50/25: my top 50 songs released in 2025
Many can attest to my talking several ears off about how good a year for music 2025 has been. So I thought it'd make sense to share some of my favourites on the old blog, which has laid dormant for over a year (and likely won't see any more activity for the foreseeable, what with the immediacy of the things I actually have to do as opposed to the things I do for fun which only delay the completion of said work I actually have to do like this, but we won't talk about that!)
You may be wondering what's up with the photo I've chosen to include in this post. Short answer, I needed a thumbnail. Longer response: I snapped it on my phone a few months ago, upon noticing the point at which the colour of the sky changed from blue to grey, or vice versa. In terms of quality, it's just alright, but I really like how pronounced both colours are on either side in comparison to the more ambiguous space in the middle. Something something life's unpredictability insert intelligent observation here
Anyway! I hope you enjoy, if not all, then at least some of the tunes I've compiled here. I should add that, despite this being a list of my 50 favourite songs of the year, I also recommend every album that they've been taken from (if they've been taken from an album at all), but I would never have had the time or patience to give my thoughts on 50 records, no sir. Just focusing on songs has made it feasible for me to provide the fairly brief write-ups below; it also gave me the chance to feature the songs I liked that were released either as standalone singles or as part of albums that are, as yet, unreleased.
Here's to a year of marvellous music ✫
50. Look What You've Done To Me - Sunflower Bean
To kick us off, a number from Sunflower Bean's latest record 'Mortal Primetime,' whose singles 'Champagne Taste' and 'Nothing Romantic' are definitely worth a listen if you like a bit of classic rock. My pick for this list was always going to be 'Look What You've Done To Me,' though, for this was the only track on the record that really took me aback - in particular, Julia Cumming's incensed vocal performance. A particular favourite aspect about that particular aspect of the song is the way in which she sings the titular refrain - it's captivating. Seeing them play YES in about a week's time, anyway, so I'll be looking forward to hearing this cut (as well as, hopefully, songs from last year's 'Shake' EP, which rocked) when the time comes!
49. Book of Daniel - Danny Brown & Quadeca
Danny Brown, man. What a legend. It's been so wholesome to see such a stalwart of alternative music openly express such enthusiasm about up-and-coming, boundary-pushing artists, many of whom themselves feature on 'Stardust,' his latest album (and most of whom appear elsewhere on this list). One such artist is Quadeca, who Brown has stated helped renew the beauty of music for him in the last year or two. It makes sense, then, for a collaboration between the two to open this album: 'Book of Daniel,' beginning with a clean, funk-tinged guitar riff, sees Brown rap what is essentially the thesis of 'Stardust' - that, even though it may often seem impossible, you can get through the bad times. An elated instrumental breakdown follows - Quadeca's awe-inspiring aptitude for dynamics shining through here - and, at this point in the song, one can't help from feeling a touch elated, too. A truly lovely song. (Also shoutout the underscores-featuring bangers 'Copycat' and 'Baby' - they're too good not to mention.)
48. Psychowar - Machine Girl
Right...how to put the sound of Machine Girl into words. Hm. I suppose the artwork that accompanies 'Psychowar: MG ULTRA X' can assist me here: it - the art and Machine Girl's music - conveys a vision of a dystopia in which all that we would associate with science-fiction is simply the norm. How distinct, exactly, this vision is from our world at present, in which we've been witnessing the rapid advancement of AI and ever-heightening tensions on the global stage in real time, is no doubt a question Machine Girl intends for us to mull over with regard to their art. That said, it can be challenging to formulate thoughts at all while their hallmark barrage of blitzing breakcore batters your eardrums. Doesn't hurt to try, though! (You see, what I've done here is I've rather deftly avoided actually articulating the music that Machine Girl makes - give 'Psychowar' a listen and I think you'll empathise with me on this one.)
47. Fame is a Gun - Addison Rae
I remember hearing this song played at Brewers the last time I was there (a few months ago now), which at the time brought a great deal of pleasure to a considerably sloshed Han. 'Fame is a Gun' just rips, from the spacy synth arpeggio of the opening to Addison's sensual vocals to that chorus which you just know was engineered to be strutted to. This track and her debut album as a whole are really impressive, both indicating towards another 2020s pop star in the making.
46. 3 - Dean Blunt & Elias Rønnenfelt
Gripping, surprising, hypnotic - what else would you expect from a track Dean Blunt has had a hand in creating? From his February EP 'lucre,' a collaboration with Denmark's Elias Rønnenfelt (who himself released a great record this year), '3' is psychedelic in one instant, grungy in the next, yet retains its punchiness throughout. In short: not a song to be slept on.
45. Beekeeping - Dutch Interior
This track, by LA six-piece Dutch Interior, is one of the few that I almost forgot about solely because of how early in the year it came out. The last song on third record 'Moneyball,' released in March, 'Beekeeping' is a plaintive number whose lush, musically minimal foundation soon blossoms into a sweeping and cinematic soundscape; silken strings rising and falling in tandem with an echoing synth line that, to my ears, evokes the image of falling rain. Also worth mentioning are the beautiful vocal performance of whichever band members sings here - the role of vocalist is more dispersed in Dutch Interior - and the wonderfully abrupt way the song, and by extension the album, concludes.
