On December 19, Armin van Buuren hosted the final A State of Trance radio show of the year. The live broadcast featured a countdown of the top 50 trance tracks of 2024, as voted by listeners. The four-hour marathon included appearances from Ferry Corsten, Aly & Fila, Christian Burns, W&W, Jennifer Rene, Craig Connelly, Kyau & Albert and many others. Artists joined in the studio or sent messages of gratitude and support.
Fans lucky enough to attend the broadcast celebrated the festive holiday atmosphere alongside Armin and his guests. When it was time to announce the number one trance track of 2024, Armin made the reveal with a sheepish smile. His track with Gryffin, ‘What Took You So Long,’ had taken the top spot.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t have made myself number one,” said Armin on the show. “That’s not what you hope for—you just want to support trance music in general. But it happened, and it all started in Los Angeles during a writing session with Jake Torrey, Madison Love, Gryffin, and the amazing Toby Gad, who’s written songs like John Legend’s ‘All of Me.’ They wanted to create a trance track, and I thought, ‘Hmm, let’s give it a try.’ We wrote this song, which is actually about how I met my wife. It’s called ‘What Took You So Long’ because that’s exactly what she said when we first met. It’s a true story, and now you know it!”
Debuting live at Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Armin van Buuren and Gryffin’s first collaboration, ‘What Took You So Long’, immediately captured the spotlight. With heartfelt lyrics about waiting for your soulmate to recognize an unbreakable bond, paired with a driving rhythm and striking synth melodies, this track delivered an unforgettable listening experience that fans won’t soon forget.
Gryffin joined the broadcast via video feed and said, “I just heard that ‘What Took You So Long’ got voted as A State of Trance Track of the Year, which is incredible. Thank you so much for all the support on this record. Working with Armin has been a dream come true. This song is really special and means a lot to us personally. We wrote and produced the record in one huge mega session in LA, so to hear that it got voted Tune of the Year means the world to me. I’m so thankful and grateful for all the fans. I appreciate you all so much!”
The countdown, the celebration, and this standout track captured the magic of trance in 2024. As the year closes, fans eagerly anticipate what’s next.
Top 10 ASOT Tracks of 2024
10. Armin van Buuren & Ben Hemsley ft. Lucy Pullin – Is It Beautiful (ASOT 2025 Anthem) [A State of Trance]
9. Ferry Corsten & SUPERSTRINGS – Remember [Flashover Recordings]
8. John O’Callaghan & Paul Skelton feat. Ren Faye – May The Road Rise [Subculture]
7. Aly & Fila & Richard Durand – Nebula [Future Sound of Egypt]
6. Ben Gold & Bo Bruce – Half Light [Armada Music]
5. Above & Beyond feat. Zoë Johnston – Crazy Love [Anjunabeats]
4. Armin van Buuren & Hardwell – Follow The Light [Revealed]
3. Aly & Fila & Philippe El Sisi & Omar Sherif with Jaren – Count On Me [Future Sound of Egypt]
2. Factor B – The Girl With Her Head In The Clouds (Ellie’s Song) [Theatre of the Mind]
1. Armin van Buuren & Gryffin – What Took You So Long [Armada]