Staged Haze Presents: The 50 Best Albums of 2025

It’s the most wonderful time of year, AKA when all of the music publications start publishing their “best of the year” posts and the discourse around music gets pretty intense (for those of us who pay attention to it).

The first time I (Kristin) wrote a year end list was way back in 2017, and the first time this post was written by a group was in 2020. It’s been a crazy journey to see how the post—and Staged Haze—has evolved over the years, including how different, yet similar the writers’ music taste can be during each year.

The 50 albums below aren’t too surprising if you’ve been paying attention to what we’ve been writing about this year, but there is a loud absence of Staged Haze staples like Taylor Swift—who has been included in our year end best of lists every year she’s released an album up until 2025. Woof!

Anyway, I really hope you see your favorite make our list or you find the inclusion of an artist you’ve never heard of and feel motivated to check their stuff out. Here’s to 2026!

Maybe it was the depressive episode I was going through for a good portion of 2025, or maybe I’m just learning new things about myself, or maybe both! But Adam Melchor’s record The Art of Living, and its songs about finding your place in the world, being hopeful but also realistic, and pondering on your dreams and goals really struck a chord for me. When feeling lost becomes a familiar feeling, so does looking for explanations, for a bigger purpose and reason to keep going and keep trying, and to me this collection of songs greatly encapsulates that journey.

I also just really like some folky music every once in a while! I’ve been a fan of Adam for a few years now, and growing up I remember having an indie-folk phase at some point, (plus track 6, “Room On Your Shoulder” is a Mt. Joy collab people!!) so me loving this album definitely adds up. I am one of the hopefuls, and I hope other struggling idealists can enjoy this record as well. – Javi

DOPAMINE is Lil’ Tecca’s fifth studio album and also his highest charting after debuting at #3 on the Billboard chart and honestly, it shows. It’s an album packed with heavy hitters and with barely a feature. Just one, to be precise, and mostly no sampling. With the rising challenge of finding commercial music that doesn’t heavily lean on sampling to entrap it’s listeners or a high visibility feature, this album is a testament to originality and a huge success for a commercial project. – Ilana

On Take Van’s third album, The Night Gets Loud, Vanessa Valdes does what she does best, pairing buttery vocals over raucous drum and bass beats with accents of hyperpop. It brings the heat and eroticism of her Miami background to the forefront. Each song oozes sexuality and confidence to an assaultive degree, but in a good way. Take Van is one of the artists I’m most excited about right now and you can quote me on this: she’s next up. – Ilana

If you are a sucker for nostalgic lyrics about growing up and time passing by (and potentially having Peter Pan syndrome) like me, this one is for you. Following the sudden success of her single “We Hug Now,” Georgia-born singer-songwriter Sydney Rose decided to release an EP that includes that song, but that is otherwise much more minimalistic and stripped down. I Know What I Want sounds like Sydney could’ve recorded it in her bedroom, bringing a sense of intimacy and vulnerability that makes you want to crawl into a ball and sob.

The first time I heard Sydney Rose was at Beat Kitchen in 2022, back when I didn’t know her, and then cried as she played “idk what i did” (I had just gotten out of a situationship, oops). Every song in this project holds the same amount of relatability and sense of “oh wow, I’ve never had an original experience,” but in a way that makes you feel so seen and understood. I love Sydney’s songwriting and being able to watch her progress and rise in real time, so this EP naturally became one of my favorites. – Javi

Finally Over It is (hopefully for Ms. Walker’s sake) the last album in her ‘Over It” trilogy. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get to the ‘finally’ part. I have a lot of questions about her decisions when it comes to dating and romance, but wow am I grateful that she has chosen to share her art with the world.

Summer’s music is a salve for the lonely and yearning; for the women, especially, who feel at a loss with whom they’ve found themselves loving; who vacillates between anger, vengefulness, and subservience and this project is full of humorous reflections on past relationships. For instance, sometimes you look back and think someone you dated didn’t deserve the ways you respected them, and ultimately, you should’ve burglarized their home and exposed their secrets.
– Ilana

There is a closeness and comfort that comes up with Jeremy Zucker’s music for me, that I think came to full effect on his newest album Garden State. With songs mostly inspired by his childhood and the years he spent living in New Jersey before moving to NYC for school (the man was supposed to become a doctor), the 14-track record is nostalgic and a little more stripped down than his previous full-length album CRUSHER, returning to the style that made his 2018 EP summer so successful.

At 29-years-old, recently married, and expecting his first child, this is a time to reflect and reminisce on everything that made him who he is. Throughout Garden State, Zucker visits moments of potential regret and/or grief ( “what we almost had,” “i don’t know you”) but also holds space to forgive himself and focus on how far he’s gotten (“surprise!”, “letting go”). I’m almost the same age as Jeremy is now (shudders), have been a fan of his for about a decade now, and I am at a point in life where I want to try to pat myself in the back for my progress more often, so this album was one that I needed. – Javi

As a long time Twenty One Pilots fan, I am pretty biased when it comes to any of their releases. I am, however, aware of the distinct success between each album and era, and the reasons why (this is basically me saying that I swear this album is good and not just because this band is meaningful to me, you know). Breach takes us back to a sound similar to the one that made Blurryface (2015) so big, and feels appropriately monumental to be the final chapter of the (literal) story they began writing back then.

