The Best Albums of 2025

My favorite and most replayed albums of 2025, a year where familiar faces and experimentation flourished in the spotlight.

By Dylan Barbee

10. Malcolm Todd (still) - Malcolm Todd

Courtesy of Spotify

Release Date: Aug. 8th, 2025

Malcolm Todd has been on my radar since the release of his Sweet Boy mixtape last year, with songs like “Sore Throat” and “4Me 4Me” still heavy in my rotation. However, his debut album, which is accompanied by a four-song deluxe Malcolm Todd (still) proved he is bound to be one of the leading male voices in the pop genre for years to come. Todd immediately acknowledges his potential and the fickle nature of pop music listeners, singing “But if I’m not a Harry Styles, They’re gonna put me on the shelf,” on the album’s intro track “Harry Styles.” There are an abundance of songs that have been inescapable this year, propelled by their trendiness on social media such as “Chest Pain (I Love),” “Bleed” featuring Omar Apollo, “Nemo” and “Original.” Todd’s ambition flows deep within the tracklist with catchy choruses, his quirky personality, and moments of genuine vulnerability making him a presence hard to ignore — and an artist easy to root for.

9. Hurry Up Tomorrow - The Weeknd

Courtesy of Apple Music

Release Date: January 31st, 2025

No one had a more transformative ego death this year than The Weeknd did on Hurry Up Tomorrow. The 34-year-old artist from Toronto takes listeners on a cinematic journey, yearning for self-redemption and seeking forgiveness from his fans for donning a sinful persona throughout his whole career, owning up to his self-destructive behavior. The tracklist feels like a perfect grand finale, serving as a culmination of everything The Weeknd has poured out throughout his career, all put into one listen. Songs like “Enjoy The Show” and “Given Up on Me,” both featuring Future, and “The Abyss” featuring Lana Del Rey are all dark but addictive listens where The Weeknd takes accountability for his past mistakes, like getting lost in the fame and developing a drug addiction in order to continue to release quality work to his fanbase. The Weeknd has come a long way from being that 18-year-old homeless kid who released the Trilogy installments in 2011. Hurry Up Tomorrow feels like a reflective acknowledgement of the journey he took to becoming an icon and the regrets that stayed with him along the way.

8. Melt - Not For Radio

Courtesy of Apple Music

Release Date: October 10th, 2025

This year, the lead singer of the pop group The Marías, María Zardoya, decided to embark on a solo endeavor, releasing Melt under the stage name Not for Radio. On Melt, Zardoya explores what it is like to long for a lost lover using ethereal and at times ominous production styles and gut-wrenching songwriting to expose her feelings of remorse. “Maybe in another life, I’ll be yours again,” Zardoya sings on the song “Back To You,” which serves as a catchy but aching listen as the artist wishes she could go back to the past. Zordoya recognizes that she played a part in the falling out with her lover and admits that she could’ve done more to treat them better on the song “My Turn.” “Lately, most all I think about is how I did you wrong, and how I paid for it, You didn’t deserve it,” she sings while also admitting she quietly suffers from guilt when she’s alone. The album reaches its pique on “Not the Only One,” where she admits she still has lingering feelings for her ex despite being with someone new. The 10-song album is consistent with a clear theme of dealing with a loss of someone who is still very present in her life, most likely referring to her bandmate Josh Conway, the Marías drummer. In its short runtime of 42 minutes, it feels like Zardoya has created her own world where feelings of intense lushness and loss are allowed to be shared, making for a very personable and raw listen.

7. Beloved - GIVĒON

Courtesy of Apple Music

Release Date: May 16th, 2005

GIVĒON’s latest album BELOVED may be his best so far, perfectly paying homage to the sound of soul music in the 70s while mixing its jazzy elements into his toxic delivery. The project starts off with dramatic high strings and GIVĒON denouncing an ex he feels did him wrong. “You run my name through the mud, wipe that dirt off your shoes,” he sings on the introduction track “MUD.” This confrontational lyrical approach cushioned with a classy and delicate instrumental scheme makes it not only feel like a final letter to his ex lover, but a love letter to R&B. It’s clear through songs like “TWENTIES,” “STRANGERS,” and “BACKUP PLAN” that the 30-year-old artist is deeply hurting but is using his pain to show off how much he has exponentially grown as an artist. The lyrics are crude at times, but extremely vulnerable, and the dazzling jazz-inspired sound throughout makes it a memorable album that will stand out in GIVĒON’s discography for years to come.

