Best of 2025: Music
How grim was the popular music scene in 2025? “Ordinary” by Alex Warren spent 10 weeks atop the Billboard singles chart, and Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem spent 12 weeks at the top of the album chart. How dreadful. Sorry to those men, but that kind of stagnation on the charts — especially for largely mediocre projects — is a terrible sign for the health of the recording industry, and it should be worrying to all music fans, regardless of genre or age group.
Still, there was some great new music released in 2025. Most of it just didn’t break through the noise or get picked up by the algorithm. Read on for the Great Pop Culture Debate panelists’ personal picks for the best albums AND songs of 2025. Did we forget your favorite? Drop it in the comments below.
Check out our OTHER Best of 2025 listicles by clicking here.
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Bad Bunny, Debi Tirar Mas Fotos
It was the year of Benito. Or the decade, really. Bad Bunny is no stranger to No. 1 hits, holding three other chart-topping albums. Debi Tirar Mas Fotos, or dTMf, is unique in more ways than one. Previously known for his trap and reggaeton, Bad Bunny dives into the deep world of Latin genres and their multicultural reach with this love letter and rallying cry for his homeland of Puerto Rico. Listeners don’t need to know Spanish to be able to feel the love, pain, worry, and passion in songs like “Baile Inolivadble (Unforgettable Dance)” and “La Mudanza (The Move).” If you’re not sure where to start with Latin music and its variations, dTMf offers up everything on a silver platter. #BenitoBowl2026 –- ANDREA GUERRERO
Clipse, Let God Sort ’Em Out
Let God Sort ’Em Out is Clipse at their sharpest, coldest, and most self-assured. Pusha T and Malice deliver razor-clean verses that feel untouchable, grounded in coke-rap realism and moral tension. The production is sparse and menacing, leaving plenty of room for every line to land exactly where it’s meant to. It’s a reminder that longevity in hip hop often comes from precision, not reinvention. -- ANDREA GUERRERO
Demi Lovato, It’s Not That Deep
Lovato made a triumphant return to the pop/dance space this year, giving us a great album filled with pulsing gems that still speak to her journey to personal growth and self acceptance. “Here All Night” should be a much bigger deal than it currently is, “Frequency” and “Little Bit” could be talent show songs for Drag Race, and I genuinely mean that as a compliment. “Sorry to Myself” is absolutely flawless, a marriage of pop synth and autobiographical confession. I’ve been a fan for years, and it’s so wonderful to see Lovato sound so — dare I say it? – confident. –- ERIC REZSNYAK
Doja Cat, Vie
For her third album in five years, r’n’b/rap star Doja Cat takes us back to the early 90s/late 80s while still giving us satisfying music for the 2020s. Doja is equally skilled at singing and rapping – that is a rarity – and Vie is smooth as silk as she effortlessly switches between both styles. Lead single “Jealous Type” is by far the biggest song on the album, but every track is worth a listen. “Stranger,” “AAAHH! Men!” and “Take Me Dancing” with SZA are personal favorites. – ERIC REZSNYAK
Hayley Williams, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party
I’ve always been a big Paramore/Hayley Williams fan, and this album is one of the best of 2025. From top to bottom this album nails heartbreak and moving forward and aiming for success. I love where Williams’ solo career is headed, and this album is proof she will continue to capture our hearts. Also try not to get to get emotional listening to her song “Parachute” - I dare you! — KEVIN DILLON
The Knocks/Dragonette, Revelation
Two great tastes that go great together, Revelation is a full-length collab between American electro producers The Knocks and Canadian electro-pop band Dragonette. I’ve been a fan of both acts for well over a decade, and this joint project (after 2022’s sublime single, “Slow Song”) satisfied even my lofty expectations. “Love Me Alive,” “Friday Night,” “Dreams,” and the title track are genuinely better pop songs than most of what made the Billboard Top 100 this year; I really mean that. If you enjoy electronic music, catchy laid-back pop, and well-crafted music with a fucking pulse (disturbingly hard to find these days), I beg you to give this album a listen. Bonus points for continuing to book Drag Race Season 10 champion Aquaria, who starred in the “Slow Song” video and is featured in the album art and video clips for this project. Impeccable taste. Impeccable! – ERIC REZSNYAK
Lady Gaga, “Abracadabra”
Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” is a true return to form. It feels like Gaga returning to her maximalist, theatrical roots while still sounding utterly fresh — a spellbinding blend of dark-pop drama, glitter-bomb camp, and a vocal performance that snaps from silky to feral in seconds. The production is pure Gaga alchemy: pulsating synths, a stomping beat that feels ripped from a neon-lit runway, and a chorus that explodes like a magic trick. Critics have been thrilled, too — Rolling Stone called it “a triumphant reminder that Gaga can turn pop into performance art without losing its punch,” while Billboard praised it as “her most irresistibly energetic single in years, a spectacle of sound that only she could pull off.” It’s bold, clever, a little chaotic, and completely addictive — basically, everything we want when Gaga casts a new spell. No wonder why 2025’s Mayhem is her highest critically rated album in her discography. Between headlining Coachella, winning her first Emmy, getting engaged, and traveling around the globe with her critically acclaimed Mayhem Tour, LG truly had a Monster Year. – JAKE PITOCHELLI
Militarie Gun, God Save the Sun
Militarie Gun continues to blur the lines between hardcore, alt rock, and something that feels distinctly their own on God Save the Sun. The album is loud, fast, and oddly comforting, balancing raw energy with hooks that sneak up on you. Like most Militarie Gun songs, there’s a sense of urgency that you can feel. Even at its heaviest, the record never feels closed off or inaccessible. – ANDREA GUERRERO
Olivia Dean, The Art of Loving
I was somehow unaware of British singer-songwriter Olivia Dean prior to 2025, but her single “The Man I Need” caught my attention. That led me to “So Easy (To Fall in Love),” which led to me to “Nice to Each Other,” which led me to finally listen to her full-length sophomore album, which is – in a word – lovely. Beautiful songs, sung beautifully, with simple but effective hooks that dip into r’n’b, jazz, and pop. Expect to hear a lot more from Dean in the future, as she’s in contention for the 2026 Best New Artist Grammy. It’s too reductive to compare her to early-career Adele, but here I am, doing exactly that. – ERIC REZSNYAK
Renee Rapp, Bite Me
Listen, Rapp is not the easiest artist to support. Her public persona is offputting and antagonistic, and every time she does an interview, she inevitably says something that makes me question my taste level. But over and over again this year, I found myself coming back to her sophomore studio album. There’s not a bad track on the list, even if the sound feels inconsistent at times (lead single “Leave Me Alone” is catchy, but feels tonally foreign to everything else). Standouts include the crazy catchy “Good Girl” and “At Least I’m Hot,” and the ballad “Shy.” The musical talent is there, as is the star wattage, and there is something admirable about Rapp’s proudly chaotic personality infusing this album, as well as her unabashed queer lyrics. – ERIC REZSNYAK
Sabrina Carpenter, “House Tour”
Sabrina Carpenter’s “House Tour” is such a banger as she turns heartbreak into a clever, hyper-catchy concept and delivers it with her signature wink-meets-wound storytelling. Instead of giving a typical breakup ballad, she walks listeners room-by-room through the “house” of a past relationship, turning everyday spaces into emotional crime scenes with razor-sharp humor and surprisingly tender detail. The production is warm, glossy, and intimate — the kind of pop that feels effortless but lands with real depth — and her vocal delivery is playful, dramatic, and completely self-aware. It’s Sabrina doing what she does best: taking a universal feeling, dressing it up in a clever metaphor, and making it feel both relatable and cinematic. – JAKE PITOCHELLI
SOMBR, I Barely Know Her
This teen prodigy had big buzz ahead of his debut album this year, and in this case, it was actually deserved. From the jump I Barely Know Her sounds bold and assured, far beyond SOMBR’s mere 20 years of age. It’s easy to dismiss TikTok trends as creative AstroTurf, but it allowed a talent like this to catapult straight to stardom, and that’s pretty cool. Male pop has had a rough few years, but if SOMBR is a harbinger for what we can expect to hear in the future, I’m all in. It’s one of the most impressive debut albums I have heard in a long, long time. – ERIC REZSNYAK
Trousdale, Growing Pains
The country-pop girl group’s sophomore album should have gotten way more play. Opening track “Growing Pains” is a terrific opening salvo, supported by a driving beat and those heavenly three-part harmonies on the chorus. “Lonely Night” wouldn’t feel out of place on an 80s movie soundtrack, which is the highest compliment I can give an artist. “Want Me Back” is a lovely, lovelorn ballad. “Don’t Tell Me” is almost genetically engineered for road-trip sing-alongs. I could go on like this. If you like girl groups, tight harmonies, and country pop, please listen to Trousdale. This is a great act that deserves more attention. – ERIC REZSNYAK
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