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By Larry Fitzmaurice

December 2, 2018

Daft Punk ’s Homework is, in its pure existence, a study in contradictions. The debut album from Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo arrived in 1997, right around the proliferation of big-beat and electronica—a twin-headed hydra of dance music fads embraced by the music industry following the commercialization of early ’90s rave culture—but when it came to presumptive contemporaries from those pseudo-movements, Homework shared Sam Goody rack space and not much else. Daft Punk’s introduction to the greater world also came at a time when French electronic music was gaining international recognition, from sturdy discotheque designs to jazzy, downtempo excursions—music that sounded miles away from Homework ’s rude, brutalist house music.

In the 21 years since Homework ’s release, Daft Punk have strayed far from its sound with globe-traversing electronic pop that, even while incorporating other elements of dance music subgenres, has more often than not kept house music’s building blocks at arms’ length. 2001’s Discovery was effectively electronic pop-as-Crayola box, with loads of chunky color and front-and-center vocals that carried massive mainstream appeal. Human After All from 2005 favored dirty guitars and repetitive, Teutonic sloganeering, while the pair took a nostalgia trip through the history of electronic pop itself for 2013’s Random Access Memories . Were it not for a few choice Homework tracks that pop up on 2007’s exhilarating live document Alive 2007 , one might assume that Homework has been lost in the narrative that’s formed since its release—that of Daft Punk as robot-helmeted superstar avatars, rather than as irreverent house savants.

But even as the straightforward and strident club fare on Homework remains singular within Daft Punk’s catalog, the record also set the stage for the duo’s career to this very day—a massively successful and still-going ascent to pop iconography, built on the magic trick-esque ability to twist the shapes of dance music’s past to resemble something seemingly futuristic. Whether you’re talking about Bangalter and Homem-Christo’s predilection for global-kitsch nostalgia, their canny and self-possessed sense of business savvy, or their willingness to wear their influences on their sleeve like ironed-on jean-jacket patches—it all began with Homework .

It couldn’t possibly make more sense that a pair of musicians whose most recent album sounds like a theme park ride through pop and electronic music’s past got their big break at Disneyland. It was 1993, and schoolboy friends Bangalter and Homem-Christo’s rock band with future Phoenix guitarist Laurent Brancowitz, Darlin’—named after a track from the 1967 Beach Boys album Wild Honey that the three shared an affinity for—had disbanded after a year of existence that included a few songs released on Stereolab ’s Duophonic label. (Melody Maker writer Dave Jennings notoriously referred to their songs as possessing “a daft punky thrash,” which led to the pair assuming the Daft Punk moniker.)

While attending a rave in Paris, Bangalter and Homem-Christo had a chance encounter with Glasgow DJ/producer Stuart McMillan, the co-founder of the Soma Recordings dance label; like any aspiring musicians would, they gave him a demo tape of early Daft Punk music. The following year Soma released Daft Punk’s debut single “The New Wave,” a booming and acid-tinged instrumental that would later evolve into Homework cut “Alive.”

A follow-up, “Da Funk” b/w “Rollin’ & Scratchin’,” hit shops in 1995; according to a Muzik profile two years later, its initial 2,000-platter pressing was “virtually ignored” until rave-electronica bridge-gap veterans the Chemical Brothers started airing out its A-side during DJ sets. A major-label bidding war ensued, with Virgin as the victor which re-released “Da Funk” as a proper single in 1996 with non- Homework track “Musique” as its B-side. During this time, Bangalter and Homem-Christo casually worked on the 16 tunes that would make up Homework in the former’s bedroom, utilizing what The Guardian ’s Ben Osborne referred to in 2001 as “ low technology equipment ”—two sequencers, a smattering of samplers, synths, drum machines, and effects, with an IOMEGA zip drive rounding out their setup.

Bangalter and Homem-Christo’s work ethic while assembling the bulk of Homework was of the type that makes sloths appear highly efficient by comparison: no more than eight hours a week, over the course of five months. “We have not spent much time on Homework ,” Bangalter casually bragged to POP . “The main thing is that it sounds good… We have no need to make music every day.” The songs were crafted with the intention of being released as singles (“We do not really want to make albums,” Bangalter claimed in the same interview), Homework ’s eventual sequencing a literal afterthought after the pair realized they had enough material to evenly fill four sides of two vinyl platters. “Balance,” the pair said in unison when asked about Homework ’s format-specific sequencing in Dance Music Authority following the album’s release. “It is done for balance.”

Indeed, Homework is practically built to be consumed in side-long chunks; taking the album in at a single 75-minute listen can feel like running a 5K right after eating an entire pizza. Its A-side kicks off with the patient build of “Daftendirekt”—itself a live-recording excerpt of introductory music used during a Daft Punk set at 1995’s I Love Techno festival in Ghent—and concludes with the euphoric uplift of “Phoenix”; the B-side opens with the literal oceanic washes of “Fresh” before stretching its legs with the loopy, Gershon Kingsley-interpolating “Around the World” and the screeching fist-pump anthem “Rollin’ & Scratchin’.” The third side keeps things light with the flashy, instructional “Teachers” before getting truly twisted on “Rock’n Roll,” and the fourth side takes a few rubbery detours before landing on the full-bodied “Alive”—the thicker and meaner final form of “The New Wave”—and, quixotically, a slight and rewound “Da Funk” return, aptly titled “Funk Ad.”

Bangalter explained to POP that the title of Homework carries a few meanings: “You always do homework in the bedroom,” he stated, referencing the album’s homespun origins before elaborating on the didactic exercise that creating the album represented: “We see it as a training for our upcoming discs. We would as well have been able to call it Lesson or Learning .” That instructional nature is reflexive when it comes to listeners’ presumptive relationship with the album, as Homework practically represents a how-to for understanding and listening to house music.

Nearly every track opens with a single sonic element—more often than not, that steady 4/4 rhythm inextricably tied to house music—adding every successive element of the track patiently, like a played-in-reverse YouTube video showcasing someone taking apart a gadget to see what’s inside. Such a pedagogic approach can have its pitfalls; there’s always a risk of coming across as too rigid, and Daft Punk arguably fell victim to such dull, fussy didacticism later in their careers. But they sidestep such follies on Homework by way of the purely pleasurable music they carefully assembled, piece-by-piece, for whoever was listening.

Under the umbrella of house music, Homework incorporates a variety of sounds snatched from various musical subgenres—G-funk’s pleasing whine, the cut-up vocal-sample style of proto-UK garage made popular by frequent Daft Punk collaborator Todd Edwards , disco’s delicious synths and glittery sweep—to craft a true musical travelogue that also hinted at the widescreen sonic scope they’d take later in their careers. Above all, the album represents a love letter to black American pop music that’s reverberated through Daft Punk’s career to date—from Janet Jackson ’s sample of “Daftendirekt” on her 2008 Discipline track “So Much Betta” to Will.i.am’s failed attempt to remix “Around the World” the year previous, as well as the duo’s continued collaborations with artists ranging from Pharrell to Kanye West and the Weeknd .

The spirit of house music’s Midwestern originators is also literally and musically invoked throughout. Over the winding house-party groove of “Teachers,” Daft Punk pay homage to their formative influences, ranging from George Clinton and Dr. Dre to Black house and techno pioneers like Lil Louis, DJ Slugo, and Parris Mitchell—and in a meta twist, the song’s structure itself is a literal homage to Mitchell’s 1995 Dance Mania! single “Ghetto Shout Out,” an interpolation clearly telegraphed in the middle of Daft Punk’s astounding contribution to BBC’s Essential Mix series in 1997 .

Alongside Daft Punk’s preoccupations with American popular music, Homework also carries a very specific and politically pointed evocation of their native Paris in “Revolution 909,” the fourth and final single released from Homework that doubled as a critique of anti-rave measures taken by the French government after Jacques Chirac assumed power in 1995. “I don’t think it’s the music they’re after—it’s the parties,” Homem-Christo told Dance Music Authority , with Bangalter adding, “They pretend [the issue is] drugs, but I don’t think it’s the only thing. There’s drugs everywhere, but they probably wouldn’t have a problem if the same thing was going on at a rock concert, because that’s what they understand. They don’t understand this music which is really violent and repetitive, which is house; they consider it dumb and stupid.”

