After the insanely one-of-a-kind year in music that 2024 was, itâs a bit difficult to begin to consider how 2025âs year in music may end up looking like. Despite being over a month into the year, not much has been all that clear yet; perhaps thatâs just part of January’s typical blur, though. But now with this yearâs Grammys said and done and time moving us further into the year, Iâm beginning to think about my hopes and the possibilities for music in the coming months. In some cases, these could be a stretch; something impractical that only I seem to want. On the other hand, these wishes could be based on patterns or teasers that have been seen recently in media, such as the Grammys, but also in other corners of the music industry. No matter the case, thereâs no harm in a little hope, so hereâs what I desperately want to see from music this year.
More From The Divas
Last year brought us BRAT Summer, the outstanding rise of Chappell Roan, and what seemed like a never-ending ensemble of fierce pop hits. But with Charli xcxâs âVon dutchâ and âGuessâ medley at the Grammys, it seems like this vibe of music might just continue. If this is the case, there are a few things Iâd love to see to help this style continue to flourish this year. For one, I undeniably need more from JADE, the Little Mix alum and absolute tour de force. Her debut solo single âAngel Of My Dreamsâ was unbelievable and certainly one of the most interesting products of last year. On the song, she details her experience as a member of the band, but she does so in such a fascinating, captivating way; with vigor and intensity, drawing similarities to xcx and Roan, in fact. But it wasnât just âAngelâ that kept her busy. Since the songâs July release, JADE has also released âFantasyâ, âMidnight Cowboyâ and most recently, to plenty of praise, âIT girlâ. Her creativity, brazenness, and gutsiness make her one of the most interesting acts out there, and her strong roots in the music industry only add to the appeal. That being said, I want more artists to be this daring. If Chappell Roan were to release her heavily teased yet unreleased tracks âThe Subwayâ and âThe Giverâ, I think that would significantly help this ostentatious kind of music continue to prosper. Think of the reign of artists like Kesha, who similarly had a brash style. These sorts of badass, âbrattyâ pop hits donât have to be left behind in a scrapbook of 2024.
Music As a Form of Resistance
I donât necessarily believe that music used to break barriers has ever really gone away. It has been around in different fashions since the beginning of time, but the idea of âmusic as resistanceâ brings to mind artists such as Bob Dylan, Rage Against the Machine, and Marvin Gaye, among others. However, there have been plenty of examples of protest music since the height of those artists’ careers. Considering the current state of Americaâ and the world in generalâ there would surely be great benefit in artists continuing to make music inspired by and opposing destructive leadership. But it doesnât even have to be about leadership; music as a vessel to resist any kind of pressure would be gladly welcome amid all of the horrors in the world right now.Â
Pop Music Taking More Risks
This has been trending upwards for a few years now, but I think thereâs still plenty more we can get from it. Personally, I think a bit of heavier instrumentation can boost any song, and having more rock-flavored pop, for example, would be incredible. Of course, we already have artists like Olivia Rodrigo, who has had some heavily rock-influenced tracks, such as âbrutalâ and âgood 4 uâ on her debut SOUR, but sheâs continued to keep up with this theme with more recent releases like âall-american b*tchâ. Besides from artists that are already producing and releasing pop-rock songs, fan-made rock remixes of pop songs have been around online. Clearly, this shows that thereâs some sort of desire for the pop genre to be more willing to take risks. And if itâs not via pop-rock, it can be present in another way. As was touched on before, edgier, more experimental pop songs were all the rage last year. Even if music doesnât directly follow down a path exactly like last year, thereâs still something to be said about the most popular pop differing from what it was 5 to 10 years ago.
More Fun With Performance
Itâs been said that everythingâs already been done; essentially saying that there are no more ways to start from scratch and be completely original. Surely, though, there are still ways to be inventive and have fun with making art. One of the most whimsical, raw ways Iâve seen this being done is in performance. From shows Iâve attended to videos Iâve seen online, it seems like artists are really giving in to letting their creativity shine on stage. At the Grammys, multiple artists used remixed instrumentations of their biggest hits or played around with an Old Hollywood quality. In my personal concert experience, Iâve seen MUNA send an inflatable horse into the crowd, Waterparks have a caged museum-esque B-stage and Fall Out Boy have had any prop you could think ofâ my personal favorite is the massive lamb from their âInfinity on Highâ album cover. These examples go to show that lots of musicians are having fun bringing all sorts of theatrical or entertaining elements to their performances, and by no means should it stop anytime soon.