With the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence this past year, it has never been more crucial to highlight and celebrate human-made art in all its forms. At a time when AI-generated artists are making waves on digital song sales charts, it is pertinent that we focus in on music that was cultivated from human experience, from emotions both negative and positive with depth, soul and genuine musical talent. Our goal every year with this list is to shine a light on the sheer breadth of art out there inclusive of genre. Below you will find experimental, electronic, pop, rock, metal, hardcore, hip-hop and everything in between. Despite the increasingly dystopian state of affairs we find ourselves living through, music has acted as a mirror into where we were, where we are and where we could be. Music offers a level of hope when all else feels lost and gifts us the words to describe our feelings when they get too complicated to decipher. There is nothing more powerful than a passionate human with a vision. With that, here are mxdwn’s top 40 best albums of 2025!
– Skyy Rincon
40. The Hellacopters – Overdriver
Filled with infectious hooks and energetic riffs, as well as enough distortion to give the album a great deal of grit, Overdriver is melodic and powerful at the same time.
– Kaleigh Perez
39. Perturbator – Age Of Aquarius
Age of Aquarius is firm in its themes of violence and conformity, abound with message and the edge to deliver. There is a bite to Perturbator’s methods, sharpness to their sound.
– Noelle Torres
38. Lorde – Virgin
Virgin paves an entirely new path for Lorde. Through examining transformation and rebirth, Lorde comes out of her cocoon. By 29, she has truly left her childhood behind.
– Kelsey Wood
37. Blood Orange – Essex Honey
Essex Honey by Blood Orange is a hazy, introspective album that blends lo-fi R&B, soul and alternative pop. Its dreamy production and vulnerable songwriting create a moody, intimate atmosphere that lingers rather than demands attention.
– Ellie Aviles
36. Faithless – Champion Sound
An album divided into four different emotions, Faithless’s Champion Sound pushes the limits of what can be considered a dance album. It creates a community with eight other musicians featured.
– Kelsey Wood
35. Pulp – More
Pulp returns along with their orchestral glam punk indie sound with their album More. Including singles “Spike Island” and “Got to Have Love,” this album propelled Pulp back into public view.
– Adam Skelly
34. Yukimi – For You
For You is a tender, understated solo debut from Yukimi, blending soul, jazz and soft electronic textures. Her intimate vocals and reflective lyrics create a calm, emotionally honest album that feels personal and quietly powerful.
– Ellie Aviles
33. Black Moth Super Rainbow – Soft New Magic Dream
Soft New Magic Dream drifts through funhouse synths, melancholy haze and ethereal calm. Mostly instrumental, its whispery vocals heighten whimsy, shifting between soothing serenity and sudden, theatrical drama throughout.
– Claire Yancey
32. Marissa Nadler – New Radiations
New Radiations is a cohesive slow burn album that showcases Marissa Nadler’s return to her elemental beginnings. Each song depicts a unique, yet relatable narrative with delicate and captivating melodies.
– Eve Pierpont
31. Little Simz – Lotus
Lotus continues Little Simz’s run of compelling projects, displaying a moody, dark insight into her life. Over more spacious beats, she is cutthroat with her bars, and provides a focused and hard-hitting project in the process.
– Charlie Sagerer
30. Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea
Spanning a medley of genres ranging from alternative and progressive metal to EDM and even pop, Tsunami Sea refines the chaotically deliberate sound Spiritbox developed in their previous debut album.
– June Skelly
29. Demi Lovato – It’s Not That Deep
Demi Lovato leaves no question of her maturity with It’s Not That Deep. Lovato explains her album title through fun dance tracks and lyrics that don’t take themselves too seriously. Yet, she also takes time to reminisce on her past style through classic pop songs interspersed throughout the tracklist.