“Revolution 909” opens with ambient club noise, followed by the intrusion of police sirens and intimidating megaphone’d orders to “stop the music and go home.” The accompanying Roman Coppola-helmed music video was even more explicit in depicting the frequent clash between ravers and law enforcement that marked dance music’s rise to the mainstream in the early-to-mid-’90s; amidst a kitschy instructional video on making tomato sauce, a pair of cops attempt to disperse a rave, a young woman escaping one of their grasps after he becomes distracted by a tomato sauce stain on his own lapel.

It’s been rumored, but never quite confirmed, that Bangalter himself appears in the video for “Revolution 909”—a slice of speculation gesturing towards the fact that Daft Punk’s Homework era was the time in which the duo began embracing anonymity. The now-iconic robot helmets wouldn’t be conceived of until the Discovery era, and the magazine stories that came during Daft Punk’s pre- Homework days were typically accompanied by a fresh-faced photo of the pair; during Homework ’s promotional cycle, however, they donned a variety of masks to obscure their visages, including frog and pig-themed disguises .

In conversation with Simon Reynolds for The New York Times in 2013, the pair cited Brian De Palma’s glam-rock masterpiece Phantom of the Paradise as artistic inspiration for their decision to retain visual anonymity, and Daft Punk’s press-shy tendencies (since Homework , the interviews they’ve chosen to take part in have been few and far between) are firmly situated in a long tradition of letting the music do the talking in dance culture—from the sci-fi evasiveness of Drexciya and Aphex Twin ’s relative reclusiveness to the preferred reticence of Burial and his contemporaries in the UK bass scene.

But refusing to turn themselves into rock stars upon Homework ’s release also afforded Daft Punk a crucial element that has undoubtedly aided their perpetual ascent to the present-day: control. Retaining a sense of anonymity was but one of the conditions that the pair struck with Virgin upon signing to the label before Homework ’s release; while the music they released under the label (before signing to Columbia in 2013) was licensed exclusively to Virgin, they owned it through their own Daft Trax production and management company.

But Homework proved influential in other, more explicitly musical ways. G-house, an emergent dance subgenre in the mid-2010s dominated by acts like French duo Amine Edge & Dance, borrows liberally from Daft Punk’s own musical mash of hip-hop’s tough sounds and house music’s pounding appeal; the dirty bloghouse bruisers of Parisian collective Ed Banger—founded by Pedro Winter aka Busy P, who acted as the group’s manager until 2008—would literally not exist were it not for Homework , and that goes double for the party-hardy bloghouse micro-movement of the mid-late 2000s, which Ed Banger’s artists practically dominated. Parisian duo Justice , in particular, owe practically the entirety of their 2007 landmark † to the scraping tension of “Rollin’ & Scratchin’.”

It’s tempting, too, to tie a connective thread between Homework and the brash sounds that proliferated during the peak heyday of the financial descriptor-cum-music genre known as EDM; close your eyes while listening to “Alive”’s big-tent sweep and try not to imagine the tune destroying a festival crowd. But for all of Homework ’s aggressive charms, it’s also retained a homespun intimacy in comparison to how positively widescreen Daft Punk’s music became afterwards. “We focus on the illusion because giving away how it’s done instantly shuts down the sense of excitement and innocence,” Bangalter told Pitchfork in 2013, and the fact that two Beach Boys fans fiddling around in their bedroom could conceive of something so generously in-your-face and playful as Homework might still stand as Daft Punk’s greatest illusion yet.

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Homework is the debut studio album by French electronic music duo Daft Punk , released on 17 January 1997 with Virgin Records . Homework' s success brought worldwide attention to French house music. According to The Village Voice , the album revived house music and departed from the Eurodance formula. The duo produced the tracks without plans to release an album. After working on projects that were intended to be separate singles over five months, they considered the material good enough for an album.

Commercially successful, Homework appeared in 14 national charts, peaking at number 150 on the United States Billboard 200 and at number 37 on the Australian Albums Chart. By February 2001, the album had sold more than two million copies worldwide and received several gold and platinum certifications. Overall Homework received positive critical response. The album features singles that had a significant impact in the French house and global dance music scenes. These include the US Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play number-one singles " Da Funk " and " Around the World ", the latter of which reached number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100.

• 1 Recording history
• 2 Structure
• 3 Track listing
• 4 References

Recording history [ ]

In 1993, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo presented a demo to Stuart Macmillan of Slam at a rave in EuroDisney. The contents of the cassette eventually saw release on the single " The New Wave ", which was released on April 11, 1994 on Slam's Soma Quality Recordings label. The record also contained the final mix of the track "The New Wave" entitled "Alive".

" Da Funk " and " Rollin' & Scratchin' " were released as a single under the Soma label in 1995. The tracks were then utilized by The Chemical Brothers in DJ sets at The Heavenly Social in London. During the same year, Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons requested that the duo remix their single "Life Is Sweet" and open for The Chemical Brothers' tour in the United Kingdom. The ensuing popularity of Daft Punk's singles led to their signing with Virgin Records in September 1996. Their departure from Soma was noted by Richard Brown of the Glasgow-based label. "We were obviously sad to lose them to Virgin but they had the chance to go big, which they wanted, and it's not very often that a band has that chance after two singles. We're happy for them."

Although Virgin held exclusive distribution rights over Daft Punk’s material, the duo remain the owners of their master recordings through the Daft Trax label. Bangalter expressed that "To be free, we had to be in control. To be in control, we had to finance what we were doing ourselves. The main idea was to be free." [7] Daft Punk discussed their method with Spike Jonze , director of the "Da Funk" music video. He noted that "They were doing everything based on how they wanted to do it. As opposed to, 'oh we got signed to this record company, we gotta use their plan.' They wanted to make sure they never had to do anything that would make them feel bummed on making music." In regards to the duo's creative control and freedom, Bangalter said:

Daft Punk worked to record other tracks, including " Revolution 909 " and " Around the World ". The album was mixed and recorded in their own studio, Daft House in Paris , France. It was mastered by Nilesh Patel at the London studio The Exchange.

Virgin re-released "Da Funk" with the B-side " Musique " in 1996, before the debut of Homework . Bangalter later stated that the B-side "was never intended to be on the album, and in fact, 'Da Funk' as a single has sold more units than Homework , so more people own it anyways than they would if it had been on the album. It is basically used to make the single a double-feature."

Structure [ ]

Daft Punk produced the tracks included in Homework without a plan to release an album. Bangalter stated, "It was supposed to be just a load of singles. But we did so many tracks over a period of five months that we realized that we had a good album." [1] The duo set the order of the tracks to cover the four sides of a two-disc vinyl LP. [2] De Homem-Christo remarked, "There was no intended theme because all the tracks were recorded before we arranged the sequence of the album. The idea was to make the songs better by arranging them the way we did; to make it more even as an album." [2] The name Homework , Bangalter explained, relates to "the fact that we made the record at home, very cheaply, very quickly, and spontaneously, trying to do cool stuff." [3]

"Daftendirekt" is an excerpt of a live performance recorded at the first I Love Techno party in Ghent, Belgium. [4] It served as the introduction to Daft Punk's live shows and was used to begin the album. [2] Janet Jackson sampled "Daftendirekt" on her song "So Much Betta", which was included in her tenth studio album, Discipline , in 2008. [5] Homework' s following track, "WDPK 83.7 FM", is a tribute to FM radio in the US. [6] The next song, " Revolution 909 " is a reflection on the French government's stance on dance music. [2] [7]

"Revolution 909" is followed by " Da Funk ", which carries elements of funk and acid music. [8] According to Andrew Asch of the Boca Raton News , the song's composition "relies on a bouncy funk guitar to communicate its message of dumb fun." [9] Bangalter expressed that "Da Funk"'s theme involved the introduction of a simple, unusual element that becomes acceptable and moving over time. [10] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine complimented the song as "unrelenting", [11] and Bob Gajarsky of Westnet called it "a beautiful meeting of Chic (circa "Good Times", sans vocals) and the 90s form of electronica." [12] The song appeared on the soundtrack for the 1997 film The Saint and was placed at number 18 on Pitchfork Media's "Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s" list. [13] "Phoenix" combines elements of gospel music and house music. [2] The duo considered "Fresh" to be breezy and light with a comical structure. [14] Ian Mathers of Stylus Magazine criticized the song, stating that it "doesn’t feel like the beach just because of the lapping waves heard in the background." [15]

