After a fantastic Super Bowl Halftime Show, I decided to return to this Bad Bunny album that I wanted to get through before my year-end list, but unfortunately passed on.

DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS is an incredibly fun and unifying experience, that feels like a true celebration of Latin culture. Apart from a slight drop in pace from tracks 6-10, everything feels deeply heartfelt and the production is thrilling. From the unique synth work and classic Reggaetón drum beats to the ... read more

If a certain send-off, it's a fantastic send-off. The Fall-Offs double disc of dense lyricism, reflection and realisation is perfectly complemented by the perfectly balanced taste of beauty and aggression within the instrumentals. The Fall-Off gives you every reason to think that this is J.Cole's best work. Everything feels so honest, so human, and J.Cole embraces this. Full circle at its finest.

Favourite songs: SAFETY, 39 Intro, and I Love Her Again.

Least favourite: Only You.

Asian Glow delivers once again!!! Can't wait for this album as oh my god this song is amazing. That key change for the last minute is supperrr.

Piss In The Wind’s mostly unneeded tracklist, unfinished nature, and static sonic palette that fails to translate into anything profound ultimately prevent Joji from making an effective return. Hopefully he learns to bring only his best ideas together in the future, and turn a lacklustre experience into a decent and well-rounded album that isn't tedious to get through.

Favourite songs: Past Won't Leave My Bed and LOVE YOU LESS.

Least favourite: Cigarette.

Cupid Deluxe completes my dive into Blood Orange's aesthetically wonderful discography of 5 albums, each with their own vibrant colour, tone and specific nuance that separates it from the rest of Indie music. It's another masterful world of soundscapes, with the first half containing atmosphere that almost immerses you into the Amazon rainforest. The second half of visceral synth pads and interesting feature work ties it all together into another coherent experience from the way too ... read more

The duo, once a trio, have prevailed through grief, spun it on its head, and curated an album that mashes every colour of the palette into an incredibly strong emotional bond. The production is expressive and even triumphant at times, especially on Double Trio 2, which stands out as one of the best rap songs I’ve heard in a long time. Ritchie’s thought-provoking verses flow effortlessly, shaping a motivational portrait of how to move on while still honoring a fallen friend. Great ... read more

Quadeca wraps up the Vanisher era with this beautiful ambient experience, a really bittersweet but perfect ending to an era of music I will never forget. The patient wait for Vanisher all of last year gave me one too many reasons to keep pushing in life and I will always appreciate what it brought to the world of music. The final track here is a wonderfully immersive experience that feels like a flashback to a core memory, really stunning detail taken into it. Thank you Quadeca!!

With each guitar melody sounding like an immediate transportation to the most bittersweet of times in your early teen years, Coastal Grooves is by all means an incredible debut album from Dev Hynes's long lasting moniker, "Blood Orange". It's a sound that 12 year old me would of been all over, an observation that most definitely has influenced my love for this album, as there's not many feelings in the world more visceral than nostalgia. It's another divine and ... read more

Wow.

Although Freetown Sound doesn’t have an atmosphere as fully realised as some of Dev Hynes’s other releases, it remains an album that showcases everything you’d expect from a musician of his talent, expressing the feelings of expression in the finest way possible. It’s got that funk edge, glistening synths, spacious vocals, and a dense emotional core that unravels track by track. Great album.

Favourite songs: Best To You, Augustine, E.V.P. and I Know.

Least favourite: ... read more

I just can't do ittttt

Only two albums in, and musical polymath Dev Hynes has already blown me away both times.

There’s something about his intricate production choices, organic soundscapes, and visceral vocals that come together into a single cocoon, waiting to crack open and take you on a nostalgic, immersive journey, and it does so within the first four bars.

I’ve been obsessing over this man’s music for the past month, and I can’t wait to move on to the next album. Dev Hynes separates ... read more

A$AP Rocky’s eight-year return doesn’t exactly transcend previous levels or break new ground, but its eclectic, playlist-style tracklist, varied production, and smooth flows still make it an album worth an hour of your time.

Favourite songs: HELICOPTER, PUNK ROCKY and STAY HERE 4 LIFE.

Least favourite: STFU.

Beautiful ambient album that is so tranquil and feels so expressive and affectionate despite such minimalism. Thank you Hiroshi Yoshimura for helping me get through my Irish and Maths homework.

Favorite songs: Creek, Sheep and Feel.

Least favourite: Street.

Mezzanine's dark and industrial sound passively immerses you into this world of tension and paranoia. Something straight from a 90s spy movie. Although a bit too loopy for my liking and the progressive tension sometimes wanders off into dead ends sonically, Massive Attack made something so eerily authentic on Mezzanine.

Favourite songs : Angel, Teardrop and Group Four.

Least favourite : (Exchange).

Stank-face worthy production, effective features and Young Thug's addictive hooks oozing of charisma all come through to surprisingly make "So Much Fun" so much fun. If this album cut it's first 3 tracks and a few near the end, then this could simply be one of the best Trap albums ever, it's that good.

Favourite songs : Bad Bad Bad, Mannequin Challenge, Surf and Cartier Gucci Scarf.

Least favourite : Pussy.

Off the Wall is musical luxury, like a sweet treat at the end of a long week. The production, vocals, funky instrumentation, and arrangements you'd swear aliens created just leave you in awe. You can’t deny an album with this level of quality, it's scandalous consistency and groove that will never be seen again. I can see myself coming back to give this a perfect score, once I grow more familiar with the second half of the album. Overall, what a speechless display musical ... read more

It's been half a decade since the last time I listened to Blonde from front to back, I went into this relisten i'd say 70% blind, and was left stunned, to no surprise.

Blonde is a lot more minimalist than I remember, but the whole experience ignits and blooms into life from Frank Ocean's vocals, than can belt but also relax into such a visceral experience. The synth design is so interesting and each melody is so meticulous, realised and soothing. Overall, i'm just in love ... read more

Talk about just pure beauty. So happy I got to this album before my final year end list. Annahstasia meticulously captures the feeling of drifting away to a warm autumn evening in such a comforting way, through her fascinating, singular voice, and emotionally compelling songwriting.

Favourite songs : Slow and Unrest.

Least favourite : All Is. Will Be. As It Was.

one of the most creative songs 2025.