Fancy Some Bangers?
If you stuck around this long, you know that I’m no stranger to speaking the high praises for the state of the music scene. While the world slowly burns and collapses, I piss on the flames and dance harder in response. It is no easy year for anyone, but in between the madness, there’s a universe of future classics to have your back. Ones that remind you of how much fun you can have and others reminding you that you haven’t cried in a little while. It felt like the music I scoped out this year had urgency. Prepackaged with treats across all genres and a coupon code trying to get me to listen to what is flying across airwaves, but not giving into certain propaganda (sorry, Addison Rae fans).
Casual strays aside, this has been yet another fantastic year for new tunes. I will say though… this was definitely an album year for me versus individual tracks. 2024 had exceeded in both, but where it was very tough to cut down to just 60, this year it felt like I had a solid, set 60 songs that highlighted the year and didn’t leave as much behind. Humbly, no one can allocate the appropriate time of day for each and every thing they listen to throughout the year. Inevitably, I will also forget to put in a song or two because that has happened every single year that I’ve made these lists (No Exit by Vacations should’ve made last year’s list but oh well).
Same rules apply as other years, has to have been released in 2025 and am sticking to one release per artist. If I went against that rule, a fourth of this list would be the new Hayley Williams album (spoiler alert for albums list). Rambling and ruling over, lets get into the 67 (number felt appropriate) defining tracks of 2025… ACCORDING TO ME!
67. Marina – CUNTISSIMO
2025 had extremely hard shoes to fill when it came to following such a humongous year like 2024 when it came to quality pop music. Radio waves, indiescapes, and even rap heads found some pop to gravitate towards. What could possibly come in and help this seemingly large, inevitable space in pop feel full? Enter one of the modern, unsung heroes of pop music, Marina. Not everything on this album was for me, but CUNTISSIMO was the pop song to thrive in all airwaves. Is it slightly cringe to have the word “cunt” in your song title? Yes. Marina owns this though regardless and knows what she’s doing as she flirts with this irony of having a title as stupid as CUNTISSIMO and uses it to her advantage to make a ridiculously fun pop track that only adds to her legacy.
66. DUCKWRTH – Toxic Romantic
It’s as on the nose as a title like this would suggest. DUCKWRTH takes the topic that’s frequently touched upon in many other songs across all genres and makes an all out pop rap banger. As someone that has followed DUCKWRTH since 2017, it’s really cool to see him thrive in this atmosphere and also stay true to his original sound that he has mastered since his beginnings. Toxic Romantic is the song that should have hit popular radio stations, but for one reason or another just missed on being a humongous hit.
65. Fcukers – I Like it Like That
What a year it has been for Fcukers, man. This group started the year with barely over 100k monthly listeners on Spotify and as of the time of me writing this, they are sitting at nearly 750k. The vibe of I Like it Like That stays true to the style they’ve accrued as their very own, which is sort of a nonchalant, cool, collected house party. Fcukers is really good at forming a vibe that you can visualize. To me, this takes place in a crowded, sweaty 300 cap club with really high quality lighting equipment. It’s a party that feels like it’s just getting started and no sign of slowing down until it absolutely has to, which can be said about Fcukers themselves. They’re really cooking up something special and it’s cool we live in the same era as their smaller beginnings.
64. Big Black Delta – Pik Pok
I had no idea who or what Big Black Delta was when I first heard Pik Pok, but the moment the song was over, I had to know. If there’s anything I am a sucker for it’s a big fat ol’ heavy industrial beat. This song feels like it soundtracks a cartoon from the 50s but contained a modern, electronic twist. That probably makes no sense, but that little marimba beat in the mix of it all is irresistibly catchy. If you need a boost of energy and have a good pair of headphones, play Pik Pok loud as hell.
63. Aminé – Arc De Triomphe
2023 saw a newer side of Aminé that included the help of esteemed producer Kaytranada. Their collab project was summer in a mixtape. It felt like the best beaming, brash sunburn you could ask for. Aminé’s first full length effort since that album keeps that beach party going. Arc De Triomphe feels like he’s putting on a spring break party through the haze of weed smoke. The beat is so uniquely him and unsurprisingly he hops on this beat so effortlessly. Maybe one day the general public will acknowledge how great Aminé’s cadence is and how much of a chameleon he is on everything he takes part in.
62. Automatic – Mercury
It’s very exciting to watch an artist like Automatic grow in the indie world. They feel like one of post punk’s best kept secrets right now and Mercury is a perfect example of what this band is capable of together. Their combination of synths into dirtier punk fuzz and immaculate bass riffs flows so easily. The overall message of the song is resonant to this society too, just get up and do something! Touch some grass! Live the life you are destined to live. It’s one of the best ways to hear “blink and you miss it” in song form all year.
61. NxWorries – Everybody Gets Down
Sonically, Everybody Gets Down feels like it could be a sister song to Arc De Triomphe. NxWorries hopped back onto the scene for a second year in a row because Anderson .Paak wants to avoid his solo career at all costs I guess. Anyways, that’s totally fine if him and Knxwledge continue to riff off this wonderful chemistry they share together. Everybody Gets Down plays the same party that seemingly has no ending. It’s 2:30am and things are beginning to wind down and this song is your second wind. Your ass is running to the dancefloor and grabbing your honey to jam with. Please keep this spark alive NxWorries, I didn’t mean what I said earlier about going solo again.
60. Not For Radio – Swan
I had a severe addiction to The Marias last year. When Maria Zardoya announced she was doing a solo project and also was NOT going on hiatus with the band, I damn near front flipped.
Not For Radio is totally a start to finish album listening experience, but Swan is too good of a track to not single out. There’s something so wallowingly goth about it that makes me want to drown in it’s darkness. The soft piano keys guiding the track along is so pleasing to the ears too. I grew up in the 2000s so piano guided soft pop tracks are totally my jam. The repeated line of “part of me is a part of you, It’s a part of me too” stings so good to wrap up the track as well. Thanks for making me happy sad once again, Maria.