The single " Around the World " carries influences of Gershon Kingsley 's hit "Popcorn". [8] Its music video was directed by the Academy Award-winning French filmmaker Michel Gondry, who compared the track's bassline to that of "Good Times" by Chic. [16] Chris Power of BBC Music named it "one of the decade’s catchiest singles". He stated that it was "a perfect example of Daft Punk’s sound at its most accessible: a post-disco boogie bassline, a minimalist sprinkling of synthetic keyboard melody and a single, naggingly insistent hook." [17] Ian Mathers of Stylus Magazine commented that "there is no way you’d want to have a Homework without 'Around The World'." [15] The track "Teachers" is a tribute to several of Daft Punk's house music influences, including future collaborators Romanthony , DJ Sneak and Todd Edwards . [18] The song "Oh Yeah" features DJ Deelat and DJ Crabbe. "Indo Silver Club" features a sample of "Hot Shot" by Karen Young . [4] Prior to its inclusion on Homework , "Indo Silver Club" was released as a single on the Soma Quality Recordings label in two parts. [19] The single lacked an artist credit in the packaging [19] and was thought to have been created by the nonexistent producers Indo Silver Club. [20] The final track, "Funk Ad", is a reversed clip of "Da Funk". [2]

Track listing

References [ ]

• ↑ James (2003), p. 269.
• ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Warner, Jennifer. "Interview with Daft Punk" . p. 3. DMA . About.com . Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
• ↑ Nickson, Chris (June 1997) Daft Punk: Parlez-vous da funk? . CMJ New Music Monthly (46) (CMJ Network) p. 10. ISSN 1074-6978 . Retrieved 31 January 2013.
• ↑ 4.0 4.1 Homework ( liner notes ). Daft Punk . Virgin Records , a division of EMI Group . 42609. 1997.
• ↑ Discipline (Booklet). Janet Jackson . Island Records , a division of [[wikipedia:The Island Def Jam Music Group]|The Island Def Jam Music Group]]. 2008.
• ↑ Di Perna, Alan (April 2001). "We Are The Robots", Pulse! . pp. 65–69.
• ↑ Warner, Jennifer. "Interview with Daft Punk" . p. 2. DMA . About.com . Retrieved on 10 February 2012.
• ↑ 8.0 8.1 Collin, Matthew (August 1997). "Do You Think You Can Hide From Stardom?" . Mixmag . Retrieved on 6 March 2007.
• ↑ Asch, Andrew (18 December 1997). "Daft Punk smashes charts with simplicity" . Boca Raton News . Retrieved on 1 May 2012.
• ↑ Daft Punk audio commentary for "Da Funk" music video , The Work of Director Spike Jonze (2003).
• ↑ Cinquemani, Sal (2 November 2002). "Daft Punk – Homework" . Slant Magazine . Retrieved on 1 May 2012.
• ↑ Gajarsky, Bob (28 April 1997). "Daft Punk, Homework" . Westnet. Retrieved on 1 May 2012.
• ↑ Ryan Dombal (3 September 2009). "Staff Lists: The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 20-01" . Pitchfork Media . Retrieved on 10 February 2012.
• ↑ D.A.F.T.: A Story About Dogs, Androids, Firemen and Tomatoes . Virgin Records. 1999.
• ↑ 15.0 15.1 Mathers, Ian (9 May 2005). "Daft Punk: Homework – Playing God" . Stylus Magazine . Retrieved on 1 May 2012.
• ↑ Gondry, Michel (2003). The Work of Director Michel Gondry companion book. Palm Pictures . Retrieved on 4 May 2012.
• ↑ Power, Chris (5 January 2010). "Review of Daft Punk – Homework" . BBC Music . British Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved on 1 May 2012.
• ↑ Gill, Chris (1 May 2001). ROBOPOP . Remix Magazine . Archived from the original on 11 February 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
• ↑ 19.0 19.1 Indo Silver Club (liner notes). Daft Punk. Soma Quality Recordings. SOMA 035.
• ↑ Silcott, Mireille (3 April 1997). "Personality punks" . Montreal Mirror . Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved on 3 August 2011.

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• Homework (25th Anniversary Edition)

Homework (25th Anniversary Edition) Tracklist

Daftendirekt lyrics, wdpk 83.7 fm lyrics, revolution 909 lyrics, da funk lyrics, phoenix lyrics, fresh lyrics, around the world lyrics, rollin’ & scratchin’ lyrics, teachers lyrics, high fidelity lyrics, rock'n roll lyrics, oh yeah lyrics, burnin' lyrics, indo silver club lyrics, alive lyrics, funk ad lyrics, around the world (i:cube remix) lyrics, revolution 909 (roger sanchez & junior sanchez remix) lyrics, around the world (tee's frozen sun mix) lyrics, around the world (mellow mix) lyrics, burnin' (dj sneak main mix) lyrics, around the world (kenlou mix) lyrics, burnin' (ian pooley cut up mix) lyrics, around the world (motorbass vice mix) lyrics, around the world (m.a.w. remix) lyrics, burnin’ (slam mix) lyrics, around the world (original lead on mix) lyrics, burnin’ (dj sneak mongowarrier mix) lyrics, around the world (raw dub) lyrics, teachers (extended mix) lyrics, revolution 909 (revolution accapella) lyrics.

“Homework (25th Anniversary Edition)” celebrates the twenty-fifth birthday of Daft Punk’s first studio album. This special edition of Homework contains the same songs found in the original album, as well as numerous mixes/remixes that the French duo have played in various live shows in the past.

When the original edition of Homework was first released back in January 20th, 1997, it was an instant success. Peaking at 150 on the Billboard 200 at the time, the release of Homework boosted the popularity of French progressive house music and the electronic music genre as a whole. Daft Punk’s success from this album eventually lead them to inspiring many producers to create their own electronic music, creating a rise of nu disco/house music being produced in the 2000s. Larry Fitzmaurice said on Pitchfork:

But even as the straightforward and strident club fare on Homework remains singular within Daft Punk’s catalog, the record also set the stage for the duo’s career to this very day—a massively successful and still-going ascent to pop iconography, built on the magic trick-esque ability to twist the shapes of dance music’s past to resemble something seemingly futuristic.

On February 22th, 2021, Daft Punk posted a video titled “Epilogue” on their YouTube channel, which revealed that the duo we’re going to part ways. After going silent for exactly a year since the announcement of the split, Daft Punk have posted on social media for the first time in approximately five years. Two hours later, they started an unannounced Twitch Stream in which they played footage of a 1997 concert without their helmets. Homework (25th Anniversary Edition) was released on the same day.

“Homework (25th Anniversary Edition)” Q&A

Album credits.

Random Access Memories (10th Anniversary Edition)

Random Access Memories

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Homework is the debut studio album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 20 January 1997 by Virgin Records and Soma Quality Recordings. The duo produced the tracks without plans to release an album. After working on projects that were intended to be separate singles over five months, they considered the material good enough for an album.

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Homework (studio album) by Daft Punk

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Daft Punk bestography

Homework is ranked 3rd best out of 15 albums by Daft Punk on BestEverAlbums.com.

The best album by Daft Punk is Discovery which is ranked number 139 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 10,635.

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Rating metrics: Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation). (*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings) This album is rated in the top 5% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 76.3/100, a mean average of 75.1/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 76.3/100. The standard deviation for this album is 15.7.

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Pedrada boa! Não perde o fôlego!

It's fallen a little bit for me since the last time I listened to it, but it's fun. The exact kind of music that you turn your brain off to, which sounds like a backhanded compliment, but it's true. You just let this course through you and have fun with the grooves.

Although not as strong as what might follow there is no harm in a band growing into itself and not burning out on their first album never to repeat the quality or standard again. This is a very good album - perhaps a little too long, but has some great tunes including Teachers - that is just amazing

Love how raw, chaotic and in your face this album is! Truly their best work and they never topped it. It's their most iconic sound. Phenomenal debut.

Daft Punk’s debut may be a little repetitive and derivative at times, but it’s still really creative and a lot of fun.

Fav. Tracks: Revolution 909, Da Funk, Fresh, Around The World, Rollin' & Scratchin', High Fidelity, Burnin', Alive.

Favorite Tracks:Burnin', Indo Silver Club

I haven't felt more frustrated waiting for an album to be over in my entire life. Up until "Around the World" I was enjoying it a little bit, but even then, I thought it was somewhat repetitive, but not in a good way. After that, I was pretty much done, and I don't think the album was half over by then. Don't get me wrong, I really like Daft Punk, but I just feel like this is just a collection of songs rather than an 'album' if that makes any sense. It's over an hour long, when it should've been around 50 minutes. "Da Funk" is great, "Around the World" is great, and maybe 'Alive' is alright, but by then, I was genuenly too tired to care. Discovery and Random Access Memories are much, much better albums.

