Dance music comes in all shapes and sizes. This year definitely revealed that notion. With 2024 coming to a close, it’s time we share the best EDM songs of the year. Plucked from our best new songs of the month playlists and our new music editorials, all the featured tracks incited some sort of euphoria within us, whether on the dancefloor, working out, or just going about our day. These songs were made to make bodies move. They were made to empower, treat ailments, and—most importantly—create joy. From indie sleaze to house music, happy hardcore, and all the techno flavors — here are the best electronic / dance songs of 2024 (in our humble opinion).
This feature was written by David Sosa, Sandra B. Olinger, and Steven Ward.
Charli xcx featuring Billie Eilish “Guess”
Insane beats and production aside, “Guess” is the most badass dance track of the year. It drips of sweet female empowerment and shatters traditional gender roles. The lyrics sung by both Charli and Billie, paired with the song’s playful burn that leads up to a bass-heavy mania of beats, are enough to make any person climax. This is the song that signed, sealed and delivered BRAT Summer with a kiss.
And the cherry on top was that all the bras and underwear featured in the music video were donated to I Support The Girls. ISTG collects and distributes essential items, including bras, underwear, and menstrual hygiene products, allowing people experiencing homelessness, impoverishment, or distress to stand tall and with dignity.
Charli xcx “Club classics”
2024 was undoubtedly Charli xcx’s year, copyrighting lime green for life and unleashing BRAT in the summer, becoming an instant classic. On the topic of classics, “Club classics” channels the energy of a sweaty club in the 2000s for what became the early highlight of BRAT when the song was released as a single. Right from the opening, the beat slaps you in the face and gradually gains intensity before dropping into an electronic frenzy. The second half is where the song takes off, with Charli gliding over constantly warping synths and screeching sirens as the Jersey club beat ends matters on a high note.
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The Dare “Perfume”
The Dare channels James Murphy on “Perfume,” the lead single off his debut album, What’s Wrong With New York. Delivered with his characteristically dry drawl and tuned to flashes of concussive sonics—like an electrified “North American Scum”—the track is a dizzying descent into delicious vanity. All of it voiced with that same coy irreverence and nonchalant sensuality that’s made him so captivating.
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Delaporte “Madriz Madriz”
Taking us back to the 90s rave days of happy hardcore, Madrid-based Delaporte knocked it out of the park with their bass-thumping ditty “Mardiz Madriz.” Sung entirely in Spanish, like much of their catalog, singer Sandra Delaporte‘s vocals are delightfully harmonious, while Sergio Salvi‘s alchemy of beats is sonically galvanizing. The unique combination results in a kinetic song that is dangerously delicious. The track is literally a sizzling fever dream of techno euphoria. Get into it.
Fcukers “Homie Don’t Shake”
A fateful decision from former members of New York band Spud Cannon to leave was secretly a blessing in disguise when they founded Fcukers, a trio that takes inspiration from house music rather than indie rock. One of their first singles, “Homie Don’t Shake,” announced their rechristening with a roaring guitar at the start, with singer Shannon Wise hushing her way against the bouncy beat. While there are some remnants of rock music, notably in the drum solo that doubles as a welcomed change of speed before jumping back into the pulsating bass, their transition is as seamless as it is infectious.
Gesaffelstein “Digital Slaves”
Erupting as a dash of throbbing beats, “Digital Slaves” wormhole’s listeners through the fabric of time and lands at a 80s post-punk club. The track immediately welds the album’s tempo to the song’s harrowing energy. “Um, bring out the fun, jump in the void / Bring out the toys, jump over the rift,” featured vocalist, Yan Wagner groans, welcoming you into the warp of wickedly swirling sound that spills from GAMMA. His words tap into a bleak but potent futurism that’s equally soaked in nostalgia
Jamie xx “Baddy On The Floor” feat. Honey Dijon
Jamie xx’s long-teased “Baddy On The Floor” featuring Honey Dijon exceeded all expectations. The piano keys that formally open the track evoke the purity of 90s house, becoming a shining example of how the genre is back and riding a repurposed yet faithful second wave. However, the brass section acts as a chorus that shows how much Jamie has improved as a producer over the last decade. Not only are they celebratory in sound, but they’re neatly placed among the usual company of anthemic electronic flourishes and simple song structures engineered to get people on the dancefloor. While the single comes from his album, In Waves, it’s such a standout track in his career that it could have easily dropped as a standalone and fueled another world tour or two.
Justice “Generator”
Justice never left, but with single “Generator” off their latest album, Hyperdrama, they’ve found their second coming. Despite sharing some sonic similarities with singles from their self-titled debut, “Generator” ditches their usual sample-fueled fare and exchanges it for straight synth worship. Right from the get-go, the breakneck speed of the track reignites any waning fire the duo may have had and replaces it with a scorching intensity intercut by jumpy strings. Additionally, the bassline at the halfway point allows for a momentary pause that gets brushed to the side when the first few notes of “Generator” return with a vengeance, proving Justice doesn’t plan on stopping.
LP Giobbi featuring Portugal. The Man “Bittersweet”
LP Giobbi turned to one of her idols, Portugal. the Man, to lend their shimmering vocals on the funky energy of “Bittersweet.” Propelled by gleaming electronica, soaring instrumental samples, and the dreamily urgent pulse of bass, the song oozes with melodic radiance. Boasting deep grooves that ignite an entrancing, liberating bliss, “Bittersweet” arrived as yet another superb summer anthem.
Peggy Gou “Back To One”
This track cleans with all the infectious, anthemic, and euphoric energy you could ever hope for from a collection by one of EDM’s most innovative voices. Immaculate! Evoking the Elysian atmospheres of the European clubs, parties, and festivals she’s performed at, Peggy Gou‘s “Back To One” is both a time capsule of modern electronica and a visionary look into its future: one that melds together throbbing, ecstatic beats with a melodic pop-sleekness.
Sofi Tukker “Throw Some Ass”
A playful anthem for letting loose and moving that body; who knew throwing some ass was precisely what singer Sophie Hawley-Weld needed to feel better. The liberating track was spawned out of Sophie’s struggle with chronic back pain and its sudden healing through dance. Music is medicine indeed, and “Thow Some Ass” is as fun and sexy as it is exhilarating and bombastic. And by the way, the bass hits hard on those Brazilian funk-inspired drumbeats. If you got a system, we highly recommend you turn that shit up for maximum Carnaval vibes.
TSHA featuring Rose Gray “Girls”
If there was a song of summer, it was TSHA and Rose Gray’s “Girls.” The buoyant track, with its dizzying beats, is the perfect primer for a catwalk strut around the room. Even more appealing is the song’s confidence-boosting theme. The last line of the pre-chorus: “It’s my body, it’s my mind,” gives the track more purpose than getting you to move. There’s nothing wrong with a single solely made to make you dance. But it is a testament to how a song can stand firmly on an empowering message while simultaneously giving club-banger vibes reminiscent of the glory days of house music.
ALSO:
FKA Twigs “Eusexua”
Amelie Lens “Falling For You”
Jamie XX featuring Romy, Oliver Sim, The xx “Waited All Night”
Little Simz “Mood Swings”
Magdalena Bay “Image —Grimes Special”
Sofi Tukker featuring Channel Tres “Cafuné”
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