The Middle of Nowhere #22: The Best of 2024
The year that didn't slip so quickly through our fingers. Great art and lots of exhausting discourse to match. Here's the best of the best that defined my year.
Once again, I’ve found the most joy unraveling music of years past. If every year is a crime scene of sorts, I often go back to old case files to try and figure out where we are today. I’ve eagerly spent many days at movie theaters like the Alamo Drafthouse, devouring any old film they could show. The Apple Music data shows some truly chaotic swings, from Brian McKnight to Brooks & Dunn, Clairo to Lonny Love. Only 3 songs from this year crack my top 25 on the Replay.
I like to think this exploration only clarified my love for the arts this year. 2024 was the best year of the decade so far, not just because grief didn’t prominently dictate my experiences either. As much as there is to lament, politically, socially, and artistically, I didn’t need to scrape so aggressively to find truly magical experiences in art. To avoid redundancy, I’ll look to only cover records not prominently featured on other lists. Besides, most of the big releases and the big prestigious records this year kinda suck anyway. *Forgive me for the lack of links on the backend, Substack said things were getting too long and would affect the folks who read this in the email*
Future & Metro Boomin- We Still Don’t Trust You
I wish Future would embrace his lustiness and yearning a little bit more. Don’t get me wrong, I love the other facets of Future as much as anybody. Very few can match him when he hammers in on his origins and coming of age in the streets of Atlanta (think “Never Stop” or “Married to the Game” or literally any of his songs with Zaytoven). Similarly, he’s nearly unimpeachable as a hitmaker and is one of the most colorful artists in his braggadocio.
But the truest form for 41 year old Future is when he’s desperately floundering for affection, in the short term fling or the romantic longing that makes him such an enticing R&B artist. We Still Don’t Trust You scratches that itch after releasing the dominant We Don’t Trust You a few weeks prior. Future and Metro shed the titanic scale for ecstasy fueled crooning and Miami Vice mood boards. It’s evident that the duo taps The Weeknd for inspiration and guidance here but it feels effortlessly sexier than the character cosplay Abel Tesfaye embarks on under his professional pseudonym.
Maybe it’s because there’s a genuine fire for romance simmering underneath the surface. “Right 4 You” is a wail of yearning for devotion, where he interpolates Boyz II Men to emphasize that his endless nights of meaningless sex and drugs pale in comparison to his desire to find real fulfillment with a woman. As much as he indulges in his identity as ‘toxic king,’ he finally unmasks. He wants to shed the pain in his past and his terrible habits for someone that actually cares about him.
This is the core of We Still Don’t Trust You, where long nights of sex, drugs, and alcohol blur together and he feels nothing from it. It’s an eternal cycle and Future’s weariness bleeds into his vocals. Romance would finally free him from the sinful excess that defines his nights. It’s a different take from HNDRXX, its most natural predecessor. Rather than fixate on his sexual conquests as a means to distract from his crushing loneliness, We Still Don’t Trust You is louder and much more vacuous aesthetically. It’s as if Future is looking at his hands while neon lights paint his face. Inevitably, he bathes himself in hedonism on a record like Mixtape Pluto demonstrates. It feels a bit reductive given his age and this point in his career. But for a brief moment in 2024, Future sheds the illusion and the loneliness floats to the surface.
Megalopolis (Francis Ford Coppola)
Francis Ford Coppola just wants to leave behind a world that can get better long after he’s gone. Sometimes, he can be a little naive in the process. For instance, one pretty large point in Megalopolis, his sprawling Roman inspired epic this year, revolves around the belief that through faith and the good hearted nature of a multi-billionaire, we could alter our futures. Cesar exiles the lower class out of rundown apartment complexes in New Rome in order to create the groundwork for his new utopia. It doesn’t dare question Catalina’s logic and even trivializes some of their protesting.
