Let's be honest - trying to sum up a year in music is like attempting to explain Matty Healy to your grandparents or giving a sensible answer when someone asks you, 'What kind of music do you like?'. It's messy, it's subjective and someone is definitely going to disagree with you in the comments.

But here we are again, Dear Reader, doing what we do best: Ranking things and having opinions about them. 2024 has been the kind of year that makes music journalists reach for increasingly elaborate metaphors - a year where artificial intelligence tried to write pop songs (badly), where every other week brought another "unexpected" collaboration, and where pop girlies ruled all.

From bedroom pop breakthroughs to stadium-sized statements, from heartbreak to hyperpop, we've listened to it all. Multiple times. Probably while crying in the shower or doing our silly little tasks or commuting to our silly little jobs. These are the albums that made 2024 feel less like a simulation and more like somewhere we actually want to be - ranked meticulously, debated passionately, and served up with a signature side of mild sass. Strap in. Things are about to get opinionated.

Tyler, the Creator’s career divides into two phases, with 2017’s ‘Flower Boy’ as the turning point. His earlier work was raw and controversial, while his later albums showed maturity and enhanced production skills. ‘CHROMAKOPIA’ draws from all these eras, combining spiky tracks reminiscent of ‘Cherry Bomb’ with mellower sounds, while maintaining Tyler’s character work. It’s an album that explores weighty themes like parenthood and fame’s dark side, while delivering the bangers Tyler’s known for.

Top Track: ‘St Chroma’

Fun Fact: Conceptually, ‘Chromakopia’ is narrated by Tyler’s mother, Bonita Smith.

Some heroes wear capes – others write indie-pop bangers that make you feel like the main character in your own coming-of-age film. Orla’s second album, 'Everybody Needs A Hero', is the sound of someone who’s stopped checking the rear-view mirror and started burning rubber towards their own horizon. Sharp as a paper cut but twice as memorable, these thirteen tracks feel like finding the perfect playlist for a life you haven’t lived yet.

Top Track: ‘Little Chaos’

Fun (Spooky?) Fact: Whenever ‘Little Chaos’ comes on, the Dork HQ ‘repeat’ button gets mysteriously stuck...

Grab a copy of the November issue of Dork featuring Orla Gartland on the cover