Random favorite music albums from the big ’25!

Recently, I asked some of my peers and mutuals what albums they have been playing on repeat this year. Every year has its fair share of extremely popular and beloved albums, this year being no different, of course. This fact had me raising questions such as “What kind of music do some of my classmates listen to?” Well, I searched, gathered, and reviewed eight albums from this year that some people called their favorite. These are the releases I’ve chosen to review and see what all the buzz is about! 

These albums do not represent the whole school and the school population’s overall taste in music. These were pulled from a couple of random students, who shared their favorite 2025 albums, and these are my personal thoughts on them! The reviews will mostly focus on the albums’ positives, comment on production and instrumentation, along with songwriting and vocal delivery. Any criticism will be faint and won’t be in a negative light. They will also be mostly unbiased, letting you, my reader, decide whether it’s really all that great.      

Deftones is without a doubt one of the most popular and influential Alternative Metal bands of all time, and they somehow managed to stay relevant and still make very enjoyable albums even after thirty years. Private Music is very reminiscent of their heavier material back in the late ’90s to mid-’00s. The production is dense, constant, with walls of hazy, harsh noise. Being a metal album, it was obvious that it was going to be very aggressive, but Deftones being Deftones turned the violent metal album into something extremely lush with an atmosphere full of warm bittersweetness. There is a perfect balance between the vigorous and the delicate tracks, some songs on it being loud and utterly passionate, while others have a more dreamy ambient vibe, while still being pretty loud. The instrumentation is punchy, thrilling, and powerful, with pompous guitars, thundering drums, and harrowing bass. One would think it would clash with their lead singer, Chino Moreno’s beautiful and melodic vocals, but they somehow do so well together. One thing the album suffers from is its repetitiveness, but it is barely acknowledged in the grand scheme of things. The mixing can also feel a bit off as some instruments, especially the drums, get obscured by the loud reverbing guitars, a common issue with most music that falls under the“shoegaze” genre. Private Music is a very ethereal alternative metal album, and something you should definitely check out if you love both noisy and/or angsty music, and are feeling a little dreamy.

Live Laugh Love is rapper Earl Sweatshirt’s newest release. He is one enigmatic member of Tyler, the Creator’s “ODD FUTURE,” and has been in hip-hop’s ‘underground’ scene for over fifteen years now. While some of his fellow ODD FUTURE members, such as Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean, gained an overwhelming amount of followers, Earl has lived comfortably as a semi-popular rapper. Something noteworthy about this album is that there are no features, and Earl produced this album almost entirely himself, which I found to be cool even if it’s not an uncommon sight to see. Off to the album!

Live Laugh Love contrasts with many of its modern contemporaries and even Earl’s earlier works by being rather optimistic and self-loving. Earl’s lyricism is greatly matured, akin to that of mentorship and reassurance. He touches on themes of parenthood and family, along with the things that come with getting older. His vocal delivery is unique as always, with a rather lethargic yet bold flow that makes him often sound indifferent. The beats and production style would be nothing new if you were already a fan of Earl, with him continuing his abstract minimal jazz-influenced instrumentation. The album is notably psychedelic and mesmerizing, giving the record a warm atmosphere. The album is very relaxing, and the mellow production carries out throughout the whole record. This is the perfect record for those looking for something to study to, or just want something chill yet bright.

Pinkpantheress remains one of the more acclaimed pop stars of the 2020s. Her music typically contains contemporary pop and R&B influences, with different forms of drum and bass that make her stand out from other artists in her generation. Fancy That is her latest mixtape; she creates mixtapes instead of albums as it allows her a looser structure and more creativity in the studio. The record marks a departure from the classic R&B elements she stuck with for five years. Though the R&B influence is still there, it has immensely faded and been replaced with a niche “garage house” subgenre direction. Like many of Pink’s releases, Fancy That is rather short, with it being just over twenty minutes, and every song typically around two and a half minutes in length. There is only so much one can do with that amount of time, and Pink spends it well, as every track on the album is bubbly and fast-paced. The production is lively and gives the album a lot of ‘color’ or personality. It is dominated by energetic yet watery and funky drumbeats, taken from Liquid DnB, bouncing jittery synths from her “garage house” guidance, and a familiar signature groove found in her previous works. The samples in the album are done well, in a way that doesn’t feel lazy, but original. Pinkpantheress’ vocals are both playful and chilled out, a perfect match for the electronic dance pop music of the mixtape and for the delivery of the frisky lyrics. A go-to album if one wants to enter a feel-good state.