There is too much lore behind the album and the band for me to dive into (we’ve been here before, people!) but naturally that is one of the reasons why this album hit the way it did. The darker themes and melodies that were peaking out in Clancy (2024) are now fully back, and so are the screams and crescendos that have defined Twenty One Pilots’ sound through the years. I think this one is for the clikkies that have spent a decade writing theories and reading into Tyler and Josh’s every move, and a celebration of the band and the fans’ journey so far. – Javi

I’ve been on the Boyish train for a few years, first finding their music in 2021. Since then, they’ve grown fairly well for an indie band: they’ve toured with artists like spill tab and The Beaches, and have collaborated on songs with King Princess and Rachel Chinouriri. 

Gun, the band’s third album, is built around an imaginary, surreal small town called “Gun,” which was inspired by the duo’s strange experiences from their time touring across middle-of-nowhere America. I honestly didn’t even know that before reading up on the album for this review, but it absolutely makes sense to me, considering I grew up in the midwest and already felt some sort of eerie, familiar connection to this album. Gun is also a test of some sort in the way that the duo restricted themselves to the same five instruments for the entire project. 

Musically, Gun blends shoegaze and indie-rock with reverb-soaked guitars, haunting vocals, layers of distortion, and strings. It feels more cinematic than their previous work, as well as a bit more experimental. – Kristin

Probably the newest-formed band on this list, Snocaps, and their self-titled debut LP came as a total surprise late this year. An indie-rock supergroup of sorts, Snocaps brings back together sister Katie and Allison Crutchfield, better known for their work as Waxahatchee (Katie) and in the band Swearin’ (Allison), and adds MJ Lenderman on drums and producer and musician Brad Cook on bass. The Crutchfield sisters haven’t made much music together, at least publicly, since the 2011 breakup of their band PS Eliot, one of my favorite bands, so when Snocaps surprisingly announced that they were not only a band, but one with an album and a few shows lined up, I was thrilled.

It helps that the album is really great, too. After PS Eliot broke up, the twin sisters’ sounds diverged a bit, with Waxahatchee veering further into the country world with each release, and Allison always staying a bit entrenched in DIY punk, even while being shaped by other influences. This album perfectly blends the two directions that the Crutchfield twins went in—it’s incredibly DIY, twangy music that you could crowdsurf to if you felt compelled. – Erin

I am nothing if not a lover of feel-good indie rock that could play in a teen show (this is a positive classification in my world). And guess what, this boyband that I love actually has not one, but multiple people of color in it! A HUGE for me, my people, and for the indie rock side of the music industry. Oh, and you know, their music is also so, so good, which is also great news.

West 22nd lives in the sweet spot between surf rock and folk rock, and even though it’s just their debut album, Nowhere To Be displays so much raw talent in their songwriting and the whimsical, uplifting approach in production. The whole record sounds like sunshine and the outdoors, both in its melodies and the energy the instrumentals evoke, and it makes me really hope I get to hear these songs live soon. There’s nothing better than finding a band you love when they’re just beginning, because it usually means that it can only get better, and I think I will be keeping track of West 22nd for a very long time. – Javi

Buoyant and aerodynamic: this is how I’d describe TiaCorine’s second studio album. Her talent oozes and the fun never stops on CORINIAN. It’s an ode to a good time and feeling good about yourself and that aplomb projecting outwards. It is typical for an artist who gained fame off of a viral sound to be met with skepticism. Many times, some people will bank on the chorus of a song and the rest of it will fall short but with TiaCorine, their is no fleeting quality to her talent. She’s here to stay and I can’t wait to see what she does next. – Ilana

Great Grandpa, and their third studio album, Patience, Moonbeam, is probably one of my favorite finds of this year, and it almost didn’t happen. In 2020, the band almost broke up, with members moving to Los Angeles and Denmark and the distance putting a significant delay on any recording plans.

The Seattle-based indie band has been around since 2014, but it wasn’t until their latest release that they ended up on my radar with a seriously impressive record, blending together alt-country and grunge influences, and the band’s first release on Run for Cover Records. The whole album is so cohesive, and goes together so well, especially its first three songs, ending in “Junior,” my favorite off of the album. It’s a sweet album, even when it’s heartbreaking, like in the song “Kid,” the album’s closer, about a lost pregnancy. I’m glad I came across this band, and I hope that the distance doesn’t come between them any time soon. – Erin

 I’ve never read The Iliad but for me, Amaarae’s, BLACKSTAR is the closest we may get in this day and age. An epic poem told through music and the dance it inspires. It’s lavish and lush and a portrait of a young, famous, black African woman who is proud of the ways in which she can indulge. Shame holds no presence on this record. It’s one that celebrates our hedonist desires and the absence of limitations. It’s aspirational especially when you think of Amaarae’s progression through her career and the cultures of which she represents.  – Ilana

Little Simz albums always leave me feeling smarter. A lyricist that I don’t feel is talked about enough and can run circles around any male rapper, her pen is incisive and sharp. Lotus takes us on a journey of self-recovery after the betrayal of a close friend and collaborator’s betrayal. In this case, the albums first track starts with a bang: a biting diss track directed at both former friend and collaborator, Inflo.

