2025: Best Albums (So Far)

While we’ve already said goodbye to some giants in the first half of 2025—Brian Wilson and Sly Stone among them—the release schedule hasn’t slowed. Their passing reminded us how much we owe to visionaries, but this year’s crop proves that boundary-pushing isn’t a relic of the past.

There’s a fire in the air: debut records from names like Jasmine4.t and Lambrini Girls have landed with the kind of rawness and intent that suggests long careers ahead.

Little Simz continues to operate on her own plane—no label, no compromises, just razor-sharp vision and execution. Meanwhile, artists like Bon Iver, FKA twigs, and Sharon Van Etten are still finding ways to surprise us, sounding more restless—and relevant—than ever. Turnstile didn’t disappoint either, levelling up again with a record that confirms their status as one of the most vital live bands now making albums worth studying in headphones too. And closer to home, Mallrat, Tyne James-Organ, and Old Mervs have all stepped up with real clarity and conviction.

From breakout debuts to welcome returns, euphoric highs to devastating lows—here’s our shortlist of the year’s finest albums (so far). No ranking, no filler, just the ones we can’t stop spinning. These records come from all corners—Stereolab’s hypnotic precision, Surprise Chef’s groove-drenched mood work, Ball Park Music’s emotional clarity, clipping.’s genre-defying abrasion—and they’ve all earned their place. Some caught us off guard. Some hit like a long-overdue hug. All of them reminded us that even in a strange, saturated landscape, music still has the power to floor you.

Here are the best albums of 2025 according to us. Hit the playlist. Save it. Play it loud. Let it soundtrack whatever the rest of your year looks like.