2025 was a year filled with music – from the exploration of heartbreak, identity, love to anthems of celebration, anger and the comic tragedy of lives, it had it all.
However, there were melodies that struck a chord and lyrics that stuck with listeners. These albums are listed below and shaped the sound of the year.
Hit music of 2025
Love and hyperbole — Alessia Cara
Like Alessia Cara, the singer won the hearts of fans with this album. Although official sales and chart figures remain confidential, fans have given the album rave reviews in 2025.
The art of loving – Olivia Dean
The British singer had everyone humming along to her songs and achieved commercial and critical success with her second studio album. Dean is now gearing up for a tour, has a Grammy nomination under his belt, and just made his Saturday Night Live debut.
The Clearing — Wolf Alice
The English rock band marked the year 2025, with their signature rock sound and experimental approach in their latest album. Their project rose to the top of the charts and earned a nomination for Album of the Year at the Mercury Prize.
A Showgirl’s Life – Taylor Swift
Although the global pop icon received mixed reviews for his 12th studio album, it commercially broke records like no album had before.
Man’s Best Friend — Sabrina Carpenter
With its highly anticipated release, Carpenter’s album set the record for the biggest streaming debut for a female musician in 2025. The songs on this album have razor-sharp lyricism mixed with catchy production that her fans love.
Chaos — Lady Gaga
Gaga gave fans a taste of her earlier music with more mature lyricism in the album, and left a lasting impact on the musical year. Not only was it a fan favorite, but it also received Grammy nominations and critical acclaim.
Play — Ed Sheeran
The pop star’s new album surprised music fans with its Hindi influence and her collaboration on Sapphire with Indian singer Arijit Singh. The album’s lyricism also shifted from Sheeran’s signature upbeat dance pop to deeper, meaningful expressions of feeling that also translated into commercial success.
Lorde — Virgo
The New Zealand native created an album resonant with her hit Melodrama, which fans were eagerly awaiting. The unflinchingly honest lyricism, combined with the classic synth-pop sound Lorde is known for, was a commercial and critical success.
Music from the flop of 2025
While undeniably exciting releases, there are a few albums we haven’t heard much of. Some of these albums are listed below.
Will Smith – Based on a true story
The album marked Smith’s return to music after 20 years, but unfortunately it failed to chart well and was unable to be a commercial success.
Tyla – WWP (EP)
Tyla’s music collection was a shorter project but not so short as to make no noise, unfortunately that’s exactly what it did.
Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful
The Smilers seemed to anticipate the album’s release all over social media, but the commercial success did not match the enthusiasm generated after the first week.
Ty Dolla $ign – Tycoon
The rapper failed to reach the Billboard 200 for the first time in his music career, due to low sales after the album’s release.
