From left: FKA Twigs, Sam Fender, Pet Shop Boys and JADE.
Illustration by Lyanne Natividad
Were you to look at the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart throughout 2024, it may have made for grim reading. Across the course of the year, the only British artists to hit No. 1 were Charli XCX (with an assist from Billie Eilish on “Guess”) and Chase & Status, a collaboration with rap titan Stormzy. Ireland’s Hozier managed it for a pair of weeks with his single “Too Sweet,” but aside from that, the rest was heavily imported almost exclusively from the US: Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams, Benson Boone, Noah Kahan and more all dominated throughout. The level of imported music in the U.K. is fast becoming the rule, not the exception.
Dig a little deeper, however, there were songs of serious quality released by U.K. and Irish artists throughout the whole year. Songs that pushed some of our finest creators into new spaces both critically and commercially, or perhaps said something of substance on the human condition, baring all about love, friendship and loss. Whether they topped the charts or not felt somewhat irrelevant; they were felt deeply and loved madly. Perhaps that was in sweaty clubs and bars, rowdy festival fields, on the commute, or even during a period of solo reflection – the best songs often have a way of suiting all of those moods and moments.
Following our staff picks for the best U.K. & Ireland albums of 2024, we now present the songs that told the story of the scene’s year, from superstar headliners to emerging heroes, in alphabetical order by artist.
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Charli XCX, “Sympathy Is a Knife”
As fans poured over the oblique lyrics to this song, the rumor mill spun into overdrive. Yet the real talking point was not related to who it could be about but how Charli was brave enough to detail complex, contradictory emotions while knowing people would inevitably misinterpret her direct message of insecurity. It turned out the artist who built a whole career on uber-confident pop can be just as deft with the simple and vulnerable. – SOPHIE WILLIAMS
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Dua Lipa, “Training Season”
After kicking off Radical Optimism’s rollout with “Houdini,” the British-Albanian star had a high bar to clear with the LP’s second single. “Training Season,” a spritely Kevin Parker-produced pop banger rose to the challenge, and notched a pair of weeks atop Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Charts back upon release in February. – THOMAS SMITH
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FKA Twigs, “Eusexua”
The British polymath has explained that “Eusexua” – the term she’s coined for her forthcoming third album – means to reach a heightened state of euphoria or sensuality, or, in her own words “the pinnacle of human experience.” Heavily inspired by techno, the lead single builds steadily, then furiously at its climax; this is some of her finest work to date, and quite the rush. – T.S.
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Fontaines D.C., “Favourite”
In Romance, Fontaines D.C. crafted a monumental record by doing whatever the hell they wanted: Adopting a neon, fantasy-inspired aesthetic; pushing their sound to the outer limits. The crushingly emotional “Favourite,” however, saw the band briefly ground themselves – a moving, sophisticated spin on a festival banger that nonetheless landed with the intensity of an arrow to the heart. – S.W.
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Jade, “Angel of My Dreams”
Like a pop phoenix rising from the doldrums, the debut single from Little Mix’s Jade Thirlwall showcased a fierce, focused artist ready to embrace every facet of her new solo era. Feelings of unburdening and independence regained could be heard in the song’s exhilarating swirl of electro-clash, while its studied reference points (Control-era Janet Jackson, early Lady Gaga) shone through loud and proud. – S.W.
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Pet Shop Boys, “New London Boy”
Pet Shop Boys’ 15th studio album Nonetheless was witty, sentimental and bags of fun all at once – after all, they have been setting the standards for British pop for over 40 years now. “New London Boy” from that record details singer Neil Tenant’s sexual awakening in the capital in the ‘70s, referencing Bowie, Roxy Music and the queer pioneers that fought back against prejudice (“Skinheads will mock you, call you a f-g/ Last laugh is yours, there’s a brick in your bag”). The Boy Harsher remix – sparser yet more euphoric – expands the song’s potential. – T.S.
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Pozer, “Kitchen Stove”
Want to get to know Pozer, the U.K.’s most promising new drill upstart? Press play on “Kitchen Stove” and crank it up to 11. Here, ominous lyrics about scammers and drifting between various 9-to-5 jobs are brightened by a kinetic Jersey club beat and diverging pop textures. Upon release, the track soared into the top 40 – confirming the arrival of a soon-to-be-huge rap star. – S.W.
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Raye, “Genesis”
After nabbing a record-breaking six awards at the 2024 BRITs – and letting the industry have it for a variety of reasons – RAYE still had some thoughts to get off her chest. “Genesis,” a seven-minute, three-part odyssey through pop, R&B, big band jazz and gospel, touches on disillusionment, mental health and self-worth. – T.S.
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Sam Fender, “People Watching”
The Geordie musician’s comeback single arrived in November – which preceded a massive U.K. Arena tour – and has all the touchstones of his best work: the lost promise of youth, alienation in a world spinning too fast, the despair caused by the decline in living standards. Even if it’s a familiar tale (see his 2021 opus “Seventeen Going Under”), the titular lead single from his upcoming third album is potent all the same. – T.S.
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Soft Play, “Everything and Nothing”
It appears there is now room in the once raucous and unrelenting sonic world of Soft Play (FKA Slaves) for some deep reflection. Where the punk duo would have once thrashed their way through heavy emotions, “Everything and Nothing” showed that they can delicately explore grief and yearning over a plaintive, finger-plucked melody, releasing these feelings out to the world with a little more hope. – S.W.