KCOU’s Top 20 albums of 2025

We know it’s a little late, but here are KCOU’s favorites from 2025. What a great year for music!

20) It’s A Beautiful Place – Water From Your Eyes

By Daly Rosenbloom

It’s a Beautiful Place was released by Water From Your Eyes in August 2025. This is easily their most cohesive project to date, and it stands apart from their earlier, more whimsical sound.

This album feels intentionally designed to be experienced front to back. The carefully placed interludes make that especially clear. It opens with a melodic, slightly punk-leaning sound and flows from the brief interlude “One Small Step” into “Life Signs.” At just 26 seconds, “One Small Step” lives up to its name, but it sets the tone perfectly. In “Life Signs,” the repeated line “life in a small town” becomes almost mantra-like, eventually leading into the striking lyric, “I am coming apart, I am becoming together.” The song then falls apart into a chaotic guitar riff.

“Nights in Armor” begins with whimsical textures before shifting into fast-paced lyrics and sharp tonal turns. The line “Fight me, I’m on fire” stands out as a defining moment. “Born 2” is easy to enjoy on a surface level, but a closer look at the lyrics reveals darker undertones. Lines like “born to the machines” and “What? Are we trapped? Psychopath” build toward a frantic, chant-like collapse at the end. It feels like a glimpse into something unsettling. This makes the transition into the next interlude, “You Don’t Believe in God?”, especially effective. Coming right after that intensity, the softer, more peaceful tone creates a moment of reflection. The contrast feels deliberate, almost like a thematic climax of the album, and it’s an artistic choice that really pays off.

“Spaceship” introduces a more hopeful tone, repeating the lines “keep myself and lose the rest, I weep for loss and use my chest.” The song closes with a fun, extended guitar riff. “Playing Classics” raises the energy even further with a higher BPM, making it one of the most danceable tracks on the album, and easily my personal favorite. The beat and melody are so strong that they could carry multiple songs. The repeated line “desire in crisis, no, a longing for truce, yeah, the long hard road from here to the truth” reinforces its driving momentum. Another interlude follows “It’s a Beautiful Place,” built around a short, 50-second guitar riff, interestingly, the same phrase that gives the album its title. “Blood on the Dollar” was less compelling to me. It slows things down and focuses more on lyricism, but loses some of the chaotic energy that makes the rest of the album so engaging.

The album closes with “For Mankind,” another interlude that reprises an earlier melody. It feels like a return to where the album began, as if traveling back through a portal. With that, the listening experience comes full circle.

19) The Crux – Djo 

By Kate Schreiber 

After the 2024 virality of his record “End of Beginning,” Joe Keery, actor and musician

known by the stagename Djo, became impossible to ignore. It was during this time that he began

to write and record The Crux, his third album. Djo’s life was in a state of motion: going through

a breakup, wrapping a nine-year run on Netflix’s Stranger Things, and generally feeling in-

between. Released in April, The Crux is a blunt articulation and sonic exploration of these

feelings, standing out as his most lyrically earnest and musically expansive project yet.

Djo’s sonic influences are clear upon first listen, but he’s not trying to be anyone but

himself. From track one, his voice is reminiscent of The Strokes’ crooning lead singer Julian

Casablancas. The Beatles’ sound is also present (particularly Paul McCartney) on “Charlie’s

Garden” – a Abbey-Road-esque tune dedicated to his Stranger Things co-star and close friend,

Charlie Heaton, who is actually featured on the track via voice memo. Listeners have also

identified synth-pop LCD Soundsystem, ELO, and The Talking Heads as influences to his sound.

Thematically, Djo doesn’t shy away from expressing his dissatisfaction with norms. He

criticizes superficiality in the electronic and bouncy “Basic Being Basic,” and laments the culture

of status quo in “Link”: “Punch in, punch out/Bad food, still swallow/Same ripped old

jeans/Blind leader I’d follow” Even though he wishes he could ‘delete’ his ex-lover in the 80s-

influenced “Delete Ya!”, he still yearns for “someone who leaves the light on” for him in the

sweet, acoustic “Potion.”

The Crux is full of questions, some bigger than others, all directed to the listener: “Don’t

you wish you could be somebody else?” (“Egg”) “What does it say about me? What does it say

about us?” (“Link”) “God, how lucky can a simple man be?” (“Gap Tooth Smile”).

In an appearance on Jimmy Fallon, Djo said the theme of the album is being “one of

many.” The Crux is a record about both observation and connection, about realizing everyone is

living an equally unique and detailed life as you are. That’s what makes The Crux such a great

album. It leaves you questioning, like Djo is, what’s the point of it all? But at least, by the end,

you know you’re not the only one asking.