59. Chanpan – lost and confused
You may not have heard of Chanpan yet, but I’m willing to bet good money that you will in the next year. I truthfully could’ve picked any song from their debut EP, endlessly, but lost and confused sticks out the most for it’s tastefully arranged instrumentals that genre blend this so well together. It feels indie pop, alt rock, and a little house all in one and makes perfect sense. The percussive elements really do stick out a lot once the back half kicks in too, which if you’ve been following my blog for a while now, you’ll know that’s a huge deal to me. They’re an artist that does this current state of indie pop just that much better than everyone else.
58. Saya Gray – PUDDLE (OF ME)
The world deserves to know about someone as cool as Saya Gray. She’s one of those artists where if you put her whole discography on shuffle you’d be like WOAH. She’s able to pull off multi-genre feats within individual tracks and overall across her entire album. PUDDLE (OF ME) sees her at a more acoustic acoustic poppy track, but it feels like a disservice to try and nail down what she is going for. She has so much going for her sonically as I can safely say I have not heard very much music that sounds like this from 2025. She’s also very good at evoking emotion out of the listener by using different metaphors that aren’t overused in other songs or really that I’ve heard at all. The opening line “insufficient funds the gun to my head” instantly wins you over. Bonus for the little woop woops that come during the chorus as well, that’s some cute shit.
57. Fontaines D.C. – It’s Amazing to Be Young
It’s Amazing to Be Young feels like Fontaines D.C.’s victory laugh following their incredible 2024. This track exudes so much nostalgia that it almost feels like it could be the sister track to Favourite. It’s a very hopeful track that provides the option to either be happy or sad with what you’re granted in your everyday life. As a younger person myself, it feels nice to have a song like this to find comfort in as a reminder that there’s still good to focus in on. We all need a little hope and that’s what guitarist Carlos felt when he wrote this in front of his newborn child. Sweet sentiment that feels genuine and never cheesy.
56. Hatchie – Carousel
Ever have those artists that just slip through the cracks that you always hear talked about? Hatchie is the definition of that situation (and the confusion that comes when you realize her and Waxahatchee are not the same artist). Carousel struck me because of it’s classic dream pop sound. Imagine if it was the Cocteau Twins but with less drowned out vocals. A song about being blinded by love that makes you as the listener feel just as faded by the dazed, hypnotic layering of guitars. I typically am not the hugest Jay Som fan, but she did an incredible job on the production side as well (who I don’t confuse for Jay Som Derulo).
55. Natalia Lafourcade – Cancionera
It feels wrong to put a song as gorgeous as Cancionera below a few songs that are objectively pretty dumb, but I couldn’t not have it on here. I have fallen in love with Natalia’s music this past year and hearing Cancionera drop in the middle of that deep dive was perfect timing. This is truly timeless music from an extremely self aware artist at the top of her game once again. The strings rip your heart out and Natalia’s vocals tuck it back in.
54. Rusty Williams – Knocking (at your door)
Here’s a song that I can almost guarantee is on no other year end list. It’s not often that you get to hear your favorite artist’s grandpa drop a debut album at age 78. Yes, Rusty Williams is the grandfather of Paramore’s Hayley Williams. The project itself is also produced by fellow Paramore member Zac Farro. This isn’t on the list because of the relation the artist shares to a living legend (totally unbiased), it’s on here because it captures your heart instantly. Sticking on brand with the timeless trend, this literally feels like it could’ve came out over 50 years ago and I’d believe you. The production is so crisp and clear though too that it definitely has a place in this modern world and for that alone, it makes it stand out all the more. A beautiful tune that’s 100% worth anyone’s time. Maybe the most accessible song on this list if I had to pick one.
53. Djo – Potion
Another album that honestly could’ve had multiple songs on this list. The Crux has a collection of Djo’s most personable tracks to date. When Potion first came out I instantly fell in love, but was confused when my friends were bashing on it. How could you hate on a song that’s so wholesome and unforgivingly sweet? Most of the album is Beatles-esque and the Potion is a perfect example of honoring that sound and not copying it. The last leg of this song where the guitars and drums are more present give me goosebumps every time. It’s so grand, but stripped back at the same time. A loud declaration of appreciating those around you but sung so lovingly.
Also I’m sure you’re wondering at this point, “hey, what is Campbell’s favorite Beatles album?” Well, kids, the answer to that question is complicated but I’d say most days it is the White Album or Revolver.
52. Viagra Boys – Man Made of Meat
Perhaps the only song on this list where the singer burps in the middle of singing. Viagra Boys are extremely talented at saying key words and phrases to garner your attention and I really don’t think there’s a more perfect example than Man Made of Meat. An anti-capitalist anthem that makes a mockery of the simple man. After all, the lead singer garnered inspiration for this track while people watching walking through a Walmart. Imagine how many potential songs can exist just by people watching in a place like that… Anyhow, like I said, there’s a handful of shocking lines like being subscribed to your mom’s OnlyFans and the Chandler Bing line at the beginning as well. This probably sounds like the dumbest shit ever, but truthfully it’s worth the listen if you’re into post-punk with some edge. A lot of edge actually.
51. FKA twigs – Striptease
When you’re given such a kickass set of tracks to preview your album like the first songs of Eusexua did last year, naturally, there exists very high expectations. I’ll talk much more about this album on the album list, but Striptease is one of many highlights. It incorporates electronica, R&B, breakbeat, and house and serves as arguably the centerpiece to the entire album. FKA twigs’ vision for this project exists prominently in moments like Striptease where she fully reveals herself while singing about barely doing so simultaneously. It’s a gorgeous arrangement that really does feel like the biggest moment on the album when listening altogether. I get this kind of comes off as more an ad for the album, but this is so worth mentioning beforehand too. If you’ve listened before you more than likely agree. twigs at her very best.
50. Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso – RE FORRO
Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso have one of the coolest things going for them in music right now. Admittedly, I am relatively new to exploring Latin music as a wider genre other than the Rosalias, Bad Bunnys, and Kali Uchis. Papota was an extremely fun listening experience, one that I can’t compare much to this year. RE FORRO is a total banger that highlights how multifaceted they are together. Don’t go into this expecting reggaeton or basic pop music. Probably the year’s most energetic song about self doubt and deprecation that also makes you want to shake your ass in reflection.
Worth mentioning that if you are not familiar with these two, PLEASE go watch their Tiny Desk performance and fall in love with them there too.
49. JPEGMAFIA – PROTECT THE CROSS
I would say that Peggy was taking a victory lap after his incredible album from last year, but man I fucking hated that collab EP he did with Flume… ANYWAYS! PROTECT THE CROSS is quintessential JPEGMAFIA. He carries the pure instrumentals of heavy guitar and drums that we heard on I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU instead of the homegrown beats we’re used to on other projects. I love how there’s just a tad bit of woah factor to some of his bars, but yet they’re so well written that it really doesn’t matter. The Charlie Hebdo line in particular is the standout, but again, I am a sucker for great wordplay and this track is full of it.
48. underscores – Music
I am constantly so impressed with underscores being able to be consistently sounding so fresh every time that they start a new rollout. Music is crack for the ears. It takes a simple song about how being with their partner feels like music and constantly plays ear hockey with the bass of the beat. One of the songs on this list that sounds even better if the music video is watched alongside it too. Not much else to say other than underscores does it again. Go off.
47. Neggy Gemmy – Polly Pocket
One of my biggest new genre fixations in 2025 had to be trip-hop. While I’ve always been an appreciator, I’ve never fully delved the way I did. Neggy Gemmy was a name I recognized from TV Girl and George Clanton’s albums in the past, but never listened to separately. The album doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it still succeeds at being really, really satisfying. Polly Pocket has an ideal amount of focus on just the right attributes of a trip hop track in 2025. It feels so 2000s but also mixed with 2010s indie pop. In the future, we’ll call something that defies decades like this ‘timeless’ and that’s exactly what I see in this song. A true toss on whenever type of track.
46. RAYE – WHERE IS MY HUSBAND?
Raye’s Genesis was a revolution of a track last year. One that was divided into three different parts that just consecutively got better and better. How does one follow up a masterpiece like that? Well… Where is My Husband is your answer. A true yearner’s anthem that is tired of waiting and just wants the love already. I love the trend of pop songs lately that don’t feel like they need to come up with some high concept metaphor to make a song clever. Raye and her writing partner Mike Sabath basically did the opposite and made a simple concept especially well written. Her vocal performance once again just wows me and it’s so cool we have an artist like her leading into something bigger every year.
45. Frost Children – What is Forever For
Similar to Neggy Gemmy, I had been familiar with Frost Children due to other album features like on Porter Robinson’s SMILE. What I really dig about their sound is that it honors a time period that I grew up in so well and not gimmicky. This is straight up early 2010s electronic pop music that I honestly (and kind of shamefully) devoured as a teenager that really loved Avicii and Skrillex. What is Forever For encapsulates that feeling and takes me back to sitting on the school bus with a headphone wire up the head hole of my hoodie. Impossible to not want to turn up immediately as you get to the bombastic bass drop.
44. Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory – Idiot Box
Idiot Box is a song that gradually keeps getting better the longer it sticks around. You’re hooked in by a really catchy riff that carries throughout the track and get told to basically touch grass in the process. There was definitely an upward trend of 70s inspired indie pop this year and Idiot Box is definitely the first and maybe best of the examples of such. I enjoy the opacity of what Idiot Box is being referred to here as well. Is it a TV? Is it a communal hivemind? I love songs that lead you to your own conclusions like that. Only second to Cults’ Go Outside for songs that tell you to get up off your ass.
43. The Favors – This Little Mess You Made
Why did no one talk about this album? This Little Mess You Made seemed like it was destined to be blasted everywhere and for whatever reason it wasn’t? Ashe is an awesome rising pop star, FINNEAS is, well FINNEAS, and like I said before this 70’s indie pop trend has been mega popular lately. Instantly, Fleetwood Mac inspiration comes to mind and not for sake of pure comparison in a negative sense. This has just enough devastation masked behind two great vocal performances that also have really solid chemistry. I don’t know, man, this song rules and it’s a shame it didn’t get the love it deserved.
42. Tyler Childers – Cuttin’ Teeth
Alongside Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers remains my favorite storyteller in the outlaw country subgenre. Cuttin’ Teeth feels like that classic country sound that people who claim they “hate modern country but respect classic country” crave. It’s not hard to see why. Him describing the grind of trying to get to where he is and wants to be is both humbling and hopeful. In a way, it feels reminiscent of Dire Straits’ Sultans of Swing, and well… that’s one of my favorite songs ever. A special talent that is very deserving of the flowers he’s been getting these past few years.
41. Joey Valence & Brae ft. Rebecca Black – SEE U DANCE
If you asked me to find a more fun album than JVB’s HYPERYOUTH that came out this year, I probably would have to take 2-3 business days to respond and tell you know. It’s songs that like SEE U DANCE that remind that the influence of the Beastie Boys lives on and is in good hands. Joey Valence and Brae have cracked the code on how to craft a song so dumb, so clever, and so funny that everything works out. It’s totally an if you get it you get it experience, especially if you grew up in the 2000s pop landscape. Rebecca Black’s feature is perfect alongside this Promiscuous-type beat too and proves that she’s also sort of a pop cheat code as she had an amazing year as well. I could’ve picked like four other tracks worthy to be on this list too, but this one gets stuck in my head like once a week and can’t ignore that fact.