– Kelsey Wood
28. Dying Wish – Flesh Stays Together
Dying Wish’s new fourth album, Flesh Stays Together, is the beast inside us all, unleashed. Lead vocalist, Emma Boster, rips apart the soundscape with chunky bleghs and relentless, melodic attacks through each song’s message. The back and forth from soft to abrasive vocals creates a fitting juxtaposition of the emotional and real-world tormentations of lyrics from tracks like, “A Curse Upon Iron,” and “Nothing Like You,” address.
– Mikabella Katerina
27. Of Monsters And Men – All Is Love And Pain In The Mouse Parade
All Is Love And Pain In The Mouse Parade brings a softer sound. With the powerful, long sound of “Fruit bat,” the upbeat tempo of “Ordinary Creature” and the eerie, ghastly feel of the title song “Mouse Parade,” this album has a variety of emotions.
– Adam Skelly
26. Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out
Returning after an over 15-year hiatus, Pusha T and No Malice prove that Clipse can still push out tight, grimy lyrical content. Rapping over both classic and punchy boom-bap beats and more minimalist instrumentals, Let God Sort Em Out shows that Clipse has not lost their footing.
– Charlie Sagerer
25. Ulver – Neverland
Our longtime favorites Ulver returned this year with another beautiful—and true to form another total evolution sonically—album, hauntingly entitled, Neverland. Whereas previous albums featured strong vocal melodies, Neverland is an almost fully instrumental affair, rich orchestration, heavily modulated samples and a focused effort at producing a killer vibe win the day.
– Raymond Flotat
24. Florence and the Machine – Everybody Scream
Everybody Scream is enthralling and full of profound, raw lyrics and a witchy aesthetic. There is no lack of Florence Welch’s otherworldly singing style in which she goes from emotional hushed tones to borderline operatic explosive notes while, amazingly, staying ethereal. It is a complex album that is cinematic but idyllic.
– Eve Pierpont
23. Alison Goldfrapp – Flux
Alison Goldfrapp says Hey, Hi, Hello with 2025’s Flux. Mixing sensual production, breathy vocals and tried-and-true high beats per minute, Goldfrapp invites listeners to the dance floor. Then, she pulls on their hearts with themes of transition and desire to create a near-perfect album.
– Kelsey Wood
22. Biohazard – Divided We Fall
Divided We Fall is the perfect brass-knucked, metal middle finger you’ve been searching for all of 2025. 13 years in the making, Biohazard’s new album features 11 songs dripping with their iconic hip-hop, metal and of course, head-banging sound. Whether you seek connection or validity from this turmoilious year, start by hitting opening track, “Fuck The System.”
– Mikabella Katerina
21. Neko Case – Neon Grey, Midnight Green
Neko Case is bursting through the speakers with artistry. Case majestically shows this on Neon Grey, Midnight Green. A collection of 12 whimsical tracks that build and rise in production. Her creativity shines on tracks that may not make any sense, but make perfect sense at the same time.
– Nicole Sacks
20. Anna Von Hausswolff – Iconoclasts
Iconoclasts unfolds through the haunting refrain “can I protect you,” exploring life, death, abundance and self discovery. Anna von Hausswolff’s extraordinary voice guides dramatic twists and emotional swells. The album feels stunning and devotional, pulling heartstrings while inspiring reflection, vulnerability and awe. Its intensity lingers, transformative, intimate, fearless and deeply human.
– Claire Yancey
19. Soulwax – All Systems Are Lying
Soulwax’s All Systems Are Lying is sharp, intense and impossible to ignore once it clicks. The album leans hard into gritty electronic textures, pulsing synths and a darker, more industrial edge that feels both chaotic and intentional. There is a constant sense of tension running through the tracks, like everything is slightly on the verge of overheating, which makes the listening experience exciting rather than exhausting. Soulwax balances precision with raw energy, creating songs that feel mechanical but still very alive. The production is tight and bold, with layers that reveal themselves more the more you listen. All Systems Are Lying feels like a statement record that refuses to play it safe, perfect for moments when you want something immersive, aggressive and unapologetically electronic.
