Written By: Mal Holmes and Jonas Broom
Contributors: Jackson Boiling, Sienna Moore, Sarah Mitchell, Cannon Deringer, Caroline Toole, Nick Cianciotti, Harper White, Nathan Bristol
2025 has been a wild, but fun 12 months. There have been some high profile names drop new projects that have left people talking for months (I’m looking at you Sabrina, Taylor, and Benito), and there’s been some surprise artist’s that are finally getting the recognition they deserve (🙏 Geese and The Beaches 🙌), and there’s even been some names resurfacing the musical pop culture lexicon (heyyyyyy Pulp and Mavis Staples). All in all, 2025 has been a genreless year that knows no bounds. Artists refused to play it safe; there has been everything from flamenco to afropop to to shoegaze to pop punk to upstart country.
This list represents some of the albums that had us LOCKED IN and kept us GAGGED. Granted, we limited ourselves to 5 picks each with some honorable mentions because if we didn’t this list could be 10 pages long. We did our best to cover the range of genres that really came out swinging this year while staying true to ourselves. Again, this was no easy feat, but without further ado, here our picks for 2025!
Aminé – 13 Months of Sunshine
Please, please, PLEASE lock into Aminé if you’re not already. This is his third studio album, and his first full length LP since 2020’s Limbo. Featuring notable up and comers such as Leon Thomas, Waxahatchee, Lido, Cloththegod, and Toro y Moi, this project is nothing short of catchy, yet personable lyrics and melodies. I had this on repeat over the summer, and it never fully left the rotation. Aminé expresses a range of sunny sensibilities through its production, but also touches on the hardships his own family has had to endure as an immigrant family. The title itself is a nod to his East African roots as it references the Ethiopian calendar and a tourism slogan that evokes warmth, light, and a broader vision of identity and belonging. Personally, this was automatically my AOTY as it features all of my favorite parts of my favorite genres: art pop, hip hop, dancehall, and even alt-pop. This was a much welcomed return from Aminé that I am sure will continue to fight to be in many of my playlists.
Standouts: Familiar, Doing the Best I Can, Images (feat. Toro y Moi)
– Mal Holmes
Che – REST IN BASS
Atlanta artist making waves in the underground scene. Pioneer in the rage rap subgenre and still in the beginning of his career. Che started making music two years ago with the release of his 2023 project closed captions. I only started listening to Che this year and this was my gateway project, it knocked my socks off. There is truly something so addicting to hearing Che scream adlibs at the top of his lungs to pair with the melodic and rhythmic tones of his vocals. Also, with OsamaSon, xaviersobased, and Chuckyy as special guests there is plenty on this album to keep it interesting. The beats are a crazy blend of trap and digicore and I must say having DJ Rennessy as a guest on this project was the exact right decision to make. Che has already impressed many underground hip-hop fans and I think it’s safe to say he’s only going to get better.
Standouts: SLAM PUNK, HOOD FAMOUS, MARCELINE, MANNEQUIN
– Jonas Broom
Spacey Jane – If That Makes Sense
It’s no secret that my first love, in terms of musical genres, is indie pop. I mean, it was my number one genre in my Wrapped this year. It’s easy comfort food, yet lyrically, it can be a biting retort or a bittersweet hook that you know hurts deeply. This album is no exception. From the atmospheric intro, to the melodic optimistic tunes, all the way to the “cut like a knife” intimate tracks, this project lays out a true artistic vision. For fans of The Band CAMINO or Valley, this indie raw rock with a twist of jangle pop would be right up your alley. Spacey Jane stakes out new emotional depths through a beautiful sense of introspection such as in standout tracks “Whateverrr” or “How to Kill Houseplants”. Lyrically and sonically, this project reflects a band unafraid to evolve. With production from Mike Crossey (The 1975 and Arctic Monkeys), Spacey Jane have blended their surf-indie guitar vibes with synth textures, piano balladry, and a sharper emotional core that feels so much brighter and bolder than past projects. This is without a doubt a car-blast approved album top to bottom.