44. Human - jackzebra, Glasear & James Ferraro
Love the odd collaboration between two artists you never would've put together but who, together, create a fire track. I'm talking about James Ferraro and jackzebra, the former a veteran of avant-garde music in the digital age and the latter a young, underground Chinese rapper on the up (though shoutout Glasear, who also had a part in the production of 'Human'). The result is haunting - not exactly a surprise given Ferraro is featured - with a reverb-heavy synth instrumental serving as a unique backdrop for jackzebra's usual melange of autotune and trap. It's only a brief song, one minute and fifty two seconds total, but it certainly leave an impression.
43. Be Your Best - Fleshwater
Speaking of surprises, 'Be Your Best,' the fifth song on Fleshwater's second record, '2000: In Search Of The Endless Sky,' is quite the left field-composition for the group. Though I could be wrong - I'm not familiar with all of their material - this might be the first time they've used a drum machine as opposed to a live kit on one of their songs. Regardless, it works perfectly here, a sound reminiscent of Akira Yamaoka's Silent Hill 3 soundtrack created through the combination of the venomous guitar riff and that brooding drum beat. There are lots of nice details to note about this track: the way the programmed drums are swapped for live drums and then back again nearer to the end; the tambourine hits and the choir of children in the song's latter half, both of which contribute to a feeling of perturbation; Marisa Shirar's stellar singing, etc. I also love the contrast between the slow tempo of 'Be Your Best' and the high-intensity beginning of the song that follows, 'Jerome Town'.
42. BIGGY BAP - Skrillex & Wuki
Skrillex's April mixtape, 'FUCK U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT,' rocks. With it being a mixtape, I'd recommend you listen to it in full, as each song tends to lead into the next (to incredible effect), but, given this is a list of my top songs of the year, I've chosen my personal favourite of the lot, 'BIGGY BAP'. Though it may not reflect the variety of genres featured on 'FUCK U SKRILLEX...', this track places a spotlight on how silly Skrillex has allowed himself and his many featured artists to be on this mixtape. To give you a bit of an idea, one of the first radio-DJ-style ad-libs here goes, 'I HAVE SKRILLEX TRAPPED IN MY BASEMENT - PLAY THIS AT FULL VOLUME OR I'LL PUT HIM IN THE HOLE.' Furthermore, see the part where the first beat drop is 'seized by Atlantic Records' and replaced with silence (with a crickets sound effect to boot). It's funny just by itself, but heard in the context of what is a really high-quality collection of EDM tunes, it's hysterical.
41. Chains & Whips - Clipse, Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams
Oh yeah. Nearly 20 years since the release of their debut, 'Hell Hath No Fury,' Clipse - brothers Pusha T and Malice - returned in July with 'Let God Sort 'Em Out,' which, if the Grammy noms are anything to go by, has enjoyed a pretty vociferous reception. This was another of the albums that I only tapped into recently, having intended to check it out since it dropped, and I'm glad I did, or else this list would've had a criminal omission. I've gone for the Kendrick-featuring 'Chains & Whips,' though 'So Be It' with its mesmerising instrumental was a close second, because a) that scene-before-the-shootout bass line, hot damn, b) some of these bars (e.g. 'we all in the room but here's the elephant/you chasing a feature out of your element' and 'I will close your Heaven for the Hell of it' from Pusha, directed at long-time Clipse op Jim Jones) and c) Kendrick - he elevates any song he appears on. He also shares my birthday so you know I've got to support a fellow 17th Juner. A fire tune.
40. Pitchforks & Halos - billy woods & Kenny Segal
A hip-hop album I did actually tap into when it came out, billy woods' ninth solo offering 'GOLLIWOG' is a cutting and frequently unsettling collection of songs that reflect upon the many unsettling aspects of America today - poverty, racism, the constant encouragement of said racism by the country's President - and the world more generally (the track 'Corinthians,' featuring RTJ's EL-P and Despot, makes particular reference to the genocide in Gaza). 'Pitchforks & Halos,' on which production has been provided by long-time woods collaborator Kenny Segal, is so foreboding; the pulsing, hollow percussion evocative of the ticking away of a clock, or perhaps a bomb, and the bit-crushed, discordant piano sounding as if it's been ripped straight from a mid-20th century horror film. The fact that woods raps about time on this track - specifically, time having run out, an idea that could refer to myriad things but which is, in any case, laced with despair - only reinforces the sense of imminent doom conjured by the instrumental that animates his words.