18) Baby – Dijon

By Christian Urea

With the recent astronomic rise of Mk.gee, it seemed inevitable for his classic R&B kindred spirit, Dijon, to make a return. Rather than choosing to strike while the iron was hot following his 2021 debut album Absolutely, he chose to spend the following years developing his style further through work with artists like Bon Iver and Matt Champion, and, more importantly than this album, starting a family. Naming his comeback album after his son, Baby, shows Dijon’s eccentricities pushed to new bounds with production that emphasizes how disparate sounds can contribute to his sonic world. Baby sits less in a soundscape and more in a sound tapestry, with a song like “Another Baby!” being filled with what sounds like grinding metal noises, banging piano keys, shoddily recorded choral vocals, and a snare drum that seeks to destroy all other sounds in its wake. The lead single “Yamaha” creates a rock-solid groove while also making its sample of Laurie Anderson’s “O Superman” so subtle in the mix that it could be entirely missed without the song’s intro. Through the sonic chaos, Dijon somehow finds a way to match his production’s freak with a vocal powerful enough to break through it all. As a representation of the whirlwind one can find themselves in while starting a family, from the warm and intimate moments portrayed on the album’s title track, to the manic turmoil found in a song like “FIRE!”, Baby makes for one of the most captivating R&B albums of recent memory. 

17) Showbiz! – MIKE

By Christian Urea

Throughout his career, MIKE albums have acted less as summations of one solid artistic identity and more as journals detailing the life of Michael Jordan Bonema. From the young man fighting his way to the top on May God Bless Your Hustle, to the shattered world he found himself in after the death of his mother on Tears Of Joy and Weight Of The World, MIKE’s revealing qualities feel less like artistic statements and more like therapy sessions with the man himself, as he lays himself bare on record for all to see. With MIKE’s last two solo albums, “Disco!” and Burning Desire, MIKE has grappled with his newfound success and shifting lifestyle as he finally achieves what he’s been working towards for years, learning how to adapt in real time. Both albums find themselves squarely in the present, something that Showbiz! puts its own spin on as MIKE reflects on his past and its relation to his current form, from memories of his mother being a motivator for him to move forward on “You’re The Only One Watching” to the pits he found himself in and how he broke out of them on “Belly 1”. The album inadvertently works itself into a story as MIKE grows into a defiant, confident force that reaches a peak at “Showbiz! (Intro)”. MIKE has never been one to show off, and Showbiz! finds himself at his most content, allowing him to enjoy the hard-earned success he has attained while continuing to pay respect to his roots. 

16) Essex Honey – Blood Orange

By Opal Weber

Essex Honey by Blood Orange is a warm, quietly radiant record that showcases very intentional writing. The songs are smooth and ethereal, but they still hold a strong distinctness from each other. It has the late-night, reflective feeling that a lot of Dev Hynes’s best work captures. The album feels intimate without being small. 

One thing that really stands out is how distinct the beginning of each song is. The first few notes, whether it’s a certain synth sound, a drum pattern, or a guitar line, immediately set the mood. You can often tell which track it is right away, which gives the album a lot of personality. Those introductions give each song its own identity while still keeping the album’s hazy, late-night atmosphere intact.

“The Train (King’s Cross)” is my personal favorite on the album. It has a steady groove and soft, glowing synths that create a really reflective mood. The layered vocal and scales almost evoke a sound like the Fleet Foxes. The melody drifts over the rest of the production, and the whole track feels like a quiet moment while traveling—watching the city move past outside a train window. It feels melancholic yet hopeful at the same time. The song is very cinematic. It’s subtle, but really memorable. 

Essex Honey works because it doesn’t try too hard. The songs are simple but thoughtful, and the production gives each track its own atmosphere while still making the album feel cohesive. It’s the kind of album that gets better the more time you spend with it.

15) I Love My Computer – Ninajirachi

By Anvitha Boosani

I Love My Computer by Ninajirachi is making waves in the electronic music scene, attracting new listeners worldwide and contributing heavily to the growing EDM revival.

This is Ninajirachi’s debut LP, released on August 8th. However, she has been a producer for over ten years, deeply involved in the Australian EDM scene. She later became a DJ, and now steps into an additional role as a vocalist in I Love My Computer.

The album’s lyrics weave a story of online presence, playing into the nostalgia of growing up in an increasingly digital age. Ninajirachi approaches this concept with casualness, familiarity, and even humor; in “Delete,” she calls the act of posting photos to catch someone’s attention a “mega-digital meta mating ritual.”

I Love My Computer explores a variety of EDM genres, delving into dubstep in “Battery Death,” hyperpop in “F**k My Computer“, and drum ‘n’ bass and tech house in “CSIRAC.”

Vocal chops and loops reminiscent of old-school house can be seen throughout the album, but especially in “All I Am,” an immersive song which grabs vocal samples from the previous track, “ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ”. Instrumentals are layered over repeating vocals, culminating in a beautifully organized chaos.

There is a healthy mix, with heavy, emotional tracks (both lyrically and production-wise) such as “Infohazard” balanced by lighthearted songs such as “iPod Touch.” The blend between older 2016/17 styles of EDM—popular during the start of Ninajirachi’s career—and more recent eras of electronic music makes I Love My Computer an incredibly unique album while still appealing to a broad audience. 