Standouts: Whateverrr, How to Kill a Houseplant, I Can’t Afford to Lose You, So Much Taller
– MH
Playboi Carti – MUSIC
After almost 5 years, Playboi Carti unveiled his newest project earlier this year in March. MUSIC is bold, high energy, and 30 songs long, enough to quelch the thirst of the eager fans that have been waiting since the release of Whole Lotta Red for Carti’s next move. This project displays the sheer versatility Carti is capable of. From balls to the wall hype tracks like “POP OUT”, to more laid back jams like “FINE SH*T”. This album also fronts an all-star cast with Travis Scott, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, Jhené Aiko, Lil Uzi Vert, Young Thug, Future and Ty Dolla $ign just to name the vocalists. If there is one thing to take away from this album, it is how much Carti can transform his vocals. From the tones, the cadences he enters, to the flow and lyrics, Carti feels almost unstoppable. MUSIC is Carti’s 3rd studio album and 4th studio project, but beyond that it is an anthem for Atlanta and an all around good time.
Standouts: POP OUT, K POP, OLYMPIAN, OVERLY
– JB
Oklou – choke enough
Sometimes, it really is the album that someone introduces you to that can change your life. I had two very important albums for 2025 in consideration for this list, and I could not be more happy to include Oklou. In a word, this is ethereal. In another word, this is legen–wait for it–DARY, legendary. Marking her debut full-length studio album, choke enough is a seductive fusion of club-ready synth-pop, surreal ambience, and folkloric echoes. The album envelops you in a dreamy atmosphere: airy vocals drift over distant percussion and shimmering synth layers, setting a tone that’s intimate yet otherworldly. She slips between hyper-textured electronic pulses and delicate instrumentation – woodwinds, trumpet flourishes, soft guitar, and reverberant flute all peek through, giving every song a kind of rust-meets-futuristic aesthetic. This album pulls you in like a hypnotic trance shifting through loops and textures in an effort to build an immersive soundscape that feels like drifting through a perfect dreamscape. Unlike my previous choices, this does not follow typical indie sensibilities; it trades conventional pop-style hooks for ultimate mood, memory, and subtle emotional depth that is a pure 51 minutes (for the deluxe album) of melancholy. It hurts, but in the best way possible.
Standouts: take me by the hand (feat. Bladee), harvest sky (feat. underscores), blade bird
– MH
MIKE – Pinball II
After the hold Pinball (the precursor) had on me in 2024, I was very much anticipating the sequel after it had been teased in an interview MIKE did online. MIKE delivered. Pinball II is a departure from the vibrant simplicity of Pinball to a love letter written straight to underground rap that flows like a river. Tony Seltzer is back on the production and the duo kick things off with “Sin City”, an insane mix of drill-esque beats and nonstop flows that had me sat and attentive. Pinball II hosts a variety of guests, many from the 10k collective, such as Sideshow, Niontay, Lunchbox, and Earl Sweatshirt. The track with Earl “Jumanji” especially stuck out to me after the first listen. The trippy beat with Earls slightly out of time delivery was jarring but in the best way possible. This project also marks the second release from MIKE just in 2025 alone. He is a powerhouse in rap with a crystal clear artistic vision and a team around him that is ready to go till the end, I am happy to say I am a fan.
Standouts: Sin City, Dolemite, Shaq & Kobe, Jumanji
– JB
Men I Trust – Equus Caballus
Canadian indie band, Men I trust, have been in the game since 2014. They have no shortage of good albums, with six full-length studio albums and 2 live sessions records. Equus Caballas is the second half of their two-album 2025 project as it follows Equus Asinus. I will admit that I didn’t start really getting into the late 2010s wave of intimate dreamy pop sounds (i.e. lush guitars, lush synth textures, lo-fi production) until the last year or so, so I may be yelling into an echo chamber but THIS IS AMAZING. Their 90s trip-hop meets sophisti-pop scratches an itch in the brain that has been driving me nuts all year. The airy vocals from Emmanuelle Proulx give the record a hazy, nostalgia-tinged atmosphere full of rhythm and subtle energy. There is a higher sense of sophistication shown that separates it from Equus Asinus. There are measured tempos, shimmering guitar work, and arrangements that glide between chillwave, soft-electronic and indie-pop. It cannot be overstated how emotional and nostalgic this album feels. It leaves you with a warm, lingering afterglow wrapping you up in a comforting sonic blanket.
