Real Ones Presents: 2024’s Realest Music Selections
As we enter the new age of 2025, the Real Ones team decided to reflect on the last 365 days of music and some of our personal favorites for 2024. While our team certainly has musical tastes that overlap, every member of the Real Ones crew has their unique preferences. If we combined each of our playlists, we’d get a complex mosaic of different sounds, artists, and genres in a collection of songs that would simply be too innumerable to count. To make it a little easier though, we each decided to select just one favorite song, artist, or album for a few different superlatives we collectively came up with, and as individuals, we picked which superlative we wanted to write about.
These selections aren’t meant to be an objective declaration of which music was superior to all the rest. We don’t belive in that mess. Just because you don’t see your favorite artist or album of 2024 doesn't mean we didn’t care about them. Rather, we just wanted to highlight the ones that meant the most to us on a subjective level. Because everything, especially art, is subjective. In other words, well, these picks are just, you know, our opinion, man.
Without any further ado, here is the Realest Music of 2024.
Realest Album
ACCELERATOR by greek
After having a major moment with, in my opinion, one of the best songs of 2023 in “VIRGINIA CREEPER,” greek followed that up with his much anticipated 2024 album ACCELERATOR— an album that takes you through a very sonically pleasing journey expressing a multitude of feelings. Songs like “RIVER,” a ballad expressing how hard it can be to move on, “DANCE,” a synth-heavy joint you can’t help but move to, and “PURE AMERICANA,” a soulful closer layered with soothing vocals, show just how much range greek has across this album. I got to see greek perform songs from the album live at Racket in New York in October, and it was truly one of the best shows I’ve been to all year. If the music alone wasn’t enough to make you a fan, his live performance is more than enough to keep you committed for life. — Tyrel Alejandro
Realest Chicago Song / Realest Dance Song
“CHICAGO” by DRAMA
Composed of vocalist Via Rosa & producer Na’El Shehade, the Drama Duo (known simply as DRAMA) has brought their infectious, poppy Chicago House sound across the globe in their 10+ year career. This spring, they teamed up with the iconic DJ Pharris (who coined the term “This Chicago, n***a!) to craft a citywide anthem, which they aptly named “CHICAGO.” Over a bouncy beat from Na’El, Via Rosa shows love to all aspects of the city we call home: the good, bad and ugly. “Love how people dance in Chicago / throw hands in Chicago / Show up for their friends in Chicago.” Make sure to check out the track’s 3 remixes as well: the Northside Remix by James Curd; the Southside Remix by Terry Hunter and Emmaculate; and of course, the Juke Mix by DJ Slugo. — Ben Moskow
Realest Jazz Album
You’ll Need This Later by The Alvin Cobb Jr. Trio
Coming into the year of 2024, I posited a general question on IG for my mutuals to answer: which jazz artists in Chicago should I be paying attention to? Among the answers that stood out from the field was the Alvin Cobb Jr. Trio, led by the eponymous Cobb and rounded out by vocalist/bassist Katie Ernst and drummer Julius Tucker. I followed Alvin Cobb, Jr. on the gram and quietly attended his listening party at the Music Box Theatre for his debut album You’ll Need This Later. For the next hour or so, I enjoyed the emotional highs and lows that only the best type of jazz music can evoke. For the last 15 years, Cobb wrote himself notes and collected voice memos covering a series of personal topics that encompass the human experience. He curated a selection of these notes and composed a song to accompany each of them, eventually creating a beautiful, auditory stained-glass window look into his life. For that reason, it’s my Realest Jazz Album of 2024. — Alejandro Hernandez
Realest Rollout
Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii
Those who’ve followed Doechii’s journey through the years know that the swamp princess doesn’t come to play. This year, she upped the ante with one of the most captivating rollouts in recent rap history: the Swamp Sessions. Beginning in July, Doechii treated her fans to a six-part video series that she herself directed, offering an intimate peek into her creative process. Each week, she dropped a new track, recorded in just one hour, accompanied by a visual. The weekly releases showcased her versatility, with each song taking on a new feel, flow, and attitude, keeping fans on their toes as they waited eagerly for the final release of Alligator Bites Never Heal on August 30. As anticipation grew, so did the buzz in the comments sections of each post, with fans begging for more. She hasn’t slowed down going into 2025, teasing the music video for “Denial Is A River” with nostalgic 90s sit-com style snippets featuring Zack Fox, Earl Sweatshirt, Schoolboy Q, Ricky Johnson, Teezo Touchdown, SiR, and more.— Mollie Ryan
Realest Indie Song
“AMAMA” by Crumb
Solidifying themselves as an indie staple throughout the past few years, the former Reddit sensation Crumb delivered one of the most addicting, yet relaxing singles of the year, “AMAMA”; sharing the name of their 2024 album. “‘How you been? I like the way I’m feeling now/But haven’t seen you in a while. ‘Cause everything has been so wild, let’s try it out…” with a steady theme of reuniting throughout, “AMAMA” blends together feelings and dialogue, giving us an impression they’re looking to bridge the gap with someone who may have grown to be a stranger, but is all too familiar. I think this is something we all struggle with; from family, romantic partners, platonically even, things transpire in the course of relationships and sometimes those events lead to their ending. But there’s always that wonder, and for some, a desire to catch up and reconnect. This song instantly became a daily play for me once it dropped and ended up in my top 20 of the year. The way it makes me feel like calling up every distant friend, ex, and relative makes me crown it as the Realest Indie Song of the Year. — Jordan Esparza-Kelley
Realest 4th Quater Drop
SAAHEEM by SahBabii
Released in November of 2024, Saaheem has put the rap scene in a chokehold, proving to Sahbabii's fans and newcomers that he will not be forgotten! After a two-year hiatus since LeakOut many fans were left wondering: Where’s Sahbabii? With the arrival of Saaheem, fans got their answer with his viral single “Viking” taking social media by storm. Most of the promotion of Saaheem has been through fans celebrating his return, daily discourse about his influence, and having everyone dancing on their nearest wall. Sahbabii recently held 2 free shows in his hometowns of Atlanta and Chicago, both of which sold out in 15 minutes. And as a cherry on top, he has just announced a highly anticipated tour that's sure to sell out, proving that no matter how long he is gone, Sahbabii has let it be known that his footprint in music is here to stay and can be revamped at any time. — Sydni Dorsey
Realest Cover Art
The Unwavering Hand by Flawed Mangoes
The cover art for Flawed Mangoes' 2024 album The Unwavering Hand is nothing short of breathtaking. Created by the brilliant Rauf Sunyaev, the painting bursts with lava-like textures of yellow, orange, and red that seem to glow from within, balanced by the earthy tones of brown and white that bring the titular hand to life. A mysterious, brown house-like structure with hints of black adds depth and intrigue, inviting you to explore its layered, meditative energy. What makes this artwork so special is how perfectly it mirrors the experience of listening to the album. Warm, dreamy, and immersive, it exudes the same flow-state-inducing quality that has grounded me countless times this year. It's as if the art and music are in perfect harmony, both guiding you into a space of calm focus and creative inspiration. Thank you, Rauf Sunyaev, for this masterpiece, and Flawed Mangoes for the incredible soundtrack to so many transformative moments.
