry Blossom Baby, are evidence of an accomplished master at work – connecting old-school influences with the modern with ease. “The Punch!” is one of the groovier, boogie-down tracks on the album that’ll get any party going. KESSWA makes a fantastic collaborator here, lending her cool vocals to a punchy beat and bassline that flirts with her just as she does with us.

Grab this tune for your next vinyl-only DJ set. Beat them to the punch! -Li-Wei Chu

Tim Atlas – “Lighthouse”

Just you and your friends dancing through the entrance of the club. While I haven’t gone out on the town nearly as much as my parents (and they still do), songs like this make me want to claim my space on the dance floor.

On “Lighthouse”, Atlas and the band have cracked the code on rebalancing the fun deficit of the past couple years. Clearly a student of addictive funk, Tim Atlas serves up a timeless anthem that sets us up for a buttoned down, sweat-sheened night out. -Justin Ricafort

TOKiMONSTA, Cakes da Killa, GAWD – “Switch It”

“You know, I just need something new / Excite me.” So goes some of the first few lyrics on TOKiMONSTA (Jennifer Lee)’s “Switch It” – also one of her more fun tracks to date.

It’s been a journey watching Lee become one of the mainstays in the DJ world over the past few years. I still remember listening to her 2013 album Half Shadows on repeat back in the day – oh, how long it’s been! She’s been through a lot since then, and yet she’s still making bangers. On “Switch It,” TOKiMONSTA beckons you to the dancefloor with a steamy beat instead of working from the chilly realm that she’s known for. “Switch It” builds up to an exciting party from the ethereal dimension and is anchored by vocals courtesy of GAWD. That heat gets dispelled by a high-speed verse from Cakes da Killa before bringing you back around to the sweetness and party vibes.

Switch up, indeed.  -Li-Wei Chu

Torinotabi – “La Calma”

One of the best new artists that I stumbled upon in 2024 came about by accident.

I was hanging around East Austin during SXSW, looking for a show to fill the time, and I came across Torinotabi playing to a small crowd at Hotel Vegas. And man, what a time it was! Torinotabi’s brand of psychedelic rock felt tailor made for the rustic, wooded saloon that he played, and “La Calma,” with its gritty, hypnotic sound, fit the mood.

If I had to pick a song to represent what SXSW is all about, this one is it. -Li-Wei Chu

Utada Hikaru – “何色でもない”

This is a song that I think is genetically intertwined with its music video.

It transforms like a flower struggling to bloom beginning with bare, stark piano to an R&B heartbeat all tracked to Utada Hikaru’s lovesick harmonies. If you need a good, solid cry to unstuck your senses, this is the one to do it. -Justin Ricafort

Vicky Farewell – “Tern Me On”

Sometimes I forget that underneath all of the glimmery synths and sweet vocals, Vicky Farewell is always in on the joke. “Tern Me On,” one of the standout tracks from their album Give A Damn, is all heartstrings and romantic vibes. On its own, it’s sexy, sultry, and what you’d probably play on the stereo after your second glass of wine.

And then you get to the video, where you’ll find Vicky Farewell eerily skulking around a dark garage in a wedding dress like Predator. Honestly, it only makes the song sound that much better. -Li-Wei Chu

XG – “WOKE UP”

It’s been a while since I’ve been this invested in a girl group, but oh boy, if you know you know.

“WOKE UP” comes in like an unstoppable force from the moment it begins, and never ever lets up. All of the XG members arrive snarling at 100, full-attitude and all. And that sick beat on top of that? There’s a reason why XG is one of the most exciting JPOP/KPOP-adjacent (they’ve been making it a point to separate themselves from both) groups in the scene.

And though they’ve been around for a while now, “WOKE UP” is a message to anyone who’s not paying attention to, well, WAKE UP. -Li-Wei Chu

Yaeji – “booboo”

The audacity of Yaeji sampling herself and making a meta-commentary on her own career!!!

I don’t know how it’s possible to make a banger out of that AND a TikTok dance at the same time, but at this point what can’t Yaeji do? -Li-Wei Chu

Yvette Young – “You Know I Should Be Leaving” (American Football cover)

Seeing Yvette Young tour with American Football this year has been an all-time achievement for those in the intersection of Asian America and Midwest Emo. Not to be outdone, Young was also one of nine artists covering the original American Football self-titled album that was released this October.

With the addition of more space, signature finger-picking accoutrements, and those layered violins, Young commanded this track into a porchside orchestra. Hands down a win for all emos everywhere. -Justin Ricafort