Tradition holds ’round these here digital parts that the annual tally of the ten best albums of the year just passed is followed promptly by a sampling of similarly superlative songs. Unlike yesterday’s exercise, I’m not claiming these are the very best cuts of 2024 or presenting them in any ranked way. My intent is to mix things up a little bit and present work of artists who weren’t represented in the album list. (For example, “All in Good Time” is probably my favorite single of the year, but Iron & Wine got their hosannas yesterday.) Here is my quintet of new favorites:

Waxahatchee, “Right Back to It“

I was more lukewarm on the latest Waxahatchee album than most, but I think its lead single is undeniable. Katie Crutchfield’s songwriting is precise and inventive as she traces a longstanding romantic entanglement that has evidently seen its share of tests (“Your love written on a blank check/ Wear it around your neck/ I was at a loss”). The country-tinged melody conveys the yearning all on its own, and MJ Lenderman’s guest vocals prove surprisingly harmonious up against Crutchfield’s own.

Tunde Adebimpe, “Magnetic“

Presumably this cut from TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe foretells a full-length solo release in 2025. If so, there’s cause to immediately put it at the top of any list of the most anticipated albums of the year. “Magnetic” is aptly named. It’s also explosively original, drawing on sounds Adebimpe established with his main band and yet sounding wholly, thrillingly new.

Hana Vu, “Hammer“

“It’s been a long day/ Take off your shoes/ It’s been a hard year/ I’m talking to you.” With sleek slacker calm and catchy, tangy angst, Hana Vu renders a pop song for modern malaise. “And there is no answer/ But I want one anyway/ And I swing the hammer/ Just as hard as I can take.” The song burrows deep into the psyche and takes up permanent residence.

Ain’t, “Oar“

The very first single from the London-based band Ain’t is a gnarly winner. Owing something to pop-punk predecessors and sharing a little DNA with early PJ Harvey, “Oar” is a tough, fevered track. It’s a helluva debut.

Maggie Rogers, “Don’t Forget Me”

Exquisitely pretty, “Don’t Forget Me” is a tender-hearted ballad of heartrending vulnerability: “Take my money, wreck my Sundays/ Love me ’til your next somebody/ Oh, but promise me that when it’s time to leave/ Don’t forget me.” Maggie Rogers makes magic.

Selections from previous years can be seen (and heard!) by clicking the “Five Songs” tag.