IHeartRadio released their awards for best music albums for each music genre of: hip-hop, pop, R&B, alternative, K-pop and rock music. In this article, I will review each album winner and rank them based on its musical technical aspects, artistry, cultural significance and instrumental/vocal techniques.
1. Heroes & Villians
Metro Boomin
Awarded album of the year for hip-hop, Metro Boomin clearly knows how to create beats in his second studio album Heroes and Villains. Throughout his entire album he includes hints of a metronome beat throughout all of his songs, yet are exclusively different from one another, hence his music name, Metro Boomin. The transitions between songs are so seamless that it is unclear when one song ends and the other begins. His entire album has twelve collaborators including: John Legend, Future, The Weekend, and numerous other well-known artists within the Hip-Hop music industry. The general concept of this album is to have each music artist act as a hero or a villain within each song. Although Metro Boomin did not appear vocally in every track, he did a wonderful job with execution of beats, and transitions within every song. Therefore, I rank Heroes and Villains as number one for its innovative concept and execution throughout the entire album.
2. Guts
Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo spilled her guts in this music album, awarded album of the year from iHeartRadio 2024. She is most known for her stories about troubles of adolescence and adulthood immersed with hooks and imagery. Her 90s grunge meets girl riot trademark progresses in this second studio album. Olivia expanded her topics in her second album about everyday teenage life, heartbreak and stereotypes, expanding her themes within her music compared to her first album Sour in which she only sings about going through a deep breakup. The themes of teenage life no doubt caters toward her fan base of younger generations, particular girls and young women. I rank this album number two for her descriptive lyrics, unforgettable bridges, and catchy drum beats.
3. SOS
SZA
Everyone knows the song Kill Bill, but that is just the start of her success on this album. Throughout the entire album, SZA expresses relatable confessions filled with syncopation and influences of open water. Her voice is very warped and distorted to achieve her aesthetic of open water, all alone, speaking her mind. SZA presents herself as a work in progress, anticipating mistakes along the way, expressed by minor keys and ocean-like sounds. The album cover represents sounds of an open ocean, but her experiences of studying marine biology in college before she became a successful music artist. Listeners to this album can easily bop to the music with its smooth syncopated movements. It should be noted that this is her second studio album, with twenty songs, that are all fully executed. For most music albums, it is common for some songs to be better than others, but SZA does a marvelous job of connecting all the songs together, creating a cohesive theme of presenting herself as a work in progress.
4. The Record
BoyGenius
Photo credit: Matt Grubb and Harrison Whitford
The Record by Boygenius was awarded best album of the year for alternative music, which is highly deserved. From the start of this album, it opens with beautiful harmonies with BoyGenius, Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Daus. From the beginning, it felt like I entered into their recording studio listening to their harmonies. For this reason, the album is successful in truly capturing their singing voices, with no auto-tune, which I appreciate as a singer myself, for having true talent, and not hidden by audio systems. The album is a series of love letters and dissection of love from platonic to romantic and queer relationships. They explore the fundamental human desire to love and be loved. Fans express their support and voices being heard, especially for the Queer community, bringing awareness to different forms of love. This album is underrated, not as well known as these other albums but is definitely worth a listen!
5. 5 Star
Stray Kids
Photo credit: JYP Entertainment and Republic Records
5 Star is all the talk among K-Pop fans, awarded album of the year for K-Pop music. This is Stray Kids third Korean language studio album containing 12 tracks. What makes this album so well received is the variety of different genres within each song, generating a sense of diversity, keeping the listeners engaged throughout the album. Each genre brings a unique feeling, showcasing the versatility of Stray Kids. For instance, the opening track is a fusion of R&B and trap metal, transitioning to the next song with a piano and guitar ballad. A message across the whole album is to make their own history, making a name for themselves, hence the name 5 Star as if for a review, regarding famous American figures including Neil Armstrong, and inventors and business figures. The unique sounds through the album reminds its listeners of their clever messages and music styles. Although I am not personally a K-Pop fan, I acknowledge the appeal of this album for its genre mixes, themes throughout the album, and pop cultural influences.
6. 72 Seasons
Metallica
Rock fans are completely raging to this album according to iHeart Radio, winning album of the year for rock music. 72 Seasons is the first album released in 8 years by Metallica, making a comeback in the rock industry. The album is inspired by the number of seasons one lives before turning 18, in this case 72. The album explores how one grows and matures, exploring identity throughout the entire album. 72 Seasons contains Metallica’s longest song to date “Inamorata” which runs for over 11 minutes long. And although in theory it sounds impressive to compose a song that long, it affects the overall flow of the album, especially if listeners are used to a 3 minute song. It is a possibility for listeners to lose interest and streaming platforms may be less likely to feature longer songs, affecting the albums exposure. I rank 72 Seasons in the 6th and final spot for these reasons. While I believe that they have developed an innovative concept theme and deserve a spot on the leaderboard, the previous albums listed achieved seamless transitions, concepts and more recognizable appearances within the music industry.
In conclusion, these albums not only capture the creative spirits of all these music artists, but music of our generation. As we celebrate these winners, I acknowledge all of the albums diverse sounds that have shaped the listeners, leaving us with a rich variety and unforgettable melodies which resonate with fans across fans around the world.