December 11, 2024
In this crazy-upside-down-world of a year, we say: let her whisper, let her sing, let her rap, let her scream, let her grieve, let her hope, let her love, let her play, let her fail, let her fly, let her badassery be in full f’in view. In sum, LET HER COOK.
As we demonstrated with our All Women Issue back in the summer, we have a lot to say, and we’re going to keep saying it. We hope you’ll check out 20 of The Bitter Southerner’s favorite records from 2024. And as usual, let us know what you think over on Instagram.
Enjoy!
Hometown: McAllen, Texas
Favorite Track: “Cartagena”
Reyna Tropical’s Malegría is a lush, vibrant exploration of joy and grief, blending ethereal pop with deeply personal moments that feel like a conversation with a friend. The album’s title combines the Spanish words mal (bad) and alegría (happiness), perfectly capturing its bittersweet essence. A multi-year collaboration between Fabiola Reyna and Nectali Díaz, the album became even more poignant after Díaz’s sudden passing. Reyna completed the project to honor their shared vision of amplifying queer, Afro-Mexican voices. Bouncing songs like “Lo Siento” and “La Mamá” radiate energy, whereas “Conocerla” and “Huītzilin” are soothing and reflective. Touching conversational interludes give listeners a peek into the process, including one that reminds us to “dance to sadness,” celebrating the balance between feeling and expression. Malegría feels both intimate and expansive, holding space for every complex emotion. It’s a beautiful tribute, a celebration of life, and a reminder that joy and grief often exist hand in hand.
Ay, mirando el mar me pierdo / Comunicando con agua, entendiendo / Regresaré, reconectándome / Pa’ mi cultura, lucharé contra la frontera (Oh, looking at the sea I get lost / Communicating with water, understanding / I’ll be back, reconnecting / For my culture, I will fight against the border) – “Conexión Ancestral”
Home: Nashville, Tennessee
Favorite Track: “Went for a Ride”
Alice Randall’s My Black Country is a stunning, emotional exploration of Black womanhood and Southern life, tackling themes of racism, sexism, violence and the perseverance it takes to survive in small towns. As the first Black woman to write a #1 country song (“XXX’s and OOO’s,” also on the album) Randall’s influence runs deep, and this album brings together a powerhouse of Black female country and Americana artists to bring her songs to life. Each track is unique, performed by different artists, but the album remains cohesive both sonically and thematically. Standout moments like “The Ballad of Sally Anne” and “Small Towns (Are Smaller for Girls)” reflect Randall’s raw storytelling and her commitment to sharing the untold stories of Black women in country music. Songs like “Big Dream” introduce a refreshing, empowering vision of divine femininity, reminding us that beauty and strength go hand-in-hand with the challenges we face.
There’s a full moon tonight / And I’m bathin’ in its light / Naked as the day that I was born / There is no shame beneath this sky / I have kissed the past goodbye / And mended up my broken heart, so torn – Big Dream
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
Favorite Track: “First Car Feeling”
Brittney Spencer’s My Stupid Life is a feel-good, contemporary country album with hints of pop and jazz that highlight her incredible vocal talent. It’s a mix of nostalgia, independence, and hopeless romantic feelings that make it feel like you’re listening in on her conversations with herself. Spencer pays homage to country greats on “Bigger Than the Song” but her subtle, unapologetic feminist energy makes this album all her own. It’s all about sticking with your girls, protecting your peace, and paying no mind to what people say about your emotions; just feel them. “I Got Time” and “First Car Feeling” are rearing, groovy anthems, while “My First Rodeo” and “The Last Time” are sweet, daydreamy love letters. Her album debut is equal parts intimate and polished—a vulnerable project that makes you feel like she’s singing directly to you.
