With how strong 2024 was, one could be forgiven for assuming out of the gate that sort of momentum wouldn’t be able to hold going into next year. However, between the resistance against our AI overlords and the return of some artists so old that they might as well be fossils, this year has graced both the airwaves and U92 in particular with some truly spectacular albums. With a whopping 500 albums added to our rotation over the past year, there has been something for everyone.
From hyperpop and hardcore to alt-country and shoegaze, almost every genre under the sun could be heard during our new music show, New Music Pioneer. However, as the year comes to a close, we wanted to see what was the best of the best and voted amongst ourselves on the cream of the crop. So, without further ado, the U92 Music Staff brings you our official nominations for the Top 25 Albums of the Year for 2025!
25. Malcolm Todd - Malcolm Todd
Malcolm Todd’s self-titled album, “Malcolm Todd,” is a laid-back, introspective album that thrives on subtlety rather than spectacle. Blending alternative R&B, indie, and pop influences, the album creates a smooth, easy atmosphere driven by soft vocals and honest songwriting. As a full project, the self-titled album highlights Todd’s quiet confidence and authenticity, positioning him as a promising emerging artist with a clear sense of identity. - Ryan Nowak, The Poser
24. Blood Orange – Essex Honey
If you’ve been online during the past year, you’ve probably heard of Blood Orange. Essex Honey is a quiet and intimate release that really leans into Dev Hynes’ strength in mood building through the blend of R&B, ambient pop, and electronic music. This album feels very reflective and understated; it pulls from themes of memory, identity, and nostalgia without feeling heavy. Songs like “Mind Loaded” and “Countryside” show his talent in music production and ability to layer arrangements, while featuring tons of talented musicians. It's an easy album to chill out to or listen to in the background, as it shows Blood Orange in one of their most relaxed states - Kendall Hendryx, “In Circles w/ Hendryx.”
23. Forever - Bassvictim
Hailing from London, England, electronic pop duo Bassvictim blends abrasive sound, captivating beats, and a healthy dose of nostalgia to create ‘Forever,’ their October 2025 release. ‘Forever’ is far from polished in the best way possible. It invokes the messiness of grimy basements and compressed audio through the loudest speakers. The vocals of singer Maria Manow come across as something between conversational and chanting, gently but deliberately placed over some of the loudest sounds of the year. Songs like “Dog Tag freestyle” and “27a Pitfield St” demonstrate the best of what ‘Forever’ is capable of doing with their chopped-up instrumentals and infectious melodies. - James Pawlowski, Program Director
22. Lily Allen - West End Girl
Lily Allen’s West End Girl is the most infectious musical storytelling feat of the year. The album simply has no shame. Instead, it has a synth-pop sound, tender emotional turmoil, and dramatic lyrical blows. Do not mess with Lily Allen (or do, because the record is just that good) - Sonia Novytska, “That’s Odd.”
21. PinkPantheress – Fancy That
Fancy That is a confident and cohesive mixtape from PinkPantheress, showing her growth since Heaven Knows. Leaning into a more Y2K and UK dance-inspired record, the tracks feel polished and consistent, with some clever samples (“Illegal” samples “Dark and Long-Dark Train” by Underworld). Standout tracks like ‘Stateside” and “Tonight” show her ability to create short, playful, and infectious songs, with other tracks like “Girl Like Me” and “Romeo” that highlight her catchy hooks and inventive beats. Despite what it lacks in runtime, it's fun, catchy, vibrant, and is everything you’d expect from her and more. - Kendall Hendryx, “In Circles w/ Hendryx.”
