Hey! Hope you’re doing well and enjoying this glorious sunny weather, if you’re in the UK. It just makes everything feel that little bit brighter, doesn’t it?
I’m super excited to share these songs with you. It’s been another brilliant month of music, and the longlist was extensive. Going forward, I won’t be sharing the entire playlist—just the top 20 tracks I’ve been enjoying. That’s probably still quite a lot, but I couldn’t narrow it down any further!
I’m hoping there’s something here for everyone. Lots of Pop, of course, but also Soul, R&B, indie-pop, Country, and Folk.
It’s one of my favourite times of the year—time to celebrate and share some of my favourite releases from 2024 with you!
As always, there’s a strong focus on Pop music, with a sprinkling of other genres for good measure.
I genuinely think this year has been brilliant for Pop Music, especially for women in the genre. I don’t say that purely to be inclusive – the Pop girlies deserve to be celebrated this year. From Beyoncé to Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande to Sabrina Carpenter (our new Pop Princess), we’ve been spoiled with phenomenal albums.
Howdy. I’m quite late again, aren’t I? Sorry. Life is busy but I love doing this!
From now on, I’ll be trying to keep the mixtape to 20 songs dissected, but other stuff I’ve enjoyed this month are at the bottom in the complete playlist.
Short on time? My Essential 5 are featured at the top!
As always, I really appreciate every read, scan or visit and hope you find some new music you love.
And just like that, we’re at the end of another month! I have been devouring a huge amount of music this month, so it was hard to whittle it down to even this amount of tracks!
Short on time? My Essential 5 are featured at the top!
As always, I really appreciate every read, scan or visit and hope you find some new music you love.
It’s been a while! Some of you may know this as ‘Current Faves‘, which I posted regularly on the Instagram Stories on my music acount for 4 years. I’ve rebranded back to what I used to do here on the blog and call them my Monthly Mixtapes.
The idea? I love music (if you hadn’t already figured), especially discovering and sharing new finds. So on the last weekend of each month (late this time due to ill health), I’ll be posting a selection of songs I’ve been devouring that month. A selection of old and new. Some stuff will be commercial and some won’t. There are no rules, just songs which speak to me.
Bit of a guilty pleasure, this… but I was pleasantly surprised! It’s an easy option, making an old-school styled track to win the public back over and the video’s pretty poor but it’s a nice song.
2) Kylie Minogue – Confide In Me
There’s something very eerie about this track with its sweeping strings, heavy percussion and haunting melody. Great song.
3) The Blue Nile – Saturday Night
I LOVE this band. ‘Hats’, the album this is taken from is a dream – a psychedelic, night time album and this is one of my favourites. Smooth, simple and beautiful.
4) Michael Jackson – Can’t Let Her Get Away
One of the best New Jack Swing songs from the 90’s, from MJ’s ‘Dangerous’ album. So catchy.
I’m a little bit behind on this one and only checked it out because of its chart position and all of the hype. Great song though. What it lacks in originality it makes up for in charm and catchiness. Grows on me more with every listen.
7) Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder
Found this by accident and really enjoyed it. Stupidly catchy and great electro infused production.
8) Vince Kidd – Sick Love
Forgot all about this song until recently! Vince was a contestant on the first series of The Voice UK. He has an incredible voice with great tone. After the competition, he re-recorded this but the original song and video is better. Scary, suggestive and sexual but such a good song.
9) Annie Lennox – Shining Light
A great song in its own right, originally by the band Ash, Annie’s version takes it to another level. Her interpretation is more camp and more gospel but it works brilliantly.
10) The 1975 – She Way Out
Repetitive maybe but so damn catchy. Always makes me want to dance.
Yes, it’s a song by The Muppets from their 2011 Disney movie. It’s comical but yet utterly beautiful at the same time. I think the reason I love it so much, besides the fact it involves The Muppets which I love, is that is reminds me of 1980’s power ballads and musically, it’s a little like Elton John’s ballads. Reminds me a little of one of my favourite songs by The Scissor Sisters (‘Mary’) too. Just a beautiful little song.
2) Simply Red – Fairground
One of the best pop-house tracks from the 90’s. Such a feel-good, catchy song. Awesome drum track, sing-song melody and a bloody brilliant chorus. SO good.
3) The Script – No good in goodbye
The Script got mixed reviews for their previous album, ‘#3’ and so it seems they wanted to return to form with new album ‘No sound without silence’. And that, they have. This is the opening track and it’s unbelievably good. Great, well-written lyrics and I love the chord progression of the chorus, though it does sound rather like Duran Duran’s ‘Ordinary World’! Can’t get enough of this right now.
