2025 was undoubtedly a long and tumultuous year but thankfully it was also packed with a plethora of incredible new releases. As is tradition, Taylor and Olivia picked their favorite albums of the year- check out our choices and listen to all of our picks below!
brb.: the blueprint
Singapore trio brb. has been dropping new material nonstop and 2025 meant all of those songs got a proper album release. The Blueprint touches on love, loss and heartbreak with just a dash of indifference, all while maintaining the group’s impossibly catchy instrumentals, velvety vocals and an impressive level of production all created in house by the band. This is a no-skip album and even its release didn’t stop brb. from continuing to release even more music throughout the year as they head towards becoming a driving force in today’s pop and R&B.
Key Track: “take cover!”
Turnstile: Never Enough
Turnstile’s meteoric rise with Glow On meant that there was certainly a bit of pressure on the band’s follow up album. Never Enough shattered expectations, with the Baltimore hardcore icons continuing to make music that defies the constructs of the genre and touching hundreds of thousands of fans around the world. Singer Brendan Yates sounds like he’s shouting his introspective lyrics from a great distance on this album before the band’s signature breakdowns open the pit (literally and figuratively). The album blends seamlessly into the band’s catalog and has kept Turnstile summer going long after the heat faded into winter chill.
Key Track: “Dull”
Stray Kids: Karma
2025 had K-pop group Stray Kids on the road across the world with this full length album leading the charge for the mass of music they released this year. Karma let the group lean further into their “noisy” sound, with the production of 3RACHA giving the album a signature unique to Stray Kids, even in the world of K-pop. From the cheeky camp of “Ceremony” to the electronic-infused “Phoenix” to the album’s more introspective tracks, Karma is an accurate representation of Stray Kids in the moment- and fans know they are constantly looking towards the future so having this sound immortalized makes it a favorite for this year.
Key Track: “Phoenix”
Jonas Brothers: Greetings From Your Hometown
Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas are in their strongest, most cohesive era since their reunion and they shout it loud and clear on this album. The band is embracing every element that makes them stand out as individuals and applied it to an album that combines Nick and Joe’s solo influences with the sound that longtime fans know and love. Greetings From Your Hometown is further proof that you can always go home again and find ways to create something new while embracing the warmth that both the band and fans are finding in the nostalgia.
Key Track: “Love Me to Heaven”
Grandson: Inertia
Grandson has had a banner year- touring independently for the first time, riling up festival crowds across the world and releasing his most targeted album yet. From our review earlier this year (summing things up perfectly): Grandson has always been a force all on his own, but his influences are vast and can be heard woven into the fabric of Inertia– and the album is stronger for it. Listeners may hear his affinity for friend and collaborator Tom Morello in the guitar licks scattered throughout the album or even a Green Day-esque vocal delivery on the undeniably memorable chorus of “You Made Me This Way”. With so much music under his belt and no shortage of things to say, Inertia is a body of work that will stand on its own and stand the test of time. Today’s world contains so much uncertainty, fear and obstacles and it’s comforting to hear grandson giving voice to those fears and driving his listeners to action.
Key Track: “Self Immolation”
Ateez: Golden Hour: Part.3- In Your Fantasy Edition
The release of “Lemon Drop” as the first single was simply the tip of the iceberg for Ateez’s 2025 full length album. This record had the traditional group tracks, with the members leaning into a more sensual sound and look, but it’s the b-sides and solo songs that really shine. “Now this house ain’t a home” quickly became a fan favorite (and an emotional moment at each stop of Ateez’s tour) and each member’s solo turn let them loose to express each of their unique styles. This was clearly a pivotal album for Ateez- these songs were all given a spotlight moment on the group’s tour this year as the group continues to strengthen as both a unit and individually.
Key Track: “Now this house ain’t a home”
Honorable Mentions
- The Maine- dyed
- Hevel- our home, and my overstayed welcome
- One Ok Rock- Detox
- P1Harmony- DUH!
