In a year otherwise defined by the USA’s dark turn towards unregulated AI & crypto and away from human rights and morality, women in music found a way to bring us BACK INTO THE LIGHT.
There’s a clear energetic theme in my fave album picks: fun, light, silver linings. SAILORR demonstrates this attitude most fully (her deluxe album title literally disses an ex, hahaha) but is joined by a healthy & happy Reneé Rapp (Best Press Tour Award!) singing songs about pulling hotties at Hollywood parties and giving queer women the heartache-to-chaos range of anthems we deserve. They’re joined by dance pop odyssey records from supergirl Brits PinkPantheress, Rose Gray, and Jade, whom are all enjoying breakout years after brat broke things open for good club-inspired pop. Then there’s Lily Allen, whose non-monogamy marriage revenge drama project wins Most Inventive (I hear they’re trying to make this album a musical — YES PLZ!!!).
Meanwhile, forging her own lane entirely with cute moves, dresses, and her trademark gorgeous smile, Olivia Dean has found her way into homes across the world with her heart of gold and maybe — just maybe — enough pure optimism to buoy us through to the midterms!
Heart-wrenching moments were not lost, though, thanks to Samia’s biggest year and album yet, and some more mature reflections from the greatest band in the world, Wolf Alice. Alt rock newcomers like spill tab (god I love “Angie”) and Hannah Jadagu brought the angst while Hayley Williams brought her best solo outing yet, a breakup album (right?) as bitter as it is loose.
“Every good thing comes my way” sings the surprisingly cool, grounded, and of taste Addison Rae (what?), who is probably Biggest Surprise of This Century, and creator of a few wholesome anthems that won me over this year (“I don’t need your drugs / I’d rather get high fashion!”). Headphones On indeed! In the Singles department, you’ll find those on my list along with a couple gorgeous ballads from Summer Walker, and a few other standalone tracks (LA ROSALÍA!), including some bops from gay disco rock queens The Aces (you’ll find their more emo, guitar rock foil band The Beaches on there too with moody bangers “Jocelyn” and “Lesbian Of The Year”).
My picks this year are partly informed by a hell of a lot of live music experiences including three different festivals that brought these songs and these artists’ worlds to life in ways I could’ve never imagined — you just have to be there. I’m officially addicted; music + real life — what a mash-up! Inject it into my veins, preferably in faraway places (Primavera 2026 here we come!!!).
Like, thank god for dancing in the grass at twilight during an outdoor Charli xcx set (and fantastically curated festival!) in London, the grand premiere of Lido Festival. Then, where would I be today without stumbling upon Wolf Alice’s summer afternoon main stage set at Primavera? (Not moshing in the crowd screaming “IT ISN’T LOUD ENOUGH” with the punks of Brooklyn at their sold-out Paramount show in the fall, I fear.) Singing every word to every Jenevieve song with the entire Music Hall of Williamsburg was a highlight of my year, and so was the divine reverence the people in Denver showed Olivia Dean at her first headlining show in their city. Rachel Chinouriri brought tears to my eyes at Webster Hall while Reneé Rapp’s elite musicianship, playfulness, and range made all our hearts glow gay at the Barclays Center.
I was at that show in the first place because of how much Reneé blew me away at All Things Go last year. This year, the festival did not disappoint, with a stadium shaking performance from headliner Doechii alongside the strongest and most diverse lineup we’ve seen yet (Sarah Kinsley, The Last Dinner Party, and the endearing to pieces girls from MICHELLE & their non-stop choreo over songs about threesomes also stand out) (Also, ask me about Clairo lol).