But Simz is smarter and bigger than dedicating an entire album to her anger and disappointment, instead are musings on love and one’s relationship to it, class struggles in the UK, and how to move past one’s moments of failure. – Ilana

Wednesday vocalist and guitarist Karly Hartzman described the Asheville-based band’s sound as southern gothic, a description that’s very apt for Bleeds, the shoegaze and country band’s sixth studio album. Everything in the album is twinged with a bit of melancholy, and a refreshing lack of glimmer. Every listener who has ever come from a crappy American small town can relate to any of the lyrics throughout the album, despite the hyper-specificity. 

I could probably make an argument for any of the songs on Bleeds to be my favorite song on the album, but there’s something about “Gary’s II,” a short, country song that’s sonically such a fun listen, with Hartzman’s great voice and twangy guitars, you might not realize you’re listening to a truly horrifying story, which perfectly exemplifies “Bleeds.” – Erin

If an album that comes out in January manages to end up on my year end list, you know it’s special. Singer-songwriter Victoria Canal’s debut album Slowly, It Dawns features some of my favorite songwriting of the year, as well as several collaborations with songwriters and producers like George Daniel (The 1975), Låpsley, Rett Madison, and Annika Bennett (to name a few). The result is a tight, cohesive 12-track album that took three years to make in between Canal touring with Hozier and receiving co-signs from Coldplay.

On Slowly, It Dawns, Canal doesn’t shy away from heavy topics, brazenly tackling religion, death, forgiveness, but balancing it out with songs about the beauty of falling in love, indulging in a reckless night out, and childlike wonder of having a crush on someone. It’s easy to see—or hear—that Slowly, It Dawns, was made with intense care: a labor of love for Canal and her wide range of talented collaborators. If you’re a fan of artists like Sarah Bareilles or Lizzy McAlpine, you’ll certainly find something you love on this album. – Kristin

Earthstar Mountain marks the fourth studio album from Hannah Cohen, but only the first I’ve heard from her. The album was written and recorded over a four year period in the Catskills at Cohen’s home studio, collaborating with her partner and producer, Sam Evian (Cassandra Jenkins, Big Thief). 

Earthstar Mountain lushfully weaves together pop, folk, and country for a dream-like body of work that makes me want to put on a sundress and dance in a field. It’s a sonic love letter to the forest and the mountains—Cohen moved to the Catskills in 2018—and you can certainly feel it in the music. Featuring collaborations from indie darlings like Sujan Stevens and Clairo, Earthstar Mountain proves that Cohen has earned her well-deserved spot in the indie space, creating music in a similar vein to artists like Waxahatchee, Fleet Foxes, and Jordana. – Kristin 

I have come to understand that my role at Stage Haze is finding a new indie boy band each month and writing about it. This year, one of those bands is New Zealand sibling-duo Balu Brigada, and their funky, lively debut album, Portal. Full of what the internet likes to call “peculiar sounds,” Henry and Pierre Beasley’s project creates a perfect mix of originality and familiarity—stay with me here!! They’re pleasant enough where they can go viral on TikTok and be well known (i.e: their biggest song to date, “So Cold”), but also distinct in a way that establishes their personal sound.

And although still pretty much falling into the “up-and-coming,” “breakthrough,” “new-act categories,” Portal is actually a culmination of almost a decade of Balu Brigada. Even listening to their earlier work from 2016, you can feel some sort of cohesion among their discography, and this record is just all of that, but more polished and delivered with a pretty bow on top to make it a solid debut. If you struggle with creating your own dopamine (like yours truly), Balu Brigada’s songs are a great source for it any time you want. – Javi

As a longtime Jack Antonoff stan, I went into Doja Cat’s new album Vie already convinced their collaboration would be a match made in heaven. The lead single “Jealous Type,” produced with Antonoff, confirmed it instantly. Even though some listeners claim to be tired of his touch, the pairing feels inspired. His bright, nostalgic ’80s sensibility blends perfectly with Doja’s sharp delivery and natural charisma.

What makes Vie so impressive is how cohesive and genuinely fun it is from top to bottom. The production feels big and bold without overwhelming her, and Doja sounds completely in control. She moves between glossy pop, punchy dance tracks and more atmospheric moments with ease. Every song hits. There are zero skips, just a run of bops that make the whole album ridiculously replayable.

It’s  surprising that Vie has not sparked a louder cultural moment, because it might be one of Doja’s most confident and fully realized projects to date. The risks pay off, the collaboration works better than people expected and the end result is a tight, exciting album that shows she is still evolving in smart, compelling ways. Vie deserves far more attention than it has gotten.
– Jesse

For the purposes of this, I am going to just talk about SWAG, but SWAG II is amazing and should not be discounted. On its own, SWAG is one of the most unexpectedly joyful and downright addictive pop releases of the year. Justin Bieber sounds freer and more creatively recharged than he has in ages, like he’s finally making music because he wants to, not because he has to.

A big part of that magic comes from the collaborators. Bringing in Mk.gee and Dijon was a genius move: their fingerprints give the album a warm, textured, left-of-center feel that bridges Bieber’s world with theirs. Fans of Mk.gee and Dijon have started embracing Bieber in a way nobody saw coming, and Beliebers are now tuning into the incredible music those artists have been making for years. It’s a cross-pollination that feels exciting and genuinely good for pop.