Chord progressions, riffs, and other melodies and motifs are reprised throughout the album, with clever call-backs both lyrically and melodically. I Love My Computer is a refreshing listen and a masterpiece of electronic music, with creative lyrics and a sound of its own. 

14) Lux – Rosalía

By Topher Cundith

When Rosalia began teasing her fourth studio album, LUX, the singer released videos of symphonies, pages of sheet music, and cross imagery, ultimately culminating in the release of the album’s lead single, “Berghain.” This introduction to the world of LUX proved to be a departure for the Spanish singer, away from the minimalist-reggaeton stylings of “MOTOMAMI” and toward something… operatic.  

“Berghain” (which features Björk and Yves Tumor) was a bombastic dive into the theatrical world of LUX. A German choir, an operatic Rosalia, and instrumentation from the London Symphony Orchestra tell the story of a woman consumed by love to a point where it breaks her. God in the form of Björk provides Rosalia with “divine intervention,” replacing the darkness with LUX (Latin for light).

Much of LUX is spiritual and theatrical. On the first track, “Sexo, Violencia y Llantas,” Rosalia sings about being stuck between loving Earth (full of sex and violence) and loving God, and by the end of the album, she sings about her and God meeting in the middle once she dies, on “Magnolias.” What LUX achieves is a combination of theatricality with pop music; Rosalia’s experimental flair is still present, like the sounds of knives sharpening in the waltzy “La Perla,” or the FKA twigs-esque, glitch outro of “Reliquia.” It’s difficult to successfully have an Italian aria (Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti) follow an autotuned, stuttery song like “Porcelana,” but Rosalia makes the work seem light. 

Each song on LUX is loosely inspired by different female saints around the globe, a concept that inspired Rosalia enough to sing in 13 different languages across the album, including Arabic, Mandarin, Japanese, Hebrew, and Ukrainian. In an interview with Billboard Magazine, Rosalia expressed her interest in the way different religions and cultures have similar themes, particularly “not fearing.” By broadening the scope of language on this album, Rosalia invites these other religions into her perspective, finding light through the darkness.

The album is a beautiful blend of classical instruments with modern vocals, and it’s catchy. Something which isn’t easy to achieve. 

13) Revengeseekerz – Jane Remover

By Esther Brandwein

The third studio album from singer-songwriter and producer Jane Remover is one that exemplifies the versatility of an ever-evolving sound. Revengeseekerz trades the colorful shoegaze-inspired sounds of Census Designated and the soft droning ambiance of Frailty for a cornucopia of confident trap-inspired vocals, layered sample packs, and a baraging Dariacore-inspired pace. Revengeseekerz sees Jane balance the pressures and treasure troves of her newfound fame, often reminiscing on how the paranoia fame brings has affected her interpersonal relationships. At the same time, Remover relinquishes fame, causing an ever-present conflict that manifests throughout the record. “Twice Removed” sees Remover take a victory lap on their rapidly expanding and versatile career, where they braggidosiously mention how they are “3-0,” possibly referencing their first three albums. 

Elsewhere, the album leans further into sonic maximalism, with glitchy interludes and abrupt transitions that evoke both digital overstimulation and a fragmented sense of identity. This restless experimentation not only reinforces the album’s themes but also pushes Remover’s sound into more unpredictable territory, suggesting a refusal to be pinned down by audience expectations or past work.

In conclusion, Revengeseekerz stands as a bold statement of artistic identity and transformation. It captures Jane Remover at a crossroads, caught between embracing recognition and resisting its consequences, while continuing to expand the boundaries of their sound. The result is an album that feels both disorienting and deliberate, solidifying Remover as an artist unafraid to evolve, disrupt, and redefine their place in contemporary music.

12) Let God Sort Em Out – Clipse

By Akiram White

For Hip-Hop, it was certainly the year of the oldheads, even though many artists like Earl Sweatshirt and McKinley Dixon released highly praised albums; the older generation of rappers like Nas, Mobb Deep, De La Soul, and Slick Rick were on a prolific run all year. The magnum opus of this was Let God Sort Em Out by Clipse, a release comprised of rappers Pusha T and Malice. This brother duo started in the 90s and haven’t released anything since 2009. So the album, Let God Sort Em Out, was the most anticipated of 2025. 

On Let God Sort Em Out, Pusha T, Malice, and all of the features rap with a vengeance that feels like a response to the lackluster state that Hip-Hop has been in this past decade. Lyrics like, “They content create, I despise that I create content then they tries that” from the song “P.O.V.” reflect the exhaustion of Hip-Hop being treated like a product and not as a culture. This is also reflected in other songs like “Chains & Whips” and “So Be It”. “Chains & Whips” has a post-beef Kendrick Lamar feature, where he sounds like he’s out for blood, along with a killer “-gen” rhyme scheme at the end of his verse. In “So Be It”, although it isn’t as cutthroat as “Chains & Whips”, the atmosphere created through the methodical delivery and the Middle Eastern sample paired with reversed drums gives the song a more ominous air. 