20. Jane Remover - Revengeseekerz
Who needs heart attacks or caffeine when you have the latest Jane Remover album, Revengeseekerz, to get your heart pumping to the same degree. Unlike their previous album, this one is much closer to their debut album Fratility, keeping with the digicore and EDM sounds that made it so iconic. However, this album makes the argument for itself as Remover deals with fame through samples and heavy-hitting beats. Whether it’s the opening track “Twice Removed” putting out a sound reminiscent of the WII homescreen or the numerous references found in “Professional Vengeance", your only instinct is going to be turning the volume up to hear it all. - Mattie Mikos, Music Director
19. Lucy Dacus - Forever is a Feeling
Lucy Dacus’ “Forever Is a Feeling” is a quietly powerful album that centers on emotional honesty and thoughtful storytelling. The record leans into soft, understated production, allowing Dacus’ comforting vocals and introspective lyrics to remain the driving force. Throughout the album, she reflects on love, intimacy, friendship, and the impermanence of relationships, capturing moments that feel deeply personal yet relatable. There is a gentle pacing to the project, with each song taking its time to unfold. It allows listeners to sit with their emotions rather than rush through them. As a complete body of work, “Forever Is a Feeling” feels intimate and deliberate, showcasing Dacus’s strength as a songwriter and reflecting her place as one of indie music’s most emotionally resonant voices. - Ryan Nowak, The Poser
18. Audrey Hobert - Who’s the Clown?
Audrey Hobert was destined for pop success. She has three degrees of nepotism: friend and co-writer to newcomer pop singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams (who is the daughter of J.J. Abrams herself), daughter of a writer and producer for sitcoms like ‘Scrubs’ and ‘The Middle,’ and, most remarkably, older sister of musician Malcolm Todd, whose self-titled album you might recognize from the beginning of this list. These elements of girlhood, Hollywood connections, and familial bonds work together really nicely for Hobert, who, along with producer Ricky Gourmet, seems to have struck some kind of topical pop magic on her debut album ‘Who’s the Clown?’. Whether we want to admit it or not, it’s so much fun to hear about anything from superficial Grammys after-parties (“Chateau”) to “taking thirst traps in the mirror in my room” (“Thirst Trap,” which gets extra points in my heart for having a sax solo). Hobert, in both her public presence and vocal delivery, is wry, witty, and unapologetically herself, which is always refreshing to see in the behemoth that is big-label business. It’s nice to see her genuinely earn the inevitable success of this album; sue me! - James Pawlowski, Program Director
17. Ninajirachi - I Love My Computer
For all of the other people in their 20s reading this, get ready to feel like you aren’t doing enough as 25-year-old musician Ninajirachi’s debut album, I Love My Computer, delivers its own unique brand of electronic bliss. To the shock of no one, the artist’s titular computer is on full display in regard to both the virtual sound and lyrics found throughout. However, it may as well be another limb with the way tracks like the punchy “F*** My Computer” flow into the pulse-pounding club beats of “All I Am”. The way one would have to describe the feeling of this album is a journey through cyberspace with the speed of a sem-truck and the urgency of a wrecking ball through a wall. The only thing that you have to do, dear reader, is make sure you are strapped in for the ride. I Love My Computer may not be taking hostages, but it has kept a hold on this DJ - Mattie Mikos, Music Director
16. moisturizer - Wet Leg
Wet Leg is once again doing what they do best. Moisturizer, the band's second studio album, is a blend of eclectic indie rock and upbeat stories about love and loss. No one does dissonance like Wet Leg. Much like their debut record, Moisturizer is full of melodies that don’t sound quite right while blending perfectly. Released in July, “Mangetout” and “Catch These Fists” were my personal summer anthems. Lyrically, Wet Leg doesn’t rely on metaphors or wordplay, they say what they mean directly to your face. Moisturizer is fun, it’s awkward, it’s crass, it’s catchy, and it earned its place on this list! - Allie Miller, Pink Cadillac
15. Gigi Perez - At the Beach, In Every Life
