After the blockbuster year in music last year, it was always going to be a challenge to follow it up. Although the year was a weird one for new releases, so many gems shone through. From highly anticipated comebacks from beloved icons to breakout years from artists who were bubbling under, 2025 turned out to be one for the books.
Some Honorable Mentions:
“Something Beautiful” by Miley Cyrus
“Addison” by Addison Rae
“Chasing the Chimera” by Del Water Gap
“Double Infinity” by Big Thief
“From the Pyre” by The Last Dinner Party
“Forever is a Feeling” by Lucy Dacus
“Midnight Sun” by Zara Larson
“DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOTos” by Bad Bunny
Five Favorites: “TURiSTA”, “BAILE INoLVIDABLE”, “DtMF”, “LO QUe PASÓ A HAWAII”, “KLOuFRENS“
I think out of every single album this year, I found myself the most connected to this one. “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” was one of the first major releases of the year and it has managed to stay in the conversation for the entire year.
I’ve said so many times throughout the year that this album felt like a homecoming for me. It’s a beautiful tribute to Puerto Rico, community, pride and the feeling of never forgetting where you come from. This album combines traditional salsa with reggaeton with aspects of Puerto Rican Bomba music to create something that sticks with you and reminisces about all of the good times with the people you love. “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” is the defining Bad Bunny album and truly showcases who he is as not only an artist but as a person.
In a year that was in desperate need of joy, this album was there to bring me back to the happy times and remind me to protect and hold onto those memories and the beauty of the place they came from. 2025 was the year of Bad Bunny. With his tour, “No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí” residency in Puerto Rico and upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Performance, he’s sure to continue that streak into 2026 as well.
“Lux” by Rosalía
Five Favorites: “Divinize”, “La Perla”, “Dios Es Un Stalker”, “Magnolias”, “Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti”
If I could describe Rosalía’s “Lux” in one word, it would be grandiose. This album takes Rosalia in a sonic direction we haven’t seen yet, while also keeping what made her past two projects amazing.
Everything about this is grand and dramatic. What can I even say about the production of this? Each track is like an opera with sprawling strings and gorgeous orchestrations, with each choice feeling deliberate and painting a picture of the complexity of her emotions like an oil painting. Rosalía centers this album around the feeling of divinity, as well as what she describes as “the emotional arc of feminine mystique.” She deals with themes of religion and spirituality while also using this imagery to dissect her own life and experiences. This project was incredibly ambitious, not only in its classical music-inspired production but in its presentation as well, with Rosalía singing in 13 languages throughout the entire album, but ultimately, her risk-taking was absolutely worth it.
Rosalía’s craft and skill when it comes to both classical music and electronic pop are on full display here, leading to one of the most creatively interesting of the year. You can feel her passion for it all over this album ‘‘Lux” truly blew me away, there’s really no other way to put it.
“Ego Death at a Bachelor Party” by Hayley Williams
Five Favorites: “Love Me Different”, “Parachute”, “Glum”, “True Believer”, “Good Ol’ Days”
It came as quite a surprise when, on a random day in July, Hayley Williams dropped 17 tracks on her website with no announcements or build up. Coming off of her last studio album with Paramore, 2023’s ‘This is Why,” as well as her past two solo releases, another solo project from Williams was highly anticipated. She ultimately released all of these tracks as singles, followed by a full-length album in August.
“Ego Death at a Bachelor Party” is a complex look into the life of being a public figure and all of the varied feelings that come with that life. Williams tackles themes of inadequacy, heartbreak, anger and frustration towards the world around her, and her complex feelings towards fame and the ups and downs of being in Paramore. Sonically, this album is a mixed bag, with Hayley embracing the alt-rock sound she’s known for while also embracing more elements of R&B.
It’s honest, a bit melancholic and trying to grapple with the past, present and future despite not being able to find all the answers. “Ego Death at a Bachelor Party” might just be the definitive album of 2025.
