THE music industry may still be male-dominated but 2024 was a great year for the ladies. Many in the sphere of popular music thrived, reaching new heights in their careers. Here are some standout female pop stars who dominated the airwaves and shattered records this year.
Taylor Swift
2024 saw the end of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. The tour raked in over US$2 billion (RM8.9 billion) in revenue, making her shows the highest-grossing in history. As of this year, Swift is the first musician to become a billionaire solely from her music and performances.
Apart from her tour, the 35-year-old also had commercial success with her eleventh album The Tortured Poets Department. Swift’s album became the first to receive over 300 million streams on Spotify. It is also the best-selling album of 2024.
Ariana Grande
This year saw the return of Ariana Grande. After a four-year hiatus, the former Nickelodeon star returned to music, releasing her seventh album Eternal Sunshine.
She further solidified her dominance, returning to the big screen with her role in Wicked. Grande shone as the Good Witch Glinda. She found success in both ventures, becoming the first artiste to have a number one song, album and movie in the US.
Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish kicked off 2024 with her historic Oscar win, earning the accolade for Best Original Song for What Was I Made For? The 22-year-old then followed it up with the release of Hit Me Hard and Soft.
The album featured hits such as Lunch, Birds of a Feather and Chihiro. On its release day, the album became her most-streamed album on Spotify, receiving over 72 million streams. She is currently on her Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour in support of the album.
Rose
This year marked a new chapter for Rose. After eight years in Blackpink, the Australian-born singer finally struck out on her own. While she did release an EP in 2021, this venture was a whole new move for Rose.
She released her debut album Rosie under a new music label. The release saw her collaborate with prominent artiste Bruno Mars on the record’s lead single APT. The single topped the charts in various countries, earning Rose numerous accolades.
Lisa
Following suit is fellow member Lisa from Blackpink. Upon leaving her old music label, the 27-year-old joined RCA Records to release new music.
She has since released three singles: Rockstar, New Woman and Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me). Her success as a solo artiste includes performing at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards and Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
Lisa is set to push the envelope further, teasing fans with the release of her debut album Alter Ego next February.
Sabrina Carpenter
After years in the industry, Sabrina Carpenter finally saw the fruits of her labour in 2024. Coming off as opening act on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, the former Disney star rose to mainstream stardom upon releasing Short n’ Sweet.
The album became the singer’s first chart-topping LP. Its lead single Espresso shared the same success, reaching the summit on numerous musical charts.
The reception earned Carpenter six nominations at next year’s Grammy Awards. She received nominations in major categories such as Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
Tyla
Tyla has risen as the first South African global pop star. Her single Water made waves on TikTok, going viral after the hashtag #TylaWaterChallenge blew up on the platform.
The song then won Tyla the inaugural Grammy Award for Best African Music, making her the first South African artiste to take home the golden gramaphone.
She further solidified her presence by releasing her self-titled debut album. Other highlights include making headlines for her Met Gala sand dress and performing at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
Chappell Roan
Chappell Roan took the world by storm with The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. The singer gained traction for singles Hot to Go! and Pink Pony Club.
Her popularity skyrocketed with the release of Good Luck, Babe! – other career highs include performing at Coachella and earning Grammy nominations.
Similarly to Carpenter, Roan received six nominations for next year’s Grammys. The 26-year-old earned nominations in categories such as Best New Artiste, Album of the Year and Record of the Year.
Beyonce
The veteran R&B artiste made waves with her latest record Cowboy Carter. Intended as a tribute to black musicians’ contributions to the country and western genre, Beyonce received 11 nominations at this year’s Grammy awards.
It remains to be seen if the LP will receive the Album of the Year gong, an award that has thus far eluded the former Destiny’s Child member.
The star-studded line-up on the album highlights Beyonce’s standing in the music industry with legends such as Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and Stevie Wonder, who all contributed to Cowboy Carter. But for now, she will just have to be content with being the artiste with the most Grammys ever.