Incredibly haunting, beautiful and dark. Paolo’s vocal performance on this is insane. SO emotive.
5) Chris Brown – Add Me In
As much as I can’t stand Chris Brown as a human being, I do love a lot of his music. Latest album ‘X’ is great and this is my favourite track off it. A little like something that would have appeared on Michael Jackson’s ‘Off the wall’ album but with a modern twist. Great song.
[Not on YouTube yet]
6) Alt-J – Every other freckle
Another haunting song, this is a little creepy. Awesome record, though.
7) SecondCity featuring Ali Love – What can I do?
SO good. One of those rare new songs that I loved upon my first listen. Sounds a little like a 90’s house track which is part of what makes it so endearing. Summer hasn’t disappeared just yet!
I love Jamie Cullum – he’s one of the most underrated artists in the UK. This is a beautiful little song I came across after reading an interview with him in which he discussed this song. Great lyrics and I love how the song builds and develops. Love this.
9) Simply Red – Your Eyes
Taken from one of Simply Red’s most underrated albums and one that happens to be my favourite by them; ‘Love and the Russian Winter’. Great, great song.
10) Ariana Grande & Nathan Sykes – Almost is never enough
I loved this when it came out but forgot all about it until reading about Nathan Skyes reportedly working on a solo album. A chilled, jazzy affair with incredible vocal performances by both artists. I’m expecting big things from Nathan – what a voice! One that wasn’t showcased enough in The Wanted. Just hope he gets with the right song-writers/musicians.
I’m still not quite sure what to make of George Ezra. I think he’s very talented and there’s certainly something about his songs that make them pretty enchanting. That said, ‘Budapest’ did get on my nerves a little bit. ‘Blame it on me’ has been growing on me with every listen, however and I think I can now conclude that I love it. Love the guitar sound in the chorus.
2) Maroon 5 –Sugar
I much prefer old Maroon 5 to their sound for the past three years. ‘Songs about Jane’ and ‘It won’t be soon before long’ were class albums. That’s not to say they’ve completely lost their way, however. The new album is a vast improvement on ‘Overexposed’. This is an incredibly catchy and addictive song. Really love this.
3) Maroon 5 – It was always you
Another track on their latest album ‘V’. Love the 80’s vibe on this and it’s a great sing-along tune.
4) Prince – Clouds
I love how Prince just randomly drops these songs onto Spotify/Itunes without a fuss! No idea if this will appear on any of his two new albums arriving later this month but if this song is anything to go by, we’re in for a treat! Classic Prince but still managing to sound fresh. Layered with a bit of auto-tune to add a bit more effect, this is a great song.
[Unfortunately this isn’t on YouTube so no link!]
5) Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj – Bang Bang
I loved Jessie J’s debut album and I do continue to admire her talent. Personality wise, she does irritate me a bit and her single choices can be a bit hit and miss. Something told me I should hate this song, most likely because of the fact Nicki Minaj has a role in it. That said, it’s a really catchy, great pop track. Really liking this.
6) 5SOS – Amnesia
Overall, I keep telling myself I’m not into this band. Then again, they must be doing something right at this is their second track in one of my Music Monday playlists! This is an incredibly beautiful, if rather predictable (chord-wise) ballad. Definitely my favourite song of right now. Gorgeous.
7) Chromeo – Jealous (I ain’t worth it)
So damn catchy, this is an irresistible song. There hasn’t been a dance-pop track as good as this in YEARS. Unique, with a disco vibe, this is awesome. Check it out!
8) Travi$ Scott & James Fauntleroy – Drive (The 1975 remix)
I didn’t know the original of this (before The 1975 remixed it) and only got to know it through The 1975’s remix. I’m not biased just because The 1975 are one of my favourite bands, I just think what they’ve done with the song is incredible. Awesome beat, so chilled and I love Matty’s verse. Cannot get enough of this at the moment.
9) Joel Compass – Girlfriends
Another catchy track. Really like this!
10) Gary Barlow – We like to love
Without a doubt one of Gary Barlow’s finest songs he’s ever written and definitely one of my all time favourite compositions by him. The squeak of the piano stool and click of the piano keys at the beginning if you turn the volume up loud enough through headphones shows how raw this song is. It’s rare for a real piano to be used in a song these days. It’s wonderful, the changes that occur in this song. The soft beginning with the choir, the verse and first chorus, the key change and then the Coldplay-styled soaring climax. Such an incredibly beautiful and emotive song.
the-music-box.co.uk 