As we approach the end of 2025, here is a look back on the year through music, with a review of five of the best albums produced this year.

Hurry Up Tomorrow – The Weeknd

On Jan. 31, Canadian singer The Weeknd released his final album ever, “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” which instantly entered the conversation for 2025’s best album. The album featured major artists across various genres such as Lana Del Rey, Travis Scott and Playboi Carti, reaching a wide range of listeners, with over 3.1 billion Spotify streams in the first ten months. The album consists of a variety of songs, including under-one-minute transition songs that creatively tie the music together and diversify the tracklist.

This album follows a major theme of reflection, as it was the sixth and final studio album released by The Weeknd. The closing track, “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” concludes with a fading outro that transitions into his first released song, “High For This,” which creates a loop of his career, symbolizing that even though he is done with producing music, his discography and legacy will continue on.

For anyone looking to tap into personal connections and emotions through music, this album reaches themes of redemption, regret and closure that will stick with you long after the last track fades out. This album keeps you coming back for more, with a wide range of diverse melodies, making it replayable and enjoyable each time. Songs like “Timeless”, the album’s lead single, and “Niagara Falls” have stayed in my daily listening rotation. 

For more on “Hurry Up Tomorrow”, read here.

$ome $exy $ongs 4 U – Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR

With all 21 songs debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR’s collaborative album “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U,” made a statement and cemented itself early as one of the biggest releases of 2025. This album is filled with melodic R&B hits that feature both artists.

The intro track, “CN TOWER,” leans into a slow, late-night mood that sets the tone carried across the album. Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR collaborate on many catchy beats, such as “SOMEBODY LOVES ME,” and “DIE TRYING.”

This album’s theme of contemplation can be seen in many lyrical choices throughout songs. In “DIE TRYING,” the song communicates the indecision of whether to stay in a troubled relationship or to go separate ways, which is a reoccurring theme visited in several other songs throughout the album. The song “NOKIA” by Drake, is the most popular song on the album, receiving over half a billion Spotify streams as of Dec. 2025. The nostalgic Nokia ringtone is mentioned in the title and used in the intro, to create an upbeat party song, which sets it apart from the rest of the album’s R&B mood.

Overall, this album is a very fun listen that has a couple tracks that keep me coming back weekly, including “DIE TRYING” and “SMALL TOWN FAME”, with the two artists’ R&B chemistry meshing together to create well produced melodies.

For more, on “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U,” read here.

I’m the Problem – Morgan Wallen 

Nashville-grown and critically acclaimed country music star Morgan Wallen released his fourth studio album, “I’m the Problem,” in May. This project features a whopping 37 tracks, with the majority being solo performances. The album features music stars such as Tate McRae and Post Malone who have started to collaborate and integrate country and pop music.

This album explores many sensitive and vulnerable topics such as love, heartbreak and regret. All of this occurs while also relating back to self reflection through analyzing his flaws and issues he faces, especially in relationships. These themes are most notable in the popular hits “Just In Case” and “I’m The Problem.” On Dec. 2, “I’m the Problem” was announced as the year’s most listened to album on Apple Music, further promoting the success.

This album immediately debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, highlighting Wallen’s fame and influence in the music industry today. For any country music fans, this is a must listen, coming from one of the genre’s most well known stars today.

The Life of a Showgirl – Taylor Swift

Released on Oct. 3, Taylor Swift put out her twelfth studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” which caught the attention of many. Her album reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart after the first week, with all 12 songs on the album taking their place on the Billboard Hot 100.

Songs such as “The Fate of Ophelia” and “Opalite” have taken the pop world by storm, with The Fate of Ophelia securing over 500 million Spotify streams within the first two months of release. The self-titled single “The Life of a Showgirl” featuring Grammy award winning singer Sabrina Carpenter, delves into how fame has surrounded her life and she embraces it, a recurring theme throughout the album. 

The album has resonated with many students and fans through Taylor Swift’s iconic story telling, but the album doesn’t have as much lyrical depth or emotion as many of her earlier albums have. Taylor Swift reflects on her fame and career throughout the album, but is somewhat vague. Overall, “The Life of a Showgirl” is a very strong album, just not as well rounded as previous releases of hers.

For more on “The Life of a Showgirl,” read here.

DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS – Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny’s sixth solo studio album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” topped the charts immediately following the release. On the 17 song tracklist, six out of 17 songs have already surpassed 500 million streams in the first 11 months on Spotify. The album ranges from incorporating Puerto Rican culture to including political tensions within the country as it covers serious real world issues.

Hit songs “BAILE INoLVIDABLE,” and “TURiSTA” both connect him to a past love and pay a tribute to his Puerto Rican culture, both with an upbeat soundtrack and in depth lyricism.

In recent months, Bad Bunny has been nominated as the Headline performer at the Super Bowl LX halftime show in Santa Clara, Calif., this coming February. This is a unique feat where a Spanish speaking artist will be headlining the United States largest television broadcast of the year. 

This album dives deep into Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rican heritage, and helps to spread awareness of political and personal struggles that some groups have been facing. This album additionally brings a dance and salsa vibe that elevates the album experience even more, giving it a lot of replay value with catchy beats and hooks on many tracks.

For more on “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” read here.