2025 was a great year for music – from new solo albums from renowned artists to bands releasing their best works to date. The year is coming to a close, but our staff came together to recap this year’s best album releases.
What a year it’s been for music – from Bad Bunny dropping another urban latin banger to GEESE reaching high-praise and recognition with their unique rock sound. 2025 has been met with multiple albums that all tie for the top spot, and Off Record has you covered with our top picks that owned our playlists.
**ALBUM PICKS ARE IN THE ORDER OF DATE RELEASED**
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS by Bad Bunny (Released January 2025)
This genre-bending Puerto Rican continues to solidify himself as the voice of a generation with his sixth studio album. This time, Benito leans further into his roots, painting a vivid picture of life in the PR side of New York and that of those still on the island with warm NatSound, candid conversations and culturally distinct sounds. Highlights off the album include “DtMF,” “BAILE INoLVIDABLE,” “NUEVAYoL” and “CAFe CON RON.”
“DtMF,” in particular, had young Latinos tearing up as they thought about their loved ones, the home countries that no longer feel quite like home and the loved ones that sacrificed everything so they could have a shot in a foreign land. The album is much more than Reggaeton in terms of genre. It’s danceable in more ways than one, with strokes of Salsa, Plena, House and Bomba running throughout the album.
Lyrically, Bad Bunny stays true to himself, not trying to elevate ideas of love or modern colonization though pretentious language, rather letting the message stay grounded by speaking in his own voice to peers. During the album cycle, Bad Bunny took the throne as the most streamed artist in the world and was awarded the Superbowl Halftime show slot for 2026. — Cynthia Zelaya
Hurry Up Tomorrow by The Weeknd (Released January 2025)
R&B singer The Weeknd started this year’s music off strong with his release of Hurry Up Tomorrow. This album not only held up to the expectations of an average musical project from the world-renowned artist, but this time it told us his story. The album surrounds subjects such as faith, heartache, fame, and sin. With this album being The Weeknd’s potential last project under his stage name, it’s clear that he wanted fans to know the real story through his lyrics.
Hurry Up Tomorrow is both beautifully heartbreaking and a masterpiece to dance to. The Weeknd has once again poured his heart and soul into another amazing album. Hurry Up Tomorrow was one of the first albums of 2025 to top the music charts, which helped to sell out his tour. Overall, this album was an amazing way to start the year off for music. — Haidyn Cortez
lucre by Dean Blunt & Elias Rønnenfelt (Released February 2025)
Roy Chukwuemeka Nnawuchi, also known as Dean Blunt, is an astounding songwriter, musician, and producer from the UK. Renowned for his groundbreaking avant-pop collaborations with an array of gifted musicians, Blunt has profoundly impacted the music scene with his mesmerizing project, lucre, in partnership with the enigmatic Elias Rønnenfelt. Together, they create a sonic landscape that resonates deep within, leaving listeners captivated and yearning for more. Debuting on YouTube at the top of the year (and later on streaming platforms), the 16-minute EP is packed with hit after hit.
Effortlessly experimental and cutting deep into electro-pop, lucre expands the minds of its listeners to dimensions they’ve never been to before. Blunt creates a grungy-haze-like atmosphere alongside the somewhat affective vocals of Elias, creating a sound that feels both evocative and reminiscent. It’s edgy, cool, and absolutely captivating. Though not everyone is familiar with the duo, they have crafted a remarkable EP in just 16 minutes, making it destined to gain immense popularity in the future. — Taylor Gammon
Lonesome Drifter by Charlie Crockett (Released March 2025)
With two albums released this year alone, Lonesome Drifter is the first album of 2025 by Charley Crockett. While a Country singer, Crockett has gained a reputation of not shying away from the influence of other genres, especially soul, jazz, and blues. Released a few months before the second stop in its trilogy, Dollar a Day, Lonesome Drifter is a prime showcase of Crockett’s versatility and consistent songwriting, showcasing an influence from 70’s R&B on the titular track, dripping in the classic cowboy singer aesthetic.
His signature style of the cool, lonesome nomad in the Western landscapes of Texas permeates every syllable he breathes into the mic, leaving tracks like “One Trick Pony” and “Under Neon Lights” as standout portraits of the vintage Western appeal. Covers of “Jamestown Ferry” and “Amarillo by Morning” being absolute masterclass performances, Crockett demonstrating how he translates any classic country staple into his own unique style, the latter being his closer for his performance at the 2025 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Cool, collected, classic, and rooted in Texas iconography, Lonesome Drifter is a worthy addition to the extensive Charley Crockett discography. The album is great as a road trip soundtrack for travelers drifting through the Lone Star State. — Mason Velasquez
The Pit by Arcy Drive (Released April 2025)
Arcy Drive really made a name for themselves this year with their debut album The Pit. From the first moments of the opening track “Under the Rug,” their raw sound instantly hooks listeners in for the whole project. Their 4-track, live recording style allows each of the four band members to shine. Nick Mateyunas’s vocals lead with this authentic sound that leans into vocal cracks and scratches in a way that really works for the band’s signature “Attic Rock” style.
