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Musically, 2025 has picked up where 2024 left off.

I’ve been enjoying slowing down and taking the time to listen to more albums in full, something that I’d forgotten to really do a few years ago.

Moody winter music has slowly made way for brighter, summery songs as the days have gotten longer and the weather warmer.

It’s only now in my late twenties that I’ve really started to enjoy going to gigs – who knew? I’ve been fortunate enough to go to a handful in this first chunk of the year and have several more booked for the summer.

I also finally took the plunge into getting a record player. I was worried at first that I might go nuts in terms of buying anything and everything (much like with my films), but the small collection I’ve curated thus far is made up purely of records that I love, so I’m hoping to keep it exclusive for now.

Anyway, onto the music that’s made my year so far.

Don’t Care, Fuck Off – Nirvana

Believe it or not, my introduction to Nirvana actually came via Guitar Hero 5, which features the song “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Shortly after that, a visit to my cousin involved us listening to Bleach in his car after finding the CD at a local record store. Since then, Nirvana have sprung up sporadically in my life, their live MTV Unplugged in New York album being a favourite during my first semester at university.

This past winter was gruelling on a personal level. Early morning shifts in the cold, long work weeks, little sleep, super broke – it was a slog. At the turn of the year, I was already done with the season, but I needed some sort of catharsis to push through the post-Christmas blues. With what spare free time I had during that period, listening to music when travelling or just before falling asleep marked my only downtime.

Delving back into Nirvana has been a treat. I primarily revisited MTV Unplugged, which not only features my favourite versions of some of the band’s most popular songs, “About a Girl” and “All Apologies” to name a couple, but also includes some wonderful covers, notably “The Man Who Sold the World” and “Where Did You Sleep Last Night”.

Cobain’s strained and occasionally lethargic vocal delivery, along with some of the band’s droning, repetitive instrumentals, matched the mood of the month: the oppressive grey skies, the feeling of fatigue. I love the romantic lyricism in all of Nirvana’s work, as well as the overt aggression that bleeds through in many of their songs. “Rape Me” marks the pinnacle of said aggression, and is probably my most replayed piece from the band during this recent binge.

So, yeah. Entering my angsty teenaged girl phase pretty late here, but Nirvana is my certified moody-season music.

Forgive Me Peggy, I Am A Fanboy – All My Heroes Are Cornballs, JPEGMAFIA

After discovering and becoming a huge fan of JPEGMAFIA last year, I went a bit overkill and booked to see him four times on his recent UK tour. One exhausting week, many trains, and several aching joints later, I had a bunch of new songs to dive into from his back catalogue after hearing them performed. My favourite of the new bunch was unequivocally “Jesus Forgive Me, I Am A Thot”, which prompted me to check out Peggy’s 2019 album, All My Heroes Are Cornballs.

The project couldn’t be more different from I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU, nor does it sound much like the rapper-producer’s previous work on Veteran – such is Peggy’s apparent versatility. AMHAC is a distinctly atmospheric project, carried by an ethereal vaporwave vibe that makes for a smooth listening experience. I love how the album seamlessly flows together.

There are too many favourites here to count, but I conservatively played “Jesus Forgive Me, I Am A Thot” once a day for the three months. I’m also a huge fan of “Kenan vs. Kel” – particularly that beat switch, good lord – “Grimy Waifu”, “Thot Tactics”, and “Free the Frail” – I also love the final leg of “PRONE!” in all its autotuned goofiness. Speaking of autotune, I’m a huge fan of Peggy’s vocals here, his abrasive rap style making way for something more melodic.

Away from its sound, I also connect with the overall vibe and tone that AMHAC is going for. I love, love, love all of the promotional photography connected to the album, as well as how relaxed and vulnerable it is thematically. This is a far cry from a cocky Peggy on the offensive. The album is actually what pushed me into getting a record player, as it was the only way to own it physically – 100% worth it, particularly for the extended USB mix of (YOU GUESSED IT!) “Jesus Forgive Me, I Am A Thot”.

There’s something reassuring about the album. It’s turned into a comfort blanket of sorts, and it’s a project that I can happily listen to front-to-back at any time.

In more recent months, I’ve been tentatively dipping into the rest of Peggy’s discography, notably pieces from Veteran and OFFLINE!. However, I’ll be waiting to listen to them in full, lest I burn through his library too quickly. That said, “Baby I’m Bleeding”, “1539 N. Calvert”, “REBOUND!”, and “HAZARD DUTY PAY!” have been heavy in my rotation for most of the year.

Pop Music for Bugs – Choke Enough, Oklou

I have Caroline Polachek to thank for my discovery of Oklou, the singer attaching the song “Obvious” to an Instagram story back in late February. Since first listening to that piece and subsequently Oklou’s album Choke Enough, I’ve become obsessed with the French singer-producer’s unique brand of low-key pop.

At 35 minutes, Choke Enough is a brisk listen, but one that’s also highly addictive. I can’t count the number of times the album has come to a close and I’ve immediately started it back up again. Oklou’s gentle vocals, whimsical lyrics, and soft and inviting instrumentals make for a serene listening experience, not to mention the transcendent ambient interludes. This album takes me somewhere else, and it’s somewhere cool, calm, and comforting.

