The Best Albums Released in 2025 (So Far)

Welp…we’re officially halfway through the year 2025. Is it just me, or does it feel like we’ve been in this year for a century?

Now…I always tend to write the same sorts of things in these paragraphs, so I wanted to switch it up. Writing about music is so enjoyable for me because it’s such a way to escape and really analyze, critique, and fall in love with art for whatever reason you love music. So while you take a look at our picks for the Top 12 Albums of 2025 (so far), we hope you find something new to escape in 🙂 – Kristin

In chronological order:

I don’t think Bad Bunny has ever released an album and it hasn’t wound up near the top of my year-end list. So, it only makes sense that DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, the reggaeton superstar’s sixth solo studio album (since 2018—does this man rest???) is right at the top of my list for the best albums released in 2025, so far. Who knows what the rest of the year will bring us, but no matter what happens, I can’t see it far down the list. That’s because DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS is a total masterpiece, even if it is kind of a pain to write out. 

Bad Bunny has said that this album is a love letter to his home, Puerto Rico, and throughout the album he takes on different political themes in regards to his home island, especially “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii,” in which he fears that the intense colonization that happened to the Hawaiian islands that turned it into a tourist destination that’s priced out Native Hawaiians, could happen to Puerto Rico.

The 17-track album is a reggaeton album through and through, but contains so many elements of various genres that are popular in Puerto Rican music, like plena and salsa. The name, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, which means “I Should Have Taken More Photos,” is a bit heartbreaking, and fits in perfectly with the style and themes of the album. It’s hard to imagine what life must be like for Bad Bunny, who had such a meteoric rise. Within just a few years, he went from working at a grocery store to being the most streamed artist on the planet. The album is a love letter to Puerto Rico, and to his childhood—one that must seem so far away now that he’s soared to astronomical heights. – Erin

My arc as a fan of Sasami has been a sporadic one: I initially started listening to her music in late 2021 and then was surprisingly interested in her 2022 release, Squeeze, which mixed indie, nu-metal, and industrial sounds—a combination that’s 1) quite unique to Sasami, who is a conservatory-trained classical French horn player, producer, and composer, and 2) a mixture of genre-bending songs that I generally wouldn’t go for.

When Sasami was gearing up for the release of her 2025 album Blood On The Silver Screen, I knew I was going to love this project even more. Sasami took inspiration from some of pop’s reigning queens: Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry. “I’ll Be Gone” is an ‘80s synth dream that I can imagine HAIM singing, “Honeycrash” has a stadium ready guitar riff, and “Slugger” is the perfect pop banger that should honestly be a radio hit.

What makes Sasami unique is not only her background and her distinct vocal tone, but also her ability to seamlessly blend multiple genres into a sound that’s quintessentially “Sasami.” In a press release speaking to the inspiration behind the album, Sasami notes that “I wanted to be more playful and communicate more with pop culture,” she says. “I’m a classically trained musician, but when I listen to music, I think about how I feel, how I want to feel, how I want to move to it. And that’s what’s special about music—how it connects to culture, how it connects to different styles of music, how it connects to the timbre of the voice of the person singing it.” – Kristin

It’s official—Mother Monster has returned. Since her 2008 debut, Lady Gaga has had a wide ranging career: after her Sports Emmy win (yes, Sports Emmy), the pop icon is one award away from an EGOT. She’s released Americana-inspired albums, and had a soft rock ballad that she dueted on with Bradley Cooper sell more than 10 million copies. But the dark, distinctive and frankly, weird, pop star that we all fell in love with nearly 20 years ago has still been underneath the whole time—and it was unleashed again on Mayhem, Lady Gaga’s sixth solo studio album, which was released on March 7.

Mayhem is filled with instant classics. “Perfect Celebrity” is an expertly-crafted callback to “Paparazzi,” “Abracadabra,” the album’s second single has just the right amount seemingly gibberish in its chorus and a blasting dance pop beat “Disease” is an infectious album opener, and “Garden of Eden” is just a tremendous song. Even songs that don’t mesh as well, lyrically, with the rest of the album, like “How Bad Do You Want Me,” which sees Gaga singing about being a “bad girl,” are fun, danceable, solid pop songs.

The only place where the album falters is on its final track, “Die With a Smile,” a ballad duet sung with Bruno Mars. The soulful soft rock song doesn’t fit with the rest of the album. It feels more like a random B-side that got tacked on the end, instead of a fitting conclusion to a stellar album. – Erin

Is there anyone who can turn their stories into dreamy, ethereal creative works like Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast can? The band mastered it, yet again, on their latest album, For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women), which was released March 21. 

Zauner’s lyrics remain just as poetic, the new album is a stark difference from Japanese Breakfast’s previous work. While Jubilee, the band’s 2021 was a bright burst of exuberance, For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) is, just as its name suggests, is gloomier, and examines all sides of sadness.

The album name is actually from the track “Orlando in Love,” the album’s lead single. Zauner was inspired to write it after reading The World of Apples by John Cheever, which contains a short story where a man is fantasizing about sleeping with different women, including some melancholy brunettes and sad women.