After the opening tracks’ high energy, the rest of the album is more laid back; the songs feel meant for a road trip or a campfire for the slowest songs. The bonus track version of the album adds “What’s In My Head,” a perfect addition that now ends the album with a bang. The song is a rush of fun with exciting production and evocative lyrics (“I am the dog and the man who holds the leash”). The record has incredible replay value and is a promising look into the band’s future. — Jakin Cordova
The Crux by DJO (Released April 2025)
Joe Keery, better known as Djo, released his 3rd album titled The Crux, which picks up where his last album DECIDE left off. The album embraces a more organic sound with its vintage, warm feel and personal connections to past life experiences. It serves as an ode to himself, as it focuses on Keery’s struggle with self-identity after moving and going through some major life changes.
Met with different tones such as the anti-conformity track “Basic Being Basic” and the more Beatle-esque sound “Gap Tooth Smile,” DJO steers away from the lo-fi groove and switches to a more melodious indie sound. He continues to stay authentic with vulnerable lyricism, making The Crux an album with absolutely no skips. DJO later released The Crux Deluxe in September of 2025, which serves as the juxtaposition of the original, followed with more of a synth-pop + dark-pop sound. — Keylee Paz
Even in Arcadia by Sleep Token (Released May 2025)
Sleep Token presents their fourth studio album as an offering to love lost, boundaries found and an epic collection of layered themes and sounds. Show-offs. The anonymous English band includes themes of Greek mythology, complex mathematics, video games and biblical locations to tell a story loosely based on the cycles of abuse and the choice to end or continue it. Is it a love story? An exploration of parasocial relationships between fan and artist? It’s up to the listener, as the anonymous band is most certainly not about to spill in any interviews.
The band headlined the largest Louder Than Life festival to date while touring this album and scooping up two Grammy nominations. Stand-out songs include “Dangerous,” “Caramel,” “Provider” and “Gethsemane” for extremely interesting musical arrangements, superb drumming and clever lyrics. Those who don’t have a very varied taste in music may need a few listens to truly fall in love. Metalheads were frothing at the mouth earlier this year over Sleep Token being classified as metal by major publications, and to their credit, it doesn’t often sound like a metal album. Electronic melodies call back to House and Chiptune, the lyricist and drummer make their love to rap and Hiphop very clear in their beats and verses. — Cynthia Zelaya
NEVER ENOUGH by Turnstile (Released June 2025)
Turnstile started off as a local hardcore band from Baltimore, and grew into massive success following their 2021 release Glow On. The follow-up album NEVER ENOUGH was highly-anticipated, resulting in high praise from critics as it topped its predecessor. The album keeps in touch with their hardcore roots, as heard in tracks like “SOLE” and “BIRDS.” It also experiments with a fresh hard rock sound in tracks like “I CARE” and “SLOWDIVE,” something that gears to a more universal listen.
The entire album was also marketed perfectly – through a visual album that premiered at TRIBECA Festival, to a secret show under a NYC overpass. Not to forget, this album gave way to one of the best NPR Tiny Desk performances of all time. NEVER ENOUGH made them more visible on the hard rock / hardcore maps, and TURNSTILE positively shows that there is no slowing down. — Keylee Baque
Slugger by Derby (Released June 2025)
DERBY’s debut album, Slugger, is an inspired project, with tender lyrics buried beneath enticing instrumentals. You can hear shades of Mk.gee, Dijon, and Alex G throughout each track. As the album unfolds, the vocals begin pitched up, slowly settling back into their natural tone by the end. The uniqueness of DERBY’s approach to the modern sound is refreshing. Catchy melodies, drawn-out choruses, and unique rhythms all stand out as strong pieces of the album.
However, the real gold is buried deeper within the music. The lyricism. When I first stumbled across this album, I was encapsulated by the instrumentation and production. I listened to it for months, humming along, thinking I fully understood it. When I finally took the time to focus on the lyrics, I found the real beauty in the sound. Mother Mary stands out as the strongest track in my opinion, and it’s also one of the most beautifully written songs on the album. Vulnerable, poetic, and raw, this debut is personal and hard-hitting from every perspective.
