Matt O’Connor
Music is one of the pillars of entertainment and is celebrated as one of the world’s greatest art forms. Household names like Micheal Jackson and Frank Sinatra built up their reputation as icons through their legendary music careers. In 2024, the music industry is stronger than ever, with thousands of talented artists releasing new songs year after year. But among the sea of musicians, there are some who have grown in tremendous popularity and have established themselves as some of the biggest heavyweights in modern music. Through music sales, concerts, and overall popularity, these are some of the biggest music artists in 2024.
Sabrina Carpenter
After gaining notoriety for her role and theme song singer for the Disney Channel show “Girl Meets World”, Sabrina Carpenter’s vocal talent was recognized by Hollywood Records, who supplied her with a five album deal. She would later release her debut single “Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying” in 2014, with her first album “Eyes Wide Open” following a year later. Sabrina was recognized for her talent as a singer and songwriter, leading to collaborations with other artists, including being an opener for Taylor Swift during the Eras Tour. Although Sabrina gained a large following over the years, she hit the big time in 2024. With the release of her sixth studio album “Short n’ Sweet” came two of her most popular songs, “Espresso” and “Please, Please, Please”. The latter of which landed the number one spot on the Billboard’s Hot 100 and currently holds the top spot for the Artist 100 list. With a decade-long career producing music, Sabrina Carpenter’s dedication to her craft has paid off, and now she’s living in the fast lane.
Kendrick Lamar
Switching gears from a pop phenomenon to a hip hop sensation, Kendrick Lamar is hailed as a talented and creative name in the hip hop genre. Born in California, the musician skyrocketed in popularity throughout the 2010s with major album releases that turned the entire music industry on its head. He got to the point where he worked with Taylor Swift on a remix of “Bad Blood”, has won 17 Grammys, and even helped with the soundtrack for the Marvel Studios film “Black Panther”. But 2024 saw Kendrick heading in an interesting direction with a series of diss tracks directed towards fellow hip hop artist Drake. The feud between the two artists dates back to when Kendrick was an opener for Drake during one of his tours. But rumors began to spread that the two had some kind of beef with each other. Fast forward to 2024, and Kendrick releases four diss tracks targeted towards Drake, with the most notable being “Not Like Us.” Several lyrics specifically called out Drake and a series of controversies that he was accused of. The diss track was hugely successful, selling over 1 million units and being streamed over 121 million times. Even with his feud, Kendrick Lamar has still proven himself to be an unforgettable name in the hip hop genre and has certainly left his mark on music as a whole.
Chappell Roan
2024 has been a breakthrough year for many artists who’ve finally earned their time in the spotlight, and Chappell Roan is a perfect example of this. Interestingly, she began her music career with a YouTube channel in 2014 where she uploaded her first song “Die Young” after attending a summer camp. Over the course of the next decade, she bounced around different record labels while releasing music that was stylistically distinct from other artists in the pop genre. But things really changed for her when 2024 rolled around. After being recognized by Olivia Rodrigo and signed on as an opener for her guts world tour, Roan finally hit the big time with her smash hit single “Good Luck, Babe!”. This single catapulted her into the next level of stardom, which is appropriate since Roan describes the song as the first step in a new path for her career. At the 2024 VMA’s, Roan performed her beloved single and took home the award for Best New Artist. From a small YouTube channel to an up and coming powerhouse, Chappell Roan’s career is only just beginning.
Post Malone
Considered one of the nicest artists and a talented face in the industry, Post Malone has built up a large following and has achieved over 80 million units in record sales. His career dates back to 2011, with his first studio album “Stoney” released in 2016 as part of his deal with Republic Records. In addition to his solo work such as “Circles” and “Congratulations”, Post Malone is no stranger to collaborations with other artists. His song “Sunflower” was a collaboration with Swae Lee for the critically acclaimed animated film “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.” He’s also worked with other big name artists like Doja Cat and The Weeknd. As for his work in 2024, Post Malone took a very different approach to his music output. He released his first country single “I Had Some Help” featuring Morgan Wallen, which was praised by both fans and media outlets. Furthermore, his next album “F-1 Trillion” marked the artist’s first album that dabbled in the country genre. Post Malone continues to make his rounds throughout the industry with his solo work and his collaborations, one of which was with arguably the artist who arguably holds the title for the biggest artist on the planet.
Taylor Swift
The Thanos of the music industry. Taylor Swift’s iron grip on not just music but pop culture as a whole has only grown in 2024. When it comes to sales, Taylor is a money making machine. With over 114 million albums sold, 4.35 million concert tickets sold, and $267.1 million dollars made from the Eras Tour movie making it the highest grossing concert film of all time. Not to mention the massive unstoppable army that is the Swifties. While continuing the Eras Tour, Taylor’s biggest music contribution was the release of her brand new album “The Tortured Poets Department”. The album’s first song “Fortnight” was a collaboration with Post Malone. But Taylor’s presence in the media doesn’t stop there. With the NFL starting back up, the spotlight continues to shine on Taylor’s ongoing relationship with Travis Kelce, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. As 2024 nears its closure, so will the Eras Tour. Taylor’s final stop will be in Vancouver on December 8th. Love her or hate her, there’s no denying that Taylor Swift’s impact on the music industry can’t be denied.
