2024 was a monumental year for pop artists. We heard so many new and returning voices at the top of our charts. However, there’s only so much room in an article, despite the many other artists that made an amazing impact on us this year. So without further ado, here’s six of our top pop artists of 2024. Some are recently new to fame while others have been popular for years, but they all decisively made their mark on this past year.
Chappell Roan:
Chappell Roan came out of seemingly nowhere in 2024, soaring to the top of the charts. Her name comes from her grandfather’s last name (Chappell) and the title of his favorite song (“The Strawberry Roan” by Curley Fletcher). At the time of writing, she remained at an impressive #7 on the Billboard Artist 100, having kept a stubborn spot on this list since April. Chappell Roan’s popularity began with the release of her first album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” in the fall of 2023, but her career truly began to take off when she opened for Olivia Rodgrigo’s “Guts World Tour” in the spring of 2024. Her top song, “Good Luck Babe,” hit a peak at #6 on the Billboard Top 100 in June. Her songs celebrate femininity, queerness, and unapologetic authenticity, and it seems that her music career is only just beginning.
Tyla:
Tyla is one of the young and promising female artists who has recently gained fame. At only 22 years old, the South African won the first Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance for one of her songs. This song, “Water” was the song that brought her breakthrough to fame in 2023, and her work in 2024 further justified this popularity. Her first album, “Tyla,” was released in March. Social media quickly adopted her song “Jump” from the album, just as they had for “Water,” and it gained tons of attention across platforms. She had a tour scheduled for 2024, but it was ultimately canceled due to a personal health issue. Nonetheless, Tyla’s 2024 discography has proved her to be a promising artist.
Sabrina Carpenter:
Sabrina Carpenter could be called the pop artist of this past summer. Her hit songs “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” released in April and June respectively, were ringing in our ears throughout the summertime. But she wasn’t done yet. Carpenter also released her sixth album “Short n’ Sweet” in August, and shortly after embarked on a tour of the same name. Her stop by Seattle on November 6th was much anticipated, and the tour will continue until March. 2024 brought Carpenter a new level of popularity, thanks to her playful and catchy new releases.
Taylor Swift:
Taylor Swift might just be the biggest pop phenomenon of 2024. This year, her Eras tour has taken the world by storm, as the highest-grossing tour ever. It recently ended on December 8th, 2024, after almost two years of concerts around the world. Her newest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” got a record 1 billion Spotify streams in its first week alone. Her success can’t be denied, and her explosion of popularity during the Eras Tour was groundbreaking. She released her first book, The Official Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Book on November 29th, 2024. Her millions of fans, dubbed “Swifties,” are waiting to see what Swift will do post-tour.
Benson Boone:
Benson Boone is one of the few rising male pop artists of the year. At only 22 years old, the Washingtonian released his first album this past spring, “Fireworks and Rollerblades.” Even if you don’t know his name, you’ve almost certainly heard his songs- especially “Beautiful Things,” which was released in January. The song hit #2 on the Billboard Top 100, and the music video has 400 million views. It also became popular on short-form content as an audio. Although he might seem like a one-hit-wonder so far, Boone seems to have a future of possibilities. He opened for some concerts on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here.
Billie Eilish:
If you asked any Gen Z person if they’d heard of Billie Eilish, there would be only one answer: yes. Eilish has become exponentially famous ever since her 2017 hit “Ocean Eyes.” 2024 was no surprise, as she released another album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft” in May that immediately gained a ton of attention. The most popular song of that album, entitled “Birds of a Feather,” became a popular audio on social media. She also featured on Charli XCX’s album “Brat,” on the flirty song “Guess.” Her tour for this album began in September and will continue until March, including an early December stop in Seattle.