– Paul Chaparro
18. Scowl – Are We All Angels
Are We All Angels is a testament to the genre-defying nature of the band. Infusing several different styles together, Scowl refuses to succumb to one official title. Each song on their album is representative of this objective, with several tunes contrasting in sound. One may lean more on the hardcore side, while another heats up with ‘80s synth intertwined with dreamy pop vocals from lead singer Kat Moss. The mechanics of its pieces are diverse, but it is united through its indifferent mood and refusal to be characterized by limiting labels. The motive of its music moves beyond identity and instead focuses on the moments that make one the most human.
– Kara Nichols
17. Serj Tankian – Covers, Collaborations & Collages
When offered any journey through Serj Tankian’s ever-eccentric sonic stylings, one accepts. Covers, Collaborations, & Collages channels Tankian’s artistry into a frenetic corkboard of clippings and thumbtacks, the centerfold of a musician’s journal. Some of its offerings ring bright with the expectedly unexpected, beautifully long-winded poetry and kaleidoscopic structure. Some lessen the avant-garde in favor of a more familiar poignancy, a justified tradeoff. The whole patchwork makes for one compelling tapestry! With System of a Down in its twilight years, Collages is a welcome renewal of ambition from a rock legend with nothing left to prove, only art and passion to share.
– Noelle Torres
16. Nine Inch Nails – Tron: Ares
Having a movie soundtrack in a top albums list might be a bit unconventional, but when it comes to worldbuilding through music, no one does it better than Nine Inch Nails. Legendary electronic music juggernauts Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross come together to create a pulsating and atmospheric soundtrack for the Disney sci-fi film, Tron: Ares. With very big shoes to fill as Daft Punk scored the last film in the series, Tron: Legacy, Nine Inch Nails stepped up to the plate to hit it out of the park. This soundtrack is dark and grimy as any NIN project would be, but there are futuristic and stunning sonic elements that make this album enjoyable even if there were no visual component to be paired with.
– Greg Poblete
15. Babymetal – Metal Forth
Babymetal’s latest album Metal Forth is by far one of the most stunning albums of 2025. These ladies are not afraid to blast your soul with sizzling and cultural metal music that defines who Babymetal is as a band! The absolute best part about Metal Forth is how the band has a wide variety of collaborators, who bring an extra dose of badassery, talent and non-stop madness. Slaughter To Prevail, Poppy, Tom Morello and other acts successfully help Babymetal shine like a diamond on this album and surely, fans of BabyMetal enjoy this album just as much as everyone else!
– Caitlin Stoddard
14. Deftones – Private Music
Mesmerising and immersive, with 11 tracks ranging in length from around three minutes to over six, Private Music draws the listener into its sound with heavy distortion and layering. Many of the songs fade into the next, creating an album perfect for listening to in its entirety. This album stands as an alternative metal and rock sonic experience, with rich soundscapes to explore with every listen.
– June Skelly
13. Tyler, The Creator – Don’t Tap The Glass
After over a decade of taking a more experimental and conceptual process towards creating music, Tyler, The Creator’s Don’t Tap The Glass features a more conventional approach than his previous projects. In promotional content for the album, it was clear that he intended for this album to be made to dance to and he certainly succeeded in doing so. The production is very pop-oriented, with upbeat synthesizers leading the instrumentation. Lyrically, he trades the heavier themes of past records for catchy hooks and effortlessly groovy verses. Ultimately, this leads to an immaculate project that shows Tyler, The Creator’s versatility on full display.
– Charlie Sagerer
12. Ghost – Skeletá
With the release of Skeleta, Ghost mastermind Tobias Forge did something extraordinary. The new record became the Swedish rock band’s first album to top the Billboard 200 chart marking the first time a hard rock band managed the feat since AC/DC’s Power Up in 2020. Skeleta also serves as the introduction to the group’s new frontman Papa V Perpetua, who in a shocking twist, was revealed to be the twin brother of Papa Emeritus IV! Sonically, the album is a love letter to ‘80s metal and hard rock, paying tribute to icons like Iron Maiden and Ozzy Osbourne while still remaining unapologetically Ghost.
