How would you describe the year in albums so far?
We’re halfway through 2025, and despite a few blockbuster releases—Playboi Carti’s MUSIC, The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow, Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOTos—the year’s most compelling albums have mostly come from newer artists still earning their stripes.
That’s a good thing. Even in a fractured cultural landscape, there are clear signs of a deep bench in both hip-hop and pop. In particular, it’s been a strong year for debuts: K-pop star Jennie, rising R&B talent SAILORR, and UK rap standout Central Cee all delivered some of the best releases of the year.
That doesn’t mean it’s been a bad year for music—just maybe an uneventful one. Still, with six months behind us, now’s the time to take stock and break down the best albums of the year so far.
Label: Odd Atelier/Columbia Records
Release date: March 7
Ruby marks a new chapter for Jennie. Not only is it her debut solo album, it’s also her first release since parting ways with K-pop powerhouse YG Entertainment. Ruby puts Jennie’s range of sound on full display. Tracks like “Like Jennie” are catchy pop perfection, showcasing the artist’s verified performance abilities, while ballads like “Twin” display a softer, more vulnerable side and prove her vocal capabilities. Beyond the music, Jennie released seven music videos for this album—high-production, high-fashion, and visually striking. You’d expect nothing less from someone coming from the K-pop industry. –Shinnie Park
Label: OTR Records / 50million / Futuristic Music Group / EMPIRE
Release date: May 9
At times crazy, occasionally scary and spooky, but never hilarious, Can’t Get Right is Lefty Gunplay’s first album since standing out as one of the best new voices on Kendrick Lamar’s GNX. Lefty can be a bit awkward as a technician; his strength lies in emotion. He’s can be surprisingly a romantic, sure (e.g. “Heavens Above (My Angel)”) but what really drives the album is a constant state of introspection—war stories wrapped in questions about how he made it back. Part of the appeal is the production, which is in tradition with LA’s gangsta rap past and carries the weight of OG figure JasonMartin guiding it all. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Label: Taylor Gang Ent, LLC
Release date: April 28
As far as rehashing nostalgia goes, Wiz found some satisfying equilibrium on the sequel to his 2010 classic. Five of the first six tracks feature throwback Cardo production that feels like it exists right inside a bong rip. What occurs inside these songs shows a succinct blend of personality and growth. On “Crime Bud and Women,”Wiz spits, “Don’t got a lot of time so I spend that with my children,” proving the “rapper life” can both stay thriving and grounded. As the project progresses, old tricks balance with surprises. Chevy Woods emerges amidst a groovy beat that sounds like a plane emerging above the clouds while LaRussell makes an aligned appearance on an effervescent slap. —Miki Hellerbach
Label: Interscope Records
Release date: March 21
In real life, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco operate as a unit—one ball of googly-eyed, obsessive young love. Which makes their first album together, I Said I Love You First, so interesting: instead of something intimate, they deliver a sprawling, shrewd attempt to capture the full spectrum of contemporary pop. There’s hyperpop sounds (“Bluest Flame”); disco-inspired bops (“Sunset Blvd”); Latin pop heaters (“I Can’t Get Enough”); and gothic ballads (“Stained:”). In the wrong hands, this could be seen as a lame move. Luckily, they have the chops to pull it off, crafting one of the pop albums of the year. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Label: CLBN/10K Projects
Release date: May 16
In case you forgot, there’s four seasons in the year: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Aminé. The Portland rapper has commandeered summertime playlists for years now, and 13 Months Of Sunshine, sunny days set the scene yet again. Intertwined with skits from his father, the rapper parlays vibey house-inspired records like “Vacay” and “Familiar” with introspective earworms (“History” and “Doing The Best I Can.”) 13 Months of Sunshine feels a lot like a vacation; It’s an opportunity to disconnect with a cold one (or two) in your hand. Find a beach somewhere and enjoy some time in the Sunshine. —Jon Barlas
Label: ALC/The Freeminded/Empire
Release date: February 7
If you’d just woken up out of a 13 year coma, 2 Chainz, Larry June, and Alchemist’s album would absolutely sound like the result of a twisted rap Madlibs session. It kinda still does. But it also sounds like one of the best rap projects of the year. Coated in luxuriant ALC production, the project sees Larry and 2 Chainz cruise over contemplative soul loops as they play a game of seesawing flexes. Larry makes a bagel and a nice view sound like a scene from The Godfather while Chainz bends syllables and ideas with such flair you don’t care about him mispronouncing amenities. — Peter A. Berry
Label: Motion Music/Atlantic
Release date: January 24