I wear my heart on my jaded sleeve / Roll down my window and roll my weed / I play the songs that I wanna play / I say what I wanna say – “My Stupid Life”
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Favorite Track: “Big Time Nothing”
All Born Screaming is explosive and, as one song title states, “Reckless.” St. Vincent is a long-time alternative rock genius, and this record is where her expertise has reached new heights. This album is a blend of decades and genres, with interesting synths and gritty guitar. It sounds almost like a descent into obsessive madness, but we know better: this is true chaotic introspection. “Big Time Nothing” is a funky, 70s-ish techno jam—it could not possibly be cooler. The title track is quirky and comforting, as Clark walks listeners through the relatable trials and tribulations of her life only to exclaim “Oh, well.” Such is life: we’re all born screaming, and many of us never stop.
I have to visit so many planets / Before I find my own / I fall asleep in the golden highway / Before I finally find it– “So Many Planets”
Home: Nashville, Tennessee
Favorite Track: “But Daddy I Love Him”
Cathartic and often tongue-in-cheek, The Tortured Poets Department is Taylor Swift at her most brooding self to date. This album is a narrative, a classic story about a small-town woman in love with a painfully unreliable guy. Neighbors are judging, parents are scolding, but that just pushes the pair closer together. In her signature way, Swift has captured her early-30s pop icon experience alongside some of the most relatable, almost-teenage feelings of naiveté, rebellion and recklessness. “Guilty as Sin?” sounds a bit like her older records in cadence and instrumentals, but has much more mature lyrics: our heroine has grown up. “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” is a high-functioning-depression anthem, with touches of electronic synth that give it some serious energy. The release of this album during the iconic Eras Tour made Taylor Swift a record-breaking female force this year.
And you say I abandoned the ship / But I was going down with it / My white-knuckle dying grip / Holding tight to your quiet resentment – “So Long, London”
Hometown: Easton, Maryland
Favorite Track: “On & On & On”
Maggie Rogers’ Don’t Forget Me is a perfect blend of her signature upbeat indie pop with a timeless rock edge that feels fresh and familiar all at once. Co-produced by Rogers at Electric Lady Studios, the album shines with addictive hooks and tender piano ballads that tug on the heartstrings. At its core, it’s about growing up and moving on—whether from relationships, places, or old versions of yourself. The title track reflects on the bittersweet process of letting go, while “On & On & On” and “Never Going Home” capture the thrill (and chaos) of leaving someone behind, overtop groovy basslines. “So Sick of Dreaming” is an ironically dreamy 70s rock-inspired anthem about, in Maggie’s words, “a loser,” and it’s both cheeky and reflective. Don’t Forget Me is Maggie doing what she does best—making complicated feelings so catchy you won’t want to stop listening.
My friend Molly’s got a guy, she / Swears to God could be her family / Says he’s got the greenest eyes you’ve ever seen / But it’s crazy all the days she spends / Just following him to parties/ She seems happy, oh, but that’s not love to me – “Don’t Forget Me”
Home: Nashville, Tennessee
Favorite Track: “No One Gets Out Alive”
Right out of the gate, this album is beautiful and powerful. Its title track opener has so much energy, and its classic emotive soul sound brings the great Carole King to mind. Maggie Rose’s vocals are truly stunning throughout—she has technical skill and vulnerability out the wazoo. This album has a timeless wisdom, celebrating intuition alongside honesty and self worth. It has so many lessons to be learned (dear readers, now is the time to take notes along with us). On the so-dang-funky “Underestimate Me,” Rose’s cup runneth over with swagger and confidence as she literally begs someone to let her prove them wrong. “Only Time Around” is a sweet song about trusting yourself and living in the present, reassuring advice we can all use in these times of transition.
Hold your friends / Forgive the night / Die to love / And live your life / Don’t you know / No one gets out alive – “No One Gets Out Alive”
Hometown: Atlanta
Favorite Track: “Juna”
Clairo’s warm and hushed third album is a gentle blend of groovy soft rock with R&B influences. It paints a simultaneous picture of catching a taxi to a second date at a jazz club on a rainy night in the city, and of open windows letting in soft morning light the morning after. Charm feels like Clairo’s grown up a bit, walking deeper into the relief and restlessness that solitude brings. Her signature breathy vocals add to the record’s relaxed and self-aware sexuality seen especially on tracks like “Sexy To Someone” and “Juna.” This cozy production is in a league of its own: Charm is jazzy and orchestral at times, with an unrelentingly soft groove.
