My Favorite Things of 2024
The best of this year's new releases in music, books, and more
Though this writing platform called The Contenders has been largely silent through 2024, I have always enjoyed curating some of the best of a year’s offerings regarding music, writing, and more.
In my younger years I had the bandwidth to compile a ranked list of movies, books, podcasts, articles, music, and more. Last year I adjusted this end-of-year article as “my favorite things” because I couldn’t in good conscience call this a “best of” list, because I missed a lot! Do not worry though, there’s lots of great stuff listed here.
1. Chris Renzema’s Manna album is my favorite full-length album and also includes one of my favorite songs of the year: “Narrow Road.” Though I will fully admit that part of the reason for this is my church spending three months going through the book of Exodus in the spring, I’ve long been a fan of Chris and love that the album is exclusively focused on Exodus. Listen to “Narrow Road” below.
2. I’ve referenced The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt many times in sermons in the last year and brought up the book in conversation more times than I can count. It’s not often you see a book create an immediate shift in society but Haidt’s work demands a listening ear. Schools around the world are making adjustments in large part because he has helpfully captured a major issue for children today: they are overregulated in person and underregulated online. Read the book. If the book is too much, here’s a toolkit/guide based on the book for helping your school go phone-free.
3. Freya India is a great up-and-coming writer whose writing on Substack is top-notch. Though she is mostly focused on cultural analysis in her writing, her article titled “Who is God?” from back in June was the best article I read all year. She wrote, “We don’t pray at night; we repeat positive affirmations. We don’t confess; we trauma dump. We don’t seek salvation; we go on healing journeys.”
4. One of my top songs of 2024 is “Happily Hidden” by Pat Barrett and John Mark McMillan. It’s a straightforward song from a musical standpoint, but cuts right to the heart of a variety of struggles with the kind of life society has normalized. Here’s the 2nd verse:
We’re like little commercials
Trying to sell everyone ourselves
Like marketing billboards
Trying to catch every eye that we can
You can feel the imposter
Wanting to be the one who’s seen
Are we feeding a monster
And still wondering why we’re not free
5. As a big-time fan of Band of Brothers and The Pacific, I had high expectations for Masters of the Air on Apple TV+. Though it doesn’t match the peak mini-series of Band of Brothers, it is a formidable series. The aerial footage was exceptional—almost made me nauseous because of how well done it was. In the last episode Major Crosby sums up the series well: "On occasion, the world must confront itself, answer what we are with who we are."
6. The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris were especially great because NBC finally offered easily accessed live coverage on Peacock (thank you Gold Zone!), but also because the USA Track and Field team absolutely dominated. My favorite race was the Men’s 1,500m Final, with Cole Hocker coming from behind in the final 100 meters to win Gold. As a middle and long-distance runner, this was just an incredible race to watch from start to finish.
7. According to Ted Gioia art is dead. The problem is the dopamine loop. So insightful:
“If you thought the drug cartels were rich, wait till you see how much money the dopamine cartel is making.”
8. One of the great tragedies of our Covid years was losing out on the power of live music. Coldplay performed at the Glastonbury festival this summer and included a guest performance on guitar from Michael J. Fox. What a moment.
9. Another one of my favorite albums released this year is from Forrest Frank, titled “Child of God.” He’s a unique artist, defying any individual genres, in part because over half of the album includes collaborations with other well-known artists. His hit song “Good Day” was written just days after what he described as the hardest trial of his life. About the song he said, “He doesn’t promise us a good day, but He promises us peace when we surrender to Him.” Listen to the full album below, and be sure to check out my favorite track “Miracle Worker” with Torri Kelly.
10. Though not released in the last 50 years, I re-read Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ book Spiritual Depression again this fall and was reminded of what a helpful Gospel-oriented work it is. Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
“Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?”
“The essence of Christian salvation is to say that He is good enough and that I am in Him.”
“The whole art in spiritual living is knowing how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself.”
11. My favorite things list from 2023 included Nate Bargatze’s George Washington Dream skit on Saturday Night Live, so it’s only fitting to include part-two of the dream skit. Back earlier this fall Bargatze hosted SNL and built upon a skit that highlights all the oddities of American culture.
12. Another one of my favorite songs from 2024 is “Measure of a Man” by Judah and the Lion, featuring Joseph (a band of sisters from Portland, Oregon). Our society struggles to define manhood, in part because it struggles to define gender, but also because we have competing understandings of how to display being a man. This song gets at those questions and tensions.
The last verse captures the key question of the song:
Was it when I gave without wanting anything in return
Or every broken promise or the bridges that I’ve burned
Was it when I sunk lower or the taller I try to stand
Oh, I’ve been wondering where I’d belong
To a measure of a man
13. When an artist recognized and appreciated beyond Christian circles writes a song about God, it’s worth paying attention to. Early in the year, Kacey Musgraves wrote a song titled “The Architect” and then just a few weeks ago Father John Misty released a song titled “Screamland” (language warning). Musgraves seeks after a creative designer, whereas Josh Tillman (under the artist name Father John Misty) wants to know what’s left when life turns to ashes. Though he grew up in a family of faith, could it be those childhood foundations are pulling him back to the truth?
14. A few of my favorite albums released in 2024 not already mentioned (links to YouTube):
Jess Ray’s Matin releases are worth watching in their entirety on YouTube (Part One | Part Two | Part Three)
Eliza King’s The Pressing In
Josiah Queen’s The Prodigal
Jon Foreman’s In Bloom
Antoine Bradford’s Like Flowers in the Sun
Father John Misty’s Mahashmashana
You can check out my playlist of my top songs of 2024 (Spotify), as well as a playlist of the best full-length albums released in 2024 (Spotify).
What were some of your favorite things from this year?