There’s also the intro “The Birds Don’t Sing,” a heartwrenching track where both of the brothers recount how they felt when their parents died, and reminisce about past events when they were alive. The lyrics “See, mine made sure he had every base covered, So imagine his pain findin’ base in the cupboard” show Pusha T’s and Malice’s relationship with their parents, how they wanted the best for their kids, but also their disappointment in them as well. It makes the song hurt worse knowing their parents were actively trying to prevent them from a bad lifestyle. The pain in this song is brought to a crescendo by choir vocals from Voices Of Fire and a heartfelt production from Pharrell Williams. 

Pharrell Williams does all of the production on the album, as well as being featured on certain songs. Personally, I think the singing is hit or miss, particularly on the songs “So Far Ahead” and “By The Grace Of The Gods”. I like the songs like “M.T.B.T.T.F.” and “F.I.C.O.” better, where Pharrell uses a consistent vocal sample that plays throughout the song, making “M.T.B.T.T.F.” sound more boastful, and F.I.C.O. a fun flip to listen to. 

Fun is an exceptional descriptor for this album, because from front to back, it’s just banger after banger after banger. And yes, although not all of the songs have the most profound lyrics in them, the pure delivery, wordplay, and consistency, along with the menacing production, make this album a ton of fun to listen to.

11) Alfredo 2 – Freddie Gibbs

By Ian Southwell 

It’s been a little over five years since Freddie Gibbs added his hit album ‘Alfredo’ to his already impressive discography; he and the producer, The Alchemist, have found a successor in spirit and in name with the much-anticipated “Alfredo 2,” released this past July. Plunged into immediate acclaim from fans for its loyalty to the aforementioned predecessor project, Alfredo 2 invites praise for gold star consistency with previous albums’ production and unique oriental centric identity, while also expanding beyond Freddie’s typical album length by a considerable amount and seeing noticeable improvement in songwriting from Alfredo and the most recent project “You Only Die 1nce” released on Halloween of 2024.

Gibbs begins the tracklist immediately paying homage to the fan-favorite hit “1985”, which defined the reception of the original Alfredo, with “1995” – which guides itself with an ideally compromising production from The Alchemist to let vocal stretches of the song meld seamlessly with a vibrant, escalating backdrop for the second most streamed element of the album’s playthrough. This follows smoothly into the much slower “Mar-a-Lago,” titled for a lyrical reference to the 2022 raid on then former President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach residence, with the line “Feds hit my shit, they ain’t gettin’ shit, Mar-a-Lago,” which makes for a well-composed and gentle 3-minute track with enough vocal experimentation to break up any monotonous allegations. Paired with a similarly written performance in “Lemon Pepper Steppers”, which features possibly some of the eeriest production on the record, carried by a nearly haunting composition of guitar and flute in an overall impressive support for classic Gibbs lyricism. It includes one of the most powerful samples in the record, 

Immediately following, “Ensalada” with Anderson Paak has proved itself as the most commercially successful portion of the album, tallying several million more streams on all platforms than any other song on the tracklist, led by a soulful R&B performance in one of the very few guest features throughout the album’s 48-minute runtime. While said performance definitely becomes the focus point of the song, it does not detract at all from the slightly adjusted repetition by Freddie in the meat and potatoes of the track, with stiff, stinging delivery on lines surrounding Gibbs’s regrets and ambitions. 

The next stretch of songs feels more empowered by The Alchemist’s production, which, in that runtime, feels grandiose with the same methods that provided an alternative indie-ish sound to the first leg of the tracklist. This comes of course, before “Feeling” with Larry June and “I Still Love H.E.R.”, both serving as the album’s most potent love ballads, the former of which includes a beautiful contrast between the vocal styles of June and Gibbs later in the song before departing the song with a now staple Freddie Gibbs repetition-based rip on a list of former lovers. The latter of which becomes a sprawling-out anthem detailing a tragic long-term relationship where Gibbs’s vocals take hold of the focus point, supported by a pedestal of unsurprisingly consistent work by The Alchemist. 

The record from then on hits a slow spell with many tracks such as “Gas Station Sushi” and “Lavish Habits” that, while serving as impressive in Gibbs’s catalogue as a whole, don’t stand out among some of the heavy hitters that come before and after on the last leg of the album. Starting with “Gold Feet” featuring the Grammy-nominated JID in the same year that “God Does Like Ugly” for the most poignant feature work across the tracklist, slowing down his typical pace dramatically without losing any essence of his signature sound. For better purposes, it’s the purest essence of someone floating on a beat I’ve been presented with in a long time. Near the tail end of the track, the duality of the two vocalists pieces together perfectly and is supported greatly by The Alchemist, showing why he has some of the most impressive name recognition in music. Overall, the delivery mends in perfectly with the rest of the record and stands out impressively across the field without feeling alien to previous moments in the release. 