– Skyy Rincon
11. Sofi Tukker – Butter
Sofi Tukker’s Butter feels like one of those albums that quietly sticks with you and then suddenly you realize how often you have been playing it all year. It is playful, confident and effortlessly cool, blending house beats with pop energy in a way that feels fresh and easygoing. One of the best parts of the album is how clearly it pulls from Brazilian music influences, from the use of Portuguese lyrics to the rhythmic bounce that echoes Brazilian funk and tropical dance sounds. Those influences give Butter a global, sun-soaked feeling that helps it stand out. The album feels warm and joyful, like it was made for movement, connection and celebration. It works just as well for getting ready with friends as it does for late night drives or relaxed afternoons. Butter is fun without feeling shallow and stylish without trying too hard, making it an easy album to keep coming back to.
– Paul Chaparro
10. I’m With Her – Wild And Clear And Blue
A cup of coffee on a beautiful morning in a mountain cottage? A luminous night where it feels like the starways touch right at the edge of the horizon, just moments away? A memory of a dear family gathered around a table in a feeling, a scent you would give anything to have back for even an instant? These feelings and many, many more are the landscape that is the second album from folk trio and supergroup I’m With Her, Wild and Clear and Blue. With nary a percussion hit in 41 minutes, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan and Sara Watkins take vocal harmony and acoustic instrumentation to lush heights a la Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young/Peter, Paul and Mary rarely experienced in the modern era. There’s gobs and gobs of greatness in this album, but try “Mother Eagle (Sing Me Alive)” or “Find Way To You” and see if you feel like hitting the pause button on the madness of our world? Maybe just for a moment? Maybe just to breathe out.
– Raymond Flotat
9. Wet Leg – Moisturizer
Assertive, exciting and unapologetic, Wet Legs’s moisturizer is a magnetic musical catalogue. Balancing the emotional with the sarcastic, its sonic efforts consist of thrilling electric guitar melodies that compliment the lyrical drive on each of its twelve tracks. Within every song there is a central riff that explodes into a colorful lick that carries the listener away with its liberating sound. Rhian Teasedale’s lead vocals are enrapturing as they drift along the guitar lines elegantly but nonetheless fiercely. Never straying from edge, they charge even their softer songs with dizzying guitar solos that emphasize the sentiment of the lyrical content. Boisterous highlights include the impressionable “CPR” and “Catch These Fists,” while the more contemplative “liquidize” and “don’t speak” introduce the lighter side of the album with their romantic illustrations. Its catchy and considerate choruses never take themselves too seriously with the overall craftsmanship remaining intentional. It is pure rock euphoria.
– Kara Nichols
8. Wednesday – Bleeds
Wednesday’s Bleeds is the ultimate alternative soundscape. Taking a country approach to classic rock attitudes, the album is at once riveting and non-stop. Beginning with “Reality TV Argument Bleeds,” their storytelling is not only seductive, but refreshing as they take the atmosphere of their North Carolinian origin and explore its inspiration through their sound. Lead singer Karly Hartzman leans into the laid back, delivering a vocal performance that reveals its emotion as it smoothly climbs alongside the deafening electric guitar riffs. “Wound Up Here (By Holdin On)” is a shining example of the band’s dedication to drawn out melodies that keep in touch with their twang by concluding main riffs with fervent flat notes. Other notable numbers that unveil the bounds of its sonic blend include the gentle “Elderberry Win,” and the abrasive “Wasp.” Bleeds offers it all within the realm of rock while expanding the possibilities of the genre.