SWAG itself moves with such ease. It’s glossy and confident without trying too hard, mixing breezy R&B, catchy pop hooks and more intimate moments that never feel forced. Even without its companion, SWAG stands tall. It’s Bieber sounding inspired, curious and fully alive again.
– Jesse

In November, I was capital “B” Blessed to see Dijon in concert, something I recommend for everyone even if you’re not familiar with his music. Over the course of his career he has been able to do what so few could, making being a “Wife Guy” not annoying. His first album, Absolutely, was a soaring ode to his wife Joanie and his sophomore record, BABY follows suit, this time also dedicating it to their new baby named…Baby. Equal parts love ballad and thunderous proclamations of devotion, BABY is for the lovers: single, dating, married, with kids, no kids, maybe even just dog. – Ilana

I first came across The Beths in 2020, stuck in my house because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and dreaming of going to New Zealand. Since I couldn’t physically travel there, I wanted to listen to anything from the faraway nation: I landed on Auckland-based The Beths and didn’t go any farther because I couldn’t stop listening to them. The Beths are a high-energy pop punk band, who already had two extremely fun releases when I found them. Their latest album is their fourth, and marks a tonal shift for the band.

Straight Line Was A Lie is the band’s darkest and gloomiest release yet. It touches on being dependent on medication, fear of the future, troubled relationships and having “No Joy.” It’s a deeply melancholic album, with a more intense sound that really works for the power pop band. – Erin

To this day, I don’t know how you really classify Tame Impala’s genre of music. Although Kevin Parker came out swinging with his debut, years ago, he continues to prune at his musical sound even more precisely on Deadbeat. While this wasn’t his most critically acclaimed album, I really enjoyed it. I’m still replaying it, in fact.

On this project, Parker experiments with more explicit dance and electronic sounds and is that so wrong? When writing about music, it’s easy to forget that a song can just be fun and even the most prolific artists don’t always need to have cohesive thematic projects. Let Kevin throw shit at the wall! If I trust anyone to do it, it’s going to be a multiinstrumentalist who I believed for years was a group of men and not in fact one singular man doing it mostly, himself. – Ilana

I had a feeling that I was going to love Blondshell’s new album before I had even heard it. Blondshell, the stage name of LA-based musician Sabrina Teitelbaum, also released one of my favorite albums of 2023, with her self-titled debut. If You Asked for a Picture is another stellar offering from the musician, packed with just as much anger and grit as the debut album had, but ventures a bit further.

One of my favorite songs off of If You Asked for a Picture is the album’s first track, “Thumbtack.” The song is a slow build, and speaks to feelings of being used and keeping a terrible person around for company. Who can’t relate? I also really love “What’s Fair,” a pop-punk, nostalgic song about Teitelbaum’s complicated relationship with her mom, who wasn’t around for much of her childhood, and passed away in 2018. It’s a vulnerable album filled with pain, but it’s also funny, reflective, smart and an altogether great listen. – Erin

Brooklyn-based indie pop duo Ray Bull, comprised of Tucker Elkins and Aaron Graham, have been releasing music together since 2021, but I only heard of them for the first time this year.

Their seven-track EP Little Acts of Violence was an intensively extensive project to make. Elkins and Graham wrote “hundreds of songs” together and took a long time narrowing down the final songs to fit together cohesively. Working with producers Patrick Wimberly (MGMT, Lil Yachty) and Laiko (Lizzy McAlpine, Medium Build), Little Acts of Violence feels like Ray Bull as an artist to be fully realized: striking a balance between polished indie pop with an experimental edge.

“Better Than Nothin” is a song I imagine soundtracking to my life has a 20-year-old in college (complimentary), “Litte Acts of Violence” has an addictively catchy melody that constantly gets stuck in my head, and “Parasite” feels like a culmination of all my favorite indie acts of the last decade in one song. – Kristin

Listening to Japanese Breakfast’s fourth studio album, For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women), kind of feels like stepping into a storybook or a dream. The instrumentation in the album’s first track, “Here is Someone” makes me feel like I’m entering a different world, between the emotive synths, soft guitar playing, mandolin and Wurlitzer piano. Throughout the album, Japanese Breakfast’s lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Michelle Zauner tells a deeply evocative and entrancing story that sucked me in right from the start. 

It’s a reflective, and grief-filled album, that also focuses on themes of disappointment. The album feels cohesive and beautifully put together, although I will admit that the Jeff Bridges collab confused me a bit—his voice doesn’t fit on the track, or alongside Zauner’s and isn’t creating the melodies that I would have preferred during the chorus. – Erin

I’d like to think that the British band Girl Group is one of my favorite new music discoveries of 2025. The group’s debut EP Think They’re Looking, Let’s Perform is one of the few EPs that made this list, a feat in and of itself for a project clocking in under 19 minutes. The six-track project tackles poignant topics that women often face in the industry, including sexual harassment, invalidation of talent, and overall rampant sexism that unfortunately isn’t exclusive to the music business. 