The penultimate song on the album, and second of one of the most impressive three-track runs in either artist’s discography, “Jean-Claude” is spotlighted for its slow yet heavy vocal packaging that wins over the hole left behind by the departure of the wonderful composition of the previous piece. It holds onto the last piece of the thematic introductory sample, using old snippets from church sermons to lead into the piece from the track before. Finally, “A Thousand Mountains” marks the last work on the album and captures the lasting essence masterfully. The background is painted as a reflective flute-centric instrumental and makes a perfect avenue for some of Gibbs’s smoothest delivery throughout the project to cement himself among those at the top of his league in the industry. Throughout the four-minute closure, many of the lyrical points refer back to his roots and those in his past before departing the record with a moment of silence on the last punctuation to the album’s run.

Upon time for reflection, it is nothing short of perfect clarity that reveals the true worth of Alfredo 2; a timeless album that lives up to its namesake, rivaling its forefather in grandeur and identity, which makes for one of the most notable albums across two discographies and the scheduling of 2025.

10) Equus Caballus – Men I Trust 

By Graham George 

Men I Trust is a band that does things on their own terms, all the time. Beneath the playful yuppie-funk veneer, the Quebecois trio brings a devout DIY ethos to the table; since their initial rise to fame, they’ve relocated to their own studio space in rural French Canada, self-released two beloved live albums as a part of their “Forever Sessions” series, all the while continuing at the helm of their own mixing boards.

With this independence and know-how, Men I Trust spent the past four years gearing up for the chance to deliver their most ambitious artistic statement yet, in the form of the twin albums Equus Asinus and Equus Caballus, both released in 2025. The first release is a more meditative release than the band had ever put out prior, relying on acoustic guitars, woozy synths, and sparse percussion to adorn their understated pop songwriting. It’s a great release, and it’s one that communicated, if nothing else, a slight departure for the band from their previous aesthetics.

Equus Caballus, on the other hand, sees a radical refresh of the sound they came to the table with on records like Oncle Jazz, merging their trademark 80s-esque sophisti-pop and dreamy, hazy production with contemporaneous influences of sparkling new wave and driving post-punk. The result is their best record yet, as well as one of their most immediately accessible. Highlights like “Come Back Down” and “Billie Toppy” infuse the group’s instantly recognizable cozy atmospheres with uptempo rhythms and syncopated riffs, while slower tracks like “Carried Away” and “The Better Half” take the mood down unexpected excursions, such as in the latter song’s bridge’s lumbering bass and sour arpeggios that make their crescendo all the more stringent. In every song on Equus Caballus, the band is exploring new textural contrasts, yet to be unexplored on a prior record of theirs—it truly sounds like, after several well-received and successful releases, Men I Trust has everything to prove.

9) Addison – Addison Rae 

By Maggie Feldmiller

In 2025, Addison Rae proved that she has what it takes to break free from the reputation that precedes her, showing the world that she knows exactly what to do with her ambition and natural star power. Her debut album, Addison, immediately prompted comparisons to pop icons, past and present–most notably, to Ms. Spears herself–but still positively oozes originality, genuine enthusiasm, and the advent of a new kind of pop. Two years after the release of her first EP, AR, which provoked cult–but not necessarily mainstream–interest, Rae has emerged from her cocoon as an undeniably captivating, fresh voice that absolutely belongs in today’s pop landscape. She doesn’t run away from what could be seen as “too” girly, flirtatious, or downright fun, embracing–and celebrating–the stereotypically feminine on tracks like “High Fashion” and “Diet Pepsi.” Past just the authenticity of her lyrics, Rae’s dreamy, soft vocals feel fitting to her star image as a sweet Southern belle determined to enjoy every drop of life. She leans into the campiness of this persona and overall “aesthetic” (both onstage and off), but is always aware that her sincerity is what makes it all work. At every turn, Rae lays her cards on the table; first giving direct voice to her ambition on “Fame Is A Gun” and “Money Is Everything,” where a fun sort of irony is punctuated by absolute earnestness and drive; then offering a look behind the curtain on “In The Rain, “Times Like These” and “Headphones On,” leaving listeners with a milieu of inspirational life lessons (‘Never stop dreaming,’ ‘Believe in yourself,’ ‘Have fun,’ ‘Life is what you make it,’ etc., etc.) and vulnerably acknowledging the real, relatable feelings that drive all of us to want something more for ourselves. Now, with the success of this album and its subsequent tour, Rae has reached a point in her career where she is not only allowing herself to dream big but is starting to believe in those dreams. Addison’s sound is strikingly fitting for our times; at once deeply nostalgic for the pop of the late 90s and early 2000s and brilliantly responding to the sonic and lyrical trends of a post-Brat world, Addison’s greatest asset is that it is fun to listen to. The singular pop sound Rae and her team of producers (all women, by the way) crafted together is simply, hypnotically fun. For a budding star who is exactly who she thinks she is, Addison Rae’s–soon to be referred to by her first name alone a la ‘Cher’ and ‘Zendaya’–debut album is the perfect entry into the “serious” pop world.