Taking an obscure route, Blue is the second release by rising alternative pop duo Galdive, hailing from Indonesia. This is a very trippy album, with a slick and nocturnal production that doesn’t fail to mesmerize. It is very reminiscent of influential R&B musicians such as Sade and Gaelle, sprinkled with a touch of modern production. It may seem like a standard pop album at first glance, but a quick listen to the first few songs could give you the idea that this album is actually quite progressive and ambitious. The composition and instrumentals of the songs themselves are enough to soothe, featuring immaculate pianos, gentle acoustics, and beats taking influence from trap rap and jazz-pop music genres. The mix of these elements forms a tranquil, undeniably downtempo atmosphere. The lyrics are standard for the genre: love, heartbreak, relationships, romance. Simple and harmless, but emotional enough to form a personal connection. All of this was composed and written by two people, Tanisha “Tisha” T. Sadewo and Osvaldorio “Osvaldo.” The duo had little to no help from proxies, which is always an impressive feat. The vocals were also incredibly intimate and smooth, though they are consistent in terms of tone and pitches that make Tisha sound dull at times, but are forgiven when she reaches her gorgeous high notes. Overall, a solid listening experience, definitely worth a listen, especially at night, where I feel it would be the most hard-hitting.

Clipse reunites after a fifteen-year hiatus with Let God Sort Em Out, and of course, it’s already being placed among the best hip hop albums of all time. Unsurprisingly, Pusha T and Malice still have enough in them to make an album that’s both successful commercially and critically. The sounds and themes are nothing new, not even in their own discography, but who cares? I know I don’t. Being a “gangsta rap” album, the lyrics involve themes of crime, drugs, money, etc, along with things related to family and religion such as Christianity. Pusha T and Malice, the two MCs that make up the collective, have their own recognizable rapping and versatility that fit perfectly in their respective songs and verses. Both also have an aggressive and… MALICIOUS, PUSHY flow that delivers the lyrics with the perfect attitude. The beats of the album would be its biggest highlight, though, crafted by none other than producer duo The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo), the heavy-hard production establishing the ominous crime feel this album was going for. Let God Sort Em Out features many guest rappers who are acclaimed and beloved themselves, such as Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, the Creator, and Nas, just to name a few. If you wanted to check out any hip hop album this year, be sure to include this one in your list.

Speaking of, another ODDFUTURE member has hit the article! Tyler, the Creator. Arguably, the biggest rapper of the past few years is back again with Don’t Tap the Glass. Unlike his four previous albums, DTTG seems to be a fun side project created in just a couple of weeks out of pure boredom. It’s upbeat, boastful, lacks an exact concept, and actually encourages you to get up and dance, which greatly contrasts with the introspective sentiment of his most popular works. It may not be similar in themes and atmosphere, but it’s still very experimental and is ultimately a Tyler album, meaning it’s bound to be unique. Tyler seems to be taking influence from many genres here! Aside from the obvious dance and soul influences, he takes some elements from electro-funk and bass music, which provide the album its playful, party-like atmosphere. His voice is still good, obviously, sometimes full of soul beauty, other times more aggressive with his distinct tone. The whole album is directionless, aimless, and like I said before, has no specific themes and topics, but that’s okay because it’s just Tyler having fun in the studio. In this album, you’re not supposed to think too deeply or analyze the lyrics thoroughly; you’re supposed to relax, take in the vibes, and have a good time! 

Balloonerism, Mac Miller’s second posthumous album, was recorded over ten years ago, only to be officially released seven years after his tragic death. Similar to Live Laugh Love’s new album, the record is quite vibey and abstract, not to mention they’re both hip-hop albums from well-respected rappers. It’s nice, sounds pretty, and is rather ambitious, with Miller experimenting with dream-like reverb and heavy production textured in jazzy beats, a great reminder of Miller’s dabbling in jazz rap in his mixtape Faces. Lyrically, Miller is at his best. With excellent storytelling in each song, many touch on personal themes of his addictions to various drugs, his mental health, and even topics such as his faith and philosophy on life. This is all portrayed through a gentle, monotonous flow from Miller himself. The beats and production complement his rapping well. The ambience, loud resonating percussion, and light pianos, as well as the occasional horns or catchy guitars, give the album a rather layered, mesmerizing, and hypnotic atmosphere. It staggers just enough to make you feel like you’re on a psychedelic trip that may immerse you further. On top of all this, the placements of the tracks are fantastic, and every track consistently transitions into the next satisfyingly. A great album for those looking for something mellow.

Turnstile is a modern hardcore punk band that somehow made it big with both commercial and critical success. Well, not exactly somehow, NEVER ENOUGH is a great example of why this band stood out from its contemporaries. NEVER ENOUGH mixes a spacious and cloudy sound with a seemingly contrasting bouncy and anthemic punk rock, and they do it cleanly. In this album, Turnstile takes elements from their previous album GLOW ON, but washes it down a little and makes it much more accessible by trading aggressive breakdowns for more dreamlike soundscapes. Whether that’s a good thing or not is for you to decide, dear reader, though it’s undeniable that this is still a very unique album. Here, Turnstile turns punching songs you’d hear at the mosh pit and seamlessly turns them into relaxed synthpop, though still holding onto the band’s early punk roots. Their happier, self-loving songwriting has also been carried from their previous album, yet it’s much obvious and cleaner. A great album for the summer, but unfortunately, it’s autumn, so you may have to wait a couple of months if you really want to feel “in the zone” with this one.

That was a look at 8 albums I was suggested for 2025! Thank you for reading, and thanks to those who gave their favorite albums this year. I don’t have a specific ranking for this, as I want you to check all of these yourself and form your own opinions, but I hope you found something interesting amongst these eight random 2025 releases!