But I can’t help but respect his earnest belief that all of this can be better. He inserts some scathing critiques of modern America and the media landscape. He pierces through modern sleaze and greed through the hilarious roles of Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza) and Clodio (Shia LeBouf) and how they manipulate the public to prohibit real progress. Coppola’s tributes to his late wife fall really tender amidst the chaos and occasional ego death Francis grapples with in the film. As complex and flawed as Cesar might be, ultimately, he wishes to scrounge up enough space for our futures rather than devour what little we have left in the present.
Lelo
Michigan rap has been homogenized at this point. Babyface Ray breaking through forfeits some of the distinction that helped make him a dynamic Detroit artist. It’s vague enough to allow Fabolous and Hunxho features to breeze by without being jarring. Similarly, Flint artists get lazily tossed into the pile with Detroit artists for a rough approximation of the state’s sound.
Lelo crafts a new vision of what New Detroit looks and sounds like. There’s a stark, industrial quality to his music. The apocalyptic bells and explosive drums are swapped out for ghostly, overcast tapestries that fit somewhere between Ghost in the Shell and Max Payne narration. He’s also just fly as hell on records; take “Evangelion” where he shrugs about women in his life amidst the never ending chase for money. Lelo depicts modern dystopia with the sharp self awareness that this shit doesn’t stop. The grind doesn’t stop, no matter how dark this gets.
Jared Bishop & Kwame Adu- Katrina
I spent my birthday evening watching a screening for Jared Bishop’s short film “Katrina.” My initial skepticism fades almost instantly in the face of his self assured artistic vision. Bishop is simping real bad over a demon spawn of a woman (quite literally). Brooding yet tender, he makes toxic love feel like an inevitability, as if there’s no other option but to deal with the mountain of baggage and red flags. Rose tinted glasses become blinders and it takes a long time to put the prescriptions on and see where all his compromise and patience leads him.
Jared’s video is stellar too, far from the cheap, amateur visuals from early film majors trying to replicate their favorite movies. That was my biggest takeaway from the film screening. Bishop isn’t simply figuring it out, sketching out experiments for the world to see. Instead, he’s got the creative groundwork to spotlight his hopeless romanticism. It’s only a matter of time until he bursts through the ceiling he’s already scratching.
Ogbert the Nerd- What You Want
Remember when people used to express their angst by picking up a goddamn guitar and belting out their feelings. The internet has effectively erased this need. Nowadays, it’s much easier to lament angst on forums and social media platforms or make an account for Better Help. Why bang on the drums or shred on bass and guitar when you can clack it up on a keyboard instead?
Ogbert the Nerd restores the long lost feeling, where a group of dudes rock out together to prevent from banging their heads into the wall.They’re a New Brunswick, New Jersey emo band named after a 30 Rock bit where Tracy Morgan plays the role of a nerd “who takes off his glasses and everyone realizes he’s handsome.” Madison James screams his heart out with the kind of self-despair that made past grunge so alluring. “I’m so sick and tired of all of this, ‘cause I’ll let you down again… just like always” the lead singer belts on “Just Like Always” as he desperately tries to push this other person away from his most toxic traits.
Nicole Kidman says on her AMC preview, “heartbreak sounds good in a place like this.” Ogbert the Nerd distills this feeling across 26 minutes on What You Want. Self hatred never sounds this cathartic anymore.
Lupe Fiasco- Samurai
What do you do when you’ve done everything there is to do in hip-hop? Lots of artists are driven by this careerist mindset to be the best. Maybe it’s just ultra capitalist pursuit where the algorithm is studied with a group of label workers and A&Rs in order to make the maximum dollar. Lupe finds the most satisfaction in stranger concepts. He wishes to figure out how far you can push a rap song like Nas did before him. “All Black Everything” imagines an Earth where every institution takes on new context through ironic juxtapositions. Bill O’Reilly reads the Quran, a Black Woman heads the KKK, all because “racism has no context.” It even digs into silly territory, like imagining 5 white guys as the Jacksons or 50 Cent taking on Eminem’s career path.