39. But I do - Smerz
Though I do ascribe the title of 'sexiest bass line of 2025' to a song that appears later on in this list, Norweigan duo Smerz's 'But I do' is definitely a contender for sexiest song, full stop, of the year (I say 'contender' as some of the tracks on Erika de Casier's record 'Lifetime,' well...they make for fierce competition). Swaggering percussion swiftly overlays the shuddering radar-like noise that opens the track, a mysterious musical foundation whose discomfiting quality is heightened further by the introduction of Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt's unassuming vocals. It's only when that plodding, playful bassline enters the fray that our initial unease is exchanged for a feeling that is more conducive to dancing. For me, anyway, this is one of those songs I can't help myself from nodding along or swaying to whenever I hear it.
38. Ultraviolet - Lucy Bedroque & prettifun
Every year, there are a handful of musicians, bands, composers etc. whose respective sounds exert such a strong pull on me that I feel compelled to excavate their entire discography. Though I probably haven't heard all of what Lucy Bedroque's got out there in terms of archival stuff, I've heard close to all of his released material, and when he put 'Unmusique' out in May, I was right there. On this record, Lucy - who I just now discovered is one month older than me, hahahaha, that's not crazy to me at all - hones his effervescent style, which combines heavy sub bass and rap doused in autotune with fairytale-like instrumentals largely inspired by the brand of electronic J-Pop that Yasutaka Nakata pioneered in the 00s and 2010s. I love several tracks on 'Unmusique,' namely 'G6 Anthem,' 'Made In Italy' and 'Ouija,' but 'Ultraviolet,' a kaleidoscopic song that offers bursts of bass in abundance and seamless flows courtesy of Lucy and prettifun, is my selection for this list.
37. Dumpster fire - kmoe
I'm realising now that the beginning of 'Dumpster fire' by kmoe is pretty similar to that of 'Book of Daniel' from earlier, what with their both having clean electric guitar playing some jazz-inflected chords. That said, the similarities between the two end there as, after about 10 seconds, an explosion brought about by thundering drums and the activation of a distortion pedal sends this track into a whole other dimension. "If it's the thought that counts, it never counted enough/you left me in the dust and now I'm coughing it up," kmoe - real name Kale Itkonen - laments, his imagery as potent as the music it accompanies. Other 'K1' cuts like 'Head first,' 'Thousand yard stare' and 'Bloodbath (Dance)' are well-worth a listen, but this one's the best of the bunch.
36. Girl Like Me - PinkPantheress & Oklou
So many of the songs Pinkpantheress released this year could have been in this spot - 'Tonight,' 'Illegal' and 'Noises' are absolute bangers - but, after checking out her 'Fancy That' remix album, aptly titled 'Fancy Some More?' I came across this downtempo reimagining of 'Girl Like Me' and was hooked. For one, whoever instigated this collaboration deserves an award: compared to some of the other features on here (i.e. Kylie, Zara Larsson), Oklou is pretty niche, having only recently garnered considerable attention for her album 'choke enough'. That said, this slow, RnB flip of 'Girl Like Me' perfectly matches her mellow, introspective brand of pop, and she and Pink sound great together. Oh, yeah, and this definitely comes in 2nd place in the 'sexiest bassline of 2025' competition - to find out who the winner is, you'll have to read on...
35. Believe - venturing
I contemplated, just then, concealing the name by which this artist is more commonly known, but nah - Jane Remover occupies another spot in this list, so you may as well know that they're in here twice. In February, under their 'venturing' alias, they released 'Ghostholding,' a collection of 13 spellbinding songs. Some lean more heavily into alt-rock, others err on the side of indie-pop - I mean, this is a Jane Remover record in all but name, so an eclectic range of genres is nothing out of the ordinary for them. My favourite of the lot is 'Believe,' and has been from the moment I heard the snippet of it they posted on their Instagram story prior to the album's release. There's just something about the guitar riff, and Jane's vocal melody atop it, the distortion of the guitar in the chorus, the refrain of "baby, believe in me" and the intensity with which they deliver it...it's just a fantastic song. As you'll have gathered, there's a track they released under Jane Remover that I've placed higher than this one in the list, but believe me (LOL), this one rocks.
34. Secret Knock - Aesop Rock
"Walk with me!" Then, bone-rattling bass. I've left out the spoken sample that precedes these two things, and the cool synth arpeggio, but this is basically how the song begins, and what a song 'Secret Knock' is. The opener to veteran rapper Aesop Rock's album 'Black Hole Superette,' 'Secret Knock' boasts two particularly noteworthy features: a killer bass line, and Aesop Rock. This man has kooky lyrics coming out of his ears. Who else would be able to pen the charming 'Snail Zero,' a track about the appearance and multiplication of snails in his fish tank that is both humourous and touching given how ordinary the subject matter is? Be sure to check that one out, but as we're meant to be focusing on 'Secret Knock,' here's an image Rock presents within it: "passersby upsetting every active rat that's aptly trying to drag his Laffy Taffy through some traffic jam." Peak.
33. Vida En Terranova - Hesse Kassel
After having had their name written down on a post-it note I had pinned to the corkboard above my desk for months on end, just the other day, I finally got around to checking out Chilean rockers Hesse Kassel's 'La Brea.' My take? A very cool record that I would have loved had it come out in 2021, when I had Black Country, New Road's 'For The First Time' and other Windmill scene projects playing on a loop. Though it's been a minute since I checked out a post-punk album, I did enjoy a lot of the songs here, my favourite being 'Vida En Terranova'. It's a spiralling track, with myriad switch-ups both instrumentally and dynamically, and I particularly enjoyed the progression beginning at 0:46 that brings a lot of second-wave emo to mind.