“Virgin” by Lorde
Five Favorites: “Favorite Daughter”, “Man of The Year”, “Current Affairs”, “If She Could See Me Now”, “Shapeshifter”
2025 was the year Lorde finally returned and she returned in full force with her album Virgin. In a post “Girl, So Confusing” world, Lorde’s next era became even more highly anticipated, with many people wondering what direction she would go next after her 2021 album, “Solar Power,” an album that had a mixed reception from critics but high acclaim from me.
“Virgin” was a brand new direction for Lorde, with her taking aspects of “Melodrama” and “Solar Power” but adding a new electronic edge to them. I really loved how the dance and electronic influences work in tandem with Lorde’s lyrical themes of reflection and melancholy, with many of her songs revolving around her observances of her own life and the world around her.
On “Virgin” she tackles themes such as generational trauma, navigating identity and self-discovery in your 20s. Lorde is able to translate this into dark, moody synth pop with the inclusion of those electronic flourishes. “Virgin” is a record that resonated with me in this chapter of my life as well as marked the next chapter of Lorde’s evolution as an artist.
“Essex Honey” by Blood Orange
Five Favorites: “Vivid Light”, “Countryside”, “The Train (King’s Cross)”, “Thinking Clean”, “Scared of It”
Dev Hynes, better known as Blood Orange, is one of the most prolific producers in pop and R&B, as his signature groovy beats and electronic reinvention of 70s and 80s R&B have gone on to become his specialty. But on “Essex Honey,” he turns down the production and creates a more mellow sound reflective of the general melancholy and nostalgia of this album.
“Essex Honey” is him grappling with grief, loss and his childhood growing up in England. Although this album is much more of a departure sonically, it’s still reflective of his musical identity, although it’s more stripped back here. This album captures nostalgia in such a beautiful way as well as capturing what it means to mourn the past and carry it forward.
“Choke Enough” by Oklou
Five Favorites: “blade bird”, “ict”, “take me by the hand”, “harvest sky”, “viscous” with FKA twigs
I wasn’t very familiar with Oklou’s music at the beginning of the year, but by the end of the year, I was absolutely entranced by “Choke Enough.” This album is full of what I can only describe as moody and melodic dream pop. There’s something almost fantastical about this album. I felt like I was in a trance when listening to it in full. If I had to pick an aspect I enjoy the most, it’s the ambience of it.
There is such a calming quality about this album. I found myself gravitating towards it the most on late nights. I really enjoy the moodiness of this record, as it takes a more downbeat direction with its EDM influences in order to create a darker ambience to match the themes of the lyrics.
Oklou grapples with perception, the passage of time, escapism and the impact of these things when it comes to relationships. “Choke Enough” feels like floating in a dream even in its dark and introspective moments. It’s beautifully weird and I love it.
“Man’s Best Friend” by Sabrina Carpenter
Five Favorites: “My Man on Willpower”, “Nobody’s Son”, “Never Getting Laid”, “Don’t Worry I’ll Make You Worry”, “Goodbye”
Sabrina Carpenter ended 2024 on top of the world with her Short n’ Sweet era, so it took everyone by surprise when she released a new single, “Manchild” followed by the announcement of her next album, “Man’s Best Friend” shortly after.
“Man’s Best Friend” is a bit of a sonic departure from her last album, as she takes a sharp turn into a ‘60s, ‘70s and even a bit of ‘80s influenced sound, something that appealed to my particular music tastes. On this record, Carpenter takes inspiration from artists like ABBA, Donna Summer and Dolly Parton but infuses it with her own signature charm and kitschy sense of humor.
“Man’s Best Friend” tackles themes of heartbreak, infatuation and the trials and tribulations of falling in love in your 20s and finding humor in it. Carpenter raises the camp on this album and becomes even more theatrical in her delivery and lyrics. Although this album wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it certainly was mine. By the end of the year, I had every single song from this album stuck in my head. She truly crafted a pop album that continues the legacy of fun pop, because we definitely needed it this year. As I said last year, Carpenter truly solidified herself as the pop girl to watch of her generation and I love that she’s doing it her way.
