The 10 best global albums of 2024

DJ Love celebrated car horns, Kenyan metalhead Lord Spikeheart traversed trap and doom, while 82-year-old Milton Nascimento joined forces with Esperanza Spalding

• More on the best music of 2024
• More on the best culture of 2024

Mongolian singer Enji’s debut collaboration with German jazz drummer Simon Popp is a masterclass in vocal range and control. Largely wordless and laden with reverb, Enji’s intricate vocalisations span everything from the percussive whispers of sharp breath on Akin to yearning, drawn-out phrases on Cathedral and the sprightly rhythms of Ybbs. Popp, meanwhile, accompanies with melodic drum textures, including interlocking patterns on toms and tuned percussion. Recording almost entirely in single, improvised takes, Enji and Popp produce a remarkably expansive and imaginative sound from just two instruments, sitting somewhere between enveloping ambience and spiritual improvisation.

Topics

The 20 best albums of 2024

Check out the 20 best albums of 2024 as selected by Times pop music critic Mikael Wood.
Los Angeles Times - 18h
GameSpot's 10 Best Games Of 2024

Each year, the task of narrowing down our favorite games to a list of just the 10 best is challenging, and 2024 is no exception. Whether it's brilliant expansions to existing games, the continued ...
GameSpot - 1d
Butler vs. North Dakota State odds, line, time: 2024 college basketball picks, Dec. 10 best bets by top model

SportsLine's model just revealed its NCAA Basketball picks for North Dakota State Bison vs. Butler Bulldogs on Tuesday
CBS Sports - 1d
The 50 best albums of 2024: 50-11

Nick Cave rediscovers his lust for life, Ariana Grande embraces new love, and Kneecap raise a Republican ruckus, as we continue the countdown of the year’s best albums. • More on the best culture ...
The Guardian - 1d
10 Best Travel Adapters 2024: Top Picks to Keep Devices Charged

When going abroad, the right plugs are essential to keeping your gadgets charged. These are our favorites.
Wired - 6d
Best Albums of 2024: Charli XCX, Mk.gee, MJ Lenderman and More

Charli XCX, Mk.gee and MJ Lenderman top our pop music critics’ lists this year.
The New York Times - Dec. 4
The 10 Best Books of 2024

The staff of The New York Times Book Review choose the year’s top fiction and nonfiction.
The New York Times - Dec. 3
The best TV shows of 2024

In a year filled with quality series, these subjective choices indicate that great TV shows keep being made, even if the industry is in a bit of slump, our television critic says.
Los Angeles Times - Dec. 3