32. always be my man - the booyah! kids
Over the last 12 months, the booyah! kids, an NYC trio comprised of Emma Lee, Julian Kaufman (both of whom are also members of the brilliant MICHELLE) and Aidan Ludlam, have put out some near pristine and, as yet, criminally underrated pop tunes. February saw the release of their 'Kids' EP - my favourite from that project being 'Classroom,' a fluorescent cut - and, since then, they've shared new tracks every few months. Though August's 'Movie Star' is also great, I adore 'always be my man,' a bittersweet love song in 12/8 time that the group released in June. The very 80s synth line that leads us into the first verse sounds, to my ears, like the music equivalent of rays of sunlight hitting your face; perhaps that just tells you how often I listened to this song in summer. That said, if ever the drab weather we've witnessed in recent weeks brings you down, maybe stick on 'always be my man' (in lieu of the sun's rays).
31. Glasswork - gabby start
I described the previous group's output from this year as underrated and, though it pains me to say so, the same applies to gabby start's 2025 material. First came a gorgeous album - 'Stem,' released in April, which I've returned to countless times since - followed by an EP in July under his other alias 'knapsack'. In between those, however, came Glasswork, a gabby start single that actually kind of passed me by. I say 'kind of,' as I did listen to it in June (when it came out) but it was only when I heard it again a few months later that it would work its magic on me. The serene keyboard melody we are presented with in the first few seconds doesn't last long; an abrasive electronic instrumental, at the sound of smashed glass, taking hold of the reins instead. Dismissing the fact that I recognised it to be as such a season later, 'Glasswork' is a summertime banger, its bass-heavy ending the point at which gabby sings of a 'full squad at the park drinking box wine.' Doesn't get more summery than that.
30. Clash! - Puzzle
A crisp piano melody introduces us not only to 'Clash!' but to the latest Puzzle album, 'Damage Collection!' which it opens. Fletcher Shears' casual, breathy delivery gives extra weight to his typically pithy lyricism - exemplified here by the one-liner 'can't get clean if you didn't get dirty' - and, as with most of his material as Puzzle, there is a distinctive and alluring contrast created in his use of lighter instrumentation, à la airy synths, in some areas of the song and a heavy, bleak synth bass in others. There have been several great releases from the Vada Vada crew this year - 3l3d3p, Enjoy, Slater and Cowgirl Clue's albums are all worth a listen - but this track alongside the rest make 'Damage Collection!' my firm favourite of the bunch.
29. Friendly - Joanne Robertson
The last song I added to my top 50 before I considered it complete was one from Joanne Robertson's September album 'Blurrr,' another of the records I've only just got around to hearing. One of the longest songs here, at just over 7 minutes, 'Friendly' is a meditative, folky number whose lyrics are just vague enough for me to question whether it is, simply, an ode to a friend (though it reads as one on the surface). Robertson's use of reverb on this track and across the album is very Grouper, and who can resist a bit of ambient, ghostly folk, especially now that winter is upon us? A delightful track from a highly recommend record.
28. Prague - EsDeeKid
This is such a sick song. From Scouse sensation EsDeeKid's 'Rebel' LP, 'Prague' - and can we just acknowledge how great 'Prague' sounds when spoken in his accent - is a bragadocious banger on which the rapper flexes a 'whole fit full of seventies Westwood' (jealous) and a 'boot full of fast cash that I'm earning' over a triumphant, booming beat. And he has every right to flex: 'Rebel,' also his debut record, was Spotify's most-streamed hip-hop album in the world as of the end of November. While this blog may be inextricably allied to another part of the North West, I'd be lying if I said it hasn't been cool as hell to see the Liverpudlian gain such traction across the world. 2025 has indisputably been a definitive year for Es, but methinks 2026 may well end up being even better.
27. The Dream - Emily Yacina
Emily Yacina is a wonderful musician. In spite of sharing a song with long-time collaborator and fellow Philly musician Alex G that has garnered well over 100 million streams (Tiktok moment), I would also describe her as an underrated one, at least where her solo material is concerned. Her first album since 2019's 'Remember The Silver,' 'Veilfall' came out in September and constituted a decent chunk of the music I consumed this autumn. Tracks like 'The Clearing,' 'Holy For A Moment' and 'Battle' came close to occupying this spot on the list, but I just can't deny the rush of emotion I felt upon hearing the idiosyncratic drum beat of 'The Dream' for the first time. Yacina's lyricism here is as poignant and powerful as ever: 'I see visions of you and me, running far far away (...) I still think that we could be great' are wholesome lines but, in the context of the song's title, they are refracted into desperate conceptions of a likely inaccessible and impossible future. This, along with the strings and her voice and everything else, makes 'The Dream' an utterly stunning piece of music.
