2025 was arguably one of the biggest years for music. With big-name artists returning from a hiatus to new artists making their debut, albums were dropping left and right. Welcome to our review of albums that either changed the world or changed our lives.
Twisha’s Favorites of the Year:
Malcolm Todd – Malcolm Todd
Malcolm Todd (Malcolm Todd Hobert) has been making music since 2022, but recently gained a lot of attention with the release of his 2024 single “Chest Pain (I Love).” Hobert’s debut EP Demos Before Prom held a sound akin to Steve Lacy and fell into the alternative R&B genre; however, he has slowly developed his own sound over the years. In Hobert’s debut album, Malcolm Todd, his experimentation fell into place. The world grew to love the alternative indie pop anthems he produced, and many of them are marked by iconic guitar solos and vocal textures you can’t find elsewhere.
If you loved “Chest Pain (I Love),” you will most definitely love the rest of Hobert’s album.
My recommendations: Bleed, Make Me a Better Man, Cheer Me On
Deadbeat – Tame Impala
Tame Impala (Kevin Parker) has been hibernating for five years. Deadbeat was an album that was highly anticipated by his fans and the world, especially since his last release, The Slow Rush, in 2020, but many were disappointed when it came out. Recently, Parker has been experimenting with house music, a genre that often is comprised of beats, groovy basslines, drum machines, and synthesizers, and his fans were not accustomed to this shift. His past albums, notably Currents and Lonerism, were based in psychedelic rock, drenched in fuzzy guitars, synth, a retro vibe, and his echoey, reverb voice. While Deadbeat was more beats-focused, it still exhibited a groove familiar to Parker’s musical style.
It’s important to note that Parker, along with many musical artists, is always experimenting. Playing around with different genres does not always mean an artist “fell off.” That being said, music is meant to be enjoyed, and it was clear that some of the tracks in Deadbeat were more for him rather than for his fans.
My recommendations: End of Summer, Piece of Heaven, Oblivion, Obsolete
Essex Honey – Blood Orange
Blood Orange (Devonte Hynes) has done it again. The man who defined the 2010s alternative music scene made a comeback this year with Essex Honey. You may know him best by his hit song “Champagne Coast” from his 2011 album Coastal Grooves. Essex Honey comprised of tunes divergent from the sound of his previous works, but they nevertheless had that Blood Orange originality. Hynes has frequently been seen on tour fashioning a cello, an instrument that appears throughout the melodies in Essex Honey. What Hynes produced in this album cannot truly be set into a specific genre. Each melody was like nothing I’ve heard before. His iconic, echoey English voice was accompanied by the sound of many other iconic artists, including Caroline Polachek, Lorde, Daniel Caesar, and Mustafa.
If you loved “Champagne Coast,” “Chewing Gum,” and “Charcoal Baby,” I can’t promise that this is the album for you. But if you love Blood Orange and his alternative style, I highly recommend you give Essex Honey a listen.
My recommendations: Vivid Light, The Field, Mind Loaded, Countryside
Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye) – ROLE MODEL
Role Model (Tucker Pillsbury) has been the center of some hubbub since he released Kansas Anymore in July of 2024. Old fans and new fans alike came to obsess over the folksy sound he adopted. More so, though, the public preferred to discuss the topic of Pillsbury’s album: his breakup with Emma Chamberlain. However, I’m not here to discuss drama; I’m here to discuss music.
Pillsbury came out with a deluxe version of Kansas Anymore in 2025, which contained the track “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out,” which went on to become a global hit. The other three new songs continued to build off of the aching theme of the original record, with him accepting the end of his relationship in “The Longest Goodbye.” Many artists can sing, but many fail to truly encapsulate the mood of their lyrics in their tone. The pain in his voice is what makes it so deeply personal, yet so deeply relatable.
In terms of instrumental sound, Pillsbury took a sharp pivot from his rapper era and the pop melodies that dominated his debut album Rx. Guitars, banjos, pianos, and trumpets came together to create a tune similar to a more upbeat Noah Kahan and Zach Bryan. If you enjoy listening to a yearning man experiment with the folk genre, check out Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye).
