It wasn’t just women who were topping the charts in 2024. Three male artists — who few people had heard of before this year — were riding high all year, and another one returned after more than a decade.
Tattooed soul singer Teddy Swims, born Jaten Dimsdale, had first attracted attention by posting covers to YouTube starting in 2019. But in 2024 his song “Lose Control,” which entered the Hot 100 in August 2023, finally reached #1 after 32 weeks — the longest consecutive climb to the top ever. Since then, it’s spent more than 45 weeks in the top 10. Teddy toured the world, collaborated with country stars, got nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy and scored a follow-up hit with “The Door.”
In 2021, Benson Boone made it to the top 24 on season 19 of American Idol, but then dropped out. He was subsequently signed by Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons and had a few semi-successful singles. But in January 2024 he released “Beautiful Things,” which he’d Frankensteined together from two separate songs. The song peaked at #2 on the Hot 100 and topped charts around the world, while his debut LP, Fireworks & Rollerblades, hit the top 10. Benson launched a global tour, won an MTV VMA and scored a follow-up hit with “Slow It Down.”
The first time people heard the name Shaboozey was probably in April 2024, when Beyonce released her album Cowboy Carter and featured him on two tracks. But two weeks later he released “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” a reworking of J-Kwon‘s 2004 rap hit “Tipsy.” It topped the Billboard Country Airplay chart for seven weeks and then notched an incredible 19 weeks at #1 on the Hot 100, tying the record set by “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus. Shaboozey finished the year with six Grammy nominations.
The last time Hozier was anywhere near the top of the U.S. chart was in 2013, when “Take Me to Church” peaked at #2. But in 2024 Hozier stormed back with “Too Sweet,” a song included on his EP of outtakes, Unheard. When it hit #1 on the Hot 100, he became the first Irish act to top the Billboard Hot 100 since the late Sinéad O’Connor in 1990.
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