GL.24.06: Caseysimone Ballestas
GL.24.18: SHAY CORBETT
GL.24.19: Jamie Pfeifer
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Shay’s Best of 2024
“AMERIICAN REQUIEM” - Beyonce: This list could’ve just been the Cowboy Carter tracklist. Instead, I chose the opening song (possibly Bey’s best album Track 1) of the album of the year. The song, a funeral dirge for an America that never lived up to its ambitious promise, took on a new and particularly devastating importance following the November election. Sonically complex, genre bending, and pure artistry. If that ain’t Beyonce, tell me what is.
“But Daddy I Love Him” - Taylor Swift: Look, I know Taylor didn’t write this from the perspective of a closeted homosexual growing up among Christians who claim to care but don’t give an actual shit about you. But I heard it that way. Knowing it’s actually her send off to weirdo Swifties who need to control her love life makes it even more fun. Being at the Eras Tour with three of my best friends screaming, “All the wine moms still holdin’ out, but FUCK EM, IT’S OVER” was more cathartic and spiritual that any moment og my 20+ years in church. Also… Taylor’s best pre-chorus ever, hands down.
“No One Mourns the Wicked” - Wicked Cast: I was in tears from the first chord. I’ve been in love with this musical for 20+ years. Like “AMERIICAN REQUIEM,” I included this song because it’s phenomenal, but also because it kicks off an album I can listen to with almost no skips (sorry Peter Dinklage, Jeff Goldblum, and the first 60 seconds of “The Wizard and I”). Ariana came in guns a-blazin’ and the next 160 minutes were pure magic.
“In My Room” - Medium Build: There are only 4 men on this list (Women’s stories matter - they just matter) and only two of them are the actual reason they’re included. Medium Build’s album Country sent me to pieces the first time I heard it. “In My Room” speaks to the shared experience that many queer kids had: our childhood rooms were the only safe place for us to just exist, the one space that gave us the freedom, as the song says, “to get to dream up who I really want to be.”
“Guess” - Charli XCX ft. Billie Eilish: I’m one of the few gays that didn’t fall head over heels for brat immediately. But fear not, militant homosexuals: I came around - quickly. The remix album sealed the deal for me and this is the highlight. “Wait (The Whisper Song)” walked so Lesbian Billie Eilish could run. And boy did she ever run!
“Birds of a Feather” - Billie Eilish: Bold, I know, to pick such an obscure song. But Billie is a generational talent and this is her trying a new sound at her vocal best.
“Angel of My Dreams” - JADE: This song really is like being gay. Confusing, trying to be a lot of things at once, weird and almost off-putting at first. But then, and this is a big then, you start to get used to it and it’s such a fucking incredible experience, you wouldn’t give it up for the world.
“Diet Pepsi” - Addison Rae: I was (am) hesitant to embrace Addison as a true pop girlie, but this song did it for me. And I will always hear the lyric as “Costco chain”.
“No Man’s Land” - Miranda Lambert: I don’t think Miranda Lambert gets the credit she deserves, even within the country world. Her new album was, yet again, a stunner and this song took the cake for me.
“No Broke Boys” - Tinashe: What do we have to do to get this woman the recognition she deserves? Straights, this one is on you.
“Slim Pickins” - Sabrina Carpenter: Sabrina meets Dolly meets Kacey. And a Grindr notification sound is the icing on this very, very gay cake.
“WHATCHU KNOW ABOUT ME” - GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red: Let me be clear, this only made the list because Sexyy Red stopped supporting Trump. This year belonged to GloRilla and I love every part of it. Please go watch TikToks of her Memphis accent. The South produces the best rappers, hands down. That’s not a request for comment.
“HISS” - Megan Thee Stallion: Speaking of the South producing the best rappers. I think that the Megan’s Law bar will go down in rap history, as it should. As much as it was Glo’s year, it was Meg’s too. And she deserves it. To be clear, fuck EACH. AND. EVERY. PERSON. who ever questioned the veracity of Megan’s story.
“squabble up” - Kendrick Lamar: And here we are … an exception to that irrefutable fact about Southern rappers. After Kendrick surprise dropped this album, I saw someone refer to him as Kendrick Knowles Carter Lamar and I agree. She’s a stunt queen and I am very here for it. Definitely didn’t think I’d see Drake ended so hard this year.
“That’s My Floor” - Magdalena Bay: Britney Spears and Sleigh Bells had a baby and it is this Magdalena Bay track.
“Ganeni” - Elyanna: The first artist to perform an all-Arabic set at Coachella and Lollapalooza. Elyana is a Chilean-Palestinian artist who gives me hope that notoriously monolingual Americans might be ready to accept Arabic music in the same way we opened our arms to Bad Bunny and Rosalia.
“thing u do” - Tori Kelly: Tori Kelly is one of this generation’s best vocalists and this song (as well as the accompanying performances) finally felt like they were going to do something big with her career. Again, I feel like straight people are to blame.
“Disease” - Lady Gaga: MOTHER MONSTER IS BACK.
“Listen (Arab Girls)” - Dania: After I listened to Elyanna’s album enough, Spotify was like, “hey r u ok? pls listen to something else, anything else” and thankfully, Dania was the suggestion.
“Alter Ego” - Doechii ft. JT: This song sits at the intersection of “Doechii is finally getting the recognition she deserves” and “what if Azealia Banks didn’t say something horrifyingly offensive every two weeks?”
“Forget About Us (Live)” - Perrie: A tie for my favorite release by Little Mix members in 2024. The live version is where Perrie really blows the roof off vocally. I am 95% sure she said, “Lemme release this and Kelly Clarkson it before Kelly can.”
“Jesus, My Mama, My Therapist” - Tierra Kennedy: One of the benefits of the massive impact of Cowboy Carter is the exposure black country artists received this year. This is a prime example. Pure country fun that feels like it belongs in the mid 90s. And that’s a really, really good thing.
“Better Things To Do” - Terri Clark & Ashley McBryde: Speaking of mid-90’s country, Ashley McBryde joined Terri Clark to bring Terri her flowers and breathe new life into this 1995 country classic. I miss this era of women in country.
“Bridge Over Troubled Water” - Jacob Collier ft. Tori Kelly & John Legend (AND YEBBA!): Yebba chose not to be credited on this song, but I refuse to ignore her here. Yebba’s first verse is stunning and then Tori Kelly goes full Tori Kelly and delivers an absolutely unreal interpretation that highlights why she has an argument for taking the “best runs” crown of today’s girlies.
“Good Luck, Babe!” - Chappell Roan: The meteoric rise of Chappell Roan was an absolute pleasure to watch. She deserves every minute of it. And she also deserves every piece of privacy she’s clawed back for herself. And to the people that think her fierce defense of her private life makes her “not ready” for stardom: You’re fucking weird. Go touch grass. (Also go watch Sasha Colby perform this song.)
HONORARY MENTION: “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad” - Tammy Wynette: I read a biography of Tammy Wynette this year that broke my heart. But it also led me to a deep dive of her music, ending with her being in my top 5 on Spotify Wrapped. This song was the absolute highlight for me. She’s the First Lady of Country Music for a reason.
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