My favourite artist once told a whole room of his fans: “Please just enjoy the music. Don’t listen to it if you don’t like it. I don’t care. It’s just music. Play it when you wake up and turn it off when you go to sleep at night.” Granted, he was about to make a point about how good the music he had written is, but there was an underlying truth to it too: life’s too short to be one of those that harp on ‘bad’ music or well, tunes that simply aren’t your vibe. Face it: music is subjective. And everybody has their favourites.
Yet if there was a year that simply felt like a medley of smashing hits, it would be 2025. The past year may have flown by but a multitude of records took off in their own way. Notably, it kicked off with the release of Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, a jubilant package that cemented his homecoming—boundless in experimentation as the rapper fully leaned into Puerto Rican folk music and sounds. Then came Lady Gaga’s wild ride that was Mayhem. Some say they’re still there.
Later in the year, the pop girls of the summer took over, leaving us with Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend, Lorde’s highly-awaited Virgin, and PinkPantheress’s Fancy That. More strokes of pop genius ran its course later in the year, and we’re referring to both Swag and Swag II by Justin Bieber. Lest we forget, 2025 was also the year Rosalía redefined the industry with her seminal masterpiece, Lux. We’re fairly certain that the day ‘Berghain’ was released was the day our psyches were collectively rewired.
But like we said: everybody plays favourites. It could be the one album that made it to the top of your Spotify Wrapped, or the handful of tunes that have been fuelling you these past few months (and will continue to do so well into 2026). So yes, we’ll consider this as a best albums of 2025 list. Just that it’s 100% biased. But aren’t they all?
1 / 11
Gordon Ng, watches and jewellery editor: Mayhem by Lady Gaga
“After years of jazz Gaga, actress Gaga, cowboy hat Gaga, alien cyberpunk Gaga, and more, I loved the comeback of honest-to-goodness-pop-to-dance-to Gaga… finally!”
2 / 11
Sophie Tan, lifestyle writer: Don’t Tap The Glass by Tyler, The Creator
“There’s something irresistible about this record that’s the outcome of his continuous artistic exploration, knowing that he never stays in the same vein. The addictive rhythms running through each track pull you right into its groove, and I just can’t get enough.”
3 / 11
Lance Pielago, fashion stylist: Willoughby Tucker, I‘ll Always Love You by Ethel Cain
“Lovely album that blends ambient drone, Americana and slowcore perfectly while touching on Hayden’s experiences with love as a transwoman. A seamless blend into the Ethel Cain world!”
4 / 11
Janice Sim, digital editor: Deadbeat by Tame Impala
“The fondest memories of my 20s were spent drowning in Tame Impala’s sophomore album. And whilst I haven’t connected with that vivacious part of myself for a while now, Deadbeat brought it all back. Albeit more introspective (since Kevin Parker is now a proud dad), the collective’s hazy signature sound builds up to something greater and more poignant especially in the first (‘My Old Ways’) and last track (‘End of Summer’) from the album.”
5 / 11
Nurul Firdousee, fashion features writer: Swag by Justin Bieber
“Of course Justin Bieber would come back with an album titled Swag, and of course my favourite song from the entire record would also—unironically—be ‘Swag’. Its alt-R&B softness brings back that old-school JB nostalgia, just a little more grown up. Honestly, at the end of the day, I’m just a Belieber (we need that JB tour).”
6 / 11
Jordan Ong, junior designer: I Love My Computer by Ninajirachi
“I love this album for how it perfectly encapsulates the experience of growing up with your computer, in an incredibly earnest and in-depth manner, with several meta references garnished throughout. Despite the fact that this is just her debut album, she has definitively established her talent and worldliness as an artist, with a wealth of references ranging from electronic music legends such as Skrillex and Daft Punk, to cult favourites such as Porter Robinson and Sophie. She possesses such a vast inner world, and this album gives listeners an insight into a large slice of that universe.”
7 / 11
Emily Heng, beauty editor: Beam by Hoshi and Woozi from Seventeen
“I love an album that doesn’t take itself too seriously or consistently, and Beam has that in spades. Not in a, “let’s throw something at a wall and see what sticks” way, but in a sense where every track is experimental and fun despite there only being three tracks in the whole album. It’s a whole lot of range for three songs, okay?”
8 / 11
Kashish Malani, digital intern: DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS by Bad Bunny
“After a long time, we finally get to meet the real Benito with DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, which feels like stepping into a rager Puerto Rican holiday party full of salsa, pleneros, and some coconut pitorro. With banger songs and trippy beats, Bad Bunny undoubtedly ruled everybody’s feeds and playlists this year.”
9 / 11
Micah Phua, senior lifestyle writer: Never Enough by Turnstile
“In Never Enough, Turnstile manages to reach new depths of mature introspection, all while still remaining true to their reputation—as the hardcore band you can dance to. Breakneck beats, face-melting riffs and sweeping melodies, all grounded in earnest community. There’s a good reason why Turnstile are the biggest band in hardcore right now.”
10 / 11
Shyra Jamal, lifestyle intern: Lux by Rosalía
“If being a singer, songwriter, producer and visionary wasn’t already impressive, Rosalía can add magician to that list because Lux genuinely made me levitate and ascend into a whole different consciousness. To me, Lux is more than an album—it’s a time capsule that explores womanhood and spirituality through the lives of different women across history, and a reminder that art is truly transcendent.”
11 / 11
Azrin Tan, senior digital writer: Übermensch by G-Dragon
“This was a homecoming, and his way of telling us that Kwon Ji-yong was here to stay again. It was eight long years of waiting in the bleachers for the BigBang leader to slowly find his way back to us, and he did it with an ingenious record that reminded us all of why he’ll always be the king of K-pop. A sprinkling of nostalgic vocals in ‘Home Sweet Home’, rousing tracks circa ‘Take Me’ that are pure love letters to his fans, and experimental tunes that feel bold and brilliant, right from the first strum (read: ‘Bonamana’).”
