Your last few words in my ear still ring (Oh)
Malice on verse 2 of Clipse’s The Birds Don’t Sing
You told me that you loved me, it was all in your tone (Oh-oh)
“I love my two sons” was the code to your phone, now you’re home
Table of Contents
A Weird Year of Music
2025 was a weird (complimentary) year of music to me. I listened to a wider variety of music than I ever did before as I switched a lot of my music listening to the KEXP radio station. KEXP would be on in the background during my work days which meant that I was listening to KEXP for nearly 40 hours a week.
Wider variety of music didn’t mean that I was resonating with most of it. The first quarter of the year was spent in what I called the art slump or if I was to pick a more fancy word – a state of anhedonia. This affected everything including my music enjoyment. I was listening to a lot of songs but not a lot of albums and that’s where my musical appreciation lies these days.
Which makes every album in this year’s list an album that more than anything else left some sort of emotional impact on me. Some of these albums I don’t necessarily like every track but the album as a whole captured a certain vibe, emotion, and state of mind and as such belongs on this list.
Albums are listed in no particular order or ranking.
Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out
When Clipse first announced that they were planning on dropping an album this year I didn’t know what to make of it. I had previously enjoyed Pusha T’s solo project but I had no idea about Malice and Clipse’s previous work so I didn’t have any expectations about it. That changed when Clipse dropped the single So Be It along with a music video, after listening to that song with that incredible sample I was sufficiently hyped for the return of Clipse.
I have listened to Clipse’s album back to back more times this year than any other album. It is in my eyes the best hip-hop album to drop this year and it is not even a contest. Every song on this album is a banger. The album’s opener The Birds Don’t Sing is perhaps the song that had the most emotional impact on me this year. Combined with stellar verses from the Clipse duo about the loss of a parent and the chorus sung by John Legend, it was a track that had me in tears when I first heard it.
The rest of the album delivered banger and banger verse from both Pusha T and Malice. There is no lack of the coke rap Pusha T is known for. What surprised me was Malice. It took me a few listens but I have really come to appreciate Malice’s economical style of rapping. The man raps like he has a word limit and every word needs to count. Precision in a way I haven’t heard in a while.
Curtis Harding – Departures & Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt
I have been a fan of Curtis Harding’s music since sometime last year when I ended up buying his discography on Bandcamp. So when I started hearing new singles from his latest album on KEXP I knew this album was going to end up on my albums of the year list.
Like with Curtis’ previous albums this is another masterpiece of soul and I have really come to appreciate the warmth of his voice, it kept me company on days when I didn’t feel like listening to anything else but still needed music in my ears to keep away the bad thoughts. I think between this album and another I will be listing I am adding soul to the list of genres that I can hang out in when I need some comfort.
This album is available on Bandcamp here.
Cumulus – We’ve Got It All
Cumulus’ We’ve Got It All is one of those albums that I fell in love with after a heartwarming performance of theirs live on KEXP. After I listened to their performance live I went and listened to the album in its entirety and every track resonated with me on an emotional level.
It is hard to pick just one track as a favourite here but I think Bad News is the track that not only resonates with me to this day but one that will resonate with a lot of people.
I want to see a stranger
lyrics from Cumulus’ Bad News
Dancing in the bright light
I want to see my friends
Do more than just survive
I want to see the world
Feel loved and understood
I want to believe that we can
Still build something good
When we’re…
Thank you KEXP for continuing to be my best source of music discovery. I am appreciative for KEXP every day.
This album is available on Bandcamp here.
Various Artists – KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)
When I heard a fediverse mutual mention KPop Demon Hunters earlier this year I thought it was just going to be another forgettable Netflix movie that I’ll watch, think “that was fine” and then forget about it the next week. So when I started watching it on one weekend I was not expecting to be completely blown away by everything about the movie.
From the characters, the animation, the story, I was glued to my screen for the entire duration of this movie which very rarely happens with movies for me. And the music, oh god, the music. Every song on this soundtrack is a banger and I have listened to it on repeat countless times and it never fails to get me pumped up when I listen to it. The music is so catchy and fun. I haven’t enjoyed kpop this much since my teenage years.
So for the first time, a film soundtrack makes it to my albums of the year list.
Darren Korb – Hades II: Original Soundtrack
Speaking of firsts, for the first time ever a video game soundtrack makes it to my AOTY list. I did say it was a weird year. I have already extensively spoken about Hades II in my review of the game which you should definitely go read if you haven’t already.
I spent a lot of time playing Hades II this year and as such really came to appreciate its soundtrack and I think it deserves a spot on this list. Darren Korb just doesn’t miss. I think I said that already in my review of the game but it bears repeating.
This album is available on Bandcamp here.
Khruangbin – The Universe Smiles Upon You ii
When I first heard that Khruangbin had re-recorded a brand new version of their debut album for the 10 year anniversary of its release I went ahead and bought it on Bandcamp immediately. I have spent a lot of time over the last few years listening to Khruangbin over the last few years and their music has provided me with much comfort in times when I needed it most.