It's a fine debut, but I pretty much agree with the consensus here: It sounds funky but is a bit monotonous, nonetheless they go onto much greater things.

Classic french house.

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Homework (25th Anniversary Edition)

Few records combine sonic innovation with veneration for what came before as succinctly as Daft Punk’s 1997 debut, Homework. The title itself implies this duality: It’s a reference to both the bedroom studio where musicians Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo recorded their early house and techno productions, and a nod to the older artists the duo studied in preparation for their dance music breakthrough. Many of those musical ancestors are name-checked on the Homework track “Teachers,” on which Bangalter and Homem-Christo salute the (mostly) electronic music producers and DJs who inspired their work. That includes plenty of semi-obscure Chicago house music heroes and Detroit and UK techno champions, many of whom predated Daft Punk by a decade—but who were still active in the late-1990s rave scene. By tagging their peers, the members of Daft Punk were expressing solidarity with the many BIPOC artists whom they’d obsessed over for years. It was a declaration of belonging that could have come off as appropriation, had Homework not so fully elevated the genre. Bangalter and Homem-Christo might wear their influences on their sleeve, but their music transcends mere tribute; it’s some of the most unforgettable hook-laden house and techno ever put to wax. When it comes to the dance floor, if a record’s hot, that record is hot. And DJs across the globe pumped Homework’s 16 tracks, which included everything from playful filtered disco (“Revolution 909”) to throttling acid techno (“Rollin’ & Scratchin’”). Meanwhile, radio jocks and MTV programmers on the lookout for format-friendly versions of popular rave sounds swooned over Homework cuts like “Da Funk” and “Around the World,” which became breakout hits, thanks to inventive videos directed, respectively, by Spike Jonez and Michel Gondry. That near-impossible confluence of talent and timing allowed Homework to achieve its position atop every list of 1990s electronic music. As time went on, the members of Daft Punk would prove themselves worthy of every accolade Homework received as they continued to evolve from students to teachers to masters—elevating the state of electronic music every step of the way.

January 20, 1997 31 Songs, 3 hours, 2 minutes Distributed exclusively by Warner Music France / ADA France, ℗ 1997, 2022 Daft Life Ltd.

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Homework | Atomic Rooster

Following the acclaim of their 1980 eponymous reformation album, Atomic Rooster moved from EMI to Polydor to record this unfinished, unreleased work. With guitarist John Du Cann undertaking most of the songwriting, the album tracks were demoed at his home studio. Du Cann plays all the instruments, with pianist Vincent Crane programming the drums for Paul Hammond to follow later on.

The programming gives Homework a new wave sound, especially on opener The Dukes Theme. There is a touch of sleazy rock’n’roll to other tracks such as Fool, sounding like a beefed-up mix of Slade and the Grease soundtrack. Of course, Du Cann’s outstanding guitar work augments his rough vocals well.

Being demos, these tracks lack the fire of that 1980 EMI album. If Polydor had let Atomic Rooster finish their Homework, however, it could have been fantastic. As a bonus here, there are six remarkable tracks from the two 1982 singles, Play It Again and End Of The Day. Featuring session bassist John McCoy, they’re evidence of what could have been: why the album was dropped on this evidence is truly odd. Live B-sides include Devil’s Answer and Tomorrow Night, which, along with some informative packaging, will please fans.

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The 50 Best Albums of 2024 (So Far): Staff List

Our favorite LPs from a year that's wasted no time getting busy with the big releases.

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Some years, the release of big-ticket albums is mostly a slow trickle to start. You get maybe one or two every month or so, and elsewhere on the calendar, you look to some up-and-comers, or long-underrated favorites, or you maybe even keep on playing catch up with the previous year. Some years, it feels like everyone is still listening to different new albums at the halfway point. And then some years are like 2024.

In early March, Ariana Grande released her Eternal Sunshine album to Billboard 200-topping, Billboard Hot 100-blanketing returns, as well as widespread critical acclaim and fan approval. In other years this decade, she might have essentially gotten to rule unopposed over pop’s mainstream well into the spring. But this year, within a few weeks, she had to fight for attention and playlist space with new albums from Kacey Musgraves, Beyoncé and Future & Metro Boomin — and then shortly after that, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, J. Cole, Dua Lipa and Future & Metro Boomin (again). Now in June, it can be hard to believe that Grande’s album even came out this year.

Eternal Sunshine is still one of our top albums of 2024, though, and you’ll also find most of the new sets by those big names in our list below of the best LPs of the year to date. Even as the headlines seem to cycle through another big release every week this year, we’re not moving past some of these huge albums quite so quickly — nor are we letting them totally overshadow some of the less-earth-shaking, but equally rewarding albums from not-as-starry artists who have also made major impacts on us throughout these first six months.

Here are our staff’s 50 favorite albums of 2024 so far — presented alphabetically by artist name — and we certainly hope to have to contend with just an action-packed back half of the release calendar in the months to come.

4batz, U Made Me a St4r

4batz delivered with his debut mixtape. The mysterious singer out of Dallas does a great job across these 11 tracks of cultivating a sound while telling stories from the heartbroken lover boy perspective. There’s a retro feel to this mixtape that’s reminiscent of the ‘90s, when acts like Jodeci effortlessly blended R&B and HIp-Hop, essentially ushering in the horny, yet stylish version of the male R&B we hear today. He doesn’t sing as well as that group did — but that doesn’t matter because songs like “act iii” and “act v” sound different from anything out right now, AI and industry plant allegations be damned. — ANGEL DIAZ

Ariana Grande, Eternal Sunshine

Grande has described her time in the studio making Eternal Sunshine as having been a therapeutic safe haven amid one of the most turbulent times in her life — something that’s evident in every single note of the superstar’s seventh studio album. Contextualized by the life-rearranging return of her Saturn (essentially astrology-speak for turning 30), each devastating voice crack on post-divorce reckonings such as “I Wish I Hated You” and “We Can’t Be Friends” and ponytail flip on f—k-the-tabloids bangers like “Yes, And?” and “The Boy Is Mine” allow listeners to hear the star heal in real time. It’s a deeply emotional journey marked by sick harmonies and deceptively up-tempo beats. — HANNAH DAILEY

Ayra Starr, The Year I Turned 21

Three years after Ayra Starr documented her Gen-Z coming-of-age journey on debut album 19 & Dangerous , she captures the highs and lows of early adulthood on sophomore set The Year I Turned 21 . Her self-examination is poignant, whether giving thanks to God about where she’s headed in life on the resilient single “Commas,” clutching her heart due to the pain of unrequited love on the Giveon-assisted “Last Heartbreak Song” or grieving her late father on tear-jerking closer “The Kids Are Alright.” While Starr’s deep, rich vocals anchor the album, she diversifies her Afropop/R&B palate by exploring other sounds, as amapiano’s rollicking log drums power the multilingual female empowerment anthem “Woman Commando” (featuring Anitta and Coco Jones) and the joyfulness of highlife music is juxtaposed with melancholy melodies on “Orun.” — HERAN MAMO

Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter

History has not been kind to those who have told Beyoncé what she could not do. The superstar’s sprawling eighth studio album, then, provides her most full-throated repudiation to those gatekeepers:  Cowboy Carter  may present itself as “Beyoncé goes country” but the LP routinely defies its assumed premise to become Bey’s redefinition of American music on the whole, rendered through her singular artistic prism. Over 27 tracks, Bey delivers glimpses into her own life (“16 Carriages,” “Protector”), proposed evolutions on status-quo country sounds (“Riiverdance,” “Tyrant”) and star-studded collaborations, all while maintaining her place as an unquestioned paragon of modern music. — STEPHEN DAW

Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft

When Billie Eilish released the title of her third album, none of us were likely prepared for how accurate it would be. The 22-year-old star has created a masterful work of art that is arguably her most accessible to date, and still entirely unique. With 10 songs and clocking in under 45 minutes, Eilish manages to deliver a poignant and personal collection that touches on her growth in dealing with projections on her body (“Skinny”), examining toxic relationships (“L’Amour de Ma Vie”) and exploring her sexuality (just about every other song on the album). Hit Me Hard and Soft brings back the dark and occasionally sinister sound of her two previous albums, but infuses it with a lightness and freedom to make some of the best pop tracks of the year — including the delicious “Lunch” and “Birds of a Feather,” both already certified hits — that could make even the most heart-hardened critic swoon. — TAYLOR MIMS  