My Recommendations: Old Recliners, Slipfast, Sally, When The Wine Runs Out, Writing’s On The Wall
Chasing the Chimera – Del Water Gap
Albums that truly captivate me are the ones that experiment with sounds, genres, and vocals in ways that vary from song to song. I’ve always been a fan of Del Water Gap (Samuel Holden Jaffe), especially since he released his debut album Del Water Gap in 2021. You may know him by his hit single “Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat.” In my opinion, Jaffe has already conquered the genre of indie pop in his previous albums, but Chasing the Chimera took it one step further. While the drums, guitar, and beats in indie pop hits usually remain unchanging, creating a generalized sound to all songs in the genre, this album was different.
What I loved about Chasing the Chimera is the addition of musical elements to create a different foundation for each song. “Eastside Girls” and “New Personality” use brass instruments as their backbone, while “We Don’t Have To Take It Slow” strips down to the piano and his bare vocals, and “Please Follow” creates a symphony of brass, woodwind, and string instruments.
Jaffe has proven himself to be quite the lyricist, but the sound he created in Chasing the Chimera truly differentiates him from other artists. As he continues experimenting with his musical style, I look forward to hearing more from him.
My recommendations: Please Follow, We Don’t Have To Take It Slow, How To Live
Daksha’s Favorites of the Year:
Son of Spergy – Daniel Caesar
To me, Daniel Caesar has always sounded the most compelling when he lets his personal story sit at the center of his music. This is exactly what Son of Spergy is. His fourth studio album is quiet and introspective, and reflects on faith and family. Named after his father, Norwill Simmonds, who, as a gospel singer, largely influenced Caesar’s sound and themes of faith. The album contains Caesar’s reflections on the meaning of family and the ways in which it shapes a person, as well as on the conflict between his religion and personal desires. The album’s sound is as intimate as its themes. Though Daniel Caesar is known mainly for his R&B music, the instrumentals of Son of Spergy are made up of softer acoustics and gospel choruses. The songs deviate from the classic “intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus” structure, instead having breathing room for the arrangements to resonate before Caesar’s layered vocals anchor us back to the song’s religious themes.
While I’m in no way religious, I can’t help but feel the weight of Caesar’s soul-searching and newfound spirituality. His unflinching honesty is what sets Son of Spergy apart from his past albums, which, while they do include themes of faith and love, don’t confront them with the same rawness. With the addition of Son of Spergy, Daniel Caesar’s discography has recorded his journey of disconnecting and reconnecting with his religion and family.
My recommendations: Who Knows, Root of All Evil, Emily’s Song, No More Loving (On Women I Don’t Love)
The Art of Loving – Olivia Dean
Olivia Dean, in my opinion, is that breath of fresh air that the mainstream music scene needs. Recently, she has quietly taken the Internet by storm with her second album, The Art of Loving. The album is a collection of classic pop and soul songs filled with the kind of maturity and vulnerability that only comes from someone who’s truly reflected on the highs and lows of their own life. Though it’s centered around love, a very common subject in music, each song reflects the different aspects and points in a romantic relationship with nuance that can’t be found in the average pop love song. It flows seamlessly through moments of playfulness, flirtation, introspection, and ends and beginnings. The album, rather than being about love in the traditional sense, is about her growing and her learning to embrace the evolution of her future self through these lessons she’s learning. This is vulnerable songwriting at its finest. The production on this record is so dreamy and purposeful, and every instrument and arrangement complements Dean’s vocals.
In the full 34 minutes in this album, I can’t think of a moment from start to finish that I wasn’t fully engaged and in love with what was going on. Listening to this record feels incredibly smooth and bright, like talking to an old friend. It’s the kind of music that makes you feel like you’re walking through a park and feeling the warm sun on your face, and learning to love and celebrate your growth. Olivia Dean’s voice and songwriting feel completely her own, definitely making her one of the most exciting artists right now.