– Kara Nichols
7. Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power
One of the top albums for this year is Deafheaven’s Lonely People With Power and what is fabulously great about the whole thing is how the band kicks things up a notch with their killer songwriting skills and skull-crushing instrumentation that will cause some listeners to head-bang along to the mind-dazzling music that is blaring from their speakers. Lonely People With Power just proves how musically hungry Deafheaven is as a band! The music itself bleeds metal royalty with hard-hitting guitar riffs and thunderous drum beats. Fans of metal music will not be disappointed with Deafheaven’s latest effort on this album.
– Caitlin Stoddard
6. FKA Twigs – EUSEXUA
FKA Twigs’ EUSEXUA is a hypnotic and immersive return that reaffirms her status as one of pop’s most forward-thinking artists. Arriving five years after Magdalene, the album pivots away from overt heartbreak toward physical and spiritual release, drawing heavily from the pulse of club culture without submitting to its rigidity. House rhythms, industrial textures and gauzy synths glide beneath Twigs’ elastic vocals, which remain the project’s emotional core. Tracks like the title cut and “Drums of Death” revel in bodily surrender, while “Perfect Stranger” balances vulnerability with sleek nocturnal production. The album’s central concept, named after the term Twigs, coined to describe euphoric transcendence, feels fully realized rather than theoretical. Guest appearances are sparse and purposeful, enhancing the atmosphere without disrupting cohesion. Critics have praised EUSEXUA for its ambition, sensual confidence and immersive design. It’s an album that rewards deep listening, revealing new emotional contours with each return.
– Olivier Fluchaire
5. AVTT/PTTN – AVTT/PTTN
A creative collaboration with texture and color. With The Avett Brothers, Scott and Seth, along with Mike Patton, AVTT/PTTN is born. This record, deservingly so, is getting amazing feedback. With only nine tracks, these boys put so much power and truth into every song they put out on this self-titled record, AVTT/PTTN. AVTT/PTTN uses an a acapella approach at various points of this record. On “Too Awesome,” there is a growling in the background. At first, this can sound like an animal, but it blends ever so smoothly into the heart of the song. “Your beauty is too awesome to explain / You are beloved, you are a gift.” This is a love song through and through. The twinkling sound of when you open an old jewelry box is gracefully sprinkled in the background in the closing track “Received.” This track was easily a great choice to close out this album. There is something special about it that gives a sense of togetherness and hope. AVTT/PTTN by AVTT/PTTN is an experimental group as much as the music itself. Breaking barriers and creating wistful and hard or crunchy and soft music throughout.
– Nicole Sacks
4. Turnstile – Never Enough
There is no doubt that 2025 has been Turnstile’s year. Coming in at number four on mxdwn’s Top Albums of 2025, their fourth full-length album Never Enough finds Turnstile at the antithesis of the momentum they have been patiently building on for over a decade. Never Enough sees Turnstile playing confidently in the genre-defying sandbox they laid the foundations for with their critically acclaimed 2021 album Glow On, feeling like its natural sequel. Here, listeners hear Turnstile as they further indulge in their experimentation of texture, layering and atmospheric sound, all while tackling their most emotional and vulnerable lyrics to date. The opening title track “Never Enough” sets the album’s tone within the first few sections, a light and dreamy synth intro seamlessly drops into a traditional Turnstile riff, all pushing guitar and heavy drums contrasting against frontman Brendan Yates’ hazy vocals that seemingly float above the music. Their experimentation really shines on tracks such as “Dreaming,” featuring hard, pit-enticing guitar riffs alongside a rather cheerful sounding trumpet, masterfully blending two seemingly polar opposite ends of the musical spectrum. In classic Turnstile fashion, there is still no shortage of faster, heavy-hitting tracks. “Sole” and “Birds” satisfy the urge to head-sway and two-step. Never Enough is Turnstile at their most refined, showcasing their dedication to not only their art, but to their personal growth as musicians, which may just be the most hardcore thing of all.
