Here’s a list of my top songs for this year, in an order that might be surprisingly mixable. These are not necessarily from 2025; I just happened to have heard them in the last twelve months.
- Bitter, by Freya Ridings on Blood Orange
- Opalite, by Taylor Swift on The Life of a Showgirl
- Ghost in My Machine, by Mia Wray on Only Love
- Why Am I Dancing_ by Pet Shop Boys on Nonetheless
- Pretty Ugly, by Zara Larsson on Midnight Sun
- Shapeshifter, by Lorde on Virgin
- Suburbia, by Tove Lo on Dirt Femme
- Blood Orange, by Freya Ridings on Blood Orange
- Nice to Meet Me, by Mia Wray on Only Love
- davina mccall, by Wet Leg on moisturizer
- Don’t Be Tough, by Jason Isbell on Foxes in the Snow
- Got to Begin Again, by Billy Joel on Cold Spring Harbor
- Perfect, by Freya Ridings on Blood Orange
- Favourite Daughter, by Lorde on Virgin
- Human, by Brandi Carlile on Returning to Myself
- feelslikeimfallinginlove, by Coldplay on Moon Music
- 2 Die 4, by Tove Lo on Dirt Femme
- Broken Glass, by Lorde on Virgin
- Dancing in a Hurricane, by Freya Ridings on Blood Orange
- Get Out My Way, by Mia Wray on Only Love
- Buckle, by Florence + The Machine on Everybody Scream
- I Leave Everything to You, by The Swell Season on Forward
A quartet of musicians are here with multiple tunes: Freya Ridings (4), Lorde (3), Mia Wray (3), and Tove Lo (2). Freya and Mia both have such unique texture to their voices; Lorde marries her whispers with a rumbling, dark soundscape; and Tove’s vocals are so clear, a perfect coupling with the electronica.
The only downside of these four taking over the songlist is that The Zombies, Lucius, Maren Morris, Purity Ring, The Beths, Laura Stevenson, Vampire Weekend, Nation of Language, and Perfume Genius will have to wait until next year…hopefully. There’s just so much good music out there every year.