My Top 20 Favourite Albums of 2025

Here’s a roundup of some of my favourite albums from 2025.

I’ve delayed this list long enough, so I won’t bore you with a lengthy introduction. Here are some of the records that were on heavy rotation or otherwise left a lasting impression on me (because not every great album necessarily has replay value). Let’s go!

20. Hurry Up Tomorrow - The Weeknd

Allegedly his final album, Hurry Up Tomorrow is another epic synthpop adventure from The Weeknd with enough sonic detours to keep things fresh. I almost left it off this list, because it came out so early in the year that I was convinced it was a 2024 album!  

Favourite tracks: ‘Sao Paulo’, ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’

19. hexed! – aya

If you think the artwork is ugly and uncomfortable, just wait until you hear the music! Raw tortured spoken word and screaming spill out over abrasive, sinister electronica. That’s probably not selling it for many people, but fellow fans of music’s darker side may find it thrilling.   

Favourite tracks: ‘droplets’, ‘navel gazer’

18. Stardust – Danny Brown

Eccentric Detroit rapper Danny Brown celebrates going sober by embracing hyperpop. The album features a diverse mix of production and guest vocalists, and also arguably contains some of Danny’s best rapping to date.  

Favourite tracks: ‘Baby’, ‘The End’

17. No Separation – MSPAINT

Okay, this is technically an EP and not an album, but I make the rules here! It’s yet another brilliant barrage of all-synths-no-guitars hardcore bangers from Mississippi band MSPAINT.

Favourite tracks: ‘Wildfire’, ‘Angel’

16. Amen – Igorrr

Zany French experimental metal artist Igorrr delivers a medley of batshit insane tunes that incorporate operatic vocals, glitchy breakcore, Middle Eastern melodies and whatever else he can throw into the mix.

Favourite tracks: ‘Blastbeat Falafel’, ‘ADHD’

15. Private Music – Deftones

Leaning into their heavy side, alternative metal band Deftones add yet another solid album to their catalogue. It’s got a nice balance of noisy numbers and dreamy moments, sporting some of Chino’s most dynamic vocals.

Favourite tracks: ‘Infinite Source’, ‘Souvenir’

14. Nourished By Time – The Passionate Ones

Baltimore singer/rapper/producer Nourished By Time draws upon 80s/90s R&B influences while maintaining a rough DIY production style. As a result, it feels a lot more intimate than your average glossy R&B record.  

Favourite tracks: ‘It’s Time’, ‘BABY BABY’

13.  Cowards – Squid

UK post-punk/art rock band Squid provide us with some more complex squirming tracks that this time delve into evil themes including cannibalism and serial killer worship. The songs don’t immediately stick, but they are intriguing enough that I kept coming back.

Favourite tracks: ‘Building 650’, ‘Cro-Magnon Man’

12. Never Enough – Turnstile

While it doesn’t quite reach the highs of Glow On, Turnstile’s follow-up Never Enough is still a very fun hardcore album that continues to see them exploring their softer dreampop-flavoured side, while also serving up an equal amount of heavy mosh numbers.

Favourite tracks: ‘Never Enough’, ‘Seein’ Stars’

11. Eusexua Afterglow – FKA Twigs

This is the sequel to FKA Twigs’ Eusexua album (also released in 2025 and – spoiler alert - appearing later on in this list). It continues the otherworldly sound found on Eusexua, which I’ve dubbed ‘cerebral sexy pop for aliens’.

Favourite tracks: ‘Wild And Alone’, ‘Cheap Hotel’

10. Live Laugh Love – Earl Sweatshirt

I never thought I’d hear such a happy album from Earl Sweatshirt. And yet the production remains inventively rugged and the rapping remains intimately raw. It’s like a cheerier version of Some Rap Songs.

Favourite tracks: ‘Live’, ‘Tourmaline’  

9. Worldwide – Snooper

Nashville egg punk band Snooper whip up a mix of egg-plosive tunes. It's straightforward fuzzy rock with enough twists to keep the listener hooked (there’s even a punked-out Beatles cover).

Favourite tracks: ‘Company Car’, ‘Worldwide’

8. Los Thuthanaka – Elysia Crampton and Los Thuthanaka

Yes, I discovered this one via Pitchfork (their AOTY). Bolivian-American duo Los Thuthanaka’s debut is a truly unusual concoction - a lo-fi mixture of Andean music and experimental electronica made up of lengthy songs with hypnotic and intense build-ups.

Favourite tracks: ‘Jallalla Ayllu Pahaza Marka Qulaqutu Pakaxa’, ‘Huayno ‘Phuju’’  

7. 100%WET – 100%WET

Copenhagen duo 100%WET showcase their unique ‘hypergaze’ sound – a fun mix of woozy shoegaze and frenetic breakbeat that makes for some very interesting textures. Check out my interview with 100%WET here.

Favourite tracks: ‘Over Me’, ‘Leave It’

6. West End Girl – Lily Allen

Lily Allen’s West End Girl is a brutally candid breakup album – perhaps the most brutally candid ever recorded. The lyrics are both devastating and incredibly witty. You probably won’t find this on David Harbour’s year-end list.

Favourite tracks: ‘West End Girl’, ‘Dallas Major’

5. Eusexua – FKA Twigs

Caprisongs was a bit too ‘normal’ for my liking, whereas Eusexua sees Twigs rediscovering her weirder side. It’s full of surreal and glitchy moments, yo-yo-ing between raunchy and unsettling, while also treating us to a few very catchy hooks.

Favourite tracks: ‘Drums of Death’, ‘Childlike Things’

4. Getting Killed – Geese

Getting Killed is a selection of unpredictable art rock tunes that feel like an American take on the UK Windmill scene. The organic way in which the songs ebb and flow is very exciting. It also contains one of the most intense closers of the decade.

Favourite tracks: ‘100 Horses’, ‘Long Island City Here I Come’

3. Let God Sort Em Out – Clipse

This comeback album from Clipse feels like a celebration of everything hip hop used to be – ingeniously playful rhymes, polished infectious beats and authentic swagger. Pusha and Malice sound so energised and Pharrell’s production is vibrant as ever.  

Favourite tracks: ‘Chains and Whips’, ‘Ace Trumpets’, ‘Inglorious Bastards’

2. Hyperyouth – Joey Valence & Brae

Hyperyouth is a complete banger-fest. A party album full of hilarious rapping and stupidly fun beats. It’s an album about not wanting to grow up and a rally cry to fellow Gen-Z-ers to enjoy their prime. The decline of nightclubs and house parties may have put off pop artists from wanting to create this type of music, but personally I think we need more records like Hyperyouth to provide some escapism from today’s constant doom and gloom.

Favourite tracks: ‘Bust Down’, ‘Wassup’, ‘Billie Jean’

1. You’re Weird Now – Guerilla Toss

Art rock band Guerilla Toss have always been weird, and You’re Weird Now sees them doubling down on this. They’ve evolved to a point that they now sound like no other band out there, and they’ve found a way to turn queasy semi-dissonant melodies and absurd yelped lyrics into a recipe that’s extremely addictive.

Favourite tracks: ‘Psychosis Is Just A Number’, ‘CEO of Personal & Pleasure’, ‘Life’s A Zoo’