The end of the year means so many different things, but for the music lovers, it’s always been “list season.” If you’re among our ranks as folks whose tabulation of new releases never seems to meet its end, you’ve probably come across a fair share already. However, 2025 wouldn’t be complete without us throwing our hat in the ring. Below, you’ll find our selection of our very favorite albums to hit the shelves in ’25, the ones that’ll come to mind first when we think back to the year that was.
Tyler, The Creator – DON’T TAP THE GLASS
Even for an artist so effusive in citing his sources, Don’t Tap The Glass sits as the project where Tyler, The Creator wears his influences on his sleeves most. In interviews, he puts the record forth as sort of a love letter to Southern dance music, Y2K hip-hop, and perhaps more than anything, longstanding idol Pharrell Williams. Pulling from those sources is one thing; actually synthesizing them the way that the California multi-hyphenate does is another. “Sugar On My Tongue” and “Ring Ring Ring” quickly stamped themselves as radio favorites (and for good reason), but it really is the quieter moments where Tyler’s songwriting shines; the back-to-back of “Don’t You Worry Baby” and “I’ll Take Care Of You” show how he followed in Williams’ footsteps to become an expert-level talent assembler and record producer.
Chest-out cuts like “Sucka Free” and “Don’t Tap That Glass” are icing on the cake, pieces where Tyler steals back the spotlight and excels in that leading role. Having capped off a four-album run that brought him from underground sensation to A-list talent, Don’t Tap The Glass is a victory lap, and it’s incredibly tough not to march along beat for beat.
FKA Twigs – EUSEXUA
FKA Twigs has never been anything but considered. Taking art pop to truly its most artistic heights, as breadcrumbs of her third album began to hit the ‘net and its focus on the anonymity of the dancefloor came into view, you could’ve drawn outlines of what that would mean. Still, in full, Eusexua lives up to its title, exalting in how it treats what could be viewed as taboo. “Perfect Stranger” does that to a tee, driven by booming synths and the multi-hyphenate’s always inventive songwriting, as do dives into bass-heavy corners like “Girl Feels Good” or the drawn-out hyper-pop qualities of the title track.
Truly, most in vogue facets of electronic get some amount of shine on this tracklist, and even bigger risks like “Childlike Things” with North West stick the landing. This deep into her career, it’s par for the course that when FKA Twigs steps up to the plate, she’ll deliver on what she promises, but Eusexua is a high point even with those lofty expectations.
The Weeknd – Hurry Up, Tomorrow
It almost goes without saying that The Weeknd set up incredible stakes for Hurry Up Tomorrow, long-awaited final step in a promised trilogy and reportedly the final record under the moniker. How could you possibly cap off what’s been one of the biggest careers in all of music for more than a decade? Indeed, as if to make space for all of those loose ends, Hurry Up Tomorrow is a sprawling effort, centered around Tesfaye’s everlasting struggles with fame, addiction, and splendor. Thumbing through his own catalog, his links to electronic music get mention via Justice and Giorgio Moroder, his bordering of hip-hop with the stadium-worthy “Timeless” and Playboi Carti, his earnest pop-turn by enlisting Lana Del Ray for “The Abyss.”
Even with those Walk of Fame assistants on this record, it’s the tender moments where Abel “returns to form” that see Hurry Up Tomorrow find its stride; the longing contained on “Take Me Back To LA” or the moody nostalgia of “Niagara Falls.” In music, so often “retirement” is fleeting, but if The Weeknd indeed recedes into the shadows after this, he put on a hell of a show while he was here.
Skepta & Fred Again.. – Skepta .. Fred
From an outside perspective, how Skepta has squared his international stardom, live electronic event side efforts, and the grime hallmarks that propelled him to his pantheon status has at times borne mixed results. Linking up with Fred again.. in 2025 was a panacea on all fronts, as his countryman has the requisite experience with massive crowds and knowledge of Skepta’s strengths to deliver pitch-perfect canvases. Yes, “Victory Lap” redoubles as one of the year’s most triumphant big room anthems on this tracklist, but “Back 2 Back” and “Last 1s Left” are grimy as it gets.
For longtime fans of the grime torchbearer, Fred’s reverence for his catalog is a genuine highlight, pulling from Konnichiwa deep cut Detox for a repeated vocal flip, one of several moments where this project functions more like a seamless main stage mix than a no-frills EP. There’s even chances for Skepta to peel back the curtain on fame via “21 Years” without sacrificing the propulsive energy that makes Skepta .. Fred demand repeat listens.
Leon Vynehall – In Daytona Yellow
It’s fair to say that Leon Vynehall has never made the most accessible music. Dip back into his 2018 Nothing Is Still for proof, a record where droning and experimental pieces are put forward as “Chapters” a la classical or opera, a tough on-paper pitch for anyone not among the music-obsessed. Having dipped into warm textures on Music For The Uninvited and industrial ones on Rare, Forever, In Daytona Yellow spends a ton of time on lush soundscapes, crucially inserting guest and his own vocals, typically absent in what came before.