You make me wanna go dancing / You make me wanna try on feminine / You make me wanna go buy a new dress / You make me wanna slip off a new dress– “Juna”
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
Favorite Track: “Let Her Cook”
After already having a series of bangers in the form of singles, collaborations and a mixtape, Memphis rapper GloRilla comes through with her debut full-length album, Glorious. And damn if it isn’t. “Boss” doesn’t even begin to capture the swagger Glo displays. Her thick southern accent, delivered through her staccato cadence has had us bobbing our heads since the album dropped in October. While “Let Her Cook” has most definitely been an anthem of 2024, "Glorious" is full of noteworthy moments and features from artists such as Sexyy Red, T-Pain, Megan Thee Stallion, and gospel giant Kirk Franklin.
At times, I don't know who to trust, I randomly rebuke the devil / It's hard to talk about my blessings, they be sayin' I'm actin' cocky / Always and forever humble, they just don't wanna see me pop it / Five feet and I'm praisin' You with every inch up in my body / So I pray You watch my back, along with those who say they got it— “Rain Down On Me”
Home: Nashville, Tennessee
Favorite Track: “I’d Miss the Birds”
Joy Oladokun’s Observations from a Crowded Room feels like a deep exhale after holding it together for way too long. Blending folk, pop, gospel, and touches of R&B, it’s smooth and meditative but still knows how to groove. Oladokun explores the exhaustion of constantly pushing through—fitting into spaces where you don’t feel welcome, balancing faith, family, substances, and the endless weight of vulnerability. The album opener “Letter from a Blackbird” is written like a reflective contemporary response to the iconic Beatles’ track. “Flowers” and “Good Enough” are gentle, acoustic, and sweet, offering moments of quiet reflection. In contrast, “Hollywood” and “Drugs” hit harder—raw, intense, and emotionally charged, capturing the ache of navigating a life that drains you. Spoken word interludes from herself and her family add an intimate layer, like you’re eavesdropping on their world. It’s an album about being tired but honest, creating something beautiful even when you’re at your limit.
You did the best with the cards in your hand / Weight of the world on your shoulders / I see it all with more grace looking back / Lessons you learn when you’re older– “Good Enough”
Home: Nashville, Tennessee
Favorite Track: “Girlfriend”
Madi Diaz’s Weird Faith feels like cracking open someone’s diary and reading the messiest, most unfiltered pages. The lyrics are blunt, intimate, and shift moods so quickly it’s almost hard to keep up, but that’s what makes it so painfully relatable. Diaz has created an undeniably pretty album, with soft sweet acoustic guitar and stunningly clear vocals throughout. The album hones in on the early stages of a relationship, when you’re spiraling over whether you can trust them yet: Will they show up for you? Will you show up for yourself? “Girlfriend” is a standout, digging into the weird obsession we have with our partner’s exes. They’re gorgeous, fascinating, and cool enough to be your friend, which makes it all the more terrifying that they could steal your partner back. Tracks like “Hurting You” and the Kacey Musgraves duet “Don’t Do Me Good” are slow and syrupy, while “Obsessive Thoughts” and “Worst Case Scenario” explode with raw, chaotic energy.
I’m not a God person, but I’m never not searching / Looking at the sky, staring at the ocean / If there’s something to know, then I wanna know it / I wanna hold it, I wanna feel it / And maybe I can’t say that I’m not a God person – “God Person”
Hometown: Alexandria, Virginia
Favorite Track: “Te Mata”
Kali Uchis, the artist that you are! This album is addictive, an effortless blend of diasporic Latin styles, R&B, dancy pop and funk. The music is decadent, shimmering and sexy, and Uchis’ impressive vocal performance oozes confidence and feeling. ORQUÍDEAS is almost entirely in Spanish, but no emotion is lost in translation: this album is about self-worth, passion and the divine feminine. Songs like “Muñekita” and “Labios Mordidos” have such high energy, they make it impossible not to dance, but “Tu Corazón Es Mio…” and “Heladito” are groovier, jazzier and more relaxed. Uchis’ talent shines on all of them. This record is her most accomplished to date, a testament to the power and reach of Latin American music in our cultural world.