Bryson Tiller, Bryson Tiller

Nearly a decade removed from Trapsoul , now-veteran R&B hitmaker Bryson Tiller has finally found a sonic pocket that builds on that LP’s storied blueprint without explicitly retreading those grounds, à la 2020’s Anniversary . Featuring the smash single “Whatever She Wants,” the sweaty ode to summer lust “Calypso” and a winning duet in the Victoria Monét-assisted “Persuasion,” Tiller’s self-titled LP is one for the lovers, the singer-songwriter thriving in monogamy and embracing all the emotional peaks and craters that come with it. — KYLE DENIS

Carin León, Boca Chueca, Vol. 1

Only a handful of música Mexicana artists can slip in and out of multiple genres with ease, and Carin León is at the very top of that list. With his signature norteño at the core of the album,  Boca Chueca  is a masterclass on how to dabble in different styles – from pop and R&B to country and even ska – and still yield hits, without compromising your essence. With this set, it’s clear just how versatile León can really be, and that only has us on the edge of our seats for whatever he ends up doing next. — GRISELDA FLORES

Carly Pearce, Hummingbird

Pearce followed her career-elevating post-divorce project  29  (and its expanded Written in Stone  deluxe edition) by further mining her country roots for new set Hummingbird , threading these 14 sharply crafted songs with fiddle and steel guitar, centered by Pearce’s honeyed Kentucky twang. There are more expertly rendered breakup anthems (“Rock Paper Scissors” and “We Don’t Fight Anymore”) here, but as the album unfolds, flutters of hard-fought resilience and healing are also present — notably on the title track and “Trust Issues” — making the album an admirable encapsulation of Pearce’s nearly three-year journey of relationship gains and losses. — JESSICA NICHOLSON

Charli XCX, Brat

From its first track (the synth-forward dance single “360”), Brat doesn’t let you relax for a moment — and the result is her most acclaimed work to date. While it largely remains rooted in Charli XCX’s characteristic proto-hyperpop throughout, the album’s 15 bangers run the gamut from mainstream radio-ready (“Talk Talk,” “Rewind”) to ripe for raving (“Club Classics,” “365”) to keenly self-aware and vulnerable (“I Might Say Something Stupid,” “So I”). It’s catchy, it’s challenging, it’s honest: What more could you want from an established pop star? — JOSH GLICKSMAN

Cindy Lee, Diamond Jubilee

Cindy Lee’s Diamond Jubilee does not exist on Spotify, Apple Music or Bandcamp, but if you are willing to venture outside of those digital service providers — to an unbroken version on  YouTube or to a downloadable or tracklisted stream on Geocities — you’ll be rewarded with one of the most delightfully melodic, confounding albums of the year. Lee is the drag persona of Patrick Flegel, former frontperson of the band Women, and their foggy, two-hour, 32-track project flows from psychedelic meanderings to 1960s girl-group pop to haunting Britpop and back. It’s playful, it’s trippy, and it’s so damn long — but getting lost in its hall of mirrors is an absolute pleasure, and a reminder of how good it must feel to create without boundaries. — CHRISTINE WERTHMAN

Dua Lipa, Radical Optimism

On  Radical Optimism , Dua Lipa’s mantra seems to match  the Dillon Panthers’ : clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose. Her arena is romance, of course, and over a brisk 11 tracks, Lipa has her eyes wide open. The album’s three advance singles tell the story: Potential suitors must be supernaturally savvy to pin her down (“Houdini”), Peter Pan-like manchildren need not apply (“Training Season” is, in fact, over), and her rose-colored glasses are retired (“Illusion”). This sure-footed perspective of a grown woman knowing exactly what she deserves in love is soundtracked by some of the farthest-reaching productions the British pop star has employed yet, from the samba-inspired opening track “End of an Era” to the dragging drumbeat of album closer “Happy for You.” Dua Lipa knows exactly what she wants – sonically, and romantically too – and in the face of a dumpster-fire dating scene, she’s still choosing to remain radically optimistic that she’ll find it. –  KATIE ATKINSON

Eladio Carrion, Sol Maria

Diverging from his usual trap bravado, Eladio Carrión’s  Sol María  is a stirring homage woven with a sonically richer, more personal thread. Opening with “Bendecido,” the Puerto Rican rapper sets a nuanced tone of gratitude, leading into deeper emotional territories with tracks like “Mama’s Boy,” featuring Spanish wordsmith Nach. Experimentation is key as “TQMQA” introduces Afrobeats, while “Sonrisa” merges Jersey club with dembow rhythms. “Todo Lit” with Argentine superstar Duki further showcases a blend of soft trap beats and boastful lyrics. Throughout the 17-track LP, Carrión balances personal reverence with creative innovation, crafting a musical tribute to his mother, Sol María, that resonates across the board. —  IR

Ernest, Nashville, Tennessee

With more than half a dozen No. 1s on the Country Airplay chart as a writer, Ernest understands the architecture of contemporary hits. At the same time, though, he loves country oldies from the 1940s and 1950s, and he cooly knits the two worlds together on the 26-track  Nashville, Tennessee.  For the old heads, there’s “Why Dallas,” a jolly barnburner with Lukas Nelson where fiddle and needle-point guitar vie for primacy, and “Ain’t as Easy,” a doleful ballad that goes down like a shot of moonshine — smooth until it brings tears to the eyes. In contrast, “Did It for the Story” is a slick, chugging pop song; Ernest can’t help but write radio-ready records. — ELIAS LEIGHT

Fort Romeau, Romantic Gestures Vol. 1

There’s no fat on  Romantic Gestures Vol. 1 , an austere and elegant collection of deep house and handsome techno. The album opens like a floor-filler, as the nasty bass buzz in “Hold Up” gives way to the sweaty throb of “Blue.” But this is a feint — by “Every Man Has Your Voice,” Fort Romeau has locked in to a more contemplative groove, with calm, sustained synth lines and whispery snatches of sampled monologue. This calm propulsion continues through the final track, “Be With U,” which rinses a vocal sample until it becomes a soothing mantra. Shortly after the track’s four-minute mark, though, there’s another energy shift: A new melody wafts in, like sunrise peaking through the windows of a club in the early morning, bathing the end of the album in rich beauty. — E.L.

Future & Metro Boomin, We Don't Trust You

Future and Metro Boomin’s long-anticipated joint album was set to be the blockbuster for the spring, but ended up lighting the fuse to the great rap battle of 2024 (and possibly of all-time) thanks to Kendrick Lamar’s atomic assist on Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Like That” declaring war against Drake and J. Cole. But the album was also much more than a historical footnote: Whether it’s the What A Time to Be Alive divorce or parents wondering why their Gen-Z kids are ending every sentence with “Type Shit,” We Don’t Trust You was a seminal pop cultural event. A chart-topping sequel arrived shortly after, to boot, though the original alone was well worth the price of admission. — MICHAEL SAPONARA

Grupo Frontera, Jugando a Que No Pasa Nada

On their sophomore studio album,  Jugando a Que No Pasa Nada — which loosely translates to “pretending that nothing’s wrong” — the McAllen, Texas-based group primarily sticks to its heartbreak lyrics backed by their signature cumbia, tejano and Norteño melodies. Particularly notable are the star-studded collaborations, including the experimental tribal guarachero “Desquite” with Nicki Nicole; the highly awaited team-up with Morat on “Los Dos”; and the Maluma-assisted “Por Qué Será,” which has quickly become a viral sound on TikTok. Also featured on the album is Frontera’s “Ya Pedo Quien Sabe,” with Christian Nodal, which earned the group its eighth No.1 on Billboard ‘s Regional Mexican Airplay chart. — JESSICA ROIZ

Gunna, One of Wun

Gunna’s artistry peaks when he seems to be letting loose in a care-free zone and having fun. After releasing the pressure valve that came with his first post-trial album, he did exactly that on One of Wun , while running around the country and indulging in his opulent life of luxury alongside the set’s executive producer (and his own personal close friend Turbo). Six-figure wires inspired the ethereal “Whatsapp (Wassam)” and recording at sea off Miami’s coast led to album standout “Neck on a Yacht,” so it’s safe to say adventure time paid off for Wunna. — M.S.