On Jump Out, OsamaSon navigates his clear influences—e.g. Lil Uzi and Playboi Carti—and his own sonic identity, combining blaring rage beats with youthful vibrancy and wordplay. OsamaSon’s third album is textured, immersive and colorful, assisted by producer ok priming the canvas with gritty 808s and sparkling synth lines. It’s an album definitive to what underground artists in 2025 should aspire to in terms of cohesion, technical skill, and style, and it acts as a benchmark for what to deliver as a rising artist who aspires to impress listeners beyond their core fanbase. — Allison Battinelli
Label: BuVision
Release date: May 9
FROM FLORIDA’S FINEST, is an exhibition for gentle, yet expressive vocality and self-aware lyricism that can be painfully delicate or punchy and vindictive. As its name suggest, “Soft Girl Summer” is the playful diamatrical opposite to Megan Thee Stallion’s Hot Girl excursions; yeah she’s on the come up, but SAILORR’s still got no problem using tear drops for skin lotion. Her imagistic writing colors what might otherwise be cliche themes with emotional immediacy, Threaded by lushly tranquil soundscapes and a supple tone, it’s a smooth ride that, like the title of one of its best songs, thrives on its sincerity. —Peter A. Berry
Label: Capitol Records
Release Date: May 16
In 2025, Kali Uchis shed the neon-lit reggaetón of Orquídeas in favor of R&B and soul that is just as seductive. “Angels All Around Me” floats on airy falsettos and layered vocals, while “Silk Lingerie” is minimal and intimate—almost whispered, like a secret shared between lovers. Woven through dreamy string arrangements, bubbly guitar lines, and a soft-focus pop haze is intimate, candlelit confessional lyricism that pulls you in track by track. To deepen the experience, Kali forgoes all features on this project, holding it down solo—much like she did on her debut Por Vida. —Antonio Johri
Label: World Affairs
Release Date: May 2
There was once a time when you’d get a Yung Lean album and then a Jonatan album. Now, there’s no distinction. Over the past few years, Lean has steadily drifted from his atmospheric SoundCloud-rap roots toward the more acoustic, indie-leaning sounds he explored as Jonatan Leandoer96. That metamorphosis feels complete on Yung Lean’s Jonatan—a gorgeous, stripped-down look at music’s most prominent sadboy. The album centers on a breakup—apparently a real one from a real partner (see standout “Horses” for reference)—and an artistic one. The lead single, “Forever Yung,” one of the album’s more pop-leaning moments (but still unmistakably sad), finds Lean at a metaphorical funeral, seemingly burying his other self. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Label: Interscope Records
Release Date: April 4
On Star, 2hollis prioritizes cohesion over chaos, blending EDM, pop and hip-hop over the course of 15 tracks. But it isn’t all distortion—Hollis explores feelings of self-doubt, the plights of navigating fame (with “tell me” being an ode to side-eyes and mile-long stares superfans can give) and protecting what he loves most, whether it be his “girl” or his art. What uplifts Star is its sequencing, each song cascades into the next as 2hollis expertly curates an experience rather than just another rage escapade. After all, Hollis produced and recorded the project in its entirety in his childhood home in LA, and “Burn” was the last song he was able to finish before fire engulfed his house. —Jon Barlas
Label: Signal Records/Columbia Record
Release Date: February 4
Nino Paid is a beacon of hope for the criminally slept on DMV scene. ACEs haunt Love Me As I Am as he tries to decipher if success is enough to move past your PTSD. Slowing the DMV’s free car flow down to a steadier pace, Nino’s flair for reflective, emotionally captivating beats shines as the album swings from pop punk and emo revival guitars to glittering keys and pluggnb soundscapes. His songwriting is stark and introspective, just as willing to probe lingering doubts as it is to tally his growing wins. Even when contemplating broken dreams and lost loved ones, Paid remains optimistic: the past might haunt you, but all that matters is what lies ahead. —Josh Svetz
Label: 10k
Release Date: May 7
More adventurous than its predecessor, Pinball II is the rare sequel that surpasses the original. For this one, MIKE unsheaths all of his weapons for the singular purpose of getting bars off, slicing through a virtuosic run of Tony Seltzer beats in the process. A collage of pummeling 808s and gothic synths, “Sin City” is TM101 for 2K25, with MIKE being a more nimble backpacker Jeezy. Elsewhere, he slides over dreamy trap (“Golden Dragon”) and gleaming G-Funk (“Money & Power”), flaunting intricate flow structures with masterful vocal control the whole way through. — Peter A. Berry
Label: BabyChiefDoit
Release Date: April 23
BabyChiefDoIt is the second son of Chicago, a student of Chief Keef, with a more playful and charismatic aura. Zoo Life showcases the burgeoning artist turning the rap world into his playground. The album is 35 minutes of ignorant fun, where BabyChief hopscotches over a variety of different beats, from the buoyant “Happy Feet” to the Chicago street “Am I Understood.” What’s most impressive about ZOO LIFE, though, is the range the 17-year-old rapper shows on it. “Yeyeezytunechiweezy” encapsulates BabyChief’s potential, where the Chicago rapper spits over a 2008 Lil Wayne-sounding beat. His rhymes are still rough around the edges, but the ceiling is high. —Jordan Rose
Label: Young/Atlantic
Release Date: January 24
“EUSEXUA was birthed in chicken scratch, written on the back of my hand in a toilet at a rave in Prague.”
