The Economist’s pick of the best albums of 2024
A musical tour through pop, rap, rock and more
“Brat”. By Charli XCX
Part pop record, part zeitgeist moment. (This album spawned its own idiom: “Brat summer”.) In an age of focus-grouped relatability, the British singer-songwriter is refreshingly brash—and very good.
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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “In tune with the times”
Culture
December 14th 2024
From the December 14th 2024 edition
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Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show is out of touch with the times
In it she positions herself as an elite Martha Stewart
This year’s Oscars were notably apolitical
Hollywood has ditched resistance in favour of toeing the line
AI unleashes a weird new genre of political communication
Donald Trump’s Gaza video offers a taste of what is to come
Why are live albums back in fashion?
Hitmakers including Niall Horan, Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran have released them
Caviar is the internet’s favourite indulgence
Russian tsars loved it. Now TikTok does, too
Finding meaning in people’s first words—and their last
Why there is less significance than society would have you believe