My favorite Album of the Year, “At the Beach, In Every Life,” is a stunningly intimate album that fully showcases Gigi Perez’s raw emotional power as both a songwriter and vocalist. The project feels deeply human, built around lyrics that read like unfiltered confessions. Grief, love, faith, identity, and longing are all explored while intertwining with one another to tell a powerful story. Perez’s writing is direct but poetic, often simple on the surface, yet devastating in meaning. Rather than relying on dramatic production, the melodies remain soft and spacious, allowing silence and simplicity to amplify the emotion. With a heavy, raw instrumentation and Perez’s raw vocals, which waver, strain, and break in ways that feel painfully real, “At the Beach, In Every Life” is a profoundly moving work of art. Gigi Perez is a voice that is sure to make large waves in indie-pop music in the future. - Ryan Nowak, The Poser
14. Addison Rae - Addison
Pop is alive! Addison Rae’s debut, self-titled record “Addison,” has resurrected it. An homage to girlhood, the album feels like turning 18, driving with the windows down, and sneaking liquor from your parents. With heavy production value and choruses that almost force you to sing along, Addison Rae proves she’s here to stay. “Diet Pepsi,” arguably one of the strongest first singles released by a new pop artist, is airy and sensual, all while maintaining her light-hearted, youthful sound. While some might say that Addison Rae is still trying to shake off her TikTok stardom, I’d argue that those days are long behind her. “Addison” is strong from start to finish— a 2000’s daydream packaged into 33 minutes of glittery, bright pink pop music. Though she’s only just begun, Addison Rae is already curating a career to last her a lifetime. - Allie Miller, Pink Cadillac
13. Oklou - choke enough
How easy is it to want to go big or go home? In such a vast mediascape, why wouldn’t you use your art to question just what maximalism can mean? Imagine how much skill it takes to find beauty in the subtleties. French electronic pop musician Oklou does just that with ‘choke enough.’ ‘choke enough’ never quite reaches the highest highs, which is not exactly expected in a genre that can be dominated by intensity and build-up. In this avoidance is the creation of simplistic yet indescribably complex. The instrumentation on ‘choke enough’ is delicately chosen and digital; it feels like a choir of whispers, with Oklou herself vocally conducting. Songs like “ict,” “want to wanna come back,” and the title track showcase the world ‘choke enough’ is capable of building. It’s always special when an artist can make the small feel like the biggest thing in the world. - James Pawlowski, Program Director
12. Lady Gaga - MAYHEM
Lady Gaga’s latest album, “MAYHEM,” is a powerful return to the messiness, confidence, and theatricality that made Gaga such a pop icon. The album leans into high-energy dance-pop with unique electronic production, while still leaving room for the emotional, almost cinematic moments. “MAYHEM” once again proves that Lady Gaga is still willing to take risks and push pop music into unexpected territory. The album captures her ability to balance spectacle with substance, solidifying her place as one of the most dynamic artists in modern pop. - Ryan Nowak, The Poser
11. Blondshell – If You Asked for a Picture
Blondshell released her sophomore album, If You Asked for a Picture, this past May, and everyone I knew had the pleasure of hearing about it. Her self-titled album came out about two years ago, and this album feels like a direct continuation of everything she excels in. It’s acoustic and dreamy, with witty and honest lyrics about growing up and what it’s like being a woman. Some highlights from this album are “T&A”, “Thumbtack”, and my personal favorite, “In the Event of a Fire”. The latter is based on a real-life fire evacuation and is a prime example of her storytelling abilities (and it also has a Conor Oberst version)! If You Asked for a Picture is a strong follow-up and cements Blondshell as one of the most captivating artists in indie rock right now - Kendall Hendryx, “In Circles w/ Hendryx”
10. Samia - Bloodless
Social media algorithms sure work in mysterious ways. In the latest occurrence of seemingly random virality, Samia’s performance of “Pool” from her 2020 debut ‘The Baby’ on NPR’s “Tiny Desk” series (one of the station’s songs of the year) sparked a new wave of fans, drawn to the emotional intensity behind her voice with poetic songwriting. Perhaps perfectly timed for this new influx of attention, ‘Bloodless’ was released right beforehand and opened the door to Samia’s most complete body of work so far. Tracks like “Fair Game,” “Sacred,” and “North Poles” all cut deep with some of the strongest songwriting of her career behind catchy folk-ish pop production that lets ‘Bloodless’ stand out as one of the best pop albums of the year. - Mason Deel, “Stray Hot Dogs”
