The 10 Best Albums of 2025 (So Far)

2024 spoiled us. By December I had a top-20 list of albums and still felt like I left things out. There was just so much to love, and so much of it resonated deep.

2025 has been quieter but definitely not empty. No obvious song of the summer yet (which feels kind of illegal?) but we’ve still gotten some really strong releases.

Some of these have been in heavy rotation in my AirPods for months. Others are brand new but hit hard enough that I know they’ll stick.

Here are my favorite albums of 2025, so far.

Honorable Mentions

Blood On the Silver Screen, SASAMI

In my due diligence research for this list, I kept seeing this album pop up, and so of course I played it. Have only listened through once, but I gotta say I’m loving it. If I’d known about it before, maybe it would rank higher! Will revisit at the end of year.

DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, Bad Bunny

I mean, it’s Bad Bunny, of course he put together a collection of certified bops. I can’t in good conscience publish this list without at least mentioning DTmF, even if it doesn’t break my personal top ten.

Louder, Please, Rose Gray

100% pure escapist joy. If I ever went on a beautiful, gay, eternal vacation on a Mediterranean island, this is what I imagine the soundtrack would be.

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And now, for the top ten…

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10. SABLE fABLE, Bon Iver

A two-part journey through night and day. Disc one is eery and cold like an egg you crack open to reveal the golden yolk of disc two, warm and hopeful and beat-driven. Fave tracks: “S P E Y S I D E”, “Everything Is Peaceful Love”

9. DÍA, Ela Minus

Introspective sound bath that feels like the poetic diary entry of a cyborg who wants to be human. Fave tracks: “QQQQ”, “I WANT TO BE BETTER”

8. choke enough, Oklou

There’s a momentum and a slipperiness to this album as though we’re raving, underwater, on another planet, while sharing our softest selves. The muted texture never compromises the speed. The perfect soundtrackification of continuing to grind through burnout. Favorite tracks: “take me by the hand”, “obvious”

7. Virgin, Lorde

She’s not trying to be a prophet anymore, and somehow that makes her more powerful. Virgin is sparse and weird and personal. Favorite tracks: “Favourite Daughter”, “David”

6. MAYHEM, Lady Gaga

She’s back and she brought a sledgehammer. This album is pure Gaga, a return to form, electronic chaos with power ballad DNA. It’s dramatic and honest and I can feel it pulsing through my veins. Fave tracks: “Killah”, “Vanish Into You”, “How Bad Do U Want Me”

5. Addison, Addison Rae

This album surprised me in the best way. It’s bubbly and polished but there’s real heart under the gloss. You can hear the early-2000s inspo, but it’s also playful, weird, and genuinely fun. Favorite tracks: “Fame is a Gun”, “Headphones On”

4. For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women), Japanese Breakfast

An instant classic. This album feels like a love letter to every version of yourself you’ve ever tried to be. It’s tender, self-aware, and cinematic in a way that never tries too hard. Favorite tracks: “Picture Window”, “Orlando in Love”

3. Equus Asinus and Equus Caballus, Men I Trust

This two-album project (Or are they just sister albums? Unsure) is a dreamy, ambling tour of lo-fi funk and whatever genre “slow dancing with your eyes closed in the kitchen at midnight” is. Soft, chewy, and absolutely delicious. Favorite tracks: “Bethlehem” and “I Don’t Like Music” from Asinus, “Come Back Down” and “Husk” from Caballus

2. Eusexua, FKA Twigs

Every track on this album is sexy and unexpected. Nobody else is making pop this fragile and this fearless. Fave tracks: “Girl Feels Good”, “24hr Dog”

1. Sincerely,, Kali Uchis

Oh you thought she ate with ORQUÍDEAS last year? Well, she did, but she’s eating again. Sincerely, is sultry and fluid and a perfect encapsulation of longing and heartbreak. Favorite tracks: “All I Can Say”, “Sugar! Honey! Love!”, “Sunshine & Rain”

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So that’s where I’m at. A dozen or so albums that have been carrying me through this slower music year.

What do you think? Which of these have you fallen for or flat-out rejected? I’m sure there are some glaring omissions—what should I be playing on repeat next?

Hit reply and let me know :)