That’s one hell of a logline from FKA twigs. EUSEXUA is only her third album, but it might be her boldest yet: a chaotic mishmash of global club sounds, stitched together from the farthest corners of the ’90s. Think the haunting aura of early Björk, the thump of trip-hop, and the frantic energy of Euro techno. Despite the throwback references, the album never feels dated—random quirks, like North West rapping in Japanese—keep it thrillingly unpredictable. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Label: XO/Republic
Release Date: January 31
Hurry Up Tomorrow follows The Weeknd through an emotional whirlwind of fame, heartbreak, and addiction. From the euphoric rush of the Electro-Pop opener “Wake Me Up,” to the skeletal beat and somber lyrics of “Baptized in Fear,” to the raw introspection of “Enjoy The Show,” the record moves like a cinematic experience. Mike Dean’s fingerprints are evident all over the tracklist as they are wrapped in his signature synthesizing arpeggios and shimmering textures, adding a grandiose energy to the project. With this release, The Weeknd seems to have delivered one last banger under the name that made him a global icon. —Antonio Johri
Label: From the Private Collection, LLP
Release Date: March 18
From The Private Collection of Saba and No I.D. bridges sonics from Chicago’s past and present to life and gives it new life for its evolving future. Over the course of 15 songs, producer No I.D. plays the role of Mr. Miyagi as Saba wipes on-and-off each track with increasingly impressive flows. Saba sounds as confident as he’s ever been on this album, rapping with a ridiculous level of self-assuredness on “Act 1.5” before gliding back into smoother flows on “Big Picture.” The once humble kid from Chicago is finally talking his shit, and the production legend hasn’t missed a beat, either. —Jordan Rose
Label: Columbia/CC4L
Release Date: January 24
Like the title suggests, Central Cee is taking his time trying to reach the heights of rap. Can’t Rush Greatness is littered with lessons the British rapper has learned ove the years, like when he raps about how label executives “don’t care if we’re murderers, as long your catalog bringing in revenue,” on “Top Freestyle,” and how he’s already pre-meditating an exit from the game once he amasses enough bread. Despite the high levels of anticipation around this debut album, Cench sounds sobering. UK rap would not be as embraced in the States if it weren’t for him, but he doesn’t sound content about any of it. It’s like he’s still chasing greatness. —Jordan Rose
Label: Opium/Interscope
Release Date: April 11
Ken Carson’s follow up to A Great Chaos is more off-the-wall, more guttural and more… chaotic (in the best way). Blistering beats spearheaded by longtime collaborators in F1LTHY, starboy, KP Beatz and more lead the way for Carson, as he starts to come into his own as an MC. Putting a greater emphasis on his technical ability amidst the hellish, raw energy the album exerts, there’s one line that personifies this evolution most: “Hard work beats talent, so I work hard.” “K-HOLE” is just a glimpse at Carson recognizing how far he’s come, and on More Chaos, he’s reaped the rewards of the grind.—Jon Barlas
Label: TDE/RCA
Release Date: December 20, 2024
SZA is at her best when she’s love-struck and ridden with feelings she can’t place anywhere but within her lyrics. LANA—technically a deluxe version of SOS, but substantial enough to stand as its own album—is an inner look at her heart which she is never afraid to share with her eager fans.