My recommendations: A Couple Minutes, Nice to Each Other, I’ve Seen It, Let Alone the One You Love
eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead – Ariana Grande
3 years after her last album Positions (Deluxe), Ariana Grande has not only returned, but has once again proven why she’s one of the best music artists of our generation. With this expanded edition of eternal sunshine from 2024, she explores the complex emotions that come with leaving a relationship and moving on through a lens of self-love and maturity, alongside incredible instrumentals produced by Max Martin. Every album of Grande’s has a distinct sound to it, and this album is no different. The synth-pop backtrack paired with her layered vocals behind her lyrics creates a cohesive album that keeps me coming back to the record again and again. There’s a wide range of emotions captured in the record, but the album never feels scattered. Even at its saddest moments, there’s a clear undercurrent of healing.
Personally, I think this is one of Ariana Grande’s best albums. It seems like she took the best melodic structures from Sweetener and the production of Positions and created eternal sunshine. She’s always been incredibly vulnerable in all her albums, but in this one, she no longer hides behind catchy beats and witty lyrics. It’s very much a breakup and healing album, especially after taking into account the concept the album adopted from the 2004 movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Lyrically, Grande is at her absolute best. Her writing has matured significantly, and her vocals are both powerful and controlled (though she has always had the range), easily some of the strongest in her career. eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead feels the most human and down-to-earth we’ve ever seen Ariana Grande, and is an easy measure of her artistic growth over the past decade.
My recommendations: ordinary things (feat. Nonna), supernatural, warm, eternal sunshine
Virgin – Lorde
I’m convinced that Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, better known as Lorde, can read my mind; somehow, every time she drops an album, it’s exactly what I need to hear at the time. Every album of hers is raw and cathartic and full of sun-soaked reflection, and Virgin is no different. On her fourth studio album, Lorde once again strips herself bare and writes songs with an unfiltered intimacy that is rarely seen in other modern pop stars. What makes Virgin stand out is how deeply personal it feels. Lorde tackles her past struggles with an eating disorder, pregnancy scares, gender identity, and more through unguarded songwriting. She allows herself to be messy and exposed, and in doing so, she creates something that feels weirdly comforting. The sound is reminiscent of her 2017 album Melodrama (which is my personal favorite), but with a more visceral edge to the production and lyrics. While the album’s experimental creative choices may not immediately resonate with everyone, the emotional honesty and vulnerability are what make it so deeply affecting. Virgin is a deeply human document of finding oneself, and is one of Lorde’s boldest artistic statements yet.
My recommendations: Shapeshifter, Favorite Daughter, Current Affairs, David
Hurry Up Tomorrow – The Weeknd
Abel Tesfaye has spent almost two decades creating music behind the title The Weeknd, and Hurry Up Tomorrow is the perfect culmination to close that chapter. Going in, I expected the sounds of this album would be a continuation of the signature Weeknd aesthetic, containing dark R&B rhythms. With the first track, however, it became clear that this wasn’t the case. The Weeknd is clearly unafraid to experiment, blending several genres, from Brazilian funk to classic pop, while still retaining the same attitude in his lyrics and making callbacks to past songs. Lyrically, this is some of The Weeknd’s most introspective work. He discusses the emotional toll of fame, as well as struggles with addiction and self-destruction. This very self-awareness is what makes Hurry Up Tomorrow particularly unique, alongside its length. The album is dauntingly long at 84 minutes; however, it moves surprisingly quickly, with strong sequencing and clean transitions between songs. The first half leans more into punchy, attention-grabbing songs, while the second half contains more cinematic and atmospheric songs. The transitions and interludes take us along a journey, making Hurry Up Tomorrow more of an experience than a collection of songs.
While the movie, which shares the album’s title, is widely agreed to be rather lackluster, the record itself is a fantastic ending to the trilogy. Where After Hours centered around self-destruction and Dawn FM centered around self-reflection, Hurry Up Tomorrow centers around self-acceptance. It’s appropriately grand and at the same time grounded, making it the perfect swan song for The Weeknd’s story.
My recommendations: São Paulo, Give Me Mercy, Open Hearts, Take me Back to LA, Big Sleep
2025 has come to an end, and so has the musical rollercoaster that rocked our rollers for 365 days. As we look into this coming year, we yearn for our favorite hibernators to bless our ears with a record or two. Frank Ocean, it’s time.