Standouts: To Ease You, Carried Away, Billie Toppy (2025)
– MH
quannic – Warbrained
Are you itching for the perfect combination of grunge and shoegaze? Well I think quannic might be just for you. Yet another new artist on my list of favorite albums of 2025, quannics Warbrained is a hypnotic heavy hitter that shows how far the genre of rock can be molded into something unique. “Prunesnail” is the melodic hip swaying track that kicks things off for this project and my personal favorite on the LP. The artist’s versatility is also apparent on standout tracks such as “Observer” and “Wrenches” that takes the listener to a variety of worlds throughout the playtime of the album. The vocals on this project greatly compliments the instrumentals, and boy these are some dang good instrumentals. The guitars hit and the drums (no pun intended) hit harder. My advice to anyone reading this is to run to the nearest rock-head you know and demand they listen to this project (if they would like), shake some sense into them if you have to (if you want to).
Standouts: Prunesnail, Scolder, Torch, Observer
– JB
Blood Orange – Essex Honey
This is a project I refuse to overlook. I refuse YOU, reader, to overlook this. Essex Honey is Blood Orange’s first full-length album in six years. It is his most personal and emotionally raw project yet. I loved it initially, but what really sold it for me was when Hayley Williams shouted it out on a Triple J interview as her own AOTY and rightfully so. He blends dreamy indie-pop, soul, soft funk, and atmospheric textures full of dreamy synths, mellow backbeats, ambient strings and woodwinds, samples, field recordings, and subtle nods to post-punk and New Wave. If 2025 was the year or ethereal indie-dreamscapes, Blood Orange most definitely took home the crown. He packed this album with a number of special guests: Lorde, Caroline Polachek, Daniel Caesar, Mustafa, and even author Zadie Smith. However, these features can be easily overlooked as they’re meant to add color and texture to their separate tracks as opposed to dominate Blood Orange’s latest record. You never truly know when a song finishes as each track changes midway through from hazy ballads to percussive grooves, from warm nostalgia to disquieting reverie, thus giving the album a fluid, dream-like quality that mirrors memory and grief. This is a top to bottom knockout that pays homage to Hynes’ Essex, England roots. So much like a memory, the story he tells isn’t linear, but a sketch of emotions and loose diary entries that feel deeply bittersweet and human.
Standouts: Somewhere in Between, Mind Loaded (feat. Caroline Polachek, Lorde, Mustafa) Vivid Light, Countryside (feat. Eva Tolkin, Liam Benzvi, Ian Isiah)
– MH
Skrillex – F*CK U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!! <3
Skrillex, Skrillex, Skrillex. You’ve done it again. Ever since Skrillex made his return in the 2020’s he has been dropping projects that have gotten everyone talking and this new DJ mix is no exception. Skrillex is fly, he’s clean, he’s nasty with it. It’s best to listen to this project front to back but in terms of standout tracks I have to shout out “TEARS LOST DROP”, “ANDY”, “GULAB XX”, “MOMENTUM”, and ofcourse “VOLTAGE”. There really is something so satisfying hearing Skrillex’s DJ chops in what I would argue to be his most impressive performance yet. I had to also appreciate yet another allstar cast on this project with guests such as DJ Smokey, Zacari, Whitearmor, and Dylan Brady just to name a few. These guests all really bring the project alive, especially because a DJ is only as great as the music they sampled, and what they do with it of course. This project cemented my love for Skrillex and with such a robust discography in his past, Skrillex’s next move can be absolutely anything.