The Universe Smiles Upon You ii is a wonderful rework of the the already fantastic debut album. In fact, I think I have come to prefer it to the original. There is a certain quite warmth to this recording that is especially appreciated in these cold winter months. I am certain I will be coming back to this album over the coming months.
This album is on Bandcamp here.
Mavis Staples – Sad and Beautiful World
I had heard the name Mavis Staples before but I was not familiar with her music. So when I first heard a song from her latest album on KEXP I was immediately taken by the timbre of her voice. Mavis’ voice sounds like a warm hug from a loved one. Listening to her sing immediately puts me in a serene state.
Like with Curtis Harding, the power of the soul genre is on full display here and I reckon this is going to be an album I keep coming back to when I need the musical equivalent of a hug. Thank you Mavis Staples.
This album is available on Bandcamp here.
Navy Blue – The Sword & The Soaring
As a hip-hop head I have heard Navy Blue’s music in the past but I never quite resonated with any of it until this album. When a friend shared this album I found myself listening to it multiple times since its release, each time appreciating Navy Blue’s craft and his talent for storytelling.
An album filled with introspection on topics such as grief, like with the first track from Clipse’s album this is an album that made me emotional. I think I have not fully grasped everything that this album has to give and I’ll keep listening to it hoping to find what else is in the world Navy Blue has painted for us.
This album is available on Bandcamp here.
Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
When I started making this list of albums I almost forgot about this album, mostly because it came out at the very beginning of 2025 so by December it had started slipping away from my memories. I am glad I didn’t forget about it thought because this is another masterpiece from Bad Bunny showcasing his love for his home island of Puerto Rico and its rich musical traditions.
I don’t understand Spanish but I don’t need to enjoy this album. Every song here is a treat for the year and the music videos that came out are a really fun to watch. I am looking forward to what else Bad Bunny has up his sleeves for the coming years.
ROSALÍA – LUX
The first time I fell in love with ROSALÍA’s music was with her 2018 album, El Mal Querer and its flamenco vibes left me wanting more like it for years. The albums following that one veered away into pop eccentricities like MOTOMAMI that never quite resonated with me.
So when I heard LUX, I was pleasantly surprised to see ROSALÍA return to the dramatic flourishes that she displayed on El Mal Querer. LUX is a another album where I don’t need to understand the lyrics to enjoy the album. I just let the album play and enjoy her vocals and the sublime production.
FKA twigs – EUSEXUA
Another album I had nearly forgotten about because it came out at the very beginning of 2025. FKA twigs’ EUSEXUA is another album of what I like to term as sensual electronic music. The kind of music that you play after a night out on your way back home in the back of an Uber. Or perhaps the kind you play while trying not to cry in between drinks at the club. Not that I would know anything about that.
I rediscovered this album while going through KEXP’s list of listener albums of the year and fell in love with it again. We are blessed to have the likes of FKA twigs making music for us. Now if you’ll excuse me, I may need to dance around a little bit while listening to this at the library.
This album is available on Bandcamp here.
Anouar Brahem, Anja Lechner, Django Bates, Dave Holland – After the Last Sky
Jazz is one of those genres that I always feel like i don’t listen enough to because there is just so much of it out there. A good problem to have. So when Apple Music surfaced Anouar Brahem’s latest album to me, the name of the first track Remembering Hind caught my eye. Hind here is a reference to Hind Rajab, one of many tragic losses in the war on Palestine.
This album is a poignant requiem for the continuing tragedies unfolding in Palestine to this day and listening to this album’s various instruments invokes a bone deep sense of sadness within. Listening to this album made me fall in love with the oud and its unique sound and I ended up going back and listening to Anouar Brahem’s previous works. In doing that I found myself a new favourite artist.
From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.
Honorable Mentions
The albums/EPs that don’t quite make the list but are worth mentioning. In no particular order.
- In Waves by Jamie xx
- Volver by Sofia Kourtesis
- Dead Channel Sky by clipping.
- Unlearning Vol. 2 by Evidence
- Black Hole Superette by Aesop Rock
- HYSTERIA by Boy Deluxe
Concluding Thoughts
Reflecting on my music enjoyment in 2025 made me realize just how dependent on my mood my enjoyment of music is. In a way I am more connected to the music I appreciate now than I ever have been. A few months ago I ended up buying a new pair of Beyerdynamic wired headphones and a Schiit Magni Unity DAC/AMP so that I could once again start listening to music in the way I preferred – full albums listened to with good headphones at my desk.
To that effect, I also recently turned off renewal on my Apple Music subscription and switched to Qobuz as my primary music streaming service which I recently learned is now available in Canada. I liked their focus on audio quality & curation. I also liked their software more than the mediocrity that is endemic to all Apple software nowadays.
2025 was a weird and wonderful year of music. Here’s to finding more such musical delights in the coming year.
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