- Deathdotgov- Deathdotcom
Circa Waves: Death & Love, Pt. 1
After a near-death experience left Circa Waves frontman Kieran Shudall on the operating table getting heart surgery, the band took some time to reprioritize and reevaluate their music. There was a lot to process, and Death & Love was the result — a pop-leaning indie record that feels hopeful, despite its catalyst. It’s focused and cohesive, a clear chapter in a larger body of work (disc two dropped in late October). From the anthemic chorus of opener “American Dream” to the whistling of “Let’s Leave Together” (that wouldn’t feel out of place on Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix), the album encapsulates the best of the genre in recent years.
Key Tracks: “Like You Did Before,” “We Made It”
Bad Bunny: DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
The release of Un Verano Sin Ti marked a turning point for Bad Bunny: a crossover to the American mainstream, the highest-grossing Latin tour with World’s Hottest Tour, and a rise to worldwide fame and upcoming Super Bowl halftime show performance. Fortunately, Benito didn’t peak with Verano, releasing DtMF at the very beginning of this year and becoming an immediate AOTY contender. The album deeply explores his Puerto Rican identity both in its lyrics and musical styles, blending his signature reggaeton with salsa, bomba, and other elements from the music with which he grew up.
Key Tracks: “NUEVAYoL,” “CAFé CON RON”
Aminé: 13 Months of Sunshine
On his first solo album since launching the KAYTRAMINÉ project with KAYTRANADA, Aminé is back with groovy, house-tinged hip hop that was perfect for the summer months after its May release. That’s not to say it’s fluff — over top of the entrancing beats that weave throughout the record, Aminé muses on how much he’s grown (“New Flower!”), reflects on past love (“History”), and reminds his younger self to “Be Easier on Yourself”. Collabs with Leon Thomas, Waxahatchee, and Toro y Moi (to name just a few) round out the album, giving it cross-genre appeal and some extra indie street cred. 13 Months is Aminé in his lane, unbothered, having fun with where his music is taking him instead of forcing a direction that doesn’t make sense.
Key Tracks: “Vacay,” “Sage Time”
DE’WAYNE: june
Our generation missed out on experiencing Prince in real time, but at least we have DE’WAYNE. The Houston-born rocker made his most honest album yet this year, exploring “love, transformation, and power through vulnerability,” as he shared on its release day. Somehow june feels both retro and modern with classic riffs but fresh production — and plenty of swagger. Even the more downtempo tracks have their own boldness: “sundays” is a John Hughes movie-esque anthem, while “what does he really know” builds into a crescendo. Best of all, it’s an album already built for a performance, which means more DE’WAYNE shows in 2026 and beyond.
Key Tracks: “highway robbery,” “love raider”
Amber Mark: Pretty Idea
The phoenix rises from the ashes, and, as such, Pretty Idea rose from the aftermath of Amber Mark’s long-term relationship. She chronicles the highs, lows, and lessons of this time period over R&B styles from the past few decades, and the result is richly layered songs that complement her airy vocals. “Cherry Reds” is an immediate standout, a folky ballad where Mark reflects on some of her favorite memories, while “Let Me Love You” is pure disco. The musical range but universal themes give the album a sense of being untethered from a specific time, relevant in any year but making this one better.
Key Tracks: “Sweet Serotonin,” “Cherry Reds”
Dijon: Baby
“Unhinged” is the word that’s been tossed around the most in reviews of Baby, the second album from Dijon, and it’s not hard to see why. Glitches, reverb, and other distortions appear seemingly at random, so there’s no settling into the music — it pulls you in, and then you’re just along for the ride. R&B guides Dijon’s music, most obviously on “Yamaha” and closing track “Kindalove”, but Baby as a whole is not a straightforward experience of the genre. Here we have a more abstract version that still sounds right despite being “wrong” on paper. It delivers an experience, rather than a background soundtrack, and you’ll hear something new on each listen.
Key Tracks: “Automatic,” “Yamaha”
Honorable Mentions
- The Maine: dyed (2008 – 2023)
- dexter in the newsagent: Time Flies
- Olivia Dean: The Art of Loving
- Tame Impala: Deadbeat
- Sudan Archives: THE BPM