40. Die Spitz – Pop Punk Anthem (Sorry for the Delay)
Welp, since Mannequin Pussy didn’t drop anything this year, I had to find another ferocious female artist to rock my world. Texas’s own Die Spitz kicks ass because they just get it. Thematically, Pop Punk Anthem feels right at home in the peak era of the subgenre ala late 90s and early 2000s. Their love was abused, misused, and bruised and lead singer Ava Schrobilgen. A song about a love that is not at all reciprocated and instead and can’t help but drive them crazy in the process. Ava’s vocals kick ass here too as this is all around just a great riff heavy rock performance from an awesome up and coming band.
39. Rachel Chinouriri – Can We Talk About Isaac?
Who doesn’t like a good love song? Rachel Chinouriri is a name that we’ll be seeing more and more in coming years, but this song in particular is the one that made me a fan. Every listen convinces me more and more how much she loves her man and it’s not a show or tell. If there were ever a song so sweet and sincere as this one written about me, I’d play it on repeat day in and day out. Such an earnestly cute tune about feeling safe with the one you hold closest.
38. TOMORA – RING THE ALARM
Admittedly, I had never really been a huge fan of Norwegian singer AURORA. She has obvious, undeniable talent it’s just never stuck for me… until I heard RING THE ALARM. There’s something so Robyn about her singing in this that I really gravitate towards. The insanity and high blood pressure-ness of the beat gives the feeling of being startled with how loud and abrasive it comes off. Only thing is that you don’t know if you are frantically wanting to turn it off or turn it up. It’s funny because this could easily be the most (purposely) annoying AURORA performance for most people and it’s the one that made me see the light. I can’t wait for what comes next since as of the time of writing this, nothing but this single has been released for TOMORA.
37. Danny Brown ft underscores – copycats
It’s worth acknowledging what an awesome year it has been for Danny Brown. Dude has had an incredible feature run with artists like 8485, Quadeca, Kevin Abstract, and even Fred Again.. Not to mention he has publicly been celebrating his sobriety as well, which is an awesome achievement in it’s own respect. His album Stardust as a whole shows how he’s been fascinated by hyperpop and glitch these past few years and it was very easy picking out copycat as a highlight. I bring up him genre blending because he is very in tune wanting to enter the hyperpop world with respect. The song follows the importance of staying true to yourself and sound and how it’s easy to spot the phonies that are just there to pawn off the trends. Easily one of many high points that exemplify Danny’s most exciting solo music in a while.
36. Japanese Breakfast – Honey Water
I appreciate a song that understands what it means to go through the various stages of grief. Michelle Zauner is one of my favorite songwriters in recent history and understands how to address specific emotions through simple lyrics. The story of Honey Water is both a delve into the anger/disappointment that she has in her partner’s infidelity and the sort of ‘it is what it is’ of it all. The instrumentals are what really keep you seated too as it’s not a super lyric heavy song. It feels like an ascension into the clouds or being lifted from the fog. You feel both freed and gripped at the same time in a way that those who have known heartbreak can confide in.
35. venturing – Dead Forever
It’s pretty hard to find an artist as cool as Jane. Not only did they make an incredible glitchcore album and dropped a handful of great electronic singles, but there lies this other project they dropped this year under the pseudonym ‘venturing’. A very shoegazey effort that harkens back to their Frailty album a few years ago. Dead Forever is a special song because it highlights what a unique voice they have in the game. Even if you had only ever heard their other material that’s not as fuzzy or gazey, it’s still pretty identifiable as a Jane project. It’s a moment on a passioned album that is the emotional centerpiece and core message of doubt and fear in their career. If you’re not into shoegaze but like Jane’s other material, it’s definitely worth giving a shot.
34. Gorillaz ft. Sparks – The Happy Dictator
When I do these write ups every year, I often feel that I need to say more than I need to when describing a song/artist. With that being said, I do not have much else to say about The Happy Dictator other than it feels like the step forward that Gorillaz were needing to take after Cracker Island and it very much paid off. Sparks adds their unique style and meshes well with the established sound fans have loved for over two decades now. Probably one of my favorite pairings that they’ve had this decade truthfully. Just a very solid first single for what seems to be shaping up to be a very unique record.
33. feeble little horse – This is Real
One of the members of the band stated that This is Real is like a dozen ideas crammed into one song. Couldn’t agree more. feeble little horse is one of the more reliable up and coming shoegazey acts to pop up in recent years and for them to put out something as explosive as this is proof that they aren’t a one trick pony (pun intended). The surprising freakout in what’s arguably the second of three acts in the song felt so earned when it didn’t feel detected. This track as of now is just a single, but I hope that it hints at what’s to come with the next album they put out.
32. Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist ft Anderson .Paak – Ensalada
Freddie recruited his own set of collaboration Avengers to craft another future classic. What a legendary run Freddie has been on this decade with no sign of slowing. Alfredo wasn’t just a fluke, it’s magic. He soars on Alchemist beats and this is coming from two albums now with no misses. Ensalada is pure poetry. Freddie raps about how life was far from easy growing up in the life he did, citing examples like selling drugs to his friend’s mom and having the gut punch of a line like, “when your life a nightmare, you can’t dream.” Anderson .Paak’s feature only adds to the reflective, somber atmosphere. Overall a very memorable track from two artists that feel like rap’s cheat code.
31. Puzzle – Bankrupt (i hear it makes you smile)
The two brothers behind The Garden are two of the most fascinating artists to emerge from the egg punk genre. You may ask yourself, what is egg punk? Listen to this and get an education. Puzzle is one half of The Garden. A half that put out one of the catchiest songs of the year in Bankrupt, an anti-capitalistic angry bellow of two minutes. In this state of the world, why not mosh to some ferocious, truth-telling punk?
