▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
8. Teddy Swims: “Lose Control”
A soulful vocal, a bluesy progression, a few choppy chords — the Southern singer-songwriter Teddy Swims scored with this breakout from his debut, “I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1).”
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
9. Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar: “Like That”
The song that kicked off the beef of the year. Kendrick Lamar joined the Atlanta rapper Future and the producer Metro Boomin on their first joint release of 2024, “We Don’t Trust You,” and tossed some shade at Drake and J. Cole over menacing synths and a sample of “Everlasting Bass” by Rodney-O and Joe Cooley.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
10. Hozier: “Too Sweet”
The Irish singer-songwriter Hozier returned to the spotlight with his first No. 1 (believe it or not, “Take Me to Church” only reached No. 2!). In the same ballpark as “Lose Control,” “Too Sweet” has a passionate, bluesy vocal.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
11. Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone: “Fortnight”
“The Tortured Poets Department” opens with this throbby reminiscence of a brief but dramatic relationship. (Perhaps fittingly, it spent a brief but dramatic two weeks atop the singles chart.)
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
12. Kendrick Lamar: “Not Like Us”
The seeming knockout blow arrived in May over a Mustard beat (with additional production from Sounwave and Sean Momberger). Lamar celebrated by performing it five times at his Juneteenth concert.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
13. Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen: “I Had Some Help”
Post Malone reached No. 1 as the lead artist on this catchy first taste of his country album, featuring one of the genre’s megastars, Morgan Wallen. The pair sing about a relationship gone sour — and how the ex needs to share the blame.