The opening run of seven tracks is near-perfect, with the excellent “endless” setting the tone for the whole album. “ict” is such a playful song, which escalates in intensity and features some of the French singer’s merriest vocals. “harvest sky” is the album’s most outright dance track, but it’s an incredibly catchy one at that, thanks to a co-production with underscores. Other highlights include the title track, “family and friends”, and “obvious”, which is probably my second favourite song off the project.

I absolutely adore “blade bird”. Not only is it a great, mellow closer to the album, but it’s also a beautifully written song. In fact, the majority of the lyrics are very poetic, which is a welcome surprise given that they’re written by a native French speaker. The only track I actively dislike is “take me by the hand”, but this is entirely because I can’t stand Bladee’s vocals on anything in which he appears.

I’m completely hooked on Choke Enough and find myself coming back to it every few days at the moment. I highly recommend checking out Oklou’s live performance for NTS, which I’ll link here.

Salacious Hyperpop

Salvation – Rebecca Black

Who thought in 2025 I’d be going to a Rebecca Black gig? Almost fifteen years ago, it seemed an impossibility, but as it turns out, the now twenty-seven-year-old singer produces bangers, which she does consistently on her latest release, Salvation.

The EP is just over twenty minutes of pulse-pounding, bubble-gum pop and dance, with heavy bass blending with a flirtatious tone. The memorable title track, the outrageously catchy “Sugar, Water, Cyanide” and electro-leaning “Trust” are all standouts on this punchy EP.

Honestly, I have a lot of time for Rebecca Black. Going viral nowadays, for better or worse, is not the same as it was in 2011. Internet fame lasted longer than a few days back then, and the amount of criticism, both light-hearted and mean-spirited, that she received at the age of thirteen was unprecedented at the time. To have come out the other end of it with unbelievable energy and enthusiasm, as well as some legitimately great hyperpop tracks, is really admirable.

Slut Pop – Kim Petras

If Salvation is flirtatious, Kim Petras’ 2022 EP Slut Pop is, well, s  l  u  t  t  y.

I’ve heard Petras’ vocals on several dance tracks in recent years, but this fifteen-minute project is a real step up from her features. The lyrics, as you can imagine, are hyper-sexualised (with track titles like “Throat Goat’, I don’t feel the need to elaborate), and are accompanied by some equally arousing instrumentals that make for a breezy but horny dance-pop escape.

“XXX” is the pick of the bunch for me, with an extremely catchy hook that pervades most of the song. The titular track sets the scene unapologetically, and “Your Wish Is My Command” marks a tame end to the affair whilst demonstrating the German singer’s best vocals on the EP.

I’ve not yet had any of these tracks banned from my work playlist, and long may it continue, as I fear this mixtape will be a guilty pleasure for some time.

Old(ish) Skool Beats

Piñata – Madlib and Freddie Gibbs

Funnily enough, discovering and reading about JPEGMAFIA’s extremely funny beef with Freddie Gibbs is actually what pushed me into checking the Chicago rapper out. I started with what is clearly his most popular project, the 2014 collaborative album Piñata, on which he worked with legendary producer Madlib.

I don’t know if I have too much to say other than it’s a fucking stellar rap album. Madlib’s loopy beats are just…so, so good. There’s a laid-back vibe to the whole project that’s in large part down to the lo-fi nature of some instrumentals. That said, my favourite track off the album arguably has the most intense production, that being “Shitsville”. I also love the spooky, Scooby-Doo vibe to the track “Bomb”, whilst “Uno”, “Deeper”, and “Supplier” mark a few additional stand-outs.

I can’t say there’s a bad song on the album, to be honest, which is saying something given that it’s near-enough an hour long across seventeen tracks. I’m also a huge fan of Gibbs’ bassy vocal delivery and flow. It might just be that I have a soft spot for clear pronunciation, but his lyrics are so smooth and cutting. I’ll definitely be listening to more of Gibbs’ stuff in the near future.

On a final note with this one, I’m just getting into Alex Goose’s remix of the album, with his version of “Shitsville” rivalling the original in terms of personal enjoyment. He brings a very different vibe to the project, but it’s a welcome take.

Take Me to Your Leader – King Geedorah (MF DOOM)

I continue to slowly slink through the MF DOOM canon, moving backwards from MM..FOOD to his 2003 album Take Me to Your Leader, released under the pseudonym King Geedorah. If you don’t know, Ghidorah is the big ‘ol three-headed dragon that sometimes takes Godzilla to town – check him out.

While I don’t like this project as much as MM..FOOD overall, that’s almost an unfairly high bar to set, which is to say that this album is still real good. As I now expect from DOOM’s production, the little skits and samples help to craft the atmosphere for each respective project. In the case of Take Me to Your Leader, there’s a distinct sci-fi vibe that’s totally appropriate.