Anyways, there is something for everyone here! I arranged the singles by genre (kinda) to provide some organization, and the albums are in no order, although this very bisexual SAILORR album feels like a modern classic to me with “SINCERITY” on loop in my whole being. This is a stunning debut from a naturally gifted storyteller— cheeky & hilarious, catchy as hell, and with surprising flashes of vulnerability (check out “WEATHERED” from a couple years back for the more introspective SAILORR). I hope you find something new here that you like. 🙂
xo C
Fave Albums of 2025:
FROM FLORIDA’S FINEST DELU/XXX [for my delusional ex] – SAILORR
Fancy That – PinkPantheress
CRYSALIS – Jenevieve
Louder, Please – Rose Gray
The Clearing – Wolf Alice
The Art of Loving – Olivia Dean
Honorable Mention:
BITE ME – Reneé Rapp
THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY! – Jade
Bloodless – Samia
Describe – Hannah Jadagu
West End Girl – Lily Allen
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS – Bad Bunny
Songs:
LET’S BOP
“MVP” – MICHELLE
“SINCERITY” – SAILORR
“You Got Me” – The Aces
“Twin Flame” – The Aces
“Gold Star Baby” – The Aces
“Aquamarine” – Addison Rae
“High Fashion” – Addison Rae
“Headphones On” – Addison Rae
“si pienso en ti,” – d. dramático, curtice
“Freakie” – Jae Stephens
“Sugar” – SG Lewis feat. Shygirl
“Tennis” – Lily Allen
“Sleepwalking” – Lily Allen
“Dallas Major” – Lily Allen
“Chameleon” – Alemeda & Rachel Chinouriri
“Stateside” – PinkPantheress
“Leave Me Alone” – Reneé Rapp
“Mad” – Reneé Rapp
“Just Two Girls” – Wolf Alice
ALT GIRLY ATTITUDE
“House” – Charli xcx
“break soft” – Celia Inside 😉
“Sister” – Tennis
“blade bird” – Oklou
“Angie” – spill tab
“AMERICAN GIRL” – Tiffany Day
“Showbiz” – Hayley Williams
“Mirtazapine” – Hayley Williams
“Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party” – Hayley Williams
“Jocelyn” – The Beaches
“My Love” – Hannah Jadagu
“The Sofa” – Wolf Alice
“Divinize” – ROSALÍA
“Porcelana” – ROSALÍA, Dougie F
“Lizard” – Samia
“Carousel” – Samia
“Back To Me” – The Marias
TURN IT UP
“Unconditional” – Jade
“Plastic Box” – Jade
“Angel Of My Dreams” – Jade
“It’s You” – Ninajirachi, daine
“PEPPER” – Rico Nasty
“SON OF A GUN” – Rico Nasty
“DADE” – BIA
“Je M’appelle” – Shygirl
“FREAK is WILD” – Shygirl, skuzland
“F*Me” – Shygirl feat. Yseult
“Tonight” – PinkPantheress
“Illegal” – PinkPantheress
“Angel Of Satisfaction” – Rose Gray
“Wet & Wild” – Rose Gray
“Party People” – Rose Gray
“NUEVAYoL” – Bad Bunny
“all of that” – Bayli
IN MY SOUL
“UR MOTHER’S SON” – SAILORR
“SOFT GIRL SUMMER” – SAILORR
“CUT UP” – SAILORR
“Missing Persons” – Jenevieve
“Damage Control” – Jenevieve
“Baby Steps” – Olivia Dean
“Lady Lady” – Olivia Dean
“Let Alone The One You Love” – Olivia Dean
“Folded” – Kehlani
“Nocturne” – Jenevieve
SAD GIRL SUMMER
“Dare” – Samia
“Bovine Excision” – Samia
“Wishing” – Lonelyspeck
“Gimme Time” – Hannah Jadagu
“Doing Now” – Hannah Jadagu
“Situationship” – Summer Walker
“FMT” – Summer Walker
“Crush” – Lola Young
“I Can’t Have You Around Me Anymore” – Reneé Rapp
“Lesbian Of The Year” – The Beaches
Concerts of the Year:
Doechii (Queens, NY – All Things Go Festival)
Rachel Chinouriri (New York, NY @ Webster Hall)
Olivia Dean (Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre)
Charli xcx (London, UK – Lido Festival)
FKA Twigs (Barcelona, ES – Primavera Festival)
Reneé Rapp (Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center)
Wolf Alice (Barcelona, ES – Primavera Festival)
Wolf Alice (Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount)
Jenevieve (Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg)
Chappell Roan (Queens, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium)
Chappell Roan (Barcelona, ES – Primavera Festival)
Sarah Kinsley (Queens, NY – All Things Go Festival)
Magdalena Bay (London, UK – Lido Festival)
Girl in a Coma (Brooklyn, NY @ TV Eye)
Artists of the Year:
Olivia Dean
PinkPantheress
Hayley Williams
SAILORR