30. Panda Bear – Ferry Lady
At this rate, I’d take ten Panda Bear projects before the next Animal Collective. Sinister Grift was a gratifying, solidifying listen that only further confirmed my love for this artist. Ferry Lady is a spacey, psych pop induced track that gives you the hand on the shoulder telling you your relationship with another is over. A very cute instrumental that’s set to some pretty sad lyrics. Whoever hurt you Panda, I gotta thank them for inspiring you to make this, but also damn dude, I’m getting secondhand hurt.
29. Kali Uchis – Lose My Cool
If you’ve learned anything this far into reading this list, it’s that I found a lot of good shoegaze this year and that I love a great love song. Kali Uchis is a natural hitmaker when it comes to describing her love life, but Lose My Cool felt like another new step in her career. One that never feels one note or like anything else she’s done. It’s anything but a straightforward song about the intense feeling of love and how it throws off her normal everyday actions. The everyday behavior, or facade depending on who you are, being thrown into the trash because you’re just so madly in love and don’t know how to treat it. This also feeling like a song in two parts. Two parts that flow into each other so nicely that it solidifies itself as one of the best tracks she’s ever made up to this point. A very soothing, romantic R&B pop song.
28. Barry Can’t Swim – About to Begin
Barry Can’t Swim stands out among his EDM counterparts because of the spirit that comes from his energy. It’s not trying to be anything that it isn’t or trying to especially fit in either. A handful of tracks on his album Loner is further proof of that, but About to Begin feels like a classic song that I’ve never heard before. It’s like when you dig into a subgenre playlist deep enough and strike unintentional gold. Every following sequence of this song gets more and more exciting. For those who may be skeptical or may have not heard of Barry Can’t Swim before, this is a great place to start as he is more than just a disposable name in the genre. Peak performance from an incredible up and coming artist.
27. Laufey – Silver Lining
When we all grow older and tell our kids about the popular artists that made a splash when we were younger, Laufey will definitely be in the conversation. In response to this, if I were to make a definitive top five songs playlist for the youth of the future to sample, Silver Lining would be right at home on there. God, what a gorgeous tune. There’s such a wintery atmosphere that feels so cozy about this song. I have this vision of sitting with my partner sharing a cup of coffee wallowing in each other’s company at our dining room table midday serenaded to this. It’s jazzy, poppy, and heartfelt above all. One of those songs that remind you how much you love the person you share your life with.
26. Wednesday – Wound Up Here (By Holdin On)
Look, I know people will look at this list and see that another blogger put Wednesday on a year end list. Fuck you, have you heard this album? Actually, have you heard this song? Wound Up Here is everything you need to know about Wednesday bundled together in one three minute gothic tale. The title of the song in correspondence to how it’s used in the song is really cool too. Singer Karly Hartzman said that phrase was rooted from a poetry book that her friend wrote and it stuck with her to make it into a song too. It’s a tad bit eerie given it has to do with discovering a body floating in the water, but it matches the angsty guitar wails and Hartzman’s cries in the back half of the track. A viciously beautiful moment on an incredible album.
This is where things got especially hard to rank…
25. Water From Your Eyes – Playing Classics
2025 was a big discovery year. A lot of the swings that I took on just random projects I came across ended up being some of my favorites of the year. Enter Water From Your Eyes and their blend of art rock and pop. Playing Classics is truthfully one of the coolest songs you’ll hear all year if you give it a chance. It doesn’t feel entirely linear and ends up being kinda wacky as a result. This is a very genre varied album that has a lot going on, but when Playing Classics comes on, it’s the main character of the album. A near six minute dance track that feels snappy and wistful. The piano that bridges between verses will get stuck in your head too. Everything else that’s going on is just as interesting, but when it’s capped off by something as rewarding to the ears as the piano, it’s a treasure.
24. Bad Bunny – BAILE INoLVIDABLE
This year was destined to be special in the music-scape when Bad Bunny dropped a masterpiece in the first week of January. I’ll have more to say on this album in a separate list, but I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight BAILE INoLVIDABLE, a track that shows what Benito is capable of and that he is so far from being a one trick pony. Like much of Debi Tirar Mas Fotos, this track wears a heavy heart. Our guy here is aching for the love that he had with his significant other, repeatedly proclaiming that he can’t forget what she did for him. Teaching him how to dance and how to love as well. It’s a very sweet song that’s a celebration of salsa and instantly clutched my heart.
23. Tyler, The Creator – RING RING RING
Don’t Tap the Glass is an interesting moment for Tyler. It feels like this album should’ve happened years ago, but we’re getting treated to it now. RING RING RING feels like it could belong on nearly every Tyler album past Wolf, which says something since conceptually all of his album onward felt pretty different. While the whole album is very entertaining, this just stands out for it’s timeless feel. A song that honestly feels like it bridges a dedicated fan to a newcomer. Not much else to say here other than it succeeds as a great dance track with incredible production.
22. Balu Brigada – Backseat
What a miracle of a song Backseat is for Balu Brigada. Prior to this album, the band wasn’t bad by any stretch, they just needed a little time to get their voice in a VERY crowded alt rock space. If there was ever a song to show off why they’re better and more memorable than the average mainstream alt rock act, it’s this six minute adventure. A heartbreak banger that feels like it could end at the three minute mark, but keeps going. That was just the front half. The back half of the song is an adventurous instrumental that could honestly be a kickass interlude, but instead keeps the yearning for genuine love feel alive for another three minutes.
21. CMAT – The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station
As I’m writing this now, I am just now realizing why I love The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station so much. It reminds me of Common People by Pulp instrumentally. A very large song that has a lot to say about sociological ideology that plague our society. Common People thematically is a bit different, but CMAT’s wonderous, soaring vocals and lyrics take us on a pretty funny journey. A journey where she’s dissecting her hatred of chef Jamie Oliver because of how frequently she would see his name while traveling. As the song goes along though, she recognizes that her hating on a guy that she’s never met or knows much about serves no purpose. Being angry for basically no reason and talking herself out of being bitter. It’s a pretty lighthearted track with a boastful vocal performance that’s driven by a very nostalgic piano riff.