Over superb and at times delicate production, the songstress and sufficient lyricist showcases her lack of limitations when it comes to expressing herself. Equipped with her strong songwriting prowess, SZA unbuttons picturesque details of yearning for longstanding relationships, her battles with self-worth, not wanting to be valued due to her celebrity status, and other moving musings. —Robyn Mowatt
Label: Warner
Release Date: January 17
Mac Miller’s Balloonerism earned near-mythic status back in 2014. Earlier versions of the album leaked online over the years but the official release of the album not only felt novel, but rare. Much like how Swimming and Circles act as companion pieces to one another, Balloonerism sounds like a meditative prequel to the project that eventually became Faces. Tracks like “Stoned,” “Funny Papers,” “Rick’s Piano”—”Rick” as in Rick Rubin—and especially “Tomorrow Will Never Know” all echo similar underlying themes, instrumentation and the mind-melting nature that embodies Faces. However, where Faces felt like a downer, Balloonerism is the upper—floating away aimlessly like a proverbial balloon into space. —Jon Barlas
Label: OVO/Santa Anna/Republic
Release Date: February 14
There was a lot going on in the world of Drake at the beginning of this year. Instead of completely retreating after his loss to Kendrick Lamar, he linked up with longtime collaborator and fellow Canadian PARTYNEXTDOOR to make $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, an R&B album born in the winter but made for the summer.
Drake and PND do what they do best on this project—find new and creative ways to croon about their faults in different relationships, and they do it with ease. Drake is one of the most versatile artists of this generation, and he showcases how easily he’s able to pivot from battle mode and make songs like “Nokia” or “Die Trying” that sound like he just spent the last six months somewhere tropical and not fighting for his life in the rap war.
He still has time to lick his wounds on tracks like “Gimme a Hug,” but he and Party’s main focus is to “make the party lit” rather than continue to feed the rap beef. In that aim, The Boy prevails. —Jordan Rose
Label: Warner
Release Date: May 9
While her debut mixtape carved out a lane for PinkPantheress—offering a bedroom pop sensibility that contrasted the spunk of pop darlings Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan—Fancy That pushes further into her own world, one where sounds enmesh and genres blend freely. It’s a universe where she chases styles without restraint, from UK garage to alt-pop.
The ups and downs of Young love dominates the themes of Fancy That, but it’s the music that does the heavy lifting. This is a project full of bops, stitched together with samples from 2000s tracks and forgotten electronic gems—further proof of PinkPantheress’ sharp ear and genre-bending instinct. —Robyn Mowatt
Label: Rimas Entertainment
Release Date: January 14
After climbing to the top of Latin Pop, breaking into the global mainstream, and collecting nearly every award under the sun, what more is there for Bad Bunny to prove? The answer: champion Puerto Rico’s sound with a new, more intentional political edge.
His latest full-length, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (I Should Have Taken More Pictures), is both a love letter to his homeland and a political roll call—an educational experience that calls attention to a place long plundered and overlooked.
But like all great political art, it stands on its own musical merit. There are hints of salsa in the warm piano grooves of “LA MuDANZA,” and ear-tickling percussion on “CAFé CON RON,” which draws from the traditional sounds of Plena. Of course, Bad Bunny also delivers plenty of contemporary Reggaeton that he helped pioneer, signaling the next step in the island’s sonic canon on tracks like “VeLDÁ” and “KETU TeCRÉ.” —Antonio Johri
Label: AWGE/Interscope
Release Date: March 14
MUSIC seemed like it would never exist. Countless delays, teases, leaks, and reports of scrapping entire bodies of work drove Opium Discords to their breaking point.
And suddenly, Playboi Carti’s long anticipated album finally dropped. MUSIC feels like the most complete distillation of Carti as an artist: a beautiful mess of ideas that doesn’t clamor to be understood, instead, pushing and pulling at modern taste, subverting rap tropes and norms in pursuit of a sonic experience that works because of its ambition and bold experimentation.
Nothing in 2025 sounded like MUSIC, despite the continuous flood of Carti clones birthed from Whole Lotta Red. In a time where many of the top rappers have resigned themselves to streaming fodder, Carti colors outside the lines, confident in his decision making. Some tracks sound like the album collapsing on itself, so uncommercial, it feels like a satire of his sons. Other tracks blend Carti’s rockstar sensibility with sticky pop hooks, underscored with a brooding atmosphere. It’s an A&R’s nightmare, poppy Young Thug features for one song, minimal looping fuzz guitar mixed with droning vocals on the next—no rhyme, no reason. It rejects tastefulness in favor of unpredictability, a rarity in the modern mainstream rap landscape. Getting the music is a miracle. —Josh Svetz