– Riley Wilkerson
3. Lily Allen – West End Girl
Lily Allen’s West End Girl stands tall as one of 2025’s most acclaimed releases, marking a focused and emotionally unflinching return seven years after No Shame. Framed as a semi- fictional narrative, the album traces the aftermath of a fractured marriage with discipline and restraint, unfolding like a tightly edited drama rather than a confessional sprawl. Sonically, West End Girl thrives on contrast. The lush orchestral haze of the title track opens on domestic optimism before exposing subtle fault lines beneath the surface. Restless drum and bass on “Ruminating” mirrors cycles of guilt and intrusive thought, while “Relapse” fractures Allen’s vocal delivery to reflect the fragility of sobriety under emotional strain. “Beg For Me” repurposes a nostalgic pop sample into something hollow and bruised and the stripped-back “Let You W/In” lands as one of the record’s most quietly devastating moments. Moments of Allen’s familiar songwriting wit surface on “Nonmonogamummy.” That tonal consistency, paired with precise lyricism and meticulous production, has driven widespread critical praise and strong chart performance. West End Girl reads less like a comeback than a career-defining statement.
– Olivier Fluchaire
2. HEALTH – CONFLICT DLC
Existing in this modern world can feel crushing at times and for those who want their music just as heavy, look no further than industrial rock band HEALTH’s latest release CONFLICT DLC. From the melancholy lyrical themes to the sonic pummeling that has come to shape the group’s music in recent years, this record is truly heavy in every sense of the word. The album kicks off with “ORDINARY LOSS,” a tribute to the realist (or pessimist?) view that everyone you know will eventually meet their demise. The record asks heart-wrenching questions about how to deal with loss: “if I learned to love, can I learn to let go?” and leans into a deep sense of existentialism: “they say God made the world so he could take it away.” Beyond the bleak messaging, though, lies infectiously danceable tracks that never lose momentum. “VIBE COP,” for example, features premium riffage courtesy of Lamb Of God’s Willie Adler. Meanwhile, standout single “YOU DIED” leans into a whole other territory with its catchier pop sound. Instrumental track “TORTURE II” even acts as an atmospheric palette cleanser similar to “DON’T TRY” from their 2023 hit album RAT WARS. Suffice to say that HEALTH is here for their fans in this “TRASH DECADE” we find ourselves living in–and they’ve got something to say about it.
– Skyy Rincon
1. Hayley Williams – Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party
Believe it or not, but this is Paramore’s lead singer, Hayley Williams’ 3rd studio album within the last five years and this project is her most vulnerable batch of songs to date. Trading in her explosive and skull-crushing instrumentation she is known to belt over with Paramore for more delicate and introspective sonic elements, Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party finds Williams at a rather peculiar time in her life. Tackling heartbreak, questioning religious ideologies, all wrapped in harsh self-doubt and criticism, Williams uses music as a form of therapy to find answers and some kind of peace when the world seems to be caving in around her.
As expected, Ego Death highlights Williams’ unmatched powerhouse vocals, but with this being a solo endeavor, her lyrics and songwriting take center stage. The lead single, “Mirtazapine” is a kind of self-indulgent love song dedicated to antidepressant medication. Through crunchy guitars and a spunky attitude similar to Sleater-Kinney, Williams sings the pre-chorus, “Here come my genie in a screwcap bottle, To grant me temporary solace.” “True Believer” is a haunting track which pokes at Southern Baptist beliefs, “They say that Jesus is the way but then they gave him a white face.” And “Parachute” is sung from the perspective of someone holding onto another person even amidst the freefall in a relationship.
Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party is proof that Hayley Williams cannot be pinned down as an artist. Her vocals blend seamlessly into any genre she touches whether it’s a sleek alt-rock track, a groovy R&B tune or a chilling piano ballad, Williams is a chameleon who can command her voice to perfectly fit any instrumental. She can take the softest moments of a song and bring it to unimaginable emotional heights just with her voice. And it seems like Williams is only getting started with finding her footing as a solo artist and having the opportunity to fully tell her own story.
– Greg Poblete
Photo credit: Jenna Houchin
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