26. until we meet again - KeiyaA
KeiyaA's 'hooke's law' is another of this year's records that I was only put onto recently, actually through a tweet from Amaarae (who also features in this list) who called it 'AOTY'. It is a brilliant second record from Chakeiya Richmond, on which she refines her idiosyncratic approach to RnB and soul, and out of its 17 tracks, album closer 'until we meet again' captivated me the most. As with the Dean Blunt/Elias Rønnenfelt cut from earlier in the list, 'until we meet again' provides a hell of a dopamine hit in the form of its mid-song beat switch, wherein frantic hi-hats and Richmond's quickfire delivery are swapped for layers of vocal harmonies and the funkiest of drum beats. I also love the repetition of the lyric 'I can start again' at the end, which sees Richmond round off the track (and the album, on which grief is a central theme) with a hopeful tone.
25. HANK J. - Ptite Soeur, neophron & FEMTOGO
Doesn't that album cover just rock? It's that of 'PRETTY DOLLCORPSE,' a collaborative record by boundary-pushing French rappers Ptite Soeur and FEMTOGO with production provided by neophron, on which the flows are awesome and the beats as unsettling as its artwork. As for the track I've chosen from it, 'HANK J.,' I love both rappers' delivery and interplay and the low, foreboding bass that accomanies them. I wish I could comment more on the content of their lyrics - I've been learning French for donkeys now - but it's hard to follow everyday conversations, let alone verses rapped a notably fast pace, so I'll give myself a pass here (though I will probably return to this album and translate the lyrics when I have the time to do nerdy shit like that...which isn't to say I have the time to spare for nerdy shit like this, but shh). Anyway, trust me, this project will captivate you for as long as you have it on, and long afterwards.
24. Fuck My Computer - Ninajirachi
Ninajirachi, helping to fly the flag of today's EDM (and also that of Australia) in this list, put out 'I Love My Computer' in August to much deserved fanfare. It's as good an album as its first single, 'Fuck My Computer,' suggested it'd be; that is to say, it eats. This track chucks you straight into a vortex of hardware and pixels and all that jazz with a blaring, glitchy instrumental that quietens in the verses, wherein Ninajirachi explains her desire to peform the action entailed in the title - 'cause no one in the world knows me better.' Fair enough. Best heard on full blast.
23. GODSTAINED - Quadeca
As prophesied, Quadeca reappears in this list, this time on behalf of the lead single of his July album, 'Vanisher, Horizon Scraper'. I was properly impressed when I first heard 'GODSTAINED,' a sprawling and ornate composition that brings some of Tyler, The Creator's work to mind. Quad's voice is lovely as ever, his many harmonies soaring over the track's largely acoustic instrumentation encompassing maracas, bongos, guitars and more; all of which contribute to its warm and vibrant atmosphere. A sumptuous song largely indebted to South American music.
22. Wound Up Here (By Holdin On) - Wednesday
Karly Hartzman and co have done it again. The sheer confidence and charm of 'Elderberry Wine,' the first single Wednesday put out in promotion of their sixth album 'Bleeds,' released in September, was enough of an indication that this was the case. What really hit the point home for me, though, was the song to succeed it, 'Wound Up Here (By Holdin On),' whose progression makes it one of those tunes that you can just return to again and again. The song concerns itself with a man who drowned himself in a bayou, to be found by a friend of Hartzman's a few days later. The Wednesday singer's skill when it comes to writing lyrics is evidenced in how she enlivens what is a second-hand story: 'they hung his dirty jersey up in a trophy case/next to his girlfriend in a picture with a varsity face,' reads one very Hartzman line. From the heavy, plunging guitar riff that opens it (and which resurfaces later on) to the closing crescendo - I love the way Karly yells the chorus at the end - this is one raucous rock song.
21. Vacillator - Ethel Cain
Just about beating Joanne Robertson's entry from earlier to the title of 'longest track on the list,' Ethel Cain's 'Vacillator' is also a likely candidate for the 'sexiest song of the year' competition. Maybe less likely when placed in the context of Hayden Anhedönia's discography and the types of themes explored within it, but regardless, the result of pairing that slow, weighty drum beat and low, muted bass line with her angelic voice is a song that is inevitably and undeniably hot. Again, an Ethel Cain composition is never so straight-forward - the final refrain, 'if you love me, keep it to yourself,' reiterates this fact - yet, and I'm just talking musically here, 'Vacillator' rivals 'Gibson Girl' in its success in making one particular, primitive feeling so palpable. Lock in for this one.
20. S.M.O. - Amaarae
Dumm dummmmm dum dummmm dum dum dummmmm. There's a bass line that has not left my brain since I heard it a few weeks ago. From Ghanian-American musician Amaarae, 'S.M.O.' - the best song on her August LP 'Black Star,' in my opinion - is just made to be played in a seedy underground club. That said, where exactly it is heard doesn't really matter, as the triad of that bass, the off-kilter drum beat and Amaarae's distinctively high vocals transport the listener to such a space. I feel the need to mention a particular lyric in here, in which the girl she's singing about 'tastes like Lexapro,' which I just thought was fire because what better compliment is there than being compared to an antidepressant? Total tune, to be played if you want to escape from wherever you are in a particular moment, or if you just want a dance.