Standouts: SPITFIRE, SLICKMAN, HOLD ON, BOOSTER
– JB
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Geese – Getting Killed
Getting Killed, an indie rock album hailing from New York, will genuinely blow your mind when you first listen to it. The amount of effort that went into each track is very apparent, with each member of the band playing into the soundscape perfectly. There’s so many layers of texture and sound, allowing the listener to find something new each time they listen to it. Overall a great album that provides hope for the future of the genre.
– Jackson Boiling
Big Thief – Double Infinity
Big Thief’s sixth studio album incorporates indie-folk and rock and explores raw, and ambient textures. The album is beautifully written with themes of emotion, love, and aging.
Standouts: Los Angeles
– Sienna Moore
Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
This album is a masterpiece. It includes various instruments (percussion, synthesizers, trumpets, etc.) and collaborations with other artists to produce a special sound and feel. Each track is so unique, but together blended so well, leaving the listener with an overall message from the album.
Standouts: WELTiTA, PIToRRO DE COCO, CAFe CON RON
– Sarah Mitchell
Water From Your Eyes – It’s A Beautiful Place
This album is incredibly fun and sweet in a way. It combines a lot of shoegaze and electronic elements that create this sort of coming of age sound that I really enjoy.
– Cannon Deringer
Amanda Shires – Nobody’s Girl
Amanda Shires’ musical return following her divorce from Jason Isbell. It is raw and so real and has a much heavier sound – one Shires touched on in 2022’s Take it Like a Man, but much more prevalent here.
Standouts: Piece of Mind, The Details, A Way It Goes
– Caroline Toole
Billy Woods – Golliwog
This record fuses together memorable lines with unique production. The entire record is littered with witty jokes that contrast nicely with more brooding aspects to create a cohesive listening experience
Standouts: BLK XMAS, Pitchforks & Halos, Cold Sweat
– Nick Cianciotti
Jane Remover – Revengeseekerz
– I really haven’t been exposed to this type of music before and I was a little apprehensive to listen to it after hearing descriptions of the album, but I’ve come back to it so many times since I did listen. The album creates an atmosphere like few others do; Remover creates a universe that gets expanded upon with each song, and contains so many different facets. The sometimes timid, sometimes aggressive vocals overlay the almost overstimulating tracks, and the product is energizing.
– Harper White
Quadeca – Vanisher, Horizon Scraper
Quadeca has had one of the most impressive evolutions of an artist’s sound. From making YouTube Raps to his most cohesive and ambitious project yet, this album features so many unique genres, samples, and instruments to make an album that feels more like a musical experience than just a project. The production, vocals, and uniqueness of this album set it in a field no one has really pioneered. I highly recommend this album, and if you’ve never listened to him I recommend the singles from Vanisher, Horizon Scraper or listening to Scrapyard first.
– Nathan Bristol
And just to wrap everything up with a nice prettty bow, here’s a playlist to check out what we kept going to over and OVER again this year. Remember, the stats don’t lie.
Until next year!
NOTE FROM EDITOR: Don’t worry, I won’t be too sappy. But, I do want to say that this is my last year as a music director for WUOG. I have complete faith in the MD for 2026.
As I close out the year, I’m left to reflect on the LONG but fun two years I have had as MD. In the end, I’m not going to remember the LONG nights followed by the LONG list of new music I went through week after week. No, in the end, I’m going to remember the fun events, my lovely music staffers, and not one but two amazing fellow MDs. I’m happy that I came at a time when I got to know the GREAT and HISTORIC Damario and Kennon duo. I’d like to think I learned something over the last four year, but I think the only thing I’ll remember is 90.5FM is WUOG Athens… and mancala… and karaoke nights… and polaroid pictures… and Wieuca’s dolphin sounds… and, well, you get the point.
I wouldn’t have traded any other opportunity in college for this. The “real world” is a semester away, so I plan on really sinking into the station for my last 4 months at UGA. I know I will still have some late nights because of the station, and I know I’ll get up on my soapbox to talk about how some indie band is amazing or how much I love some boy movie (#ilovedeadpoetssociety). So, before I get too sentimental, from your MD of 2025, as a certain Truman would say, “in case I don’t see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!” I’ll miss my music home. – Mal Holmes
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