9. Turnstile - NEVER ENOUGH
With their latest album ‘NEVER ENOUGH,’ Turnstile veers even further from their lane of hardcore into electronic music. Several songs start off with heavy, fast tracks channeling their previous work ‘GLOW ON’ before transitioning into an ambient, house-inspired segment. Some tracks even have a flute in these ambient bits. The album is at its best when it’s heavy—see songs like “SOLE”, “SUNSHOWER”, and “LOOK OUT FOR ME”. “DREAMING” incorporates horns into the mix, while “SEEIN’ STARS” feels like a ripoff of The Police in the best way possible. The ambient bits do tend to drag on a bit (“LOOK OUT FOR ME” is like six minutes), and some parts of the album feel a bit too similar to ‘GLOW ON’ (“BIRDS” vs “FLY AGAIN”), but overall, Turnstile’s lunge into electronic has left the elements that draw me to them intact. - J. Paci, “Paci’s Picks”
8. Ethel Cain - Perverts
It’s not every year that you get two full-length releases from an artist; It’s definitely not every year that one of those is a 90-minute, hauntingly beautiful drone album. Released in January, this project might not have had the same hits as Cain’s breakout 2022 album, ‘Preacher’s Daughter’ or even August’s ‘Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You,’ but I’d argue ‘Perverts’ showcases artistry on a level these other projects don’t come close to – How many stars known for their rock and americana hits can release a project as heavy as this? The themes of love through perversion stand out in highlight tracks like the only single, “Punish,” and “Onanist,” or themes of addiction on “Amber Waves.” You can read my full breakdown of all of the themes of ‘Perverts’ on u92themoose.com/wireless. - Mason Deel, “Stray Hot Dogs”
7. Hayley Williams - Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party
The self-proclaimed “Miss Paramore” Hayley Williams released a daunting twenty songs with her third solo studio album, ‘Ego Death a Bachelorette Party.’ Initially conceived as a playlist with songs free to download from her website in any conceivable order, the finalized album reads like a winding train of thought from Williams, now twenty years removed from the debut Paramore album and fresh off the binding record deal she signed as a young teenager. However, given her powerhouse of a voice and skill for songwriting, this isn’t the train of thought you expect to board. It’s not just your run-of-the-mill locomotive; instead, picture the fanciest steam engine or the fastest Japanese bullet train imaginable (one could even call Williams a “Dream Girl in Shibuya”). Her lyrics are sharper than ever, and the tracks explore everything from her Southern heritage (“True Believer”) to the titular, ultra-specific emotion of “ego death at a bachelorette party,” which actually seems remarkably achievable. ‘Ego Death’ is yet another landmark for Hayley Williams, who is well into cementing her way into legend status.- James Pawlowski, Program Director
6. Momma - Welcome to My Blue Sky
Shoegaze was invented as a miserable, gloomy genre, reflecting My Bloody Valentine’s hometown of Dublin. However, the band Momma is from Southern California, where it hasn’t rained since the great wet incident of 1877, and their latest album ‘Welcome to My Blue Sky’ reflects this. Everything from the title track to my favorite single, “I Want You (Fever)” sounds like the kind of blue color the sky has at the start of summer. Despite the joy, this album does not sacrifice thick guitars, nor whammy bar shenanigans, and is a welcome bit of joy for Morgantown’s three dreary seasons. - J. Paci, “Paci’s Picks”
5. ROSALIA - LUX
‘LUX’ sits in a strange spot. On one hand, one could have the most extensive and rambling reactions to this unprecedented body of work that pairs forward-thinking pop music and symphonic grandiosity across thirteen languages and four acts. On the other hand, there’s a part of ‘LUX’ that leaves you absolutely speechless. While ROSALÍA has plenty of inspirations and contemporaries, it’s hard to tell if an album like ‘LUX’ has ever been made before or will ever be made again. It’s a puzzling blend of ROSALÍA’s skyrocketing success in Spanish-language pop music, her education at a Barcelona classical music school so prestigious that it lets in five to ten students A YEAR, and her newfound sentimentality and interest in spirituality. ROSALÍA’s vision of this album’s concept is incredibly singular, but it helps when you have the support of everyone from Patti Smith to Björk to the London Symphony Orchestra. Try not to get goosebumps hearing the ending breakdown of “Reliquia,” the closing vocal riffs of both “Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti” and “Sauvignon Blanc,” and the Arabic passages in “La Yugular” – and to think those are just brief selections among the fifteen-song album. As its title suggests, the individuality of ‘LUX’ is like a light in the landscape of recorded music that leaves listeners looking for something in them they did not know they needed to find. - James Pawlowski, Program Director