The club influence of a record like Rojus isn’t far away from what Vynehall explores here, but there’s a ton more emotional depth accessible with words over top; “Whip” is icy and jagged for Jeshi’s contributions, while “Cruel Love” is yearning, true to its namesake. In press, Vynehall has always presented as someone looking for a challenge when he sits down to ideate a project, and stretching so far in form is a stiff one to light this effort. It doesn’t hurt that some of his catchiest work is found inside.
Clipse – Let God Sort ‘Em Out
It’s a product of “list culture” in general that Let God Sort ‘Em Out has felt like a shoe-in to this discussions from the moments it touched down. It was a comeback effort from one of rap’s most beloved duos, reuniting with a partner from those halycon days in Pharrell, and with a backlog from Pusha T that put him squarely in the genre’s pantheon. Even given that, Let God Sort ‘Em Out doesn’t have many miscues within.
“So Be It” is Williams’ sample-flipping dexterity as its best, “M.T.B.T.T.F” showcases that despite being so prolific in “drug rap,” there’s still avenues for Pusha T to push the form, and “The Birds Don’t Sign” executes an unexpected heartwrencher. And of course, like a microwave scorer, Malice comes out scorching despite being over a decade removed from any sort of full-length effort. There’s a case to be made that with their appearances elsewhere, he has staked a sturdy claim to being the best wall-to-wall rapper of the year. Plenty of ink has already been spilled on the peripherals surrounding this project, but start to finish, Let God Sort ‘Em Out is produced to a T, performed beyond reproach, and a pinnacle example of the heights hip-hop can achieve.
Weval – CHOROPHOBIA
Weval, a decade deep and tending towards sweeping, cinematic material for their patented brand of electronic, started from square one with CHOROPHOBIA. Taking its title from “the fear of dancing,” it’s something you’ll have to face in this tightly wrapped album. For the most part, CHOROPHOBIA finds one central groove and sticks with it, not necessarily a bad formula when there’s so much palpable energy within each. Nsanshi’s feature, one of just two on the record, is the most transformative, lending a breakbeat style to “HEAD FIRST” that recalls the record-scratching days in its chorus. “DOPAMINE” compares favorably to the repeated flips of a DJ like Caribou.
If you’re sensing a theme, in that all dozen or so tracks contained here prioritize straight-up replayability over intricate textures or techniques, you’d be right. Nailing that formula is much harder done than described, though, and you’ll struggle to not have riffs from CHOROPHOBIA sticking with you long after the record stop.
Larry June, 2 Chainz & The Alchemist – Life Is Beautiful
The Alchemist and Larry June are inextricable from one another at this point. 2023’s The Great Escape was a climax in June’s ascension to the mainstream and in an umpteenth post-prime for the Alchemist. Despite that shared history, results of Alchemist’s mastery of silky compositions and Larry June’s adeptness in matching that energy, 2Chainz is the one that stands out most in the three man weave that is Life Is Beautiful. As a counterweight to either artists’ “lap of luxury” aesthetics, the artist formerly known as Tity Boi effortlessly cuts through, booming to the fore with trademark quotable charm on cuts like “Colossal” and “LLC.” That said, June’s advice-laden hallmarks get plenty of shine (“Any Day”) and there’s some peak Alchemist moments like the crime thriller sound of “Jean Prouve.” If somehow you’re unconvinced, throw on “Munyon Canyon” and try not to crack a smile just seconds in.
Blood Orange – Essex Honey
Throughout his career, Devonte Hynes has been a force behind the scenes and in front of the microphone, yet so far this decade the former has taken precedence. Essex Honey arrived after a seven-year layoff between projects, and if you were given its mission statement on paper, it’d read as a difficult return to form. Essentially for its entire length, Hynes grapples with mundanity, ennui, and heartbroken nostalgia on Essex Honey, from when he asks “in the middle of your life, could you have taken some more time?” all the way through the meditative refrains of “I Can Go.”
It’s tempting to claim that the record is gorgeous despite that, but unabashedly spending so much time in those moments is what makes it shimmer so brightly, be it the languid escapism of “Countryside” or his stark reflections on writer’s block in “Vivid Light.” Even further than Hynes’ own talents, he recruits an all-star cast to create mise en scene to match; Caroline Polachek’s expert repeat appearances, Lorde’s haunting background vocals on “Mind Loaded,” or Zadie Smith’s first-ever recording midway through the record. Tackling such weighty, heady subject matter and delivering such rewarding material in the process is no small feat, but once again, Blood Orange is more than up to the task.
Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo 2
When all is said and done, Freddie Gibbs may be best remembered for his singularly focused projects, crafting a sturdy partnership with two of hip-hop’s upper echelon in Madlib and The Alchemist. Where the Indiana native paid off Pinata vaulting him to stardom with 2018’s Bandana, so too did he turn back to the NYC legend for Alfredo 2. As you’ll read elsewhere in this list, Uncle Al’s talents behind the boards are really beyond debate, and the mix of edge and elegance that set such a pitch-perfect backdrop for Gibbs are in rich supply again for the sequel.
Shorter in the feature list than its predecessor, Alfredo 2 generally may not hold many surprises; Anderson .Paak is show-stopping as ever on the record’s best, “Ensalada,” Gibbs has the same blend of irreverence, agility of flow, and straight-up bars he always has, and the production makes good on gaudy titles like “Shangri-La.” When everyone knows the words to the original, who can really blame you for playing the hits?
DARKSIDE – Nothing
To peel back the curtain, Nicolas Jaar has long been a favorite of this writer. He’s a producer who’s been hard to contain, spread across deeply technical work under his own name, experimental IDM under Against All Logic, and a member of yet another, group, outfit in DARKSIDE. Given those various aliases, it’s been just as challenging to pin down any next moves, so the arrival of NOTHING, an expansion of the band from duo to trio, wasn’t just surprising in timing but in existence at all.
That extracurricular mystique no doubt seeps into the actual music here, often abrasive and always steeped in heavy processing, coming to a peak for the two-part “Hell Suite” towards the endpoint. Yet the analog charm of A.A.L. and the instrumentality of Tlactel Esparanza and Dave Harrington are impossible to miss in that mix, the latter making “S.N.C.” a beautiful mismatch of styles, and the former propelling the Spanish-language “American References.” We won’t claim that it’s the easiest listen, by any means, but being willing to meet Nothing on its knotty terms bears a ton of rewards.
KAYTRANADA – AIN’T NO DAMN WAY!
Each KAYTRANADA album to date has been a raising of the stakes. Where 99.9% kicked in the door in industry classmates like BadBadNotGood, Shay Lia, and GoldLink, BUBBA cemented his place in the mainstream on the way to a Grammy win with Kali Uchis. At least in terms of guest billing, Timeless was the crescendo, enlisting Childish Gambino, Don Toliver, and PinkPantheress for his most polished effort to date. Stripping away nearly all guest appearances for Ain’t No Damn Way is a massive surprise given that, but results in some of the most focused product from the Montreal award-winner in some time, allowed to get back to basics with funky grooves and a heavy dose of homage-paying samples in the process. pulling in Latrelle, Kelis, Steve Monite, and TLC for a no-frills efforts that feeds the dancefloor above all else.
Rochelle Jordan – Through The Wall
Trained and established as an R&B artist, Rochelle Jordan underwent something of a career pivot as she looked to her debut album, “Play With The Changes.” Gone were the more traditional singer-songwriter tones that paced her previous catalog, and in their place was a shift towards dance, celebrating her cross-continental roots and the upbeat fare that filled her house in adolescence. Shifting to its follow-up, what Through The Wall showcases is depth of focus and deftness in touch. It races out the breaks with a run of get-up-and-move uptempo jams, stretching from “Ladida” to the KAYTRANADA-assisted “The Boy.”
Though Through the Wall doesn’t diverge much from this throwback 90s style, there’s still enough difference in mood and tone to keep things artistically interesting on top of the infectious energy overall, either more contemplative downtempo like “Sweet Sensation” or “Crave” or runway soundtrack ones like “TTW.” Jordan’s vocal talents are a perfect match for this style all told, a walking, singing vocal sample that’d easily fit on end-of-the-century classic house anthems, and there’s a decent chance she’s added a few of those herself on this.
Mac Miller – Balloonerism
The posthumous album is always a challenging concept, but by all accounts, the first Mac Miller album to release after his passing, Circles, was already in the final stages before it hit the public. By contrast, Balloonerism is far more of a thorny proposition, not only putting an artists’ work on display without them present, but the actual content being so inextricably tied to what took them from the world in the first place.
Functioning almost as a darker addendum to Faces, the vaunted mixtape in Miller’s fandom and already not the sunniest subject matter to begin with, Balloonerism highlights the late rapper as among the most creatively daring of his era; “DJ’s Chord Organ” is “down the rabbit hole” psychedelia capped off by an oracle-like guest appearance from a young SZA, “Funny Papers” mirrors The Beatles’ “Day In The Life” with sober candor on his own day-to-day. Given what actually transpired in the life and times of Mac Miller, Balloonerism could never have been a happy ending. Yet the project serves a full-throated reminder of how he embraced every aspect of that experience, glamorous or otherwise, making for another can’t miss chapter in that story all the same, is of course the goal in the end.
