Congratulations as Jack White: wins Consequence’s 2024 Artist of the Year as his latest album does magic

 

As part of our 2024 Annual Report, Consequence is thrilled to announce Jack White as our Artist of the Year. White’s latest album, *No Name*, has captivated listeners with its raw energy, intricate riffs, and philosophical musings on truth, trust, and identity. White, known for his boundary-pushing work with The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and his solo career, continues to evolve, and *No Name* is a testament to his artistic vision and restless spirit. For more on White’s impact, be sure to explore our list of the 50 Best Albums of 2024, where *No Name* takes its rightful place.

Presented by Amazon Music, Consequence’s 2024 Annual Report offers a special opportunity to dive deeper into the music that defines this moment. With Amazon Music Unlimited, you can get access to over 100 million songs, HD sound, ad-free podcasts, and now even audiobooks from Audible. Sign up for a free trial here.

An Album That Asks the Big Questions

Jack White’s work has always provoked thought, but *No Name* feels like a culmination of themes he’s been grappling with for decades. In an interview with Consequence, White reflected on a song he wrote 25 years ago, “The Truth Doesn’t Make a Noise,” noting

how it laid the groundwork for many of the questions he’s still pondering today. “Sometimes you write these things down and you think, ‘Oh, I like that, but I don’t even know what it means exactly,’” he says. *No Name* is filled with lyrical ruminations on truth and trust, particularly in the age of digital misinformation and fragmented reality.

Tracks like “Old Scratch Blues” (“Up until you figure it out/ You never will be able to trust me”) and “Bless Yourself” (“They say trust no one, not even yourself”) dive into the complexities of personal and societal trust. On “What’s the Rumpus?” White wryly observes, “I’ve got a feeling that the truth’s become opinion these days,” capturing the disillusionment that permeates much of modern discourse.

The album’s finale, “Terminal Archenemy Endling,” finds White in a state of existential regret: “I thought I knew it all/ I thought I knew everything,” he repeats mournfully. It’s a reflection on the loss of certainty in a world that seems increasingly unsure about itself.

A New Approach to Promotion

In a music industry often defined by constant self-promotion, White chose a different path for *No Name*. After a frenetic 2022—during which he released two distinct albums, *Fear of the Dawn* and *Entering Heaven Alive*, along with a barrage of media appearances and promotional efforts—White decided to take a step back in 2024. “I wanted the album to be dust on the cover, and for it to not have a name,” he says, noting that the album’s anonymity was a deliberate move against the industry’s expectations.

White didn’t make the typical rounds of interviews or splashy promotional campaigns. In fact, his conversation with Consequence is his first interview in over a year. The unconventional rollout of *No Name* and the surprise announcements of limited shows left fans scrambling for tickets, further fueling the album’s mystique and challenging the status quo of modern music marketing.

Jack White: A Legacy of Defying Expectations

With *No Name*, Jack White has proven yet again that he’s an artist who operates on his own terms. Whether he’s questioning the nature of truth or deliberately opting out of traditional promotional strategies, White continues to defy the conventions of the music industry. His 2024 efforts are a reminder of the power of artistic integrity, and it’s why he’s our Artist of the Year.