This year, we’ve seen some of the biggest stars in music— like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Ariana Grande—release incredible records. With albums like “Cowboy Carter,” “Eternal Sunshine” and “The Tortured Poets Department,” these artists have continued to display the immense talent that made them famous. Yet, despite their star power, album sales and streams haven’t quite hit the marks we may have expected.
In 2024, streaming is everything. Services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal have made it easier than ever to listen to music. However, this ease of access has also made it harder for full albums to make an impact. Fans don’t listen to albums the way they used to—they’re more likely to pick out a few singles or follow playlists rather than listen to an entire album from start to finish. For example, despite the popularity of Ice Spice’s early singles her album only garnered about 28,000 streams—a surprisingly low number given her prominence.
“The shift in how people consume music has been huge,” says Zane Lowe, Apple radio show creator “Listeners are more interested in the hit songs rather than the full story an album tells.”
In 2024, it’s the singles that rule the music industry. Albums like Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” and Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” have kept these artists at the top, but it’s the lead singles driving the success. This focus on singles means that albums—even by stars like Megan Thee Stallion and JT—are struggling to get the attention they deserve. Megan’s album, for example, only reached 64,000 in first-week sales, and JT’s ‘City Cinderella’ did just about 20,000. With so much focus on singles, these full-length albums are finding it harder to stand out.
There’s also the fact that there’s just so much music being released. Artists are constantly putting out new songs to stay relevant, which makes it hard for any one album to get noticed. Even well-known artists like Billie Eilish with “Hit Me Hard and Soft” and Dua Lipa with “Radical Optimism” find it challenging to keep their albums in the spotlight. When fans are bombarded with new music every week, it’s tough for them to sit down and appreciate a whole album.
The way people discover new music has remarkably changed too. With platforms like TikTok driving what’s popular, songs often go viral because of a short clip, not because they’re part of a great album. Artists like Post Malone with “F-1 Trillion” and Sexyy Red with “In Sexyy We Trust” might see their songs blow up online, but that doesn’t always translate into strong album sales.
Money is another factor. With prices going up everywhere, people are being more careful about what they spend on. Streaming is cheap, but buying albums, merch, or concert tickets is seen as more of a luxury now. Even big names like Chloe Bailey with “Trouble in Paradise” and Vampire Weekend with “Only God Was Above Us” are feeling the effects as fans tighten their budgets.
Despite all this, albums are still important. Some, like Shaboozey’s “Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going” and Future & Metro Boomin’s “We Don’t Trust You,” show that people still appreciate well-made, thoughtful albums. But the music industry needs to adjust to these new habits if albums are going to thrive again.
“The way we promote and value albums has to evolve,” says Def Jam record label executive. “We need to find new ways to keep the album alive in people’s minds, the music industry is changing, and those who can adapt will succeed. Whether albums make a big comeback or continue to take a backseat to singles, the way we enjoy music will keep evolving.”
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Written by Angel Joanne Okonkwo