There are a couple of tracks I’m not a huge fan of, and I don’t think the album is as complete a project as MM..FOOD. But that said, there are several tracks here that I like more than ANYTHING off of his 2004 classic, notably “Fastlane”, “Anti-Matter”, and “The Fine Print”. That final track, in particular, has a great, stomping feel to it that, again, is totally appropriate for an album themed around a space kaiju – “Render unto Geedorah what is Gheedorah’s”.

Love DOOM. Love this album. Probably going to move back again with the next one, perhaps to the KMD days…

AAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH – Denzel Curry

In preparation for seeing him live in June, I’ve also jumped back into Denzel Curry’s discography, which I’ve only skimmed the surface of, in truth. While his songs have broken through my Spotify shuffle over the years, it’s only after his fantastic feature on JPEGMAFIA’s “JPEGULTRA” that I really started to pay attention to him as an individual.

I love his loud, aggressive vocals, which retain such clarity in delivery. So far, I’ve listened through his UNLOCKED collaboration with Kenny Beats, of which “Take_it_Back_v2” and “DIET_” are by far my favourite songs – his smoothness of flow on the latter is ridiculous (check out the Colors performance). The entire 18-minute EP is a tight little project, and one that I’d like to pick up on CD at some point – it seems like the appropriate format, idk.

I’ve also had his 2019 album ZUU on repeat, which emanates a sunny, South Florida vibe that I love. “RICKY” is by far and away the best track for me, with its addictive hook, while “SHAKE 88” and “SPEEDBOAT” are other favourites. There’s a tinge of humour to Curry’s music that peeks through in many of the tracks here, not just in the distorted vocal bridges but also in the album’s few skits – “Yooooooooooooo”.

I’m not quite gelling with the extended version of KING OF THE MISCHIEVOUS SOUTH yet, but the blood-pumping “STILL IN THE PAINT” is the song that single-handedly convinced me to get tickets for Curry’s show, as it's one I need to see live. Next up will be Melt My Eyez See Your Future, which I have high hopes for.

Bonus Cuts

I’ve intentionally neglected to mention the finale to The Weeknd’s new trilogy, Hurry Up Tomorrow, which is up there as one of the albums of the year for me so far. However, so deep is my love for Abel’s past three albums and this new trilogy as a whole that I’d like to write about them in a bit more detail in the near future – perhaps around the time that the HUT movie is released. I’ll say for now that HUT is a fantastic end to what has been a remarkable five years for who is now the world’s biggest contemporary musical artist.

I revisited some individual tracks on Vultures 2, which isn't as bad as I first remember, although I still haven't listened to it in full. I’ve also been partial to the first version of Bully, specifically “SEROTONIN.” and “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.”, but I haven’t given the (clearly unfinished) project too much time. Honestly, all the recent Kanye news is just sad, especially when you consider how quickly he’s switched up in recent years. His music played a huge role in my childhood and teens, as I’m sure it did for many peers, so I have mixed feelings on him – perhaps it’s time to pick up Claire Dederer’s Monsters book.

I recently listened through A Tribe Called Quest’s seminal 1991 album, The Low End Theory. It’s too early to say that I love it, and I’ve definitely not listened to it enough times to have a solid opinion. BUT, it’s pretty fucking good. I love the mellow vibe to most of the tracks, as well as the playful lyricism – some of the storytelling is great. The relaxed flows and often low-key instrumentals make it a very vibey listening experience, one that I enjoyed for the first time whilst walking along the beach in the sun, which kinda made for the perfect match. “Excursions”, “Butter”, “Check the Rhime”, and “Jazz (We’ve Got)” are my favourites thus far.

I’ve also been dipping into the stoopidly happy anthems of Kero Kero Bonito, specifically their 2016 album Bonito Generation. This is a ridiculously upbeat, happy-go-lucky project that’s simply an honest to God feel-good listen. The lyrics and vocal delivery could be classed as cheesy, but I find it overwhelmingly charming. Their somewhat silly songs about waking up, graduating, taking pictures, and pleasing your parents are a sure recipe for a good mood. I love the effortless blend between English and Japanese vocals, as well as the unorthodox sound bites that are dropped into several tracks. Pure serotonin.

Reload It

• Shen Yeng Anthem – Shenseea

• Undone – Weezer

• MANIFESTO – Tyler, The Creator, Domo Genesis

• Fake Names – Freddie Gibbs, Madlib

• Organon – Men I Trust

• Slide – ¥$

• Fenugreek – MF DOOM

• good kid – Kendrick Lamar

• Sinna Life – Bayka

• HOTEL LOBBY (Unc & Phew) – Quavo, Takeoff

• Talk tO Me – Tory Lanez, Rich The Kid

• forever – Charli XCX

• Puff Daddy – JPEGMAFIA

• Don’t Delete The Kisses – Wolf Alice

• Broccoli – DRAM, Lil Yachty

• Start Again – Marmozets

• No Stylist – French Montana

• Homemade Dynamite (Remix) – Lorde, Khalid, Post Malone, SZA

• T-Shirt – Migos

• Fugue State – NERO

• Kiss the Ring – Hans Zimmer

• Lurk – Oklou, Casey MQ

• Revolving Door – Tate McRae