There is nothing quite like the joy of finding new music. The bliss of discovering a new favorite song or album is sacred to me. In the first half of 2024, specifically, I stumbled upon so many just-released pieces of art that I’ve had on repeat ever since. I’m always asking God to give me a new song; it’s a sweet part of our friendship. This year more than ever, He’s delivered.

I don’t believe these admirations of art, beauty, and brilliant lyrics are separate from God. I love music, and I know He made me that way intentionally—these compilations of creativity make me delight in Him all the more. I think our hunt for delight impacts our overall health and well-being, and speaking from personal experience, the enjoyment of music has brought me peace and fulfillment I know has impacted my mental health, soul, creativity, and more.

I rounded up my favorite albums of the year (so far!) and can’t wait to share the rest closer to the end of 2024. I’m sharing them in the order I discovered them, not in a ranked list of preferences. I had so much fun putting this together and can’t wait to hear what you think. 

01. MANNA BY CHRIS RENZEMA 

Goodness, I love the honest way he writes about his faith and what it’s like to be a human walking with God. This album brings an even more authentic, raw part of Renzema’s story to the table, and I love it. 

My favorite tracks: “Not Giving Up On You,” “Manna (After All These Years),” “God & Prozac”*

*This  song specifically is so near and dear to my heart because I started taking antidepressants at the same time I was obsessed with this album. I took it as a little God-wink. It’s encouraging to hear faith, mental health, and medication talked about so honestly and beautifully. 

02. THE PROCESS BY JUDAH AND THE LION

Wow. I’ve never experienced an album quite like this one. Conceptually, it’s outstanding—it walks through the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) with a quiet, reflective track. Then there are a handful of songs under each category of grief. It’s a masterpiece, honestly. While I don’t fully relate to his experience of going through a divorce (thank God), the process of grief itself is a universally relatable experience. I’ve listened to this album countless times from top to bottom on my drives into Dallas for work. It’s never not amazing. 

My favorite tracks: “Heartbreak Syndrome,” “Shot in the Dark,” “S.I.S.,” and “Long Dark Night”

03. MAT KEARNEY BY MAT KEARNEY

I’ve been waiting for Mat’s next album to come out since I soaked up his last (incredible) collection, January Flower. In my mind, that album was going to be hard to beat. His latest, self-titled album is not what I expected it to be, but it’s a vibe, nonetheless. Maybe it’s just me, but it almost has a tropical, summery, beachy vibe. Or maybe I was just dreaming of lounging on the beach when it came out last May, ha! We’re seeing him in concert when he comes through Dallas, and I can hardly wait. 

My Favorite Tracks: “Headlights Home,” “Watch Me Go,” and “Drowning in Nostalgia”

04. CAPE FORESTIER BY ANGUS & JULIA STONE

I’ve also been a long-time fan of Angus & Julia Stone. They are the creators of some of my all-time favorite songs—”Paper Aeroplane,” “Chateau,” “Mango Tree,” and “Big Jet Plane.” I honestly thought they had split up, so realizing they were back with a new album was such a treat. If you are a fan of theirs, I’m confident you’ll love this one, too. 

My Favorite Tracks: “Losing You,” “Down to the Sea,” “Cape Forestier”

05. ONLY GOD WAS ABOVE US BY VAMPIRE WEEKEND

I discovered this album just a few weeks before we got married, so it will forever hold a special place in my heart. Whenever I had a few minutes to sneak away from wedding planning, moving, marriage prep, AKA all the things, I’d get this album pumping, and it always made me so happy. It’s just that contagious joy of new music, of just really beautiful art, you know?

My Favorite Tracks: “Classical,” “Capricorn,” “Prep School Gangsters,” “Pravda”

Stay tuned for part two of this series, coming at the end of this year (once all the artists have released new work—Coldplay is supposedly dropping something new in September!). Do you have any songs/albums/playlists I need to know about? Let me know in the comments—this is one of my favorite things to talk about!