20. Blood Orange ft. Caroline Polachek, Lorde, and Mustafa – Mind Loaded
Harry Styles had once said that Blood Orange is one of the most important artists of our generation. It’s pretty hard to disagree when you hear something as gorgeous as Mind Loaded. Similar to Freddie Gibbs, Dev Hynes recruited his own Avengers with all three features included. The three feel at home on this instrumentally as all three have mastered the act of being on a relatively somber wavelength. Caroline Polachek is probably the standout of the bunch as she harmonizes throughout too and adds a larger devastation. One of the best arranged tracks of the year easily too as the central message of having what feels like a heartbreak-down feels convincingly illustrated. Add this one to the sad playlist, yearners. It’s a future ol’ reliable.
19. Momma – I Want You (Fever)
Three years ago now, I wrote about another Momma song, Speeding 72, that hit my ear-waves and rocked me last minute before making the list. I Want You (Fever) feels like the band’s defining track thus far into their career. If there was ever a song to ring in the next wave of “post-punk revival”, it’s this one. Heavy 90’s grunge and alt punk influence litters this track, but it doesn’t quite feel like it belongs there. As previously stated, this feels like something new. A song so good that it feels like it could usher in a bunch of copycats. I Want You (Fever) is both a song that provides a ton of nostalgia and a whole lot of hope for what’s to come after. Momma is not to be doubted at all.
18. Ninajirachi – Fuck My Computer
Plain and simple, this is one of the most exciting tracks I’ve heard all year. I’ve known about Nina for a few years now since her appearance at Lollapalooza, but I guess I didn’t really know her? Fuck My Computer is one of those songs that I was lucky enough to hear LOUD the very first time I heard it. It DESERVES to be heard loud. Every year there’s a song that surpasses any expectation of what I conceive to be a sometimes redundant genre in popular culture. Fuck My Computer is the perfect blend of wild, funny, brash, and really satisfying to hear unfold. Anyone that calls themselves a fan of modern electronic music needs to be listening to this song and full album really. Can’t accentuate much further than that.
17. Pinkpantheress – Stateside
Even if her songs are rarely exceeding two and a half minutes, Pinkpantheress is churning out some of the most memorable pop tunes currently. On Stateside, she recruited the likes of The Dare to make the most “Dare type beat” ever, but in a Pinkpantheress way. The two very obviously understood each other in the studio as this is proven to be one of her very best songs of her career so far. She sort of steps away from her breakbeat-like sound and opts for more garage this time around. Her inspiration and style harken back to Y2K vibes so it makes sense that the music lives side by side. Pink has never shied away from exuding her personality at the forefront of all her tunes and especially on Stateside. It’s a cute song with an endless replay value. Trust me, this was one of my most streamed songs of the year for good reason.
16. The Beths – Metal
I haven’t been asked this much, but when I HAVE been asked who the most reliable band out there is right now, I have answered “The Beths” each time. There’s so much heart put into everything they do. You just feel understood and seen every time you listen. Metal took a little bit to grow on me, but I feel that’s important given the lyrical content of the track itself. It’s about identifying yourself and what you are capable of physically and spiritually. I felt kind of disappointed the first time hearing this song as I had been eagerly awaiting new music from them for almost three years. Sadly for me, I was not in the correct mindset to accept what the song was telling me.
My girlfriend and I had the pleasure of seeing them live back in November and when Liz performed Metal, I began to cry, which I rarely do at shows. It being one of the more laid back moments in the show really hit for me too as they’ve proven time and time again they know how to rock out and simultaneously get retrospective. A very special song from a very special band.
15. Ratboys – Light Night Mountains All That
It’s always nice when I get to throw a Chicago band a the upper part of the best of year list, especially when it’s from an artist as cool as indie folk rock outfit Ratboys. SiriusXMU used to play their music all the time and slowly became one of my favorite in-state artists. Even though I thought I was following them closely over the past year, Light Night Mountains All That slipped through the cracks? I was blown away because how could I miss a song that’s so explosive and thrashing? The whole experience is supposed to feel like a crazed, deceitful mushroom trip and they succeed. There’s so much wild guitar aspects paired with the masterful twang and wails of Julia Steiner’s vocals. An all hands on deck thrill ride that combines their well established indie folk roots and meshes it was a more post punk essence. A true MUST listen.
14. Black Country, New Road – Besties
There really was no better way for Black Country, New Road to come back with their first *official* release since Isaac left than to enter with an explosive fanfare. It also highlights what the band still has left in store as this was the first song by vocalist and usual violinist. The band always has something surprising to offer in that sense. It’s hard to put to words how a song like Besties makes you feel because it can’t really be summed up in a few words. What more can you say about a song that follows what it’s like for your friend that you’re crushing on to stop you mid confession and tell you you’re just friends? That’s pretty fucking harsh. That booming fanfare at the beginning is only a tease for the vast emotions you feel listening to this instrumentally bombastic track. Would it be BC, NR if it wasn’t? I love having my heart ripped out by this band album after album.
13. Clipse ft. Kendrick Lamar – Chains and Whips
Is there a more hateful, bitter, petty song on this list? Probably not. Chains and Whips highlights how much lack of pity they have for their lesser counterparts in the genre. It’s funny because this is clearly a common enemy with recruiting Kendrick to appear on this track. Not only that, Kendrick spits one of his nastiest verses to date. At one point even says that “therapy showed him how to open up”, but also that he “doesn’t give a fuck.” Each verse whether it be from Malice, Pusha T, or Kendrick could be anyone’s best verse on anyone’s song this year. It’s such a degrading track that makes you repeat Pusha’s “YEAUGH!” adlib bar after bar and trust, it happens a lot.