Idles, Tangk

Idles may have dialed back the comical intensity on fifth studio album Tangk , but the euphoric exuberance still shines through on the Bristol post-punk band’s most mature release to date. Leaning heavily on moody synths and pared-back vocals, Tangk is an upbeat record that soars at its danciest moments, thanks to singer Joe Talbert’s chaotic vocal style and his fearless exploration of the limits of love, offering up exquisite songwriting and sharp production from beginning to end. — DAVID BROOKS

J.P., Coming Out Party

“Bad Bitty” brought Milwaukee lowend to the world, and J.P.’s Coming Out Party is his coronation as the Midwest’s reigning rap prince. The 19-year-old’s soulful, jazz-informed vocals add a unique edge to his rapped-sung cadence, while his party-ready lyrics exalt the carefree magic of your late teens and early 20s. With 12 completely solo tracks, Coming Out Party prides itself on its brevity, but these aren’t banal throwaways: Each song reveals a new layer of J.P.’s sonic profile, one that will surely continue to grow as he climbs hip-hop’s heights. — K.D.

Justice, Hyperdrama

A group can always count on their label head to create hype, but when Ed Banger Records founder Busy P  told  Billboard  that  Hyperdrama  was “the best Justice album” ahead of its April release, he might have been right. While anything the French duo put out will always be judged in comparison to its era-defining 2007 debut LP  Cross  and that album’s many classic tracks (along with the other two excellent LPs) if you can listen without expectation, you’ll hear  Hyperdrama  as a sonic leap forward. Its 13 tracks add new levels of warmth, brightness and sensuality to the group’s sound while marking the most psychedelic terrain of the Justice catalog thus far. No skips, no notes. — KATIE BAIN

Kacey Musgraves, Deeper Well

Though it may not have made quite the same splash as Musgraves’ pristine Golden Hour in 2018, Deeper Well finds the country-pop auteur accessing a softer, holistic side of herself that resonates much more deeply and profoundly than anything she’s ever released before. It’s the sonic equivalent of bare feet on soft grass, sunlight reflecting off gentle ripples in a pond – a serene and thoughtful body of work about embracing a new chapter of life without resistance or fear. — H.D.

Kali Uchis, Orquídeas

As the most  biologically diverse  species of plants, orchids provide some fertile thematic soil for Kali Uchis to till on her stunning fourth studio album.  Orquídeas  takes the topics and genres Uchis has played with throughout her career and blends them in with all new sounds and subject matters to craft a comprehensive look at the Colombian superstar as a cultural curator of the highest order. This Spanish-language opus, with its perfectly placed collaborations (Peso Pluma, Rauw Alejandro) and entrancing production choices, is much like its titular flower: graceful, dazzling and endlessly varied. — S.D.

Maggie Rogers, Don't Forget Me

“Remember the days we used to drive upstate singing indie rock songs in the car?,” Rogers sings over plucking electric guitar strings on “The Kill” — one of several Don’t Forget Me tales detailing a nixed relationship, or one not worth pursuing in the first place. Still, the album feels primed for that exact kind of extended, windows-down journey: Rogers is at her breeziest on her third full-length, despite her standout songwriting trading the overtly sunny, feel-good road trip lyricism for the memories of a few storm clouds atop hazy riffs. Sometimes, it’s a beautiful thing to get caught in the rain. — J.G.

Mannequin Pussy, I Got Heaven

“I’ve got a loud bark, deep bite,” Missy Dabice wails on  I’ve Got Heaven’ s second track, and that pretty much nails this fanged earworm of an album. Mannequin Pussy was ferocious from the get-go, but this album sees the band — frontwoman Dabice is the only original member — making big strides in the melody department without sacrificing its punk roots. The result is a collection of songs that recalls the yin and yang of The Replacements’ ’80s underground rock classic  Let It Be  — especially the title track, “Loud Bark,” “I Don’t Know You” and “Sometimes,” which come on like radio hits then sink their teeth deep and don’t let go. — FRANK DIGIACOMO

Mk.gee, Two Star and the Dream Police

Some might know artist/producer Michael “mk.gee” Gordon as the right hand man of Dijon for his critically acclaimed  Absolutely ; others as the guy from Frank Ocean’s Blonded Radio – the creator behind the sunny, Mac Demarco-inflected “You” (2018).  Two Star and the Dream Police,  however, is his complete reinvention. This time – he’s darker, hazier, shrouded in mystery, crafting a hard-to-place sound that places him somewhere between Phil Collins, Dijon and maybe even Jai Paul. Even Eric Clapton says mk.gee plays guitar “like nobody else,” likening his mastery to that of the late Prince. Amidst a generation of oversharing artists, begging for streams and spilling their secrets on TikTok, mk.gee seems like a time traveler: He rarely uses social media, hasn’t run many ads, and has only done one interview. Yet  Two Star  is still one of the most beloved indie rock albums of the year — proving that if the music is this good, it can still break through the noise. What a relief that is. — KRISTIN ROBINSON

PartyNextDoor, PARTYNEXTDOOR 4

The reclusive R&B multihyphenate returns to the spotlight after four years with his fourth studio album, PARTYNEXTDOOR 4. PND thrives when he makes music for the debaucherous late nights that bleed into bleary-eyed early mornings, with the Jamaican-Canadian star sprinkling his signature dancehall flair on the sweltering summer-ready track “For Certain” and toasting to unforgettable nights (you’ll most likely forget) on bottle service walkout anthem “Cheers.” But across the 14 tracks, Party confronts his love vs. lust moral dilemma as he desires a steady relationship where he can go home to his girl – only for him to keep her waiting there and then hit her with “Sorry, But I’m Outside.” Threaded together by skits narrated by a woman who’s fed up with his antics – and covered by controversial NSFW artwork – P4 renews his position as Toronto’s hedonistic hero. — H.M.

Pearl Jam, Dark Matter

For more than 30 years, Pearl Jam has honed its sound into one that’s both signature to the band but malleable enough to weave in and out of genres and styles album to album. In some ways  Dark Matter  feels like it has pieces of each of those eras built into it. There are guitar effects that harken back to  Vs.  and  Binaural ; acoustics that feel more in line with  Yield ; and the types of soaring melodies that Pearl Jam found its stride with on its self-titled LP. The effect is something both new and familiar, of a band that knows how to maximize its strengths and find progress in the process — resulting in its best full body of work in many years. — DAN RYS

Peggy Gou, I Hear You

While she may have emerged from Berlin’s techno scene, Peggy Gou’s debut album is all soft edges and sensuality. The ’90s influence on the 10 house tracks is fused with a balmy lushness and the same sense of cool that radiates from the South Korea-born It Girl (or better, It Woman) herself. And while the music does in moments have a sort of toughness that hints at Gou’s Berghain-ian origins, you also don’t specifically need to be a fan of dance music at all to enjoy what should ultimately be a deeply listenable album for just about anyone. — K.B.

RM, Right Place, Wrong Person

RM’s 2022 official debut solo album Indigo was a promisingly lush and varied entrance in its own right, but this May’s Right Place, Wrong Person is still a massive leap forward for the solo star. While BTS pushed at the boundaries of K-pop for much of the group’s career, RM simply refuses to acknowledge the existence of any such boundaries over these 34 minutes, with 11 songs that careen from hip-hop to jazz to punk to R&B to Fela Kuti-styled Afrobeats — while all still sounding like a coherent and natural artistic extension of one man’s creative vision. Right Place is one of the richest albums released in 2024, and cements RM’s place on the vanguard among similarly genreless artists like Tyler, the Creator, Kali Uchis and WILLOW. — ANDREW UNTERBERGER

ScHoolboy Q, Blue Lips

SchoolBoy Q made some drastic changes in the five years it took him to release his sixth studio album. He got sober and cleaned up his lifestyle, started playing golf competitively and got good enough to land a spot in a Nike Tiger Woods commercial. All good, yeah? Not completely: At the same time, Q’s also had to deal with the loss of friends and family, the reconstruction of his self esteem, and the understanding that his life may not turn out to be what he hoped it would be. The beautiful but sorrowful Blue Lips chronicles all of the above and more. Songs like the excellent “THank god 4 me” flow from tender to boastful and back with an ease that can only come from an artist finally at peace with themselves and their station in life. The near-uniformly praised record didn’t break any streaming records or make chart history, but who cares? As Q asks on the jazzy, smoke-tinged “oHio,” “How much more I gotta prove?” To us: nothing at all. — DAMIEN SCOTT

Scotty McCreery, Rise & Fall

“Traditional” isn’t a word that often inspires enthusiasm when talking about new music — but dust off your boots because Scotty McCreery made a classic country album, and boy, does it hit. McCreery steers clear of any current Nashville pop trends on Rise & Fall , instead doubling down on acoustic, electric and slide guitars, stomping, sturdy rhythms and a rich baritone that’s been the star of the show since he won American Idol in 2011. He’s got the tender moments (“Love Like This”), the clever wordplay songs (“Cab in a Solo”) and plenty of knee-slappers (“And Countin’”). And if that weren’t enough to make this a well-rounded record, he’s got a “three chords and the truth” thesis to tie it all together in “No Country for Old Men,” which shows that McCreery did his homework — and it paid off. — C.W.