19. Off to the ESSO - aya
Yeah, the album cover just about reflects aya's sound, I'd say. To elaborate a bit, the Huddersfield musician's album 'hexed!' is raw and uncompromising while also retaining a sense of humour surely attributable, in part, to her northern sensibility. From this album, I deliberated between this song and 'Navel Gazer,' the latter of which begins 'so there I was, hand up my shnoz' - just thought I'd touch on that. Both are high-intensity industrial tracks, but 'Off to the ESSO' is so powerful in that, while it's a banger, it's also a chaotic and sadly realistic reflection of how a night out gone awry can end up being that much more frightening and dangerous when you are, as aya is, a trans woman. I won't even try to comment on her lyricism, because I won't do it justice - she's a poet - so just listen to the song and you'll see what I mean.
18. Afterlife - Alex G
'Afterlife' by Alex G was, without a doubt, my song of the summer. The fact that it came out three days before said season began certainly played a role in my perceiving it as such, but you can't lie to me and say that this song doesn't just scream summer. A steady drum beat greets us at the start, joined swiftly by a jaunty bass line and a mandolin, an instrument you rarely hear used in modern popular music but which Alex utilises to beautiful effect here (and the same goes for the accordion later in the song). These elements, together, evoke feelings of contentment and freedom, as does the chorus, in which Alex sings, 'when the light came, big and bright, I began another life'. Given the track's title, the allusion to concepts of reincarnation and renewal are obvious, but the 'big and bright' light could also be interpreted as the sun, with whose arrival come new opportunities. Okay, I'm just yapping now so, to conclude, I highly recommend Alex G's latest album 'Headlights,' which features one of the best and most summery songs of the year.
17. Delusional - Erika de Casier
I'm going to start by saying that 'Delusional' is not my favourite song on Erika de Casier's tour de force record 'Lifetime' - that would have to be either 'Miss' or 'You Got It!' - but it is the best, in that it's just as enjoyable listened to by itself as when you listen to it within the context of the album (whereas, I find, the ones I listed are less potent when taken from that context). As with every song on this record, 'Delusional' is beyond dreamy: the wispy synth line that opens the track, perfect alongside de Casier's soft delivery. Also, it's only a minor addition to the song, but the slightly bit-crushed neighing horse sound that proliferates 'Delusional' is inspired - it's like a bit of spice added to a meal, not necessary but, when added, it tastes that bit better.
16. Got To Feel - FKA Twigs
It was only a week or so ago that I discovered FKA Twigs had released not only a revised edition of EUSEXUA but a whole other companion album as well. Of course, I devoured these - they're both brilliant - and for this list, out of 'EUSEXUA Afterglow' cut 'SUSHI' and the revised version of EUSEXUA's 'Got To Feel' - well, you can see which one I settled on. I'm obsessed with how psychedelic this song is, with its bouncy percussion, Twigs' mantra-like chanting of the line 'got to feel love,' the palpable influence of Indian music in the strings that rise in anticipation of the brilliant synth-led breakdown at the end. It's masterful, is what it is, but that's Twigs for you - one masterful musician.
15. C.I.A Psyop - Ghais Guevara
You may not have heard of Philly rapper Ghais Guevara - I think I've reached the limit of how many times I can use the word 'underrated' in one blog post, however, it applies here - but listen to his song 'C.I.A Psyop' and you'll agree that he deserves more attention. With a fluidity that sounds effortless, Guevara spits bars over the top of a beat that commands you to get up and move (i.e. dance, or, in the case of the 'you' he addresses in the chorus, back off). There's a lot to be read in his lyrics, but, like aya's a few entries back, I fear I'd just take away from them if I tried explaining them here, so do go and hear them from the source.
14. Nights in Armour - Water From Your Eyes
After hearing the zany first 'It's A Beautiful Place' single, 'Life Signs,' it's hard to imagine that Water From Your Eyes - NYC's irreverent duo of Rachel Brown and Nate Amos - could have possibly bested it. Best it they did, though, via the headbang-inducing 'Nights in Armour'. As with 'Life Signs,' this is a song that surprises and excites, for instance when the intensity of the introduction is stripped back in the verses, only for it to retun even louder; the impact hitting like a tsunami in your ears. See, too, the break after the line 'gold rush,' in which Amos strums a salvo of overdriven chords. Have I just spoiled the very surprises I'm praising this track for, yes, but there's reading about music and then listening to it - you'll find the latter a different (cough more enjoyable) experience.