Sometimes, the final results are messy and uneven in execution. Drogas Wave promises a fascinating exploration of a world where slaves survive and inhabit the Atlantic to take out other slave ships. Unfortunately, somewhere around the halfway mark, he effectively abandons the idea for other dense muses and lyrical exercises. It’s still a really good album though because Lupe is a fantastic rapper. Nevertheless, it’s incomplete, an unfinished essay that devolves into various asides.
Samurai still shows Lupe trying his hand at a concept. Here, he raps through the perspective of Amy Winehouse if she followed the path of a samurai battle rapper. It’s deliciously nerdy stuff but it works most as a loose frame of reference when pondering what it means to make art. It certainly helps that he enlists Soundtrakk with production, jazzy, breezy, and elegant. When Lupe doesn’t burden himself with the task of scaling Mount Everest, his sharp observations feel much more tangible.
Lil Tecca- PLAN A
I thought Lil Tecca was supremely uncool. Sure, there’s something particularly endearing about him adding disclaimers to his lyrics for “Ransom” years ago. But let’s keep it real: he was a dorky teenager, a supreme disadvantage for someone trying to make it in the music industry. So imagine my surprise when his latest PLAN A is one of the coolest albums of the year. It’s a never ending loop of hooks and athletic flow changes about high fashion and women under his arms. It’s the musical equivalent of Steve Urkel in Family Matters transitioning to Stefan Urquelle.
ZAYALLCAPS- iMessage Platinum: Hosted by autotuneKaroake
ZAYALLCAPS is one of our strongest music critics today. But rather than sculpt out his thesis statements on empty word documents, his mission statement is through subverting popular musical formats and showcasing their malleability. This is the spiteful nature of iMessage Platinum, infusing his own brand of color and digitization into the fabrics of tried and true stylings. “boof” works as its own re-creation of Los Angeles traffic jam music, the kind of ear worm Blxst and Bino Rideaux try to cobble up every studio session. Or take “Boy (V),” “PHINEAS” or “writer’s block,” where mixtape cuts and Lyrical Lemonade-esque uploads make way for Zay and his features’ sharp wits. It’s the kind of thorniness and meticulous detailing that makes ZAYALLCAPS one of my favorite artists. He feels like he can do your favorite song better than your favorite artist.
YFG Fatso
Truly diabolical and not in a glib, internet sort of way either. Here’s five of his best lines (something I cobbled together for the paid blog, sub for the monthly listens):
"We turned the shooter to singer, he cried out a note, he done went queen Bey on a n--" - Only The Reapers
"We killed a bunch of them n--s, the white van man, we touchin on n--s"- Princeton Prayer
"Walk up on him, tap the switch, he died before he heard the shots" - Nascars
"Boy better fix your demeanor. That's what pops told me, little pops was knowin’ Ima reincarnate to the demon"- Nefarious Activity
"You like 30 by now tryna figure shit out, an embarrassment, kill yourself (go home)" - Nefarious Activity
NLE Choppa- SLUT ME OUT 2
The biggest surprise of 2024. NLE Choppa channels his inner Shock G and does the Humpty Dance on swampy, delirious horny production. It doesn’t even register that this is the same guy who started out with the lukewarm ‘Shotta Flow’ records. There’s a thousand walk-em-down rappers, pivoting to animated Johnny Bravo jams is way more interesting.
Conworld!
Conworld! makes tender, sincere music in a world deeply poisoned by irony. The internet often heightens the instinct for passive aggression and calloused cynicism. Con’s music sheds all the winks and nudges in favor of earnest moments of human connection. Take “Favorite Trees,” where he croons about taking his partner to see his favorite hideaway, longing for the moment to linger eternally.
This all comes in junction with some of the most intricate detail in music today. Most bedroom, DIY productions often cut to the chase to capture some contrived raw intimacy. Instead, Conworld! emphasizes texture and warmth by maximizing his musical gifts. His cozy lullaby “Rock 2” could’ve easily lounged around in the warm glow of the synth chord loop. Instead, the song pulsates and twinkles, drums thumping in and out of the hook, digital beeps piercing through the record’s feathery floor. It plays like Lumas soaring through the stars in the Super Mario Galaxy games. Con’s musical decisions are dense and expansive but it never forsakes the humanity in his expression.