Sexyy Red, In Sexyy We Trust

Between her Hood Hottest Princess bangers and her stellar 2023 feature run, Sexyy Red could already put out a greatest hits collection if she wanted to. Instead, she chose to launch a new project in 2024, dressing up another smattering of rump-shaking, gun-toting bangers in a new MAGA-inspired “Make America Sexyy Again” aesthetic. On “U My Everything,” she gives Drake some space to attempt to reclaim the “BBL Drizzy” beat, while “Fake Jammin” provides more of that idiosyncratic off-the-cuff humor and attitude that makes her music so arresting. — K.D.

Shaboozey, Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going

Easily one of the year’s biggest breakout stars, Shaboozey spends his terrific third LP fashioning the future of country music in his image. Collaborations with Texan rapper BigXThaPlug double down on the hip-hop bonafides he flaunted on “A Bar Song” and his Cowboy Carter features, but with rollicking country-rock anthems (the Paul Cauthen-assisted “Last of My Kind”) and sugary Nashville pop confections (“Annabelle”) in tow, Where I’ve Been is a kaleidoscopic look at country that brings its more fringe sounds into the spotlight. — K.D.

Shakira, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran

Even before releasing her 2024 album, Shakira had fans locked in with previously released global hits like her blunt Bizarrap Music Session, which inspired the album’s title, and the anthemic “TQG” with Karol G, both included on  Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran . With the full LP – which includes “(Entre Paréntesis)” with Grupo Frontera, her first foray into tejano, and the electro-pop jam “Puntería” with Cardi B – the Colombian superstar creates a soundtrack, powered by profound lyrics, for women who are on a journey of transformation, and turning tears into diamonds along the way. — G.F.

Shawna Virago, Blood in Her Dreams

As a trans woman who began performing music in the ‘90s, Shawna Virago is an under-heralded pioneer – which hopefully changes this year with the release of Blood in Her Dreams , one of the year’s best in the Americana vein. Virago’s attentive, vivid lyrics recall Lucinda Williams, while the ramshackle, pissed-off energy of L.A. punk band X runs through her vocals. Virago told Billboard that “Ghosts Cross State Lines” is about someone coping with the “psychic residue” of an abusive relationship, and as with every song on this LP, Virago spins the story with a keen sense of empathy. — JOE LYNCH

St. Vincent, All Born Screaming

“It’s about life and death and love,” St. Vincent told Billboard of All Born Screaming , her seventh album. “And that’s it.” Weighty topics, certainly. But with Annie Clark drawing on her extensive musical palette, it’s a rush of a record — from the playfully funky “Big Time Nothing,” to the clanging electro-rock of “Broken Man,” to the title track featuring Cate Le Bon, which breaks with the album’s predominantly industrial vibe to close things out with a jaunty wink evocative of late Talking Heads. — J.L.

Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department

“I love you, it’s ruining my life.” The impassioned declaration (from opener “Fortnight”) is the driving force behind Taylor Swift’s  The Tortured Poets Department  — the pop superstar’s latest full-length, letting her unbridled emotions post-break-up run rampant over 16 tracks (31 if you include  The Anthology ). From devastatingly beautiful fountain & quill pen songs (“So Long, London,” “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”) to slightly more upbeat glitter-gel pen anthems (“I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” “So High School”), Swift’s songwriting never leaves center stage — fusing the vibrant storytelling of  folklore  and  evermore  with the synth-pop production of  Midnights  and  1989 . After 11 studio albums (plus four  Taylor’s Versions , with two more on the way), Swift’s still got plenty of ink left to write with. — DANIELLE PASCUAL

Tems, Born in the Wild

Given her Nigerian roots, and that most first heard her via Wizkid’s mainstream U.S. breakthrough “Essence,” Tems has often (rather lazily) been painted with an Afrobeats brush. But those who have paid attention to her career so far know that her real trade is in her soulful, distinctive voice and her soaring melodies, rather than any particular style or backbeat. On her debut full-length, she channels the likes of Lauryn Hill, the neosoul tradition of the 1990s and early 2000s, Christian allusions and metaphors — and, yes, Afrobeats and amapiano, through both modern collaborators and classic samples. She sounds like the culmination of a world’s worth of influences: Which is to say, she sounds like herself. It’s a portrait of a woman finding her way in the world with a tunnel vision that no one else could conjure, and is one of the best debuts of a year already full of such major bows. — D.R.

The Last Dinner Party, Prelude to Ecstasy

The Last Dinner Party may have risen to fame on their provocative single “Nothing Matters” (“And you can hold me like he held her/ And I will f–k you like nothing matters”), but the quintet’s debut album showcases an all-you–can-eat buffet of talent. Prelude to Ecstasy is the kind of album best consumed whole, as the listener gets sucked into the haunting world created by the London band. It is filled with highs like the percussion-heavy “Burn Alive” and the anthemic “Caesar on a TV Screen” — as well as the deceptively gentle “Beautiful Boy” where Abigail Morris’ operatic vocals call out “the best a boy can be is pretty.” The whole album feels cinematic, with soaring strings and foreboding wind instruments helping to serve a refreshing, singular alt-pop sound. — T.M.  

The Mavericks, Moon & Stars

The Mavericks are one of America’s great live acts and, as evidenced once more on Moon & Stars , among pop music’s most effortlessly eclectic ensembles. The songs on their 13th studio album, led by the glorious, sonorous baritone of frontman Raul Malo, once more bridge rock, country, tejano and the Latin influence of Malo’s Cuban heritage. The opening track, “The Years Will Not Be Kind,” boasts a co-write from Bernie Taupin, while “Live Close By (Visit Often)” was co-penned by the late K.T. Oslin. — THOM DUFFY

TiaCorine, Almost There

TiaCorine is the future. The Winston-Salem, NC artist’s versatility shines on her Almost There EP, as she stands toe-to-toe with Luh Tyler, Key Glock, and Zeelooperz and shows on songs like “Bonnet” and “Burnt” why she’s the queen of switchin’ flows right now.  Tia is also hilarious and witty: Bars like “You a vacuum in my house/ Stupid bitch, you know you suck” and “Frosty, like margarita rim, these hoes is salty” put her sense of humor on full display. — A.D.

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Challengers (Original Score)

Fourteen years ago, Reznor and Ross made their collaborative debut with their groundbreaking The Social Network soundtrack – so it’s fitting that, now with several more scores under their belts, they’ve hit a similar creative peak with their score for another time-capsule film set partly in the mid-’00s, Luca Guadagnino’s taut tennis drama  Challengers . But where S ocial Network ‘s icy material scored dim dorms and sterile boardrooms,  Challengers ‘ relentless rave- and techno-inspired compositions prove a perfect backdrop for the film’s tense matches – and the similarly on-edge lust-filled nights that follow them. For a little over two hours, movie theaters this spring felt like Berghain. — ERIC RENNER BROWN

Trueno, El Último Baile

Further proving that he lives and breathes hip-hop, Trueno thoroughly showcases the generational and cultural impact of the now-half-century-old genre on his third studio album,  El Último Baile  (The Last Dance). On the 13-track set, with no collaborations, the Argentine rapper born Mateo Palacios Corazzina delivers a lot of old-school and nostalgic rap. “Tranky Funky,” for example, brings to life a psychedelic funk-rap fusion à la De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. Meanwhile, he also taps into Afrobeats on “Como Antes,” sensual trap on “Night,” and groovy R&B on his viral “Real Gangsta Love.” — J.R.

Even following up a smash as big as “Water,” Tyla’s stellar self-titled debut album is clearly just the beginning. Over 14 tracks (which include features with Tems, Gunna, Becky G and more), the 22-year-old Johannesburg, South Africa native expands and refines her world of “popiano,” which she initially unearthed in her 2023 breakthrough. From soaring ballads like “Butterflies” to club-ready summer bangers like “Jump,” she effortlessly blends the Amapiano sounds of her home country with pop, R&B and Afrobeats — creating truly infectious melodies for the masses that bring her one step closer to achieving the dream discussed in her March  Billboard   cover story : to become Africa’s first pop star. — D.P.