13. Cool Hand - Derya Yildirim & Grup Şimşek
I have to shout out Andrew from Silent Radio, a website that has given me another means of banging on about new albums and recent gigs and so on, who put me on to this album, 'Yarin Yoksa' by German-Turkish musician Derya Yildirim and her band Grup Şimşek, around March time. It's a spellbinding record from start to finish, though 'Cool Hand' was the standout song for me as soon as I heard it. Yildirim's vocal performance here is just magical; like a virtuosic instrumentalist, she wields such control over it so as to jump from a breathy whisper to a chesty wail in an instant. I love the instrumentation that forms the soundscape of 'Cool Hand,' in particular the soulful organ, Yildirim's balgama and the very 60s keyboard near the end. If Alex G's 'Afterlife' was my song of the summer, this was the runner-up for sure.
12. Zig Zag - By Storm
I'm conscious of my own desire to do justice to the music of By Storm - RiTchie and Parker Corey who, alongside the late, great Stepa J. Groggs, made up Injury Reserve - and, for me, that means letting it speak for itself. I won't say much, then, other than that 'Zig Zag,' the duo's first release since their breath-taking 2023 track 'Double Trio,' is just as impressive and emotive. It's one of my favourite song progressions to come out of 2025, in which RiTchie murmurs atop Corey's intentionally disjointed guitar and drum loops, before something changes, and suddenly RiTchie is rapping with fervour, desperation, and a heavy bass threatens the musical structure the duo have spent the past few minutes building. Give it a listen, watch the video and check out the rest of the By Storm/Injury Reserve discography - it really is fantastic.
11. 100 Horses - Geese
I mean, it wouldn't be a 2025 list if I left out a number from Geese's 'Getting Killed,' would it? Nevermind that, it'd be criminal, for their latest album is criminally good. Though 'Trinidad' was perhaps the single with which I felt the strongest sense of 'love at first listen' - and there's another sexy song, if you just focus on the groovy instrumental and not the lyrics about bombs in cars and wives in the shed and so on - it's '100 Horses' that I think most deserves a spot on this list. Dare I make another sweeping statement (as I am more inclined to do when I've been writing for hours) and suggest that this is the best rock song of the year? I daresay. Cameron Winter's drawled delivery of the kind of eccentric lyricism we've come to expect from him atop an explosive instrumental courtesy of guitarist Emily Green, Dominic Digesu on bass and Max Bassin on drums, with added cowbell and layered vocals - yeah, that sounds like a recipe for best rock song of the year to me. One thing's for certain: autumn 2025 belongs to Geese.
10. Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party - Hayley Williams
I know, who really cares about the Grammys in 2025, but if Hayley doesn't win in any of the categories she's been nominated for off the back of 'Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party,' I will riot. Something I'm still in awe at, around two months since the album's release, is how every song on it is fantastic; every one, and there's 20 of them. Again, this made choosing one for the list difficult - 'Dream Girl In Shibuya,' 'Parachute' and 'Good 'Ol Days' came close - but I'm afraid it had to be the title track. I adore the plaintive piano in the intro, Williams' changing imagery of being 'the biggest star in this racist country singer's/bachelorette party/fucking karaoke bar,' the funky instrumental and, in particular, the lush harmony created by the acoustic guitar strums in the verses. Had to include that last bit. To close, this is a wonderful song that shares the title of a wonderful album that you should absolutely experience for yourself if you haven't already.
9. Sister - Frost Children
This was another instance of which-song-do-I-pick-from-this-album-they're-all-so-fucking-good, but I settled on 'Sister,' the most emotional song on 'SISTER,' a record that Frost Children characterise as 'Emotional Dance Music' (a nice spin on EDM). The duo - Angel and Lulu Prost - sing to each other about their bond which, though perhaps more tested in their childhood, is now stronger than ever; the line 'fuck whatever took you from me' reflecting clearly their closeness at present. I'm obsessed with this song's progression - acoustic guitar and heartfelt lyrics leading into fireworks in audio form - as with other astonishing tracks on this album (check out 'Bound2U,' '2 LØVE' and 'ELECTRIC,' whose Daft Punk Discovery-era synth chords mid-way through are just transcendent). Tap. In.
8. I could - Fine
Released as a standalone single (as far as I'm aware) in April, 'I could' had me instantly entralled. Here, a dangerously intoxicating combination lies in wait: those shuddering stabs of guitar, soon accompanied by - a commendation I've long alluded to in this list - the sexiest bass line the year has witnessed. 2025 also saw Fine, a musician from Copenhagen, put out three other singles, and if you like this one, 'Run' and 'Portal' are must-listen. Whatever she has in store for 2026 will be in my ears the second I get the chance to hear it, that's for damn sure.