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 Bands,” featuring an opening line that is so simple in its delivery, but arguably the most biting of the entire project. “You’re no rockstar, you’re pretty and a woman. Who do you think you’re fooling when you fake it?” – Kristin

When the only thing I know is that I want to feel like life is worth living, I listen to LAUNDRY DAY. This has been a decently constant pattern since around 2018 now, but their record EARWORM really sealed the deal on how revitalizing their music is. The NYC quartet have been working on their craft nonstop for years and, from what they’ve said about this release in particular and the way the songs sound, it truly feels like they’ve created the music that is truest to them (plus, according to vocalist Jude Ciulla, “APEROL SPRITZ” is the quintessential LAUNDRY DAY song).

From beginning to end, it’s funky and perfectly stimulating, so unique in a way that doesn’t seem tiresome or pretentious, but just pure love for fun music. There is an unseriousness that they’ve kept in their lyrics from the very beginning that still shines through, but with a more refined songwriting and an incredibly improved composition. If you’re familiar with their online presence, just know that it translates nicely into their music, bringing a bit of weird and even a bit of annoying into the mix, apparently the perfect recipe for some bangers. – Javi

Another pop girlie who refuses to leave my For You Page is Zara Larsson, and honestly, she deserves every second of this moment. She’s been in the game for years, consistently dropping hits, but Midnight Sun feels like the album that finally pushes her into the spotlight she’s always deserved. The visuals alone are incredible: her Lisa Frank collaboration lives rent free in my brain and is arguably of the smartest branding moves of the year.

The music itself is just as strong. Zara has always made fun, polished pop, but Midnight Sun hits a new level. It’s cohesive and bright, packed with songs that feel effortless but completely intentional. Her vocals sound stunning and full of power, the kind of performance that reminds you she has been doing this for a long time. And the production, especially her work with MNEK, is unreal. It’s crisp, punchy and modern without losing the warmth and personality that Zara brings to every track.

Between the album, the visuals and the fact that “Lush Life” is having a full-circle TikTok revival right now, Zara is in the middle of a massive cultural moment. Midnight Sun feels like her breakthrough era, and I’m here for it. – Jesse

Momma’s Welcome to My Blue Sky was released this year, but the whole album is about 2022. The Brooklyn-based indie band’s fourth studio album serves as a sort of diary for the band’s 2022 tour, in support of their album Household Name. Band co-founders Allegra Weingarten and Etta Friedman had several shared universal experiences during that tour, including heartbreak and desire, which they write about throughout the album, including on “I Want You (Fever),” an infectious track chronicling the experience of wanting to be with someone who is already in a relationship.

Welcome to My Blue Sky reminds me of all of my favorite ’90s bands, especially Hole, who Momma draws a lot of comparisons to, and while the band does recapture that sound, it also goes beyond it. Even though they’re writing in the past, Momma has shown that they’re not stuck in it. – Erin

I’ve been writing about Sasami for what it feels like, several years, but it’s all for good reason. Not only is Sasami Ashworth a talented singer, songwriter, composer, and producer, but she’s also a conservatory-trained classical French horn player and has experience performing as a former member of the rock band Cherry Glazerr and with ambient pop artist Yuele.

Weaving through a variety of genres over the years, Sasami decided to make an album with heavy pop influences, referencing pop royalty, including Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry. The result? An album that I think is Sasami’s best: the anthemic “Slugger,” the folk-twang of “Just Be Friends,” the disco-ready “I’ll Be Gone” (which I find to be highly underrated), and of course, the ethereal “In Love With A Memory” collaboration with Clairo. In an industry where it’s quite easy for artists to “play it safe” and avoid taking risks with their sound to avoid alienating fanbases, Sasami embraces the tonal shift, and completely makes it her own. – Kristin

Having released their debut album PRATTS & PAIN just last year, and touring non-stop since then, Royel Madden and Otis Pavlovic, aka Royel Otis, somehow managed to create a new full length record that did not disappoint. On hickey, the Australian duo evoked the same old school, edgy sound that makes them so compelling, remaining true to their vintage-y style and charm.

Experts at writing borderline nonsensical songs that make you want to jump around, scream and dance, Royel Otis’s hickey is another compilation of what I think is perfect grungy pop with some specs of something closer to psychedelic pop. Halfway through the record, on songs like “torn jeans” and “come on home” they seem to take a slightly different turn melodically from the rest of their discography,  and in “dancing with myself” there’s a more prominent Tame Impala-esque sound. The variety and polishness in production makes the album so much more enjoyable, although as much as I loved the quick turnaround, I hope they take a much deserved break soon. In the meantime, I’m sure hickey can keep us satisfied for at least a while. – Javi

If you existed in 2025, you absolutely know that it’s Olivia Dean’s world and we’re all just living in it: her 2025 breakout hits “Nice To Each Other” and “Man I Need” catapulted the 26-year-old to worldwide stardom before her sophomore album The Art Of Loving was even released. Her success is well-earned: finally catching up to her after years of touring, opening up for Sabrina Carpenter, performances at Glastonbury and Austin City Limits, and most recently, debuting on SNL. 