DERBY does not sacrifice one aspect of musicality for another. He is a hidden gem with a knack for every piece of what makes music great. I could sit here and write about it all day and night, but it’s something you won’t understand until you experience it for yourself. — Abby Crutchfield
BLUSH by Kevin Abstract (Released June 2025)
Kevin Abstract went back to his roots for his latest project, BLUSH. Throughout every phase of his career, he’s shown an unmatched instinct for curation. On BLUSH, he steps aside and hands the spotlight to up-and-coming artists, especially those coming out of Houston. The Texas collaborations run deep, featuring Love Spells, Truly Young, DERBY, E Bleu, Drigo, Makana XO, SoGoneSoFlexy, and more. The album also brings in more familiar names like Dominic Fike, Quadeca, JPEGMAFIA, and Danny Brown.
BLUSH is more than just an album. It feels like a curated art piece. Abstract pulls from techniques he used during his BROCKHAMPTON days, from the sound to the samples to the production. But his newer experiences and sharpened craft push his trademark style even further, forming something cohesive and fully realized.
The tone of BLUSH is something only Kevin Abstract could touch. BLUSH is a community. BLUSH is flexible. It’s a constant motion of voices and experiences passing through one another. Kevin Abstract creates a world within BLUSH, one that exists within itself. — Abby Crutchfield
BELOVED by GIVĒON (Released July 2025)
Beloved is the fourth coming album by American singer-songwriter Giveon. An album containing contemporary R&B and Soul; this is the album that would put you through a roller coaster of emotions when it comes to love, but also heartbreak. This storytelling album will take you through his personal experiences that we got a glimpse of hearing when we first heard “TWENTIES” as a major single before the album dropped. The single itself gave us a chance to listen to how he’s wasted time and heartbreak during his prime twenties, which reflects true depth for fans to understand his story.
Not to mention, this album reveals his experience in a failed relationship when it comes to songs like “I CAN TELL” where he describes her heart isn’t in it like it used to be, or states the obvious where he ‘rather be a fool than to start with something’ new’ in “RATHER BE” which is his second most streamed song right behind “TWENTIES”. His vulnerability in this album seems to really connect with old and new fans alike where listeners can really connect with some of these songs in their own way. With his distinctive sound being so well known; it really emphasizes his emotions within his tone singing in between each song. — Evelyn Herrera
Breach by Twenty One Pilots (Released August 2025)
For the past decade, Twenty One Pilots has been building a world within their music, full of storytelling, to create a lore-rich character and plot that connects each of their last five albums. This past year, the duo released Breach. An album that not only concludes the story the band has meticulously written out, but also brings back nostalgia for longtime fans. From the album topping the charts, to using songs that were originally written 10-15 years ago, and even the use of a red and black color scheme once again, fans feel like they’re back in 2015 when their hit album Blurryface first surfaced.
Breach is extremely special to this past year, not just because of the band’s signature sound making a full comeback, but because it brought their fans back together in the biggest way possible. It made a huge impact by bringing in new fans and helped older fans who may have stopped listening for a while find their way back to the Skeleton Clique. — Haidyn Cortez
Man’s Best Friend by Sabrina Carpenter (Released August 2025)
Sabrina Carpenter has cemented her place as the princess of pop music with her newest album, Man’s Best Friend. The singer’s seventh album perfectly encapsulates dating men in your twenties- the highs, lows, and sex of it all. This album is chock full of sexual innuendos, like on her song “Tears”- “I get wet at the thought of you being a responsible guy.” She gives us relatable takes on relationships in “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night”, “Nobody’s Son”, “Never Getting Laid”, and “My Man on Willpower”. Each of the songs on this album are lyrical perfection, full of her signature self-deprecating charm and double meanings, like her song “House Tour.”
Sonically the album is made up of fun, sparkly pop with influences from disco, such as “Tears” and “Goodbye,” with “Goodbye” sounding straight out of an ABBA album. She also is influenced by country, seen on “Manchild” and “Go Go Juice.” The entire album is sparkly, camp, and endlessly fun. — Lauren Pennell
God Does Like Ugly by JID (Released August 2025)
Hip hop is a genre that is ever-changing, and one of the coolest cats in the scene is JID. With the raw talent of finding cadences like no other and a sharp pen to match his skills, his fourth album, God Does Like Ugly, was one of the highlights of the year. Fresh off his viral hit “Surround Sound,” JID had more ears than ever ready to hear what more he could do. On his newest album, he explored topics like personal growth, the effects of gentrification in his community, and life in general.