Ya estoy harta de pensar / Todo que quiero es olvidar / Digo que a mí me vale cero / Pero tampoco soy hecha de hielo (I’m tired of thinking / All I want is to forget / I say I don’t care at all / But I’m not made of ice either) – “Me Pongo Loca”
Hometown: Tampa, Florida
Favorite Track: “Denial Is a River”
This mixtape, y’all: no skips, all skill. Doechii has been a gifted rapper since her debut (“Girls” is one of the most electric rap performances we’ve ever heard), and Alligator Bites Never Heal is the pinnacle of that mastery. It grooves, it bounces, and above all, it speaks the truth. Lyrically, Doechii has created an exploration of creative identity, existentialism and sensitive restlessness. Sonically, this record is a stellar example of grounded, down-to-earth-and-just-plain-good hip hop. Our favorite track: “Denial Is a River.” In this conversational internal dialogue, professional success and mid-20s-existentialism are not mutually exclusive. This song feels like an effortlessly candid and hilarious argument between herself and her better judgment. We wish we could listen to this album again for the first time, but listening on repeat will just have to do.
Who wants to clear the fog and all the smog in your mirrors / When you could just fall back and wait? / Delete your call log and clear your agenda / You should just eat what’s on your plate – “WAIT”
Favorite Track: “Hawkmoon”
Old soul lyricism, rich metaphors and even richer vocals shine on The Past Is Still Alive by Hurray For The Riff Raff. This record is smooth and silky on “Colossus of Roads” and “Ogallala,” with a bit of crunch on tracks like “Hawkmoon”; and it all flows. Through this project, Alynda Segarra gives sage advice: you can try and outrun the past, but you won’t get far—and maybe that’s not such a bad thing. When we had the privilege of interviewing them for Issue No. 9, Segarra described “Colossus of Roads” as “about my healing and our country’s healing.” This fall has been painful, and as they told us even before the election, “we’re reckoning with our history and thinking about how our country was formed, and also how we might envision a future.” Like a lightning bug, Segarra has captured a full human experience: rusty trains, midwest sunrises, garbage, Narcan and the beauty of queerness glow in the palm of their hand.
I don’t want us to be like that / Running wild and running free / This year tried to kill us, baby / Well good luck trying, you can’t catch me – “Buffalo”
Hometown: Athens, Alabama
Favorite Track: “What Now”
At times meditative and always atmospheric, this project is a thrilling blend of electronic, rock, blues and funk sounds. We’ve loved her since the Alabama Shakes, and this record is no exception. The ever-talented Howard’s multilayered vocals give the record an endless supply of feeling and expression, anchored by the rhythm section throughout the whole record. Maya Angelou’s reading of “A Brave and Startling Truth” makes for a powerful interlude to an album that simultaneously draws attention to the smallness of humanity in the universe, and the magnitude of freedom possible within the human experience.
If we can get this shit together then what could we make? / If no power can hold it, no power can take it? / Free each other for the first time? / Would we free each other for the first time? – “Another Day”
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
Favorite Track: “Right Back To It”
On Tigers Blood, Katie Crutchfield is often gentle, always steady and ruthlessly intimate. This album is made for anyone obsessed with smooth Southern-twanged rock with a soft spot for 90s indie female vocalist angst. Songs like the opening track “3 Sisters” build to a punch, with “Ice Cold” and “Bored” taking the lead in both energy and malaise. On “Right Back To It,” Crutchfield is joined by the beloved MJ Lenderman. The melody on this one circles, with gentle ups and downs like a horse on a carousel. The pair’s voices blend like they’ve been singing together for a lifetime. The delicate country sound of Alabama-native Waxahatchee shines on songs like “Lone Star Lake” and “The Wolves.” This record is wise and mature, reflecting on relationships like watching seasons change through a window.
