Complex UK’s Best Songs Of 2024

Did your favourites make the cut?

December 23, 2024
Image via Complex/Willkay
Image via Complex/Willkay

By Joseph ‘JP’ Patterson, James Keith, Cee Valentina

If the album charts were dominated by legends releasing their greatest works to date, our Best Songs list is a little harder to pin down.

There were plenty of gems from the old guard, but a quick scan of this year’s list suggests the real magic came from the young guns. Chy Cartier, a rising star who had already clocked up more than her share of bangers, hit a career high with “YO!” (later getting a second bite of the cherry with a Headie One remix).

Elsewhere, newcomer Pozer enjoyed an almost statistically impossible run with six stone-cold anthems, packing more success into his first year than most artists will see in a lifetime. And then there’s Charli XCX, who struck intercontinental gold with “360” and the Brat album, creating an entire cultural phenomenon in one green swoop.

Another treat this year was the glut of god-tier grime we were spoiled with. We’ve been saying for some time that we’ve moved beyond grime waves and that’s reflected in this year’s best tracks—not least Chip’s all-star “Grime Scene Saviours” tour de force. In fact, there’s no one dominating genre anymore. UK rap’s supremacy isn’t what it was—at least in the charts—instead, we’ve got a varied music scene thriving in its own ecosystem; R&B, Jersey-drill, rap, grime and UK garage are all simmering away nicely, cross-pollenating and pushing each other forward.

Check out the songs we were bumping the most this year below, and to read more or see the official videos just click through the links. The full playlist can be streamed on the flip.


50. Tyrique Hyde — “Painhub

49. Milli Major & Allstars – “Skeem Set Pt. 2

48. Twyce f/ Blanco — “On Me

47. SamRecks — “Relapse

46. Rushy — “Hooligan

45. Zino Vinci — “Stressed Days

44. Ragz Originale f/ Karen Nyame KG & Bambii — “Sho Me

43. CASISDEAD — “Steptronic (Conducta Remix)

42. Wilfy D — “IDKW

41. NDOTZ — “Embrace It

40. Kruz Leone — “Numbers Game

39. Ruff Sqwad — “Bigga Meat

38. £MONZO f/ Jme & Lamsi — “S.I.T PT. 2

37. Scorcher — “Members Only

36. Shakes f/ TS Lagga — “Like Us

35. Duppy — “Over The Wall

34. Kwengface f/ Digga D, Booter Bee & PS Hitsquad — “Quincy Promes

33. Stepz — “Rock

32. LeoStayTrill & Mr Reload It — “Pink Lemonade (Str8 Reload)

31. Jim Legxacy — “Aggressive

30. Charli XCX — “360

29. Ceechynaa — “Peggy

28. YT f/ Lancey Foux — “Black & Tan

27. Nines — “Tony Soprano 3

26. Ghetts f/ Kano & Wretch 32 — “Mount Rushmore

25. Lancey Foux, Len & Fimiguerrero — “Osbatt

24. Major League DJz f/ Tion Wayne — “One Of Them

23. Knucks & K-Trap — “Cautionary Tales

22. Headie One — “I’m Thankful

21. Nemzzz f/ Luciano — “ETA

20. Odeal f/ Summer Walker — “You’re Stuck

19. Ghetts f/ Sampha — “Double Standards

18. Skepta — “Gas Me Up (Diligent)

17. Wretch 32 f/ Little Simz & Benjamin AD — “Black & British

16. Pozer — “Kitchen Stove

15. Marlow P — “Alone In The Streets

14. Potter Payper — “My City’s Not Safe

13. K-Trap — “Whistle

12. Pa Salieu — “Belly

11. Pozer — “Puppies

10. Nia Smith f/ Popcaan — “Personal

9. FLO f/ GloRilla — “In My Bag

8. Sasha Keable — “Hold Up

7. Bashy f/ Skrapz & Haile — “Blessed

6. Chip & Allstars — “Grime Scene Saviours

5. Cleo Sol — “Fear When You Fly

4. Tems — “Burning

3. Asake f/ Wizkid — “MMS

2. Central Cee f/ Lil Baby — “BAND4BAND

1. Chy Cartier — “YO!