Baby Osamaa- SEXC SUMMER
The best thing that could’ve happened to New York rap is doubling down on Max B’s influence. Losing Pop Smoke was a brutal loss for the five boroughs and they could never truly replicate the lightning in a bottle they had with him. Instead, they pivot to something much sexier. Cash Cobain and Chow Lee had been sowing these seeds for years and now we see a fresh crop of faces furthering the sound. My favorite of the new generation is Baby Osamaa, a lusty, autotuned heartthrob where raunchiness and romance coexist in harmony. Take her yearning croons alongside distant Bobby Brown vocals on “Just Stay With Me” or her dizzying jealousy on “If I See U With Her Pt. 2.” It’s easy to get lost in all the hookah smoke that comes with sexy drill. Intimacy is what will keep the sub-genre around for the long haul and Baby Osamaa will be the face of that future.
Best Albums
Future & Metro- We Still Don't Trust You
Clairo- Charm
ZAYALLCAPS- iMessage Platinum: Hosted by autotuneKaraoke
Cindy Lee- Diamond Jubilee
Laila!- Gap Year!
skaiwater- #gigi
Ka- The Thief Next to Jesus
Ogbert The Nerd- What You Want
Fabiana Palladino- S/T
Nourished by Time- Catching Chickens
Lil Tecca- PLAN A
MAVI- shadowbox
Tyrese- Beautiful Pain
Jessica Pratt- Here in the Pitch
Baby Osamaa- SEXC SUMMER
Loe Shimmy- Zombieland 2
DORIS- Ultimate Love Songs Collection
LL Cool J- THE FORCE
YFG Fatso- A Reaper's Ceremony
Action Bronson- Johann Sebastian Bachlava the Doctor
Lupe Fiasco- Samurai
Ravyn Lenae- Bird’s Eye
Lunchbox- Lunchtime.
Lonny Love- Sexiest Place on Earth
Chow Lee- SEX DRIVE
Top 30 Best Songs
Future x Metro- Drink N Dance
ZAYALLCAPS- Boof
Clairo- Add Up My Love
Bryson Tiller- Attention
Nourished by Time- Poison-Soaked
Ogbert the Nerd- Just Like Always
Billie Eilish- Birds of a Feather
Tisakorean- Money Happiness
El Cousteau- Redlines
Leon Thomas- MUTT
Tyler The Creator- Darling, I
Chow Lee- GMT
Jessica Pratt- By Hook or by Crook
NLE Choppa- SLUT ME OUT 2
Bossman Dlow- Sportscenter
Conworld!- Rock 2
skaiwater- rain
Childish Gambino- Lithonia
Sexyy Red- U My Everything
Mach Hommy- SAME 24
Chappell Roan- Good Luck Babe!
Fabiana Palladino- Drunk
Laila!- If U Don't Know by Now
Tems- You in My Face
YFG Fatso- Nefarious Activity
NxWorries- WalkOnBy
Cash Cobain- act like
Lil Yachty x Veeze- Sorry Not Sorry
J.P.- Bad Bitty
Kendrick Lamar- Euphoria
10 Most Played Songs, 2024
Drake- Passionfruit
Shelly- Steeeam
Tyler the Creator- Treehome95
The Gap Band- Wednesday Lover
The Blue Nile- The Downtown Lights
Future x Metro Boomin- Drink N Dance
Sade- Pearls
Daryl Hall & John Oates- When The Morning Comes
Brooks & Dunn- Neon Moon
Phonte x Devin Morrison- Beverly Hills
15 Best Features
Veeze (Lil Yachty- Sorry Not Sorry)
Ocho Worldwide (ZAYALLCAPS- writer’s block)
Earl Sweatshirt (El Cousteau- Words2LiveBy)
Los (WB Nutty x Icewear Vezzo- Go Get The Boss)
Ty Dolla Sign (Ravyn Lenae- Dream Girl)
Krispylife Kidd (Bfb Da Packman x Babyfxce E- Kentucky Love)
Lil Baby (Future x Metro Boomin- All My Life)
Playboi Carti (Future x Metro Boomin x Travis Scott- Type Shit)
AzChike (Kendrick Lamar- Peekaboo)
Niontay (MIKE x Tony Seltzer- 2k24 Tour)
Teezo Touchdown (Tyler the Creator- Darling, I) [resident Teezo hater here cannot stand the fact that he’s here but that record really is that good. would be #1 with Charlie Wilson or rough equivalent]
Kwame Adu (Jared Bishop- Katrina)
BabyChiefDoIt (Nino Paid x PlaqueBoyMax- Cooln)
Cash Cobain (Vontee the Singer- IMU)
42 Dugg (Lucki x Rylo Rodriguez- 3 SMRS STR8)
15 Favorite Artist Discoveries
Laila!