It’s the album that I keep returning to over and over this year, and gets better with each listen. From the beauty of Zauners lilting voice in the chorus of “Picture Window,” to the pure poetry of “Orlando in Love,” it’s a fantastic listen. – Erin

Many albums have evergreen songs—their meaning isn’t beholden to a certain time or place. But that’s not the case for Welcome to My Blue Sky, the fourth album by Calabasas-based indie rock band Momma. The album, which was released April 4, serves as a sort of diary that spans the band’s 2022 tour after the release of their album Household Name.

This new album chronicles the highs and lows of that time, and the experience of all of the emotional upheaval that comes with being in your early 20s, especially when you’re thrust into an experience like a huge tour.

One of the many highlights on Welcome to My Blue Sky is the song “I Want You (Fever).” It’s a song that the band wrote about wanting to be with someone who is already in another relationship, and even though the lyrical source material might not come from a fun place, it’s an exceedingly fun song with an infectiously repetitive chorus that’s a total earworm.

The band is heavily influenced by alternative and grunge bands from the ’90s, and that’s something that’s super evident on this album, so any fans of that era of music would find something to love in Momma’s work, like the band’s hazy sound or blasting guitars. But it also expands on it—Momma’s not stuck in the past, even if they are reflecting on it throughout this album. – Erin

At this rate, I think I will be writing about Joe Keery’s album The Crux (released under the moniker of Djo) all year long, but it truly seems to be my favorite album of the year. There are so many new highlights every time I come back to a handful of the songs: “Basic Being Basic” was and remains a perfect first single for the project, but others like “Back On You”, “Charlie’s Garden”, and “Link” (especially “Link”) continue to magically become better after each listen, and have established themselves on my everyday song rotation.

As I ruminate on these songs pretty much on a daily basis, I also keep hearing and noticing new evident inspirations that influenced Keery’s songwriting, making me appreciate how much time must have gone into studying the artists he loves and their craft. Paul McCartney is clearly the record’s main muse, as its plagued with happy, dynamic vocals and melodic guitars and basses (also, my Beatles-obsessed close friend keeps saying that ““Charlie’s Garden” is a more Paul McCartney song than any Paul McCartney song” so I think that means I’m right). But the tribute to old school pop-rock music is even broader with hints of Fleetwood Mac, The Strokes, Talking Heads, and so many other bands and artists that have defined the pop rock scene. I think Djo is an artist who loves art, and I believe he has carefully taken it all in and used it as fuel to create some of my favorite songs of the year. – Javi

We’ve all had it rough in our early 20s, but I can’t say I relate to the emotional turmoil that comes with going through two earth-shattering breakups, BACK TO BACK, before my frontal lobe was fully developed. But that’s exactly what happened to 27-year-old Jensen McRae, and she made an incredible album out of it.

I Don’t Know How But They Found Me! is a breakup album, but it’s also an album about resilience and empowerment. Throughout this 11-song project, McRae’s skill as a songwriter shines bright, showing off that full-rude scholarship she received to USC’s Thornton School of Music. A self-proclaimed Taylor Swift fan, McRae’s vulnerability and striking attention to detail is likely something she’s learned from Swift: check out McRae’s Substack HERE where she writes a 2500 word essay titled “Taylor Swift & The Persistence Of Memory.”

McRae is signed to Dead Oceans, home to another artist that I’m sure shares a large amount of fans with McRae—Phoebe Bridgers. I bring this up because back in 2021, McRae had a viral moment on X when she dropped a “cover” of an imaginary Bridgers song. The parallels in tonality and lyrics are certainly there, but, no offense to Bridgers whatsoever (please drop the album queen, it’s been over five years), McRae’s vocal prowess pulls her out of the “singer-songwriter” category into a full fledged pop star.

Standouts on the album include “Let Me Be Wrong,” an ode to a perfectionist letting go of the fear of failure, “Praying For Your Downfall,” about that FINAL (THE actual final) stage of getting over someone, and “Massachusetts,” a song that truly makes me sad for a relationship I’ve never even lost.
– Kristin

I had no doubts that I was going to love Blondshell’s new album after it was announced. Blondshell, the stage name of LA-based indie rock musician Sabrina Teitelbaum, also released one of my favorite albums of 2023: her self-titled debut album, Blondshell.

If You Asked for a Picture, Blondshell’s second album, which was released May 2, is no sophomore slump. One of my favorite songs on the album is its opener, “Thumbtack,” a slow build that cuts to the core about feelings of being used and dealing with crappy people, that Teitelbaum excels at writing about. “What’s Fair” is an angry take on the singer’s up-and-down relationship with her mom, and “Arms,” one of the album’s moodier tracks, is about having to be a proxy mom to someone who isn’t taking care of themselves.