6. Blush - Kevin Abstract

Courtesy of Apple Music

Release Date: June 27th, 2025

Blush by Kevin Abstract was my favorite first listening experience I had in 2025. I remember being so impressed with Abstract’s ability to blend so many talented artists with a diverse range of skills into one cohesive project. The album feels like you’re in the studio with a group of friends who are experimenting passionately with music and all the elements they love about it. Despite so many voices being on the album, Blush still carries a consistent mission throughout; the exploration of heartbreak and Abstract going back to his Texas roots to bounce back from it. Songs like “Copy,” “97 Jag” and “Maroon” have been on repeat for me all year due to their authentic nature and the impressive contributions from artists Love Spells and Dominic Fike. The founding of Geezer was also a highlight of this year, with Abstract and Fike coming together to later release the song “Doggy,” which was one of my most replayed songs of 2025. Overall, Blush is a freeing listen as it gives me hope about the direction music can go; a form of art where artists can experiment and make songs they want to make, not because they purely care about profit or becoming viral, but because they love music and have fun making it.

5. DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS - Bad Bunny

Courtesy of Apple Music

Release Date: January 5th, 2025

I knew DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS was a remarkable album when I couldn’t help dancing to it despite not understanding the lyrics. And then once I read the lyrics on Apple Music, I loved the album — and everything that Bad Bunny stands for — even more. The 31-year-old mainstream artist creates a cross-generational cultural phenomenon, paying homage to Puerto Rico and sparking a music revolution in the genre of reggaeton. On songs like “VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR,” and “LA MuDANZA,” Bad Bunny is flowing energetically with his lyrics and projecting an electric cadence in his voice that gives a futuristic sound to the Puerto Rican rhythms of the past. “Yo no canto reggae, pero soy cultura,” Bad Bunny raps on “LA MuDANZA.” DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS proves that Bad Bunny is a musical scholar, where at a time when he is one of the most listened to artists in the world, he decides to look inward and give life to the music he grew up around in Puerto Rico rather than make music meant for a gross in streaming numbers. It's an album where Bad Bunny preserves the heritage and sound of Puerto Rico, passing along the feeling of liberation to listeners.

4. Rocket - Dominic Fike

Courtesy of Apple Music

Release Date: August 15th, 2025

On Aug. 3, 2025 Dominic Fike returned to the stage at the end of his Lollapalooza set, surprising his fanbase with a child in his hands wearing noise-canceling headphones. He soon performed “All Hands on Deck,” using a baby toy keyboard as the instrumental, the intro to his newest album, Rocket, named after his son. This setlist served as a monumental moment in the artist’s career trajectory, as he has always presented himself as someone who has lacked stability, grasping at disoriented memories of his traumatic upbringing to better understand himself on his 2023 album Sunburn. His latest addition to his well-decorated discography exemplifies how Fike has grown in maturity both personally and professionally, taking accountability for the mistakes he has made in past relationships, perhaps as a result of his new era of fatherhood. It’s an album that feels like Fike is growing up on his own terms, rather than by force, as he expressed on previous projects. “I get the feeling that I, I, I, I could’ve made it work out, out, out, If I didn’t f*ck it up the first time, or the third time, If I paid attention to your work hours, and your worst hours,” Fike sings on “$500 Fine.” Songs like “Still Feel It,” “Upset and Aggressive,” and “Epilogue” sound melancholic, and the Florida artist isn’t only mourning the loss of several failed relationships but also himself in the process of finding love. The roaring guitars on “One Glass” bring potency to Fike’s yearning as he pleads for one more chance to have a healthy relationship in his whirlwind of toxic romanticism. Rocket marks a new chapter in Fike’s career as he continues to find stability and love, but through a more mature and introspective outlook on life now that he is a father.