Fabiana Palladino
Bossman Dlow
Lelo
Nino Paid
YFG Fatso
Odeal
DORIS
BabyChiefDoIt
Jared Bishop
J.P.
2300
LAZER DIM 700
Jasiah Steez
Felix Ames
10 Best Films I Saw in Theaters
Heat (Michael Mann)
Chinatown (Roman Polanski)
Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola)
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (Hideaki Anno, Kazuya Tsurumaki)
Interstellar (Christopher Nolan)
Chungking Express (Wong Kar-Wai)
Tenet (Christopher Nolan)
Purple Rain (Albert Magnoli)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick)
Godzilla Minus One (Takashi Yamazaki)
30 Favorite Songs Discovered Outside 2024
The Gap Band- Wednesday Lover
The Blue Nile- The Downtown Lights
Ivy- These Are the Things About You
The Jacksons- Find Me a Girl
Shelly- Steeeam
Demis Roussos- Forever and Ever
Leon Ware- Clubsashay
Michael Wycoff- Looking Up to You
Brian McKnight- The Way Love Goes
The Isley Brothers- Blast Off
Daryl Hall & John Oates- When the Morning Comes
Bobby V- Anonymous
Everything But the Girl- Native Land
Alvvays- Archie, Marry Me
The Style Council x Tracey Thorn- The Paris Match
Tracy Lawrence- Can’t Break It to My Heart
Max B- Every Morning
Branford Marsalis Quartet- Mo’ Better Blues
Ex-Girlfriend- You For Me
Prince & The New Power Generation- Sweet Baby
Johnny Gill- Someone to Love
Glen Campbell- By the Time I Get to Phoenix
Eunice Collins- At The Hotel
Wayne Wonder- Fast Car
Marvin Sease- Candy Licker
Prince- Love Sign (Shock G’s Silky Remix)
Marty Robbins- Doggone Cowboy
The Informers- If You Love Me
Patti Page- Changing Partners
Joe- I Can Do It Right
Other Things I Loved This Year
Childish Gambino’s “Lithonia” Video
Tomu DJ- I Want to Be
RADA- “Payme”
The Arby’s Tyler the Creator “Sticky” edit
Young Thug finally free
Adria Arjona
Odeal- “Blame U”
Usher Halftime Show
Every old screening at Alamo Drafthouse
The Rock- “Go home and smoke some more CRACK”
Luh Tyler
Lady Gaga x Bruno Mars- “Die With a Smile” (super late inclusion to the list, somehow slipped my mind despite obsessing over it for days at a time. the most likely to rise over time, genuinely has the potential to be one of the best pop songs of the decade. so tender, so sweet, would be number 1 for 7 months in a different timeline)
Zendaya
Anthony Edwards vs Kevin Durant in the NBA Playoffs
CoffeeBlack & Wan Go- No Fakin
gum.mp3- Black Life, Red Planet
Drake- “The Heart Pt. 6” Video
Denzel Washington in Gladiator 2
454 x Pig the Gemini- “BERETTA”
Sting’s Retirement