2025 was a year full of music – from exploring heartbreak, identity, love to anthems of celebration, anger and the comic tragedy of life, it had it all.
However, there were melodies that struck a special chord and lyrics that stayed with listeners. Listed below are such albums that shaped the sound of the year.
Hit music 2025
Love and Hyperbole — Alessia Cara
In true Alessia Cara fashion, the singer won the hearts of fans with the album. Although the official sales and chart numbers remain undisclosed, fans gave the album rave reviews in 2025.
The Art of Loving – Olivia Dean
The British singer had everyone humming along to her songs and achieved both commercial and critical success with her second studio album. Dean is now gearing up to tour, has a Grammy nomination under his belt and just made his Saturday Night Live debut.
The Clearing – Wolf Alice
The English rock band made a mark on 2025 with their distinctive rock sound and experimental approach in their latest album. Their project climbed to the top of the charts and secured a Mercury Prize Album of the Year nomination.
The Life of a Showgirl – Taylor Swift
Although the global pop icon received mixed critical reviews for her 12th studio album, it broke commercial records like no album had done before.
Man’s Best Friend – Sabrina Carpenter
With its long-awaited release, Carpenter’s album set the record for the biggest streaming debut by a female musician in 2025. The songs on this album have razor-sharp lyrics mixed with catchy production that her fans love.
Mayhem – 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 also garnered Grammy nominations and critical acclaim.
Play – Ed Sheeran
The pop star’s new album surprised music enthusiasts with its Hindi influence and a collaboration on Sapphire with Indian singer, Arijit Singh. The lyrics on the album also moved from Sheeran’s signature upbeat dance pop to deeper, meaningful expressions of feeling, which also translated into commercial success.
Lorde – Virgo
The New Zealand native created an album that resonated with her hit, Melodrama, which fans eagerly awaited. The unflinchingly honest lyricism combined with the classic synth-pop sound Lorde is known for was a commercial and critical success.
Flop music 2025
While there were undeniably exciting releases, there were a few albums we didn’t hear much. 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 do well on the charts and failed to become a commercial success.
Tyla – WWP (EP)
Tyla’s music collection was a shorter project, but not so short as not to make any noise, unfortunately it did just that.
Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful
The Smilers seemed to be anticipating the album’s release all over social media, but commercial attendance did not match the excitement 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 following the album’s release.