Tell me I’m your lucky charm / We defy gravity again / Somehow make it out unharmed / And I have my thoughts about it but / I carry you in my arms, anyways– “365”
Home: Nashville, Tennessee
Favorite Track: “Empty Trainload of Sky”
Gillian Welch’s voice is as golden as ever, and David Rawlings’ technical skill on guitar is mesmerizing. This year, the two country and folk legends brought us the smooth, steady and beautiful Woodland. Rarely do you find one of these artists on a project without the other, and this stunning record is no different. With a more orchestral production than older projects, this album stands out most on tracks like “What We Had” and sticks to their timeless folk sound on tunes like “Here Stands A Woman.” The harmonies are effortlessly balanced, showcasing years of intuitive collaboration. No drama, no overpowering. Just pure magic.
This record, released three months before November, leaves us wondering if they’re psychic. How else could they create something so melancholy before we even knew we’d have to be?
I guess it’s just my blood getting thinner / This ain’t easy living, no siree / We used to steal away and watch the fireflies after dinner / It’s a slow-motion dream that you never see – “North Country”
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Favorite Track: “Tyrant”
Who belongs in country music, anyway? Who decides? The lines have always been blurry. Cowboy Carter dares us to try and force it into a box. Beyoncé has created something that feels more like a movie than an album—a Western film about badass women on the run, expensive whiskey and dusty old cars. In one of her most jaw-dropping vocal performances yet, she pays homage to country legends like Linda Martell, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and Patsy Cline. The album is undeniably sexy, blending sultry, slow-burning moments with high-energy bangers. Tracks like “16 Carriages,” “Daughter,” and “Just For Fun” are cinematic, slower songs that draw you in, and songs like “Ya Ya,” “Sweet Honey Buckiin’,” and “Tyrant” are pure energy and joy. This album will have you on your feet, no doubt. In Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé flips the script on country music, channeling generations of Black artistry that’s been shut out of the genre. It’s a bold statement about belonging, wrapped in rich family history, folk music, and storytelling. As Beyoncé puts it: “If that ain’t country, tell me what is.”
The grand baby of a moonshine man / Gadsden, Alabama / Got folks down in Galveston, rooted in Louisiana / They used to say I spoke, “Too country” / Then the rejection came, said I wasn’t, “Country nough” – “Ameriican Requiem”
Hometown: Charleston, West Virginia
Favorite Track: “American Dreaming”
Whimsical, wild and yearning, Sierra Ferrell’s Trail of Flowers is a force. Ferrell pays homage to her roots and those of country, bluegrass and soul genres, weaving it all together with her timeless velvety voice. This album spans decades, creating a mix of sounds and feelings that are both contemporary and classic. Drawing on her nomadic past and loves gone by, Ferrell crafts a moody cinematic world in songs like “American Dreaming” and “Wish You Well.” But this album’s most toe-tapping, finger-snapping tracks happen when she cranks up the country: “Fox Hunt” is pure and electric, and “I Could Drive You Crazy” is a steady stomp. Somehow hopeful and heartbroken all at once, Sierra Ferrell has mastered the art of loneliness, love and good-old-fashioned country music.
If I could just get back home to pick up where we left off / I’d take better care of myself / I’d stop drinkin’ from the bottom shelf / But my old wheels keep spinnin’ and I cannot make them stop – “American Dreaming”
Hometown: Golden, Texas
Favorite Track: “The Architect”
Listening to Deeper Well is like standing in a quiet meadow during a soft rain—peaceful, grounding, and just what you didn’t know you needed. As usual, Musgraves’ voice is crystal-clear and carries the whole album with calm confidence. Life’s all about give and take, and Kacey gets that—she’s in a deep conversation with the universe here. In the record’s crown jewel, Musgraves shows an almost childlike wonder, asking questions about divine intention and human desire for control in “The Architect.” The barely-there instrumentals are the perfect touch, letting her lyrics and vocals take focus. Just sit still, hit play, and let the rain wash over you.
I made a list of everything that I’ve been busy chasin’ / But if a train is meant for me / It won’t leave the station and pull away – “Nothing To Be Scared Of”