The Art of Loving showcases Olivia Dean’s incredible vocal prowess, infusions of retro pop, soul, and R&B, an homage to artists like Lauryn Hill and Amy Winehouse. Described as a “tender, intentional deep dive” into different forms of love, The Art of Loving flaunts Dean’s charisma as a fresh face in pop music who doesn’t shy away from pop references of the past while still putting her unique spin on classic sounds. “Man I Need” is arguably the feel-good track of the year, “Lady Lady” is a beautifully understated ode to Mother Earth, and “Loud” is being called the next “James Bond song” by thousands of doting fans. If history repeats itself, I am quite certain that Dean is going home with the next “Best New Artist” Grammy in 2026. – Kristin

In my longer Staged Haze write-up, I talked about how Everybody Scream feels like Florence + the Machine fully reclaiming their power. The album leans into ritual, folklore and transformation, all the elements that make Florence’s world so captivating, but it does so with sharper focus. The theatrical sweep is still there, but it feels more controlled, more intentional, as if she has distilled her chaos into something beautifully precise. And on a personal note, my jealousy is very real because a close friend actually got to attend the album release party where Florence herself appeared, which only confirmed how deeply she is pouring herself into this era.

What makes Everybody Scream so striking is how it holds both scale and vulnerability at once. The production is massive and atmospheric, yet the emotional center stays grounded in real human feeling. Florence’s voice shifts from raw to triumphant without ever losing clarity or urgency. The album embraces drama without repeating old formulas, showing she can evolve her sound without abandoning the identity that made fans fall in love with her in the first place. Everybody Scream is bold, haunting and fully alive, a thrilling reminder of her singular power.
– Jesse

As soon as Tyler released the philosophy behind this album, I knew I was going to love it. The dance floor is losing its sacredness. DON’T TAP THE GLASS is an analogy for how we as a culture will waste our times engaging with our phones instead of being present with each other. As a DJ, I love to launch into diatribes about how people do not dance anymore because it is true. I have done enough field research. My caveat would be that this happens at venues with predominantly Caucasian patronage and you better believe I have my own theories as to why but you can read more about that on my personal newsletter.

There’s a quote floating around somewhere, “everyone wants to be the DJ but no one wants to dance.” I don’t believe it as an absolute but it’s definitely onto something. DTTG is a perfect dissertation for Tyler’s thesis. With the same ferociousness the rest of his music embodies, this album works to remind the listener of the magic that can happen when you just pay attention to the music and dance. – Ilana

Sabrina Carpenter wasting absolutely no time between Short n’ Sweet and Man’s Best Friend is one of my favorite pop power moves of the year. Her last tour just ended and fans are already frothing at the mouth for the Man’s Best Friend Tour, myself included. She’s operating at a pace that should feel impossible, yet the quality is only getting sharper. Man’s Best Friend feels like the moment her confidence, humor, and vocal control lock into something undeniable.

A huge part of that magic comes from the creatives behind her. John Ryan, Amy Allen and Jack Antonoff found the exact sweet spot in their dream-team dynamic. The production is warm, punchy and playful, the songwriting razor sharp, and the entire record cohesive without ever repeating itself. Sabrina has always had a natural gift for hooks, but here, every song lands. It is hit after hit, with several tracks already sparking viral moments on TikTok.

What I love most is how effortless she makes it look. Man’s Best Friend feels like a pop star fully stepping into her lane and owning it. It’s catchy, clever, emotional when it counts, and easily one of her strongest projects yet. – Jesse

Addison Rae’s debut album Addison is pure pop perfection, the kind of breakout record that proves she belongs in the center of the genre. It is polished, clever and full of intention, the work of an artist who knows exactly how she wants to sound. With production handled entirely by an all woman team, the album feels sharp and unified, every track built with care and confidence.

What makes Addison shine is its range. There are bright dance pop moments that hit instantly, along with softer, moodier songs that show off Rae’s tone and personality. It is no surprise that the album has shown up on so many year-end lists or that Rae earned a Best New Artist Grammy nomination. The praise feels deserved.

Her rise is even more obvious in real life. Rae’s first headlining tour sold out immediately, so quickly that I could not even get a ticket. That level of demand speaks to how far she has moved beyond her online beginnings. Addison makes it clear that she is not just entering the pop arena. She is shaping it and positioning herself as one of the future leaders of the genre. – Jesse

24-year-old British pop singer Lola Young has had quite a tumultuous ride to fame over the few years. She’s released an album a year since 2023 and was basically touring nonstop, exhausting herself to the point of collapsing onstage just a few months ago, forcing her to “go away for awhile” to seek treatment just weeks after the release of her excellent new album, I’m Only F**king Myself. 

The album results from Young’s recovery from drug addiction, which means it’s basically impossible to make an album that isn’t inherently vulnerable, oftentimes uncomfortable, and outright messy (see what I did there?) in a world where every next big pop girly takes their turn for internet shame, I’m Only F**king myself is a refreshing response. I mean, the opening track is called “F**K EVERYONE,” for crying out loud. It’s not just a middle finger album, however: Young’s comedic timing is evident throughout the album, too. But the highlight of the album has to be the 5th track, “SPIDERS,” a song that builds similarly to an emo song I once obsessed over as a teenager. – Kristin

Lily Allen’s return to music with West End Girl has completely taken over my brain this year. It’s one of the most confessional pop albums we’ve gotten in a long time and easily the most brutal, honest, no-prisoners divorce album I’ve ever heard. I’ve always loved Lily Allen, but this feels like her at her sharpest and most fearless, saying everything plainly and poetically at the same time. I’m still obsessed.