Usher, Coming Home

Dropping just two days before he headlined Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, Usher’s ninth album could’ve essentially been a victory lap celebrating his return to pop’s forefront after an uncharacteristically wayward decade for the longtime superstar. But while Coming Home feels more like a consolidation of established strengths than a bold step into new territory, it never feels phoned-in: The 20 tracks are simply a master pop entertainer at work, blending styles and collaborators and always having an absolute blast, even when he’s singing about betrayal on the booming “Cold Blooded” or devastating heartbreak on the still-sublime “Ruin.” “You know I do it big,” he testifies on the album’s appropriately titled centerpiece “BIG,” and honestly we’re sorry we ever forgot just how much so. — A.U.

Vampire Weekend, Only God Was Above Us

Vampire Weekend returns to its roots with its incisive and topical fifth studio album  Only God Was Above Us.  After a jam-band-inspired detour with  Father of the Bride,  the now-trio (along with producer friend Ariel Rechtshaid) shows that the musical and lyrical themes of its first three projects can still sound as fresh and pressing as ever in 2024. Always known for sharp, singular lyrics, Koenig gives some of his best lines on  Only God.  In “Classical,” he sings: “How the cruel, with time, becomes classical…It’s clear something’s gonna change/ And when it does, which classical remains?” In “Connect,” Koenig fears he’s lost touch spiritually: “Is it strange I can’t connect?…lately I know once it’s lost it’s never found/ I need it now.” He’s one of the few lyricists who seems connected (and willing to explore) global issues in his music today, including war, isolation and political unrest. It’s a reprieve from the hyper-personal, confessional lyrical style in vogue today and makes VW’s  Only God Was Above Us  one of the defining albums of early 2024. — K.R.

Vince Staples, Dark Times

Vince Staples doesn’t have the career most thought the Long Beach rapper would have when he dropped the masterful Hell Can Wait EP in 2014. In 2024, Staples, now six albums deep, is probably best known as a funny but sobering raconteur; someone who has occasionally struggled transposing that personality onto this music. But with his new album Dark Times , it appears Staples has finally made peace with all that: Reprising the razor-sharp, big-fish-in-a-small-pond POV that first converted fans a decade ago, Staples’s last album is a succinct rumination on how life is going for the 30-year-old. He’s still dealing with problems of the heart (“Nothing Matters”), trying to show his friends from Long Beach a better way to live (“Black & Blue”), and working to make sense of our country’s social justice issues (“Freeman”). Only this time Staples sounds at ease and in full control of powers, sounding fine with the career he’s built for himself. — D.S.

Waxahatchee, Tigers Blood

For many indie-rock fans, Waxahatchee’s 2020 rootsy, relatable Saint Cloud was a quintessential pandemic album – and mastermind Katie Crutchfield followed a similar creative process for Tigers Blood , which like its predecessor was recorded with producer Brad Cook in just two weeks at the Texas studio Sonic Ranch. The result? Another sterling singer-songwriter set in the vein of Lucinda Williams, with perhaps even stronger writing. New this time around: Rising rocker Jake “MJ” Lenderman, whose distinctive guitar and vocal stylings elevate standouts like “Right Back to It” and “Burns Out at Midnight.” — E.R.B.

Willie Nelson, The Border

At 91, Nelson remains as vital as ever. He brings choice covers, new songs and the uncluttered production of longtime collaborator Buddy Cannon to The Border , his eighth new album in five years. At a time of historic U.S. migration from Mexico, Nelson pointedly opens with the title song, written by Rodney Crowell from the perspective of a U.S. border agent. But with deep empathy, Nelson sings of “…the hungry and poor /some to drown at the crossing/ Some to suffer no more.” — T.D.

Young Miko, Att.

Young Miko kicks off her debut album with “Rookie of the Year,” setting a self-aware yet boldly assertive tone right out of the gate. The Puerto Rican rapper elegantly balances revelry (“ID,” “F–k TMZ”) and introspection (“Curita”), crafting an audaciously fun and quintessentially queer narrative. The sequence of tracks is no casual lineup but a carefully curated showcase, from the catchy electro-pop cadences of “Princess Peach” to the pop culture-infused “Tamagotchi” with its clever analogies from the digital pet era. It’s clear that Miko is not just sharing music, but a deeply personal vignette of her life’s most formative chapters, skillfully framed within an intentional sound patchwork. —  I.R.

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Omar Apollo Could Write the Next Great Soundtrack — ‘God Said No’ Is a Step in That Direction

The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter on his new album, 'God Said No,' and making an entrance into the film world.

By Thania Garcia

Thania Garcia

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Omar Apollo has always had the ability to paint “the scene of a song” he’s writing. In fact, his latest 14-song LP, the powerfully titled “ God Said No ,” makes the most of that approach, finding its sonic inspiration in “places and locations” – more specifically, its breeding grounds in the famously picturesque and tree-lined canal neighborhoods of Little Venice in London. “I was really inspired,” Apollo tells Variety of his temporary home. “Even something like a gust of wind, I could say, inspired a moment on this album.”

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The new record lifts from the more recent experiences – themes of success, heartbreak, love and existential contemplation – he’s had across the last year and a half. It follows “three to four different love interests, although most of it” is about one person, he says. “I was in love when I wrote most of this album. The best way I can explain how that sounds is that I have complicated feelings. I like to preserve the genuine connections I have and eventually, turn them into friendships. Because a genuine connection doesn’t just die. That can be hard.” 

In an interlude titled “Pedro,” Apollo enlists actor Pedro Pascal to recite a story about treating his “shattered” heart while still trying to enjoy his successes. He met the Chilean-American actor for something they were working on with the New York Times. When that fell through, the pair stayed friends but “ours is a light-hearted friendship,” Apollo explains. “So him recording this for me was asking for a lot… that’s why he ends the way he does. He obviously more than delivered.” 

“She was just telling me a story about how they used to make gorditas in Mexico and how her dad would make these huge wooden spoons and use leaves, the size of the ones that were on the ground, to make food,” he says. “I thought it was a beautiful way to end the album because when I recorded her voice for ‘Glow,’ we were actually laying underneath the tree that inspired ‘Plane Trees,’ in Versailles [in France]. The song feels like an ascent –  even though it closes the album, it feels like things are still going forward. I’m always imagining the future and kind of letting it go so being underneath that tree with my parents… I have always wanted to travel the world with them. No one’s worried about money. No one’s worried about anything and we were free to enjoy that moment together.” 

As for the instrumental makeup of “God Said No,” Apollo and his returning team of producers – Teo Halm, Carter Lang and Blake Slatkin – took inspiration from composer and ambient-music maestro Ryuichi Sakamoto. Undulating synths and electric piano figure prominently on the atmospheric album. “Edge of the Ocean,” by dream-pop trio Ivy, is sampled on “Drifting,” while synth pioneer Giorgio Moroder’s soundtrack for “Midnight Express” was the sonic fuel for “Less of You.” There’s plenty of hidden surprises, too, like John Mayer playing just a couple of notes on the jazzy “Done With You” simply because he couldn’t help but join in when he heard Apollo recording the song in a studio next door to him. 

While Apollo eagerly awaits for the world to get to know the world of “God Said No,” he’s also been thinking about his next ventures. “I’ve already kind of started pursuing making soundtracks and pairing my music with films,” he says. “Maybe when I’m 67 and not touring, I’ll focus all my time on making soundtracks — this next album is definitely in alignment with that goal.”

Apollo offers a hesitant “No comment” when asked about his participation in Luca Guadagnino ’s next film, “Queer.” He’s been rumored to be involved musically; others theorize that he’ll be making his on-screen debut in the movie. Apollo downplays the acting rumors but opens up another area of speculation: “I’ve also definitely thought about screenwriting.”

“There’s a strong inner dialogue in my spirit, and my young gay life was so chaotic that there’s so much to write about,” he continues. “But I feel like I need a little more training and studying when it comes to [acting and screenwriting]. With music, I fixate on [a producer or artist] and go through their whole discography, so I plan to take a similar approach with film.”

“‘Challengers’ was like a slow but giant dopamine release… There’s something beautiful about how [Guadagnino] builds up to the big moments,” he says, adding, “Its a plus that Josh O’Connor is so hot.”

After spending much of this year playing international shows and music festivals, Apollo is launching a North American tour in July to support “God Said No.” However, since he’s always a couple steps ahead, Apollo can’t help but look for new ways to express his creativity off-stage.

“I’ve been doing music for almost 10 years, and only now am I feeling completely confident in my abilities,” he says. “I have so many ideas that I would love to actualize in film one day, but I’m not rushing the process.”

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