4. Ethel Cain - Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You
Ethel Cain’s fifth full-length album, released in August of this year, is a love letter to music. ‘Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You’ serves as the conclusion to the story she began telling with her 2022 breakout album “Preacher’s Daughter.” From the droning, distorted instrumentals featured on every track to the heart-wrenching lyricism, Ethel Cain paints a portrait of young love, violence, and utter agony. With ten tracks spanning one hour and 13 minutes, the album is like peeking at a diary you aren’t supposed to be reading. “To love me is to suffer me” serves as a motto for the record— Suffer the painstaking melodies that drag past comfort, suffer through tracks that breathe unnervingly close to you, to love the story beneath it all. With ‘Willoughby Tucker’ serving as her second release of the year, Ethel Cain earns her stripes not only as an artist but as a storyteller, with an innate understanding of the connection between music and emotion. - Allie Miller, Pink Cadillac
3. Wednesday - Bleeds
What other albums that released this year could talk about pit bull puppies pissing off balconies (“Wound Up Here (By Holding On)”), throwing up in Death Grips pits (“Pick Up That Knife”), the embarrassment of intimacy and love (“The Way Love Goes”), and getting your teeth knocked out by a baseball bat in a case mistaken identity (“Gary’s II”)? Bleeds is truly one-of-one, and this release fully cemented Wednesday’s status atop the indie rock all-stars this year. Frontwoman Karly Hartzman’s Southern-inspired songwriting is highlighted throughout, as poignant as ever, behind such a wide variety of sounds. No other record released this year can jump back and forth between slow and lovey-dovey country, to loud and distorted guitar rock, to even hardcore on “Wasp,” and somehow be on brand in every jump. - Mason Deel, “Stray Hot Dogs”
2. Lorde - Virgin
What Was That? A new Lorde album after four years! The lyrics punch you in the gut, but the music gets you on your feet (or knees!) anyway. Lorde’s fourth album is raw and authentic to the point of being almost invasive; it gives you its all and leaves you wanting more. Virgin is blissfully abstract and unapologetically cool (just like the U92 staff). - Sonia Novytska, “That’s Odd”
1. Geese - Getting Killed
To the surprise of no one, and by quite the wide margin, Geese has claimed the number one spot for themselves this year. Hotly anticipated by both the DJs at U92 and the indie rock sphere as a whole, Getting Killed more than lives up to the hype that preceded its release. The departure of guitarist Foster Hudson and solo work by frontman Cameron Winter did not succeed in impeding the art rock group from putting out this chart-topping (albeit more akin to chart-sitting with how long they were up there) album. You might have heard “Cobra” or “Taxes” right up there for U92’s top six tracks of the week at least a couple of times (which you can hear every week on the station’s spotlight show Studio 92). However, other tracks like “Au Pays Du Cocaine” and the titular track “Getting Killed” got more than enough time on the air as our DJs spun this album over and over and over and over… A sound that mixes Radiohead and Red Hot Chilipeppers, a frontman that mixes Jim Morrison with Julian Casablancas, and some outstanding production to boot make this an album that you can’t miss, even as we all go into the new year. The only question is this: why haven’t you heard it yet? - Mattie Mikos, Music Director
Thanks for making it this far! We’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention some of our favorite songs of 2025. Here are the station’s top 10 songs of 2025, as voted by the DJs!
“Sue me” - Audrey Hobert
“Waco, Texas” - Ethel Cain
“Au Pays du Cocaine” - Geese
“Townies” - Wednesday
“House” - Charli xcx ft. John Cale
“Pool - NPR Tiny Desk Version” - Samia
“What Was That” - Lorde
“Reliquia” - Rosalia
“New York” - Addison Rae
“WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” - Raye