JID brought his all with standout tracks like “Community,” “Gz,” and “K-Word,” as well as notable features from Clipse, Vince Staples, Ciara, and Houston’s own Don Toliver. God Does Like Ugly continues to prove sonically why JID is at the point in his career he is right now, as well as the respect he has gained from his peers. — Leydi Gonzalez
Baby! by Dijon (Released August 2025)
After a four-year hiatus, Grammy-nominated Dijon finally released his sophomore album Baby! It’s named after his son and carved out of the quiet revelations of fatherhood. Supported by abstract, scattershot hip-hop samples, he wanders through his new life, new love, and new terrain. The album feels softly vulnerable, a shift from the pure, aching yearning of his debut, Absolutely. His lyrics, half-buried and half-mumbled, trace the birth of his son and the way it deepened his love for his wife.
Listeners are selfish. Dijon knows this. His songwriting is personal, but it’s also pliable. Simple enough to hold, elastic enough for anyone to bend the meaning to fit their own life. That’s where that strange, unmistakable authenticity comes from.
This album is anything but conventional. He got us hooked on the raw, unfiltered sound of his debut, then spun a full 180 into something transformed and gritty for his second. That evolution hits even harder after hearing it live. And now we’re hooked all over again. It’s the kind of magic only someone with Dijon’s quiet wizardry could ever pull off. — Abby Crutchfield
A Matter of Time by Laufey (Released August 2025)
The whimsical world of Laufey captured the attention of many new listeners this year with topics like heartbreak, falling in love, and the hardships of friendship. Her third studio album, A Matter of Time, explored different styles of production, from her signature bossa nova jazz sound like “Mr. Eclectic” to the country-inspired track “Clean Air.”
This album had a song for everyone to relate to her songwriting, which at times felt like someone had finally put into words what you believed you had experienced by yourself. With an amazing album cover that played on the name of the album and a color palette that carried into her tour set design, her visuals made this album feel like a world in itself. The standout tracks on this album were “Too Little, Too Late,” “Lover Girl,” and “Sabotage.” This was the album where she cemented herself as one of the new it girls in pop music. — Leydi Gonzalez
Getting Killed by GEESE (Released September 2025)
Following 2021’s 3D Country, New York natives Geese return in true form with new spunk, creativity, and drive. The first track, Trinidad, sends the listener tiptoeing through an eerie, almost dystopian world with looming bass and wandering vocals. Almost immediately, the creeping quality of this song is shattered with frontman Cameron Winter’s haunting refrain; “There’s a bomb in my car!”, which sends the Long Island outfit into one of the many heavy and infectious musical frenzies across the album. Getting Killed continues the spontaneity in each song, where the ensemble balances somber moments akin to early Beatles tunes, rough and dirty indie cuts with the authenticity of The Strokes, and emotive ballads that almost play like a Coldplay single.
The standout single, Taxes, is a perfect storm of all three, with a catchy crescendo and a driving chorus. Each tune is doctored with an almost tongue-in-cheek quality, thanks to Winter’s emotive vocal performance and introspective, but not overly obvious lyrics. It’s clear that Geese found a way to pave a new path in indie rock by making an album for themselves, and it shows in every driving groove, grimey riff, and tight performance. — Gracie Archibeque
Merchant Ships (I Want To Remember) by Merchant Ships (Released October 2025)
This iconic Screamo band from South Bend, Indiana, first got their come-up with their ‘For Cameron’ EP, which put them on the map, and for a brief period of time, they were bound for Screamo stardom. However, all good things must come to an end, and by July 2010, they would dissolve, with some of the band’s members going on to participate in ‘Midwest Pen Pals’, another cult-classic Emo band. They briefly discussed a reunion show in 2016, but that idea quickly fizzled out.
However, thanks to social media, nearly a decade later the once inactive band would receive newfound popularity and by early 2025 they would blow up, gaining popularity thanks to their song ‘Sleep Patterns.’ Eventually this new-found popularity lead the once inactive band, to release their self-titled album, which featured an array of new tracks such as ‘Iron Horse’, ‘Drinking Music’, and ‘My Journey To The Weed Den’, channeling that raw, emotive sound that made them popular in the first place. Truly a must-listen for fans of the genre. — Allen Match
From The Pyre by The Last Dinner Party (Released October 2025)
The Last Dinner Party reaffirm their status as a rock band to watch on their sophomore album, From The Pyre. Much like their first album, Prelude To Ecstasy, From The Pyre is dramatic, filled with flourishing, and anciently haunting sounding rock and art pop. The bass lines are prominent and funky, the strings reverent, the vocals layered, harmonious, and dramatic. The album touches on relationships with “Agnus Dei”, “Count the Ways”, “Second Best”, and “Sail Away”, grief in “The Scythe”, womanhood in “Woman Is a Tree” and “I Hold Your Anger.” Their lead single, “This Is The Killer Speaking” is a cheeky song (in the same vein as “Psycho Killer” by The Talking Heads) about being ghosted.