What makes West End Girl hit so hard is how theatrical it feels. Listening to it is like watching a play unfold in real time. Each song opens a new door, moves the story forward, sets a different emotional scene. The production is incredible, detailed and cinematic without ever overshadowing her writing. And there truly are no skips. Every track belongs exactly where it is, and going back to the album always forces me to listen from start to finish because of how deliberate the structure is.

It’s raw, it’s clever, it’s painfully honest and it feels like a full narrative experience. West End Girl isn’t just a comeback. It’s a masterpiece. – Jesse

13 Months of Sunshine is Aminé’s most eclectic album yet still says true to a dance-focused throughline. Artfully sprinkled with voice snippets of Aminé’s father waxing poetic, the album is an impressive showcase of his lyrical witticism and the cheekiness of his personality. But to only focus on the flirty nature of the songs would be reductive. Aminé crafted an altar for his heritage and family. One of my favorite one-liners from his father, “A good woman is god given,” I don’t really believe in god like that and yet when I heard it my brain responded with, “I know that’s right.” – Ilana

Twenty-four-year-old Victoria Walker, better known as PinkPantheress, is one of the most interesting artists out there right now, being one of the few people to perfectly grasp and reproduce the magic and charm of the Y2K aesthetic, visually and sonically. Named Producer Of The Year by Billboard just last year, she came into 2025 with a bang and a record that proves she deserves the title. Fancy That showcases Pink’s eclectic style and unique approach to sampling and homaging the music she loves.

A perfect in between overstimulating hyper pop and lighter dream pop, PinkPantheress’ mixtape ranges from fun, clubby songs, with its lead singles “Illegal” and “Tonight,” to more playful tracks like “Romeo” and “Noises.” Originally producing her own songs à la Steve Lacy on Garageband, Pink is now collaborating with producers that seem to understand what she is creating, and only polishing it with final touches, while simultaneously maintaining her silly, almost whimsical approach to songwriting that she’s had since the beginning. A timeless album in my opinion, Fancy That is the perfect introduction to the world of PinkPantheress. – Javi

Joe Keery’s The Crux truly was and continues to be the soundtrack of my year, and with time, each song has taken a different meaning. In our Lollaplooza 2025 recap, I wrote a little about the particular connection to Keery and yes, his hit “End Of Beginning” (no one gets that song like I do and that is simply not up for debate), so it is even more impressive to find so many songs to deeply connect with on Djo’s new record. I don’t think there is a single song that I don’t absolutely adore, even the eerie and off-putting “Egg.” The strong guitars, catchy choruses, and full-band arrangements are addictive to listen to, and perfectly curated for live performances, which I believe was Djo’s plan along: to share his music live and showcase his talent as a songwriter and showman.

Its sister album, The Crux Deluxe, which actually works as a companion LP instead of a deluxe edition, keeps proving how much Joe has grown artistically and how comfortable he feels in this sound he’s created. As I write this, the first part of Stranger Things season 5 has come out and we’re all anticipating the rest while praying that Steve Harrington survives. This year is undeniably Joe Keery’s year, and I’m glad his music is one of the protagonists this time around. – Javi

“Debi tirar mas fotos,” what any Bad Bunny fan can immediately tell you, translates to “I should’ve taken more photos,” is almost paradoxical in it’s theme. We live in a generation where taking photos is routine and yet we could never have enough. This song almost leaves me at a loss for words. Or the inability to form complete sentences at the least.

When I think of this song I think joyful tears, the warm embrace of the people I love most, the twinge in your heart when nostalgia is present. I have never been lucky enough to hear this played on a night out, unless I’m deejaying a party myself but when I do hear it, it provides a moment of pause and meditation. A chance to look around and if you’re found without a camera, you can at least try your best to take a mental snapshot to remember even the most. – Ilana

It’s safe to say that Lady Gaga is truly a master of reinventing herself. Over the pop phenomenon’s nearly two decade-long career, she’s shown that she’s capable of mastering her craft through so many twists and turns and different genre formats, but on MAYHEM, her sixth solo album, she goes back to where it all began—pop perfection. She credits her fiancé for telling her to lean into the joy of making pop music again, and she really went for it.

MAYHEM is filled with some of the best singles of Lady Gaga’s career, an exciting blend of influences, from house, to disco, and instantly infectious choruses, like on my favorite song on the album, “Garden of Eden.” The album isn’t perfect, “Die With A Smile” feels like it came out of nowhere and doesn’t fit at all on the album, especially as its closing track, but it’s not far off. Pair that with her incredible tour, The Mayhem Ball, in support of it, there’s no question that Lady Gaga is one of the all time greats and is still hitting peak after peak almost 20 years into her career. – Erin

Virgin is my number one album of the year according to Spotify and according to me. Lorde is operating in a league entirely her own, and the Grammy snub will annoy me for years. This era feels like a creative awakening, a reminder that she can reshape the sound of pop whenever she wants. I saw the tour once and it changed me. I already know I need to see it again when she comes back in September.