7. Spellbound - Himera
I'm recalling the point yesterday at which I was asking myself how to put Machine Girl's music into words, because I'm asking the same question now, only with regard to Himera's sound. How do I articulate this? Like, actually, how. I suppose I should say 'euphoric,' seeing as it was the first word to come to mind when I decided just now to listen to 'Spellbound' for the umpteenth time. From the Latvian musician's latest album, 'Now I Know What Dreams Are Made Of' which dropped only last month, this song goes places; one might say it'll leave you feeling spellbound! Haha i'm sorry it's getting late. Think if the late music legend SOPHIE collaborated with Skrillex - that's 'Spellbound'. Will probably make you start to levitate if you listen on drugs
6. Calypso Gene - Armand Hammer & The Alchemist (feat. Silka & Cleo Reed)
If you thought you'd seen the last of billy woods, well, surprise! 'Mercy,' his album with ELUCID (the two forming the ever-innovating rap duo Armand Hammer) and veteran producer The Alchemist, also came out last month - I like to consider it an early Christmas present - and with it, some expectedly pristine tunes. The instrumental on 'Calypso Gene,' which features Silka and Cleo Reed on backing vocals, conveys the sense of anxiety that permeates this project; comprised of a melancholic piano sample and a shuffling, unchanging drum beat. This is only intensified by the 'dip me in the water' refrain, first introduced by the rappers and then cried in harmony by the singers. I will take this opportunity to comment on how fucking amazing this album art is. Like, Armand Hammer album covers usually rock - see 2020's 'Haram,' or don't, if you're squeamish - but this is iconic. Will also add that I'm seeing them when they play Gorilla in March and I cannot wait.
5. Music - underscores
An homage to both the art of song and whoever it is she's singing about, April Grey's 'Music' has been on constant rotation for me since she dropped it at the end of June. From the searing sub bass at the beginning to the heavenly strings that see it out, this single is basically crack, and if you get addicted upon my recommending it, well, join the club. What's more, it won't be a concealable addiction: the main tell is a person's repetition of the 'POP, ROCK, ELECTRONIC, RAP, ROCK AND ROLL' refrain in the bridge, which I have to stop myself from saying aloud about 4-5 times a day. Though she hasn't announced what I presume is the next underscores album to come, this and second single 'Do It' portend to another phenomenal piece of work from the 25-year-old.
4. Automatic Love - Nourished By Time
Maryland musician Marcus Brown, under the alias of Nourished By Time, put out hands down one of the grooviest records of the year back in August - though I checked it out about a month later. Entitled 'The Passionate Ones,' Prince-like confidence abounds on each of the 12 featured songs, all of which contain unique and frankly irresistible melodies. Choosing just one of them proved difficult - I also love 'Idiot In The Park,' '9 2 5' and 'BABY BABY' - but I've had 'Automatic Love,' on repeat ever since I heard it, so I'd be remiss not to have it in my list. 2025's funkiest tune is straight dopamine and I just can't get enough of it.
3. Radioactive Dreams - Chat Pile & Hayden Pedigo
For me, the intro of 'Radioactive Dreams' alone would've been enough to get it onto this list - that guitar tone has a transportive quality like nothing else. The song does progress, though, and beautifully: Chat Pile vocalist Raygun Busch toasts 'all [his] friends in the dirt' as the heavy, distortion-laden instrumentation associated with his band reaches a crescendo, before - with the assistance of fingerpicking extraordinaire Hayden Pedigo - we're brought, floating, back down to earth. The first single from their exceptional collaborative album 'In The Earth Again,' 'Radioactive Dreams' will, I'm sure, remain a regular in my headphones for years to come and always on full volume. Sorry, ears, but it's a must.
2. Total euphoria - caroline
Without doubt, one of my highlights of 2025 is seeing caroline play Band on the Wall back in June. Watching the 8-person-strong group play the spectacular compositions from both their debut and this latest album, 'caroline 2,' and in so intimate a venue, was truly special. 'Total euphoria,' which opens the record, is a masterclass in dynamics and nothing prepares you for how far the band goes with the crescendo you gets a sense is burgeoning from the beginning. The variety of instruments used on the track only makes it harder to categorise as anything less than a marvel of music; I'll take this moment to shoutout the harmonium, one of my favourite instruments that appears in its typically hair-raising manner mid-way through. As for that ending? Chills, absolute chills. There are few songs in existence that come as close to embodying life's most visceral feelings as this one does and, for that reason, caroline's 'Total euphoria' is my second favourite release of 2025, just beaten out by...
1. Experimental Skin - Jane Remover
Hoooooo boy. Jane fucking Remover, everyone. I have 'Experimental Skin' on full blast as I write and something I've come to realise about it is that every listen feels like the first time; perhaps a result of how fresh a sound the 22-year-old achieves on what is, to my mind, the best song of the year. It's fair to assume that Jane's aim, both here and on the rest of their third album Revengeseekerz, was simple: go hard, or as another song title puts it, 'TURN UP OR DIE'. The ever-instensifying instrumental of 'Experimental Skin' perfectly matches Jane's impassioned lyrics: I think that I've been falling for you/who cares, I'm just a robot to you/everything in life just falls apart, I know/you don't even know what you do to me. And we're only half-way through it at this point - another beat drop waits in the wings, the bomb of sound in question dropped at the musician's screaming of the line, 'I wanna sin, blow the city up.' The infectiousness of the reckless abandon they manage to transmute into verbal and audio form here is just one of the things that sees me forever returning to Jane Remover's 'Experimental Skin,' a righteously triumphant banger.
No comments:
Post a Comment