The year 2025 marked a significant transition in the world of popular music. Many established global superstars either stayed quiet or released disappointing work, while hip-hop's chart dominance noticeably waned. This shift created a unique opening for wildly innovative and ambitious records from across the globe to seize the spotlight.
A Year of Sonic Innovation and Regional Roots
This creative space was filled by artists pushing boundaries. Geese revived Brooklyn art-rock, Rosalía fused pop with classical music, and Bad Bunny topped charts with politically charged música urbana. In India, the hip-hop scene deepened its exploration of regional sounds, and indie artists like Sakré, Sudan, and Tarun Balani released excellent genre-defying albums.
Despite industry challenges—including debates over financial ties in dance music, the Spotify boycott, and AI threats—2025 was a fantastic year for new music. The following ten records stood out, offering lasting impact and repeated listens.
Standout Albums from India and the World
Shikriwal—Natya Alaapika: While stars like Divine, Kr$na, and Karan Aujla released albums, the year's standout rap record came from a relatively unknown Bhojpuri rapper. Natya Alaapika masterfully blends boom bap, jazz, lo-fi electronica, and Bhojpuri folk. Tracks like Purani Baazar and Mahabharat offer a sound that is globally aware yet deeply rooted in Purvanchal heritage, delivering incisive social commentary.
Los Thuthanaka—S/T: The self-titled debut by Bolivian-American siblings Chuquimamani-Condori and Joshua Chuquimia Crampton is a mind-blowing mix of noise, lo-fi synths, and chopped Bolivian rhythms. It carves through psychedelia, Andean folk, hyperpop, and IDM, creating a sound that feels both apocalyptic and ancient, demanding complete surrender from the listener.
Viagra Boys—viagr aboys: The Swedish post-punk band's fourth album is a surreal masterpiece, lampooning consumerism and toxic masculinity over off-kilter punk, electro, and funk. Frontman Sebastian Murphy creates hilarious yet empathetic sketches of the modern "manchild," turning a seemingly simple record into something profoundly sublime.
Sijya—Leather and Brass EP: The New Delhi composer found her signature sound on this sophomore EP. Released by UK label One Little Independent Records, its six tracks feature hand-crafted, polished sounds. The industrial, desolate sonic world is contrasted by the warm embers of Sijya's voice, offering catharsis for the isolation of modern life.
Clipse—Let God Sort Em Out: Returning after 16 years, the legendary hip-hop duo proved they remain unmatched in hard-hitting coke-rap. With inspired production from Pharrell, brothers Pusha T and Malice deliver lyrical kingpin performances, challenging a new generation of rappers.
Personal Journeys and Club Culture Explorations
Rounak Maiti—Brute Fact/Home Truth: Known from Excise Dept, Maiti's solo album is a surgical self-examination. Recorded during the pandemic and personal crises, it uses dreamy indie-pop and synthscapes to capture the anxiety of the late-night doom-scroll, where dark truths surface.
Sudan Archives—The BPM: Brittney Parks' third album dives deep into the Chicago techno and Detroit house of her parents' era. While exploring trap and drum & bass, the dominant emotion is ennui, reflecting the tension between the dance floor's utopian promise and grim reality.
Djrum—Under Tangled Silence: After losing an album to a hard-drive failure, Felix Manuel started anew, creating his most ambitious work. The album bridges piano-house, jazz-infused jungle, and ambient-bass, incorporating harp and acoustic instruments to connect classical music with the club.
Wednesday—Bleeds: This sixth album from the American alt-rock band is the year's best rock record for many. It blends grunge, country, and shoegaze, with Karly Hartzman's poetic lyrics painting achingly honest portraits of small-town Appalachian life, heartbreak, and resilience.
Skulk—Skin: On her sophomore album for Indian label ONNO, Goa's Katyayani Gargi merges discombobulated synths with art-pop. Her voice channels raw emotion and quirky individualism across twelve tracks that grapple with personal and political questions of survival in modern chaos.
The musical landscape of 2025, defined by these groundbreaking records, shows a vibrant future where regional authenticity and genre fusion lead the way.