My personal favorite, however, is Count The Ways. The lyrics are relatable and sincerely sweet, and the melody is catchy- it’s been consistently stuck in my head for a week now. This album beat the sophomore slump, nepo baby allegations and hit just as hard as their first. I find myself replaying it over and over again. This is an album to check out if you enjoy the drama of it all, have issues with womanhood and religion, and enjoy artists like Florence and the Machine, Hozier, Wet Leg, or the Arctic Monkeys. — Lauren Pennell
Melt by Not for Radio (Released October 2025)
María Zardoya steps back from the captivating sounds of the Marías to explore the depths of her own creativity in her new solo project, Not for Radio. Recorded by Flying Cloud Recordings in upstate New York with producers Sam Evian and Luca Buccellati, María shines brighter than ever, radiating a shimmering silhouette of vulnerability. Like the title of the record, you undoubtedly melt into each of its 10 tracks.
Flowing in a stream of emotions, it’s the ride of psychedelia and gothic-inspired sounds you never knew you needed. In its entirety, Melt is not just a record, but a piece of pure self-exploration, grief, and the ebbs and flows of romance. She lets us inside, unapologetically exposing her thoughts, and creates a voice that stands alone from the Marías. María’s experimentation with self-writing and discovery unfolds in this masterpiece, making it one of the best projects to debut in 2025. — Taylor Gammon
Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party by Hayley Williams (Released November 2025)
It all started on July 29th – Good Dye Young began selling an exclusive marigold dye called EGO. A few purchasers received a code to Hayley Williams’ new site that unlocked not one… but 17 brand new songs. The singer is known to drop solo hints in the most bizarre ways, this time – Williams dropped off a CD with singles “MIRTAZAPINE” and “GLUM” to WLPN, Nashville’s NPR station. The 17 songs were released as singles on August 1st, with the full album released on November 7th to accompany physical releases.
The lyrical content is Williams at her most vulnerable with hints of hope, all while embracing her full independence as an artist. Each song is unique in its own way through different messaging and musicality. As she pours her heart out in songs like “Whim,” “Love Me Different” and “I Won’t Quit on You,” she also expresses her rage and disparity in tracks like “True Believer,” “Ice in my OJ” and “Parachute.” Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party serves as Williams’ strongest solo work to date as she continues to work through discovering who she is as a solo artist, away from Paramore. — Keylee Baque
Stardust by Danny Brown (Released November 2025)
Danny Brown says Stardust is the project he’s been trying to make his whole life, and god does it sound like it. Each track feels like an entire movie, and the features are insane (underscores, Frost Children, femtanyl, and more). This is his year, the whole album feels like him coming home to his own sound. It’s a project about resilience, and I think we all need that kind of hope in our lives.
My top songs off the album are “Copycats,” “1L0v3myL1f3!,” “Lift You Up,” “What You See,” and “Baby”. I really enjoy how many lyrical callbacks there are to Danny Brown & underscores songs, it makes the album that much more interactive. I think if aliens needed an example of what music sounded like in 2025, we would need to send them this album. — Cell Vasquez
Everyone’s a Star! by 5 Seconds of Summer (Released November 2025)
5 Seconds of Summer are the ultimate ‘boyband’ of this generation and their sixth studio album, ‘Everyone Is a Star’ reflects their flourishing decadence of their evolved sound and style, and along with their boisterous personalities.
The band is fully taking control of the public ‘boyband’ narrative and expanding it into a world of its own. With a satire tongue and cheek play about their image, the band took the inspiration and invented something even bigger. The press and showrun of promoting the new record embossed an “inflated rockstar ego persona” of white long stretch limousines, special live pop up show in New York Times Square, and tv performances. The new era portrays 5sos as the stereotypical ‘polarizing rockstar’ showing off their lavish fast paced life and superstar persona.
‘Everyone Is a Star’ is a high energy blend of dance pop, synths, and their angsty alternative/pop influences. The record is a dynamic production that showcases the elements of each member within their musical and vocal abilities. It grasps themes involving their idea of their fame and success as young men, their decade plus long journey together as a band, and most importantly their appreciation for their large female fanbase.
Every member in 5 Seconds of Summer is in fact-a glimmering star. The boys have each released records independently, converting their influences and songwriting into their own mold. And Yes… 5sos is a boyband who actually plays their instruments and sings live! — Hanna Oliva
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