12. The Last Dinner Party – This is the Killer Speaking
Very few bands in recent years have shocked me with their capabilities than The Last Dinner Party. I liked the few singles I had heard at the time, but their debut felt so theatrical and melodramatic. It’s like listening to a Tim Burton film without seeing the visuals. I remember sitting at my work desk and thinking, “what? TLDP is back already?” when this track dropped though. This is the Killer Speaking feels like a proper continuation of what the band did so well on Prelude to Ecstasy. It really did feel like a group taking full advantage of striking when the iron’s hot. This theatrical essence is here to stay because why the hell would they stop now? This is the Killer Speaking feels like I’m listening to a stage play of revenge and deception. Having your heart squashed while the whole world unabashedly watches. Can’t leave without speaking on Abigail’s vocals too… wow.
11. Turnstile – Look Out For Me
Turnstile fans are so divided these days. Some people love the new direction, some miss the deeper hardcore roots of the first three albums. Look Out For Me has a little bit for everyone if you ask me. A track that combines the heartfelt lyrics and dreamy instrumentals of the newer era and the aggressive, harder vocals from Brendon that everyone can agree on are incredible. This is truthfully one of the most newer era sounding tracks on Never Enough, but it feels like a “listen guys, we’re gonna do what we want” type of song. It’s dreamy, brash, fun, and even danceable. If you can’t boogie, bust down sexual style, and mosh in the pit then get the fuck out.
If this didn’t come from Turnstile, loyalists would think it’s the coolest shit ever. As a fan that falls in the ‘unconcerned’ category of where this incredible act goes, this is one of the best songs they’ve ever made.
TOP TEN TIME!!
10. Wolf Alice – The Sofa
It took a little bit of adjusting to love Wolf Alice’s fourth studio album. When a band you’ve loved since high school changes their shoegazey, indie rock sound to a more pop influenced one, it’s pretty drastic. The band pulls it off well though as The Sofa is a prime example that everything else about Wolf Alice has remained the same. Ellie Rowsell’s vocals still have the power to ascend you to the heavens and is matched with very consistent, dramatic strings. For a song that isn’t heavier contextually, The Sofa still utilizes the heartly instrumentals to emphasize the point it’s trying to get across.
Rowsell has these aspirations in life she lists off in the pre-chorus, but also realizes that life’s not a marathon. Everything will still be there as long as you work for it, just don’t kill yourself over it not being immediate. Not only was this a great choice for a single, it’s an incredible way to close out the album too. It leaves you pondering a while after the track wraps up and the silence of album’s end hits like a baseball bat to the kneecaps of the heart.
9. Geese – Getting Killed
Getting Killed is an annoying album for when you’re making a best songs of the year list. Getting Killed (the song) stuck out to me most after multiple relistens though. I feel seen with a song like this. One that describes how it feels to have to mask your sadness because you feel it’s not as deep as someone else’s. It’s less about feeling sorry for yourself and instead numbing to the intensity of living in the culture that we do. Having it capped off with the “I’m getting killed by a pretty good life” line really sells what the band was going for. Geese has some of the best arranged indie tracks out there for it sounding as fucking crazy as it does too. SO much going on all at once instrumentally, but for every wacky level of percussion in each verse, Cameron Winter matches it immediately with his instantly recognizable voice. God, this band is so cool.
8. Lady Gaga – Garden of Eden
I love when an artist’s discography feels connected by other songs previous. Lady Gaga does this really damn well whether she means it or not. If Mayhem sounds like classic Born this Way/The Fame version of Gaga, Garden of Eden is the sister track to Paparazzi sonically. They definitely share a little bit of cynicism and heavy electronic influences that latch me in for one of the most fun pop songs all year. The chorus highlights everything a long time Gaga fan ate up for over two decades. It’s a sludgy, crispy, wonderfully produced track that keeps Gaga true to her club anthem persona. Instant pop classic on an album that’ll age super gracefully.
7. Jane Remover ft. Danny Brown – Psychoboost
Je *breathes in* -SUS!! This is one of the most intense listening experiences I’ve had all year. Another “must play loud” song, Psychoboost feels like a song that has loads of hands on it to make it sound as cleanly insane as it does. Nope! If you’re new to Jane’s music, one thing you gotta know and admire is that they produce and write their own tunes. Jane doesn’t feel glued down to serve any genre specifics and that’s what makes a song like this so exciting. Danny Brown shares that exact mindset and really does whatever the fuck he wants. They both have this weird kid confidence that suit a song as killer as Psychoboost perfectly. One of those songs that will go down as digi-core royalty.
6. Chappell Roan – The Subway
Truthfully, this could’ve gone on last year’s list unofficially. Chappell Roan has been playing The Subway at a majority of her shows in 2024, leaving everyone wondering when this masterful effort in pop was going to officially release. Thank god it’s here and in high quality and not a YouTube video rip. Simply put, Chappell has done it again. Her and Dan Nigro are the ultimate mainstream pop team as they’re churning these tunes out like it’s the last one they’ll ever make.
The Subway is such an epic. Following what was such an anthemic fuck you tune in Good Luck, Babe, The Subway finds Chappell gut-wrenchingly hoping that she’ll forget the person she once loved. The glittery instrumental paints the background as a cutesy, jangly pop song, but it’s largely the vocals that force its’ way to the forefront. To date, this is her best vocal performance and one of the most powerful ones I heard all year.
5. Hayley Williams – Parachute
Man, Hayley Williams… the singer of my favorite band ever… feeling the emotional turmoil caused by her longtime bandmate… ugh. If you’re a fan of Hayley, this was likely one of the most rewarding time to ever be one. Single after single after single, she was dropping some of the best songs she’s ever written. Then randomly, Parachute was released and all the speculation of Hayley and her longtime friend and bandmate Taylor York breaking up after being together for quite a bit.