“The Art of Loving” by Olivia Dean
Five Favorites: “So Easy (To Fall In Love)”, “Let Alone The One You Love”, “Baby Steps”, “A Couple Minutes”, “I’ve Seen It”
Thank goodness that 2025 was the year that everyone else caught up to Olivia Dean, because I’ve been here for a while. Her debut album, “Messy,” lays the groundwork for the R&B pop-soul sound but on her sophomore album “The Art of Loving” encapsulates love and at its purest form in all of its forms.
Taking clear inspirations from soul music of Motown and jazz music, Dean crafts a perfect tribute to wanting to have that storybook kind of love while also seeing the reality of it for what it is, something that really spoke to me. She’s both optimistic and hopeless, but ultimately comes out on the other side still hopeful for love. She conveys this in such a beautiful way, setting it to the style of music that I most associate with romance. I can see “The Art of Loving” soundtracking many Sunday cleaning days and long spring walks to come. This album is such a beautiful reminder that love is indeed everywhere in every aspect of life, romantic and platonic, something the world desperately needs in a year like this.
“Mayhem” by Lady Gaga
Five Favorites: “Garden of Eden”, “Killah”, “Zombieboy”, “Perfect Celebrity”, “Vanish Into You”
Although Lady Gaga has continued to be one of the most iconic women in pop, many of us wondered if she would return to the theatrical pop that defined her early career. Although she released music after this era and transitioned into a successful film career, many of her fans hoped to see her return to her recession pop, like on albums such as “The Fame”, “Artpop” and “Born This Way”, especially considering the influence this sound had on so many new artists in the past couple of years. The people yearned for the return of Mother Monster, and she came back in full force.
“Mayhem” is Gaga returning to the dark pop that defined her career, while also taking on an 80s-inspired dance and rock sound. Each track is so over the top and bombastic, but also feels diverse in its presentation of pop. This album signals an evolution for Gaga, as it shows her grappling with her own identity as an artist and her growth as a person. On Mayhem, she is both Lady Gaga and Stephanie Germanotta. The pop icon and the person. “Mayhem” feels like a return to form for one of the most iconic women alive while signaling her new direction. Now this is pop music!
“That’s Showbiz Baby!” by JADE
Five Favorites: “Midnight Cowboy”, “Before You Break My Heart”, “Glitch”, “Self Saboteur”, “Plastic Box”
After being a part of Little Mix for almost a decade, Jade Thirlwall finally made her solo debut this year with her album “That’s Showbiz Baby!” “That’s Showbiz Baby!” is a journey through the epic highs and lows of being a woman in music and the push and pull of finding her own identity after going solo.
As someone who knew firsthand the constraints of fame from her time from being in a girl group since her late teens, she grapples with those complex emotions while also discovering her own freedom and seeing how that impacts her and her relationships. The production on this album is a major standout as well, mixing UK pop with some electronic elements and turning these elements on their head to show the chaos of her experiences. This album is able to transition from clean-cut electronic pop to trashier sounds in an instant without any of it feeling out of place.
After “That’s Showbiz Baby!” I truly cannot wait to see where JADE goes next. She’s laid the groundwork for her breakout moment and I’m eager to see where her next era takes her.
“Eusexua” + “Eusexua Afterglow” by FKA Twigs
Five Favorites: “Girl Feels Good”, “Striptease”, “Sticky”, “Childlike Things”, “Perfect Stranger”
Also: “Sushi” and “Stereo Boy”
FKA Twigs is an artist who just knows how to create a cohesive sonic universe for each of her projects and her album, “Eusexua”, and its sister album, “Eusexua Afterglow”, is no different. On “Eusexua”, she combines the melodic, orchestral electronic pop from LP1 and Magdalene with the fun and playfulness of her Caprisongs mixtape to create this masterpiece of an album.