8) Live, Laugh, Love – Earl Sweatshirt

By Graham George

Like many other fans of his, I assumed this name must have been tongue-in-cheek (he was, after all, affiliated with Loiter Squad). But then, without much work on behalf of the listener, Earl reveals over the course of the album that no part of this title is meant as a joke—Live doubles as the name of the record’s longest song, many others center the theme of love in the broader snapshot of Earl’s life, and all this is filtered through Earl’s laid-back delivery, which makes it sometimes sound like he’s about to break out into a fit of laughter, even mid-line. In some way, each cliched beat of the title plays its thematic part.

The magic of Earl’s latest record, though, lies in the ways it juxtaposes this trademark looseness and humor with the album’s countless moments of clarity. Even in the opening track, this is obvious, as Earl goes through offbeat one-liners over a seasick beat. The atmosphere is lighthearted until Earl cedes center stage to an extended monologue against escapism and passing time. Suddenly, the record is in the second person, directed at you. That emotional see-sawing is the real magic of Live Laugh Love, there in all the record’s explorations of adulthood, togetherness, and finding peace within oneself.

The songs could be longer, higher-fidelity, and more cohesively written. But then again, the messaging is that much stronger for being unadorned and direct. Earl isn’t interested in embellishing or fictionalizing—as a window into his mind at this point in his career, the album succeeds wildly. Listen, feel. Live, laugh, love.

7) Bleeds – Wednesday

By Laila Hallom

Wednesday’s 4th album is arguably their best. Headed by North Carolinian Karly Hartzman, the album threads together her experiences growing up in the American South. The inclusion of addicting acoustic and electric guitar melodies paired with country music staple drum beats and Wednesday’s signature use of the lap steel guitar is elevated by some of the most immersive lyrics the band has produced so far. On “Gary’s II”, horses, trucks, and a fisherman’s hat are mentioned as Hartzman tells the story of an old landlord turned close friend being hit with a baseball bat and losing most of his teeth by age 33. Divulging from the North Carolina defined album, Hartzman gives us a heartbreaking love song in “The Way Love Goes”. She details the difficulty of relationships and self doubts singing simply “I know it’s not been easy. And I know it can’t always be, and that’s the way love goes.” In an essay Hartzman gave insight into this love song, revealing it was written during the difficult last year of her relationship with alternative singer and former touring band member of Wednesday, MJ Lenderman. It was then recorded a month after their breakup, which makes the final word of the song, “goes,” unintentionally polysemous. Wednesday has long established their genius in albums I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone, Twin Plagues, and Rat Saw God, but Bleeds promises longevity with clever lyric evolution and a maturity audiences can be excited to see flourish in whatever they come out with next. 

6) Virgin – Lorde 

By Daly Rosenbloom and Clara Unger 

New Zealand pop artist Lorde’s (real name Ella Yelich-O’Connor) fourth studio album, Virgin, is tightly focused on a late-twenties journey of self-discovery. Over the course of 11 tracks, Yelich-O’Connor lasers in on an exploration of her own, and perhaps, the world’s evolving sense of the possibilities for gender identity and expression.

The album’s opening track, “Hammer,” immediately sets the stakes; producer Jim-E Stack’s synths soar, and so does Lorde’s voice as she sings, “some days I’m a woman, some days I’m a man.” But this is only the simplest distillation of what proves to be a searing portrait of modern intimacy and gender, of what it means to watch and to be watched, and how, after half a lifetime in the spotlight, Yelich-O’Connor feels when looking in the mirror. 

Virgin’s album art depicts the artist’s own X-rayed pelvis, a self-proclaimed “Ultimate Nude.” As she lets her listeners farther inside her than ever before, she invites clashing interpretations by asserting her own contradictions. The image of Yelich-O’Connor’s visible IUD on the cover of the album intersects messily with an exploration of the wild abandon of an unprotected sexual encounter in “Clearblue.” Over sparse instrumentation, she sings “I’ll try letting the answer be part of the dance as I trip and I stumble/yeah, baby/I’m free, I’m free.” Autonomy, throughout this project, is situated entirely inside the body, all parts disgusting and wonderful and intimate.

It’s not like Lorde is uninterested in outside perceptions of her. In fact, she is obsessed.

Album highlight “Favorite Daughter” has her seeking approval from all directions, integrating her fans’ approval with her own mother’s intermittent emotional unavailability: “Breaking my back just to be your favorite daughter/…Breaking my back just hoping you’ll say I’m a star.” But in the end, all the worst critics live inside the mirror. Ranting in the pre-chorus of “Broken Glass,” she blames nobody but herself, lamenting a year spent crying herself to sleep and counting inches lost from her hips. “I think a lot of women have this conditioning to want to look… to want to be the smallest possible version of themselves,” she explained in an interview.

“What if we didn’t do that? What would surrendering to becoming whatever size

you’re supposed to become do to your life? What would that feel like, if you could be brave and let that happen?”

By letting her listeners inside, into the deepest recesses of her insecurities, by bypassing the flesh for the bones, Lorde emerges pure. Reborn. Virginal. As the final song on the album “David” comes to a crescendo, her final raw screams proclaim, ” Finally, I don’t belong to anyone.”