Every song on Virgin, produced by Jim-E Stack with help from Dan Nigro on a few tracks, feels like its own universe. It is bold, textured, strange in the best way and completely original. There are absolutely no skips. The album works as one full emotional journey, the kind you experience rather than casually listen to. Picking a favorite track was almost impossible because each song feels essential.

For me, it all started with “What Was That,” which I wrote about extensively earlier this year. That song was the first hint that something massive was coming. And in the words of Madison Beer, “I was supposed to be in the video.” Virgin is Lorde at her most fearless, and I am still not over it. – Jesse

The most recent release to be added to my top albums list of the year, Rosalía’s Lux shot straight to the top almost immediately. I could understand Rosalía’s Spanish and English songs, but the musical powerhouse spends the entirety of Lux singing in 14 different languages. You don’t have to know any of them, though. If anyone needed proof, Lux goes to show that music is truly universal. I don’t need to know German to be completely taken aback by “Berghain,” and also wowed by the Bjork feature on that song, although Spanish does help a bit to enjoy the brutal insults the singer’s dishing out on “La Perla.” 

Recording the album took the Spanish singer to studios throughout Europe and the United States, as well as a 1,000-year-old abbey north of Barcelona. It’s just the most impressive and beautiful thing that I’ve ever heard. Lux has broken several streaming and charting records, but it’s also broken my brain, because I think about this beautiful album every day. It’s not only one of my favorite albums of the year, but I believe that it will remain something that I turn to time and time again throughout my life. – Erin

Earlier this year, I wrote a whole piece about how I Quit hit me in a way no HAIM album had before, and honestly, I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. The release party alone felt like a fever dream in the best way, complete with the iconic moment of getting a drink on Este’s tab. That energy matches the album perfectly. It’s messy, emotional, loud, warm and surprisingly tender, all wrapped up in the sisters’ signature confidence.

Now that the year is ending, I Quit has only grown on me. It ended up in my top five on Spotify Wrapped, which honestly checks out because I’ve had it on repeat for months. The way HAIM turn burnout, heartbreak, and frustration into something that sounds this fun and punchy is kind of magic. The production is crisp without feeling sterile (thank you Rostam), the songwriting hits harder the more you sit with it and the whole album moves with this wild, cathartic momentum. For me, I Quit isn’t just one of HAIM’s best albums. It’s one of the best albums of the year, period. It just refuses to fade from my brain, and I love that. – Jesse

While I personally was unsure how indie rockers Wet Leg would ever top their debut, self-titled album, they took a well-deserved break from a whirlwind couple years and came back even stronger with moisturizer. Despite the band’s excellent lead single about telling creepy guys in the bar to f*ck off, the majority of the album explores the feeling of being in love, or, DEEP!! IN!! LOVE!! as explained in “pond song.”

Created in an Airbnb in Southwold, on the remote east coast of England, all five touring members of Wet Leg contributed to the project, opting to focus on how the songs would feel performing live vs. caring about the commercial success of the record. The band’s laidback approach to creating music is apparently the best way (subjective) to go, considering how well the album flows from start to finish, evenly balancing out the grit that Wet Leg fans have come to know and love from the group, paired with the fresh take at just…being in love. The ladder comes in understated, yet meaningful moments, like “pokemon” and “u and me at home,” exemplifying the band’s skill at being unapologetically loud, fun, and carefree, but also soft and romantic. – Kristin

It’s safe to say that everyone here on the Staged Haze team was really into Hayley Williams’ Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party, the singer’s third solo album. It’s rare when we all come to such a clear consensus, but Williams’ powerful album was hard to deny: we all had it in our top 15. As the front-woman of Paramore, Hayley Williams has been an alternative music powerhouse since she was a kid, and really has the chance to showcase it on Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party. The album also serves as an important marker for Williams, not only as a solo artist, but as an independent artist, as her first release since departing Atlantic Records, who she’d been with for 20 years.

It was hard to pick a favorite song off of this album, but in the end it came down to the fact that listening to Williams’ raw and emotional vocal performance literally gives me goosebumps when I listen to it (I have them again right now on yet another re-listen!). You can hear the heartbreak and pain that she sings about throughout the whole album resonate in her voice and build throughout the song’s verses. – Erin

Audrey Hobert’s fantastic debut album Who’s The Clown? seemingly floated under the radar this year, but not for the team at Staged Haze. Every single writer who’s contributing to this list ranked it in their top 20 albums of the year, myself at #1 and another writer at #2: making it the clear standout.

Most known for her collaborations with her real life bestie Gracie Abrams, Who’s The Clown? perfectly encapsulates what it feels like to be a 20-something in a world that’s obsessed with the superficial: more focus on what’s fleeting, and less on anything substantial. Whether it’s a detailed story on a one night stand with a guy who’s “off his meds,” feeling out of place and simultaneously “too above” an influencer-infested Hollywood party, or an all too relatable account of fantasizing about what their crush thinks of her Instagram story, Hobert solidifies herself as the next big songwriter-turned-superstar with Who’s The Clown?—a 12-song, 35-minute debut that perfectly balances self-effacing, comedic storytelling with unpretentious confidence. In a world where we’re hyper-fixated on putting our best image on display, Hobert leans into the messiness of honesty with effortless earnestness. – Kristin

Check out all previous year end lists HERE