“Eusexua” sees Twigs taking sonic inspiration from the music of Bjork as well as Madonna’s “Ray of Light”, both projects that redefined the electronic music of their time. Each track has a lush orchestral synth quality to it that matches her melodic vocals on both the poppier and more downbeat tracks. Twigs created a dance pop album that gets to the center of movement and connection, but these themes are shown sonically through atmospheric production that allows each track to feel lived in. FKA Twigs managed to create an album that is equal parts for the clubs and for the introspective late-night walks.
“Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You” by Ethel Cain
Five Favorites: “Waco, Texas”, “Tempest”, “Dust Bowl”, “Janie”, “Nettles”
Ethel Cain’s “Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You” is another stunning chapter in the story of the character of Cain. Cain is one of the most interesting storytellers in music, simply based on her use of atmosphere in her music. To me, her music is much more on par with film scores than alternative music because her albums feel like feature-length films, with some of the songs going on for more than 10 minutes on a few tracks. Although “Willoughby Tucker” is the spiritual successor to her 2022 album, “Preacher’s Daughter,” its presentation is much less refined and goes much darker in its themes and production.
This record goes deeper into the Southern Gothic imagery in its presentation sonically and lyrically. Cain went in a much more ambient direction for this album in order to showcase the darker side of this twisted love story. It’s somewhat hazy and at times unsettling, but it all feels intentional. Although this seems to be the ending to this story in the Cain universe, she truly ended it in an amazing way.
“DON’T TAP THE GLASS” by Tyler, The Creator
Five Favorites: “Sucka Free”, “Sugar on My Tongue”,” Don’t You Worry Baby”, “I’ll Take Care of You”, “Don’t Tap The Glass/Tweakin”
After releasing one of his most ambitious projects to date, “Chromakopia”, I was definitely surprised to see another Tyler, The Creator album announcement only nine months later.
“Don’t Tap The Glass” is an ode to movement and this album definitely lives up to the mission. This was the quintessential summer dance album. Tyler returns to his carefree, party spirit from albums like “Call Me If You Get Lost” and “Flower Boy”, but takes on a much groovier sound, with many of this album’s elements taking inspiration from early hip-hop, R&B and bounce music of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s.
On this album, Tyler is bombastic and confident as he serves as the ringleader of the good times ahead. The production calls back to the sound of prime Neptunes, while still showing off Tyler’s personality and weird sense of humor throughout all of the tracks. When I first hit play on this album, I could not sit still at all. “Don’t Tap The Glass” was an album that authentically captured the simple joys of dance and community, especially in a time when it was truly needed.
“Fancy That!” + “Fancy Some More?” by PinkPantheress
Five Favorites: “Girl Like Me”, “Stars”, “Stateside”, “Romeo”, “Stateside Remix” with Zara Larsson
Also: and Nice To Know You with Sugababes
In a time where it feels like everyone is trying to get their own interpretation of Y2K and 2000s pop music, PinkPantheress is one of the few artists who is truly excelling at it. On her mixtape, “Fancy That” and its accompanying remix album “Fancy Some More?” PinkPantheress combines fun, style and whimsy to create a 2000s dance pop dream.
On this mixtape, she steps away from the moodier bedroom pop of her last two projects and embraces the upbeat sounds of UK Garage and Dance music. The production on this album is pure magic, as it captures the bright and quirky personality of PinkPantheress as well as delivering some of the best beats of the year. This album doesn’t just feel like a tribute to the 2000s; it feels like a time capsule straight from the era. I can already see this record becoming a staple at parties and raves for many years to come.
PinkPantheress has found her niche and refined it in a way that is unique to her. She just knows how to embrace the sounds of the past, while creating her own unique style and doing it her way.
2025 was certainly a weird one for the world and for pop culture, but I think in terms of music, there are certainly many high points despite it all. So many artists, old and new, really came into their own this year and delivered projects that I think will stand the test of time.