The album is just as moody, grungy and angry as Blondshell’s debut, but expands on its work sonically. It’s a great second album, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Teitelbaum. – Erin

Addison, Addison Rae
Release date – June 8, 2025

Addison Rae’s Addison is easily one of the best debut albums in recent memory—and if there’s any justice, she’ll be a serious contender for Best New Artist at the Grammys. It’s sharp, self-assured, and packed with personality, proving that Rae isn’t just a TikTok star dabbling in music—she’s the real deal. Produced and co-written by two powerhouse women, Elvira Anderfjärd and Luka Kloser, the album is sleek, cohesive, and brimming with fun. It’s a project that knows exactly what it wants to be: flirty, nostalgic, and unapologetically pop.

The singles alone show off her range. “Diet Pepsi” is icy and Y2K-inspired, “Aquamarine” feels like a beach day in a bottle, “Fame Is a Gun” is a smoky, slow-burn standout, and “Times Like These” dips into emotional, trip-hop territory. They’re all totally different but equally infectious, and they fit seamlessly into an album that’s short, sweet, and wildly replayable. The cover art—reminiscent of early 2000s pop stars like Britney or Christina—sets the tone for a project steeped in glittery nostalgia, but nothing about Addison feels like a gimmick. On top of it all, Rae is already selling out her headline tour, proving she’s not just an online sensation—she’s a full-fledged pop star in the making.

Like I discussed just a few days ago on our “Best songs of June” post, I only recently stumbled upon the British band “Girl Group” after hearing them on a New Music Friday playlist, and became absolutely enthralled after listening to the rest of their debut EP, Think They’re Looking, Let’s Perform.  The band’s sound is best described as indie pop with sharp lyricism and sonically similar to one of Staged Haze’s favorites, “Wet Leg.” I’d like to say they lean more bubblegum pop when comparing the two.

The band’s Spotify biography mentions that the band “aim[s] to celebrate and make space for women in music,” a clear mission statement that’s woven throughout the six-track EP, including the trite “sleepover fantasy,” sexual harassment, the invalidation of female musicians, and so many more uncomfortable scenarios that many women, unfortunately, deal with on a daily basis.

Though I love each song on this project, the standouts have to be the opening “Flink Pike,” a song about the unattainable standards of living in a capitalistic society and how to live without pissing anyone off—(Flink Pike is a Norwegian term that means “a conflict-avoiding person” and is often associated with the “Good Girl Syndrome,”I suggest you look it up), and “Man Made Girl Groups,” a song that speaks to to the rampant sexism women continue to face in the music industry. – Kristin

I Quit, Haim
Release date – June 20, 2025

Haim’s I Quit is easily one of the standout albums of 2024—and not just because I already gushed about it when it dropped. Weeks later, it still holds up as one of the most fun, emotional, and fully realized releases of the year. With 15 tracks, it’s a bold, meaty album tailor-made for Single Girl Summer—full of windows-down, scream-the-lyrics moments and cathartic pop-rock bangers. Produced by Danielle Haim and former collaborator Rostam Batmanglij (with contributions from Buddy Ross), the album walks the line between vulnerability and swagger in a way that feels more effortless than ever.

The lead singles alone were a whole era: “Relationships,” one of the biggest pop songs of the year, features Drew Starkey in a cheeky, reverse-narrative video; “Down to Be Wrong” stars Logan Lerman in a moody hotel-room breakup fantasy; “Take Me Back” leans into full Y2K nostalgia; and “All Over Me” features a dreamy trio—Will Poulter, Archie Madekwe, and Nabhaan Rizwan. For the first time in their discography, Alana and Este each take the lead on their own songs, adding new depth and dynamic energy to the band’s sound. I Quit is personal, powerful, and packed with replay value—an album that proves Haim is still evolving, still experimenting, and still at the top of their game.

Lorde’s Virgin just dropped last Friday, and it’s already shaping up to be one of the most talked-about albums of the year. She’s my number one pop star, so I was fully invested in every part of the rollout: the Washington Square Park gathering for the “What Was That” video, the surprise listening party at Baby’s All Right, and all the voice memos she sent along the way. “What Was That,” which I wrote about here, set the tone perfectly—electric, chaotic, and emotionally raw. Then came “Man of the Year,” where she wore duct tape across her chest in a video that echoed her Met Gala look, followed by “Hammer,” a pulsing, late-night anthem with a video shot in Hampstead Heath that showed Lorde at her most exposed—literally and emotionally.

The album was made at Electric Lady Studios with Jim-E Stack, known for his work with Bon Iver, and that influence shows—it’s textured, strange, and full of unexpected turns. But at its core, Virgin is pure Lorde: confessional, theatrical, intimate, and totally addictive. Every track offers something different, and the sequencing makes it feel like a full journey, so the only right way to listen is from start to finish. It already feels like the New York City summer soundtrack—made for rooftop nights, long walks, and existential spirals on the train. As always, fans are deep in lyric analysis mode, and the more you listen, the more it reveals. She may only give us an album every few years, but when she does, she gives us everything—and Virgin is easily one of the best of 2025. – Jesse