3. $ome $exy $ongs 4 U - Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR

Courtesy of Apple Music

Release Date: February 14th, 2025

$ome $exy $ongs 4 U was my most replayed album of the year. Its brisk and ominous tone signifies Drake’s comeback after a rough 2024, and his return to the cold Toronto sound he forged with PARTYNEXTDOOR. The collaborative album was released on Valentine’s Day and achieved notable success in the hours after its release, becoming the most-streamed R&B album in Apple Music history on first-day streams. With hit songs throughout its memorable tracklist like “MOTH BALLS,” “LASERS” and, of course, “NOKIA,” the album proves that Drake is still a force to be reckoned with despite his rap battle against Kendrick Lamar. PARTYNEXTDOOR carries the album vocally, giving addictive choruses and hooks on “WHEN HE’S GONE” and “SOMETHING ABOUT YOU.” “All of these songs are for you, sexy songs for you,” PARTYNEXTDOOR sings on the outro of “SOMETHING ABOUT YOU” after Drake offers impressive verses that are lyrically impeccable. I couldn’t help but play this album everywhere I went; late-night drives, nights out with friends and cold winter walks to class as $ome $exy $ongs 4 U served as the backdrop to my time studying abroad in Europe last semester. The songs are addictive, the tracklist is consistent and accessible, making it one of Drake’s best albums since his 2016 Views. There are ringing phone calls with a woman’s voice messages at the end of them, samples of Take Care, and both melancholic bachelors spilling their guts throughout the album. Drake purposely taps into his nostalgic roots, recreating the emotionally intimate songs that helped shape his career. $ome $exy $ongs is just as personal and unforgettable as the albums that got him to where he is today and whether you’re a Drake hater or a Drake fan, the album reminds all listeners why they continue to resonate with his songs a decade and a half later.

2. Alfredo 2 - Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist

Courtesy of Apple Music

Release Date: July 25th, 2025

At its core, Alfredo 2 is a story about self-reconciliation and being able to realize one’s true purpose in life despite the psychological trauma from the past that may try to weigh one down. This message is told through a classy Japanese Yakuza aesthetic and The Alchemist’s hazy and harmonic production style, pairing perfectly with Freddie Gibb’s gritty lyricism. Songs like “Skinny Suge II,” “Thousand Mountains,” and “Mar-a-Lago” have consistently been on repeat for me since the album’s surprise release in August, as each veteran artist sounds like they're backed by decades of practice and perfecting their craft. From Gibbs weaving in-and-out of instrumental pockets to the therapeutic sounds of flutes and synths, Alfredo 2 is a masterpiece, and I still believe that it’s better than its predecessor. On Alfredo 2, both Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist reach a new peak and make a strong case for the best producer-rapper pairing in recent years.

1. Baby - Dijon

Courtesy of @dijondijon_ on Instagram

Release Date: August 15th, 2025

Dijon has had a busy year. From appearing with actor Leonardo DiCaprio in one of the best films of 2025, One Battle After Another,  to producing and co-writing two Justin Bieber albums, Swag I and Swag II, releasing his album Baby in August was the cherry on top. On Baby, Dijon reaches a new creative peak, molting pop sounds from the 70s and 80s reminiscent of icons like Prince and Michael Jackson, with a chaotic but harmonious blend of RnB and brash alternative. Dijon speaks on his love story with his wife and the emotions felt between both of them waiting for their child to be born on the intro title track “Baby,” which transitions into the next song “Another Baby!” where Dijon speaks joyously about the abundance of resources he has now for him and his wife to bring several more children into this world if they really wanted to. “Cause, baby, we got all we need to expand the collection, If this is yours, I won’t be alone, And, baby, you look good to me, you command my attention, just gimme attention,” he sings over an experimental beat on “Another Baby!” On Baby, Dijon is entering into a new role in his life as a family man. The beginning half of the album includes songs like “HIGHER!” and “FIRE!” bursting with excitement, but in the second half, there are fears that cloud Dijon with doubt, where he is questioning himself on whether or not he will adequately prepare his child for the world we live in. “Will his love lack light like mine?” Dijon asks on “Rewind,” a track about Dijon’s fear about his son potentially picking up his worst traits in a world where Dijon is still struggling himself to navigate through with love and a positive lens. Since Dijon’s last album, Absolutely, in 2021, he has become a husband and father, and these milestones in his life have contributed to the making of Baby. It’s an album that illustrates the importance of love through the good and the bad over an innovative and refreshing production style that can’t be compared to anything else that has been made this year, making it the best album of 2025.