The words ‘music drought’ were never used so often as they were this year, with the lack of a persistent earworm hanging over music lover’s heads. However, looking back, the music released wasn’t quite as bad as we made it out to be, with the later half of 2025 turning out to be its saving grace. With unexpected hits, like Netflix’s K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack, and the release of a new Taylor Swift album, this year has produced some great albums – and some even greater disappointments.
“Wishbone” by Conan Gray
Conan Gray’s fourth studio album, Wishbone, was the highly anticipated follow-up to 2024’s Found Heaven. Taking a step away from the ‘80s punk style of Found Heaven, Gray went back to his roots, admitted to be inspired by songwriters like Lorde and Taylor Swift. The two singles off the album, ‘Vodka Cranberry’ and ‘This Song’ immediately blew up on social media, a first for the singer. Perhaps the best thing about Gray’s album, aside from the lyricism, is the storyline it follows. He creates two characters, Wilson and Brando, and the album chronicles the ups and downs of their fictional relationship, with Gray’s very real heartache resonating in every stanza.
“A Matter of Time” by Laufey
Icelandic-Chinese native Laufey released her ‘A Matter of Time’ album in August of this year, and it is, in many ways, a portrait of femininity. On “Snow White”, she sings about the hardships of being a girl in a modern-day world, and the pressures of chasing pretty. Meanwhile, the poppy “Lover Girl” and “Mr. Eclectic” poke fun at their subjects, talking about being in love as if it’s just a big hassle. It’s what Laufey does best; at times, completely sincere, and then unserious, turning around to stick out her tongue at the man who’s received her adoration. “Castle in Hollywood” is easily one of her best songs yet, with a chorus that just keeps building, guaranteed to be stuck in your head for the rest of the day.
“Memoir of a Sparklemuffin: Deluxe” by Suki Waterhouse
The deluxe version of British singer, Suki Waterhouse’s sophomore album chalks up to a nearly two-hour runtime. The album very much lives up to its funky name and glittery release, with an even more memorable sound. A perfect mix of melancholy and brightness, Waterhouse’s album includes everything from covers of Clairo’s songs to upbeat, disco tracks that feel reminiscent of the 2010s.
“The Life of a Showgirl” by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift announced her “Life of a Showgirl” album on her now-fiance, Travis Kelce’s podcast “New Heights”. The clip of Swift unveiling her newest project quite literally broke the internet, amassing 167 million views (and counting). The flashy promotional pictures Swift posted online gave fans and doubters alike expectations on the type of album she would deliver, expectations that were ultimately not met. The album’s release crashed both Spotify and Apple Music, and Swift’s lyrics immediately went viral – for all the wrong reasons. One particular lyric social media latched onto belongs to the first track “The Fate of Ophelia”, on which Swift sings that she “pledged allegiance to your hands, your team, your vibes”.
There’s more of Sabrina Carpenter’s fingerprints on the album than Swift’s, from the title track – on which Carpenter is featured – to the tongue-in-cheek lyrics on the latter half of the album. “The Life of a Showgirl” ultimately doesn’t feel like a Taylor Swift album; it’s more like a Kindergartener’s crayon drawing than an unveiled masterpiece.
