In this day and age of AI-generated music and algorithm-driven charts, there is so much—quote, unquote—slop that it is easy to think there is little actual creativity left out there. This is one reason why most people would rather fall back on the nostalgia of songs from years past. But I am here, as I was in previous years, to highlight a few personal gems from the 2025 music scene. Ten to be specific. You can thank me later.
10. Huntr/x - Golden
If there was one thing that completely dominated music and pop culture this past year, then it was surely Kpop Demon Hunters. And of all the songs from the hit Netflix animated musical, Golden is the one that best exemplifies its mass appeal, with its catchy melodies and sing-along-inducing chorus.
9. Seyi Vibez - Shaolin
Not many songs managed to stay seared in my memory in 2025 the way Shaolin by Seyi Vibez did, which is remarkable in itself since I wasn't all that familiar with his music prior to it finding its way into my YouTube recommendations. But I'm a simple man; I see a music video channeling old kung fu movies and the War Boys from Mad Max: Fury Road, and I'm automatically sold.
8. Architects - Blackhole
Move over, Falling in Reverse, because the award for the most cinematic music video I saw this year goes to Blackhole by Architects. Set on an oil rig in the middle of a massive tropical storm, it has the kind of VFX that low-budget Hollywood movies would kill for. The song itself goes quite hard, too, in typical Architects fashion.
7. Robbie Williams - Rocket (feat. Tony Iommi)
2025 was supposed to be the year we finally got a new album from Robbie Williams. But in the face of a Taylor Swift-sized asteroid, Britpop was moved into 2026. At least we still got singles like Rocket to tide us over until then, featuring the legendary Black Sabbath guitarist with riffs that sound like a throwback to simpler times.
6. Yungblud - Zombie
Not to be confused with The Cranberries' song of the same name, or its more recent cover by Bad Wolves, Zombie is a wholly original rock ballad by Yunglud. The fact that it sounds like something you would hear on the radio in the mid-2000s only adds to its charm, an appeal that has earned it a Best Rock Song nomination at the Grammys.
5. Taylor Swift - Opalite
It's fair to say that almost any song from Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl could have occupied this position on my list. But if I had to pick one that perfectly captures the carefree nature of the album as a whole, then it has to be Opalite. And as the kids and younger Swifties would say, the song is, quite simply put, a bop.
4. Lady Gaga - Abracadabra
There's a version of this list in my head where Abracadabra by Lady Gaga is number one. I mean, even my Spotify Wrapped would suggest as much. But regardless of where it has landed, it is the song that had longtime Little Monsters like me belting out the loudest as we attempted to cast our spells on the night, as instructed.
3. The Weeknd - Open Hearts
Speaking of spells, The Weeknd was certainly casting a few of his own this year, judging by how mesmerizing his song, Open Hearts is. But it is hard to even talk about that song without also shouting out Baptized in Fear, the track preceding it on his Hurry Up Tomorrow album, if only for that smooth, seamless segue.
2. Ed Sheeran - Azizam
I always appreciate it when a song perfectly captures a feeling so strong that it transcends language barriers. And with Azizam by Ed Sheeran, the track taps into a Middle Eastern (Persian to be specific) well for inspiration. The result is an endlessly danceable ode to falling in love and the exhilaration that comes with that feeling.
1. Lady Gaga - LoveDrug
When Lady Gaga released Mayhem back in March, I could very quickly tell it was going to be my favorite album of the year. And out of all the songs on the album, LoveDrug is the one I found myself returning to the most. Mind you, this wasn't a case of love at first sight (listen?), as there were definitely other songs that could be considered catchier.
But with each subsequent listen, it further sank its hooks into me until I was wholly consumed by it. Perhaps it was its 80s-inspired arena rock riffs and synths, or the fact that it has one of the biggest, most memorable hooks on the record. Whatever the case, LoveDrug is here to stay, and it is easily my favorite song of 2025.
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