The Year in Music 2024: Some of the most viral moments of the culture

2024 is nearing its end, but like every other year, it’s brought some memorable and now-viral moments to the worlds of hip-hop and R&B. Here’s a recap of some of the events/announcements that defined the culture this year:

— Halle Bailey surprised the world with the announcement that she was a mother. She and now-ex-boyfriend DDG welcomed their first child, a boy named Halo, who has since been turned into a few memes.

— Kendrick Lamar and Drake reignited their feud, which resulted in Drake’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group.

— Beyoncé dropped a new album, this time in the country genre. Cowboy Carter spotlights the overlooked Black pioneers who contributed to American music and culture while featuring some rising Black country stars, like Shaboozey, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts and Willie Jones. It peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200 and became the first album by a Black woman to dominate the Top Country Albums chart. Lead single “Texas Hold ‘Em” is the first country song by a Black woman to top the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts. Cowboy Carter and its singles have been nominated in the country categories of several awards shows, though the album was snubbed by the Country Music Association Awards in 2024. It picked up its first award at the Billboard Music Awards.

— Cardi B revealed she was expecting her third child. While making the announcement she also confirmed the news that she and her husband, Offset, were over. They welcomed their baby girl in September.

— After reuniting in 2023, Ashanti and Nelly took their relationship to the next level when they announced they were engaged and expecting their first child. Their son, Kareem Kenkaide Haynes, was born on July 18; it was later revealed the couple had secretly wed in December 2023.

— A few artists made their return to music in 2024. LL COOL J dropped The Force, his first album since 2013, while Ice Cube released his first album in 14 years, Man Down. Kash Doll‘s The Last Doll arrived five years after her debut, Stacked, with Mario dropping Glad You Came six years after his last project. Sade also returned after six years with “Transa,” dedicated to her transgender son, while Melanie Fiona released two new singles — “I Choose You” and “Say Yes” — and Big Sean dropped Better Me Than You. Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre just came out with their first collab album since 1994, Missionary, as did Fat Joe, whose The World Changed on Me comes roughly 15 years after his last solo album.

— Among the songs that went viral were Tinashe‘s “Nasty,” Muni Long‘s “Made for Me,” Tyla‘s “Water,” GloRilla‘s “TGIF” and Tommy Richman‘s “Million Dollar Baby.”

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