Not only a journey of one person’s self-discovery, but Virgin is an endlessly fun listen, and even a healing one for those in Yelich-O’Connor’s demographic. A performer and widely recognized presence in the pop scene for decades now, she remains in Virgin what she has always been: a megaphone for the plethora of human experience. The listener is never reminded of this more than in the last seconds of the record, after her screams die out and devolve into an almost-whisper, a questioning, backwards kind of mantra: “Am I ever gon’ love again?/Am I ever gon’ love again?”

You probably understand the feeling. But even if you don’t, listening to Virgin, you don’t have a choice. The feeling flows through you. It’s in your bones. 

5) Don’t Tap The Glass – Tyler The Creator

By Jennie Matos

Don’t Tap The Glass is Tyler The Creator’s tribute to the art of movement and just getting lost in it. After coming off the release of one of his most ambitious projects to date, Chromakopia, Tyler surprisingly released this album in the tail end of July and it was certainly a vast departure from the heaviness of his last record. In a summer where it felt like there was no proper song or album to reign in the season, Tyler The Creator stepped in and delivered the quintessential summer dance album. Don’t Tap The Glass sees him channel the sounds of 80s, 90s, and 2000s hip hop, taking heavy sonic inspiration from Miami Bass, New Orleans bounce music, and bits and pieces of prime Neptunes while remaining true to his own signature personality and weird sense of humor. The album opener, “Big Poe,” hits you right in the face with just how bombastic it is and it truly sets the tone for the good times ahead, with Tyler serving as the ringleader. Tracks like “Sugar on my Tongue”  and “Sucka Free” follow suit and simply exude confidence and just a bit of chaos, as they take very clear techno inspiration on top of their nostalgic ode to classic hip hop. On top of this album’s larger than life confident persona, tracks like “Ring, Ring, Ring”, “I’ll Take Care of You”, “Tell Me What It Is” and “Don’t You Worry, Baby” show of a more sensitive side of Tyler and take a more mellow approach to the dance tracks, taking on a more 80s electronic synthpop and hip hop influenced sonic direction. Tyler truly crafted an album that makes you not want to sit down whatsoever. “Don’t Tap The Glass” was an album that authentically captured the simple joys of dance and community, especially in a time when we truly needed it the most. 

4) Eusexua – FKA Twigs

By Chase Zeller

Eusexua is a practice. Eusexua is a state of being. Eusexua is the pinnacle of human experience. For FKA Twigs’s third studio album, her first release since 2022’s Caprisongs, she attempted to capture the nebulous feeling of ecstasy. Twigs teased the album by dropping the titular single “Eusexua” in September of last year. The single’s music video closed with the short

description above. In later interviews, she described going to a club in Prague and attempting to

bottle that feeling, take it home, and make it last forever. Eusexua is not a club record. While there are moments of electronica breaks and builds that are heavily inspired by the club soundscape, the album presents itself as the totality of a night out. Eusexua contains the exposition, climax, and resolution all in one. The lead single, “Eusexua,” is methodical like a rising tide, slowly building until the listener is engulfed in a wave of pointed beats behind hedonistic wails. “Drums of Death,” featuring Koreless, is another standout; a regrettably short yet climatically precise deconstructed-club and glitch-pop track that will, if you’re not careful, be deadly to any speaker that plays it. The last two tracks are considerably slower, with “24 Hour Dog” being the most poignant and emotional on the album. This sentimentality is carried over in her performance of the song, delicately pole- dancing under a spotlight, not unlike her 2019 gut-wrenching single “Cellophane.” While the mood is fleeting, Twigs extended her cycle with Eusexua by dropping a sister album, Eusexua: Afterglow, alongside a revamped version of the original with the same name but new songs, tracklisting, and cover. Eusexua earned Twigs her second Grammy nomination, and first for Best Dance/Electronic Album. 

3) Choke Enough – Oklou

By Chase Zeller 

Watch out, Chappell Roan! Oklou is truly your favorite artist’s favorite artist.

As one of the company’s last redeeming qualities, Spotify dropped its annual Wrapped, and this

year, they gave insight into some of their artists’ own listening behaviors. The woman who

topped the list… Oklou.

Oklou (pronounced ‘Okay-Lou’) is the stage name of French musician Marylou Mayniel. Choke Enough is Mayniel’s debut album, but she has been releasing music as Oklou for almost a

decade. For her debut, she collaborates with underscores on “Harvest Sky” and Bladee

on “Take Me by the Hand,” but the contributions don’t stop there. Mayniel released Choke

Enough under True Panther Sounds, the famed hyper-pop label founded in 2004, and worked

with similarly famed hyper-pop producers Casey MQ and A.G. Cook.

The only way to describe Choke Enough is to imagine the landscape it propagates: a dim forest lit by the blue glow of large mushroom trees. A forest that weaves itself through the quiet

skeletal remains of an abandoned city, growing increasingly beautiful in the ruins.

Is it pleasantly and whimsically safe? Yes. Is it also ominous and drifting? Yes. Choke

Enough manages to occupy the slim space between comfort and thrill, safety and innovation.