Parachute’s confessional attribute is what makes it so gripping. There’s so much pain in her vocals that by the time the second verse comes around, you can hear her voice cracking in devastation. Taylor was there for her through her infamous marriage to New Found Glory’s Chad Gilbert and that’s what she documents throughout the song. Asking him after their presumed end that she thought he would be the one to catch her and be the one she would end up with. She even goes as far to detail what their kid would look like together and that she would’ve dropped everything for him had she known his intentions before they dated. As an average listener, this is a very emotional listen, as a Paramore fan, you’re devastated.
4. After – 300 dreams
My heart breaks a little happily when I reminisce about the 2000s. Thinking back to summer days where we’d run around outside, when we’d set up the American flag pennants in the backyard for the Fourth of July (before it became weird), and looking forward for what the next day would bring. After’s 300 dreams popped in my life as I was having one of those moments where I wish it was still that time.
Other than it resurfacing fond childhood feelings and memories, 300 dreams feels like I’ve heard it my whole life. It’s a gorgeously bubbly track that can only be described as invigorating the feeling of logging onto the family computer and downloading music to your iPod Nano. A song of self-discovery and love that feels near sickeningly sweet, but in a charming way. I can totally understand why someone would get freaked out listening to After because of how accurate it sounds like something that to come out almost 20 years ago. It never comes off that way to me though, I appreciate that a band can understand the vibe of a specific time period and have it accurately reflect what it felt like to be there musically. I mean we’ve been doing it for years with the 80s. I am very ready for the 2000s nostalgia to make a comeback.
Also side note as a big ‘fuck you’ to Pitchfork for being so shallow with their interpretation of this song. After has mentioned that it’s existence is not to be ironic, but just to be fun. Even if you don’t want to feel nostalgic, you can’t deny that it’s a cute song.
3. Quadeca – FORGONE
If I’m not mistaken, Quadeca has found a way on these lists every year since 2022. At this rate, with the output and quality that comes year after year, it’s hard to not expect him being here every year for a while… or at least until he gets burnt out. When you hear a song like FORGONE though in an album as fantastic as Vanisher, Horizon Scraper, it’s hard to see that happening.
FORGONE feels like the turning point in Quad’s career. While he’s no stranger to an emotional, piano driven tune, this is the first that he’s done that feels like an orchestral arranged epic. This was an instant hit the moment that I witnessed this paired with the music video of him playing a large piano while next to a vast body of water in the misty fog on the beach. Ben Lasky understands his music exceptionally well and what can be interpreted from such. As a massive song divided into three parts, there’s so much immensity packed into that runtime. The vocals feel like painful cries to the love that once was there and what can still remain. A super vulnerable moment in Quadeca’s increasingly impressive discography.
2. Asian Glow – Jitnunkenbi (Winter’s Song)
Along with Bad Bunny, Asian Glow’s 1110011 project dropped the very first week of the year and stuck with me ever since. It’s not often you hear a song so vibrantly heart-wrenching and epic as Jitnunkenbi (Winter’s Song). Despite not being able to understand the Korean lyrics, this is living proof that falling in love with music surpasses fully interpreting the language. A very emotionally stunning lyrical moment in music in it’s own right, this is an insanely impressive instrumental moment in shoegaze. The combination of electronic influence, garage fuzz, and soaring rhythmic guitars really do a number on the ears in the best way.
Similar to FORGONE, Asian Glow paints a picture that’s really easy to interpret into your own vision. This to me feels like the aftermath of a massive battle. Physical, mental, emotional… regardless it feels like this would play in the aftermath of such an occasion and you are left with many complex feelings. Easily my favorite shoegaze track of the year on one of the most underappreciated albums out there.
NUMBER ONE
Magdalena Bay – Second Sleep
What can be said about Magdalena Bay that hasn’t been said already? They’ve easily become one of my favorite bands of all time at this point and that’s just with two full albums, a handful of Mini Mixes/EPs, and a wonderful batch of singles that dropped this year now too. No exaggeration, I could easily cheat and have this be a three way tie with This is the World and Unoriginal. Both incredible, ten out of ten songs that I can listen to endlessly. That being said, they do not quite match the heights of Second Sleep.
Coming off hot as hell from their flawless Imaginal Disk album from last year, Mag Bay returned the following summer with Second Sleep. A song that is full of well deserved rise and falls with build ups that feel just as rewarding. Every lead into the chorus send goosebumps all up and down my body because of the great storytelling Mica pours out. Peaking into an explosive, string heavy chorus with lyrics like “call the cops, drug me up, send the men off to war!” how could you not get shivers? Contextually, this is all about wanting to be in that sense of deeper sleep so that you can avoid having the pressures of society occupying your mind or having the more productive aspects take over. It can be interpreted a bunch of different ways, that’s just how I choose to see it.
There’s a timelessness to this track that feels like it can win over anyone who has never heard Magdalena Bay before, a new fan, an OG… literally anyone. This isn’t always the case as the band is known for having conceptually deep tunes that tie in with others at times. So when a song like Second Sleep comes around that has themes that everyone can identify with and pair it with some of the most gorgeous, tearjerking, glorious instrumentals I have heard all year, it’s worth embracing. Not only that, it’s worth sharing. That’s what great music is all about. When a song is so good that you immediately want to share it with the people you care about and that’s exactly what I did.
For all those reasons above, among many more, Second Sleep is my favorite track of 2025. A song that’s so well written, orchestrated, and performed that it’s worth celebrating at the top of a year end list. Special shoutout to their drummer Nick’s talent on the drums as well. This song absolutely thrives on his insane drumming skills and that always deserves acknowledgement.
Thank you so much for reading if you’ve stayed until the end. More to come very soon on the album list!
The Art of Vibing 