The soundscape is euphonic and lulls you into a blissful meditation, but it also captures the

mind through its dark harmonies and glitching syncopation. The ambient synth production on

the title track, “Choke Enough,” bubbles to the surface only to ease back down before it overboils.

The instrumentation, primarily bass and synth, threads through the album and connects each track through motif and composition. Choke Enough is elegant, formal, and symphonic—an

homage to Oklou’s own classical training. But the album avoids falling into clichés or patterned

vapidity. It’s as anchored as it is boundless, cementing Choke Enough as a true classic. 

2) Fancy That! – PinkPantheress

By Anvitha Boosani 

PinkPantheress is forging a refreshing new path in the world of pop music. Fancy That, released on May 9th, is an energetic mixtape that puts a modern twist on classic 90s/00s dance anthems. PinkPantheress backs her signature vocals with maximalist instrumentals, different from her previous work yet still a masterful display of production.

Fancy That’s tracks are reminiscent of 90s/early-2000s UK garage, while maintaining a club music pace. The mixtape starts with “Illegal”’s now-viral lyrics: “My name is Pink, and I’m really glad to meet you.” The track features a relentless 4-beat groove that continues through the first half of Fancy That, until “Intermission” provides a seamless segue into the more drum ‘n’ bass-oriented latter half. “Romeo” brings back the energy in full force and is a fitting finale to the mixtape; PinkPantheress has teased the release of the track since April 2024, and it truly does not disappoint.

Samples are masterfully incorporated into the work, with PinkPantheress interacting with and building her vocals around samples in songs such as “Girl Like Me,” “Stars,” and “Noises.” Through her sampling and production style, PinkPantheress pays homage to UK house and electronic music giants such as Basement Jaxx and Groove Armada (who both appear on Fancy Some More? – Fancy That’s remix album, released on October 10th), as well as Underworld and Fatboy Slim.

Short, punchy tracks (in typical PinkPantheress fashion), funky basslines throughout, and catchy lyrics and rhythms make Fancy That an incredibly memorable mixtape that insists upon several re-listens. 

1) Getting Killed – Geese

By Jenna Higgins 

Happy Cameron Winter! It’s difficult to escape the masses of music bros exalting the New York rock band, Geese, and their 2025 album Getting Killed. The record marks the third studio album for Geese, following acclaimed releases of their previous album, 3D Country, and frontman Cameron Winter’s first solo release, Heavy Metal. Unfortunately, the esoteric music bros are valid. “Getting Killed” was my top album of 2025, and I’m thrilled to see the rest of KCOU think similarly.

Geese is young, both as a band and with the members being in their early twenties. Geese met in high school, and together they’ve released three albums in the past five years, but Getting Killed is a grand evolution of their sound. They have garnered claims of being the first true Gen-Z rock band, drawing comparisons to The Strokes, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, etc. Lead singer Winter has become something of a spectacle, but that doesn’t denote the talents of guitarist Emily Green, bassist Dominic DiGesu, and drummer Max Bassin. In Getting Killed, Bassin’s drums lead, DiGesu drills, Green punches, and Winter bleeds. 

While Winter is the principal songwriter, the band works together to create an organized cacophony in every song on the album. No two are the same, or even similar, despite having shared themes. The album discusses the rejection of modernity, the fall of humanity, war, obsession, love, and consumerism. The instrumentation is spiritual, reminiscent of a too-loud house show and a mega-church worship service. Sardonic lyrics like “I’ve got half a mind / To just pay for the lobotomy” on tracks like “Half Real” are met with morbid adages like, “For all people must die scared or else just die nervous” on “100 Horses”. “Getting Killed” has the rawness of a panicked confessional, with Winter’s drunken slurs and babbles carrying brazen desperation. Winter’s unprecedented range, albeit with lots of whiny vibratos, carries the record. The metaphors are never unmasked, as Winter consistently cites a preference for vague lyrics in songwriting for himself, saying in an interview with Apple Music, “The clearer the message, sometimes the less powerful it comes across.” 

It’s hard not to feel like we’re witnessing the making of music legends. Yet, Getting Killed’s relatability punches you every time, even as the band’s instruments and lyrics border on surrealism and absurdism. Tracks like “Long Island City Here I Come” and “Taxes” take every opportunity to subvert expectations, everything from swirling, unforgiving drums to heavy and asymmetrical guitar. It feels like some tracks are just trying to make noise, and it isn’t for the optics of shock value, but because chaos and anarchy feel like the best salvation. What is being killed, and what is killing you?

This album made me question how a group so young can create worlds of nuance well beyond their years. I think that’s why so many college students are attracted to the band and the album: young people can create powerful, fresh, and purposeful art. Age doesn’t mean wisdom. Seeing artists my age create a project so successful and interesting is incredibly inspiring. Geese is THE band to be paying attention to, and I’m excited to see how they progress and evolve from here, as they continue to actualize their potential. Getting Killed is KCOU’s #1 album of the year, and it deserves to be yours, too.