Key Takeaways
- Critics expressed disappointment with mainstream music in 2025 but found unexpected artists.
- Taylor Swift's record-breaking album faced increased criticism, partly due to celebrity overexposure.
- The year saw the emergence of new pop artists and a micro-trend of producers gaining prominence.
- Rock music experienced a resurgence, with bands like Geese and Water From Your Eyes appealing to younger audiences.
Deep Dive
- Hosts expressed disappointment with the mainstream music scene in 2025, noting a lack of standout albums and artists.
- Despite a perceived artistic void in mainstream music, critics found new and unexpected artists, leading to more personalized year-end lists.
- Bad Bunny's album, "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," was highlighted as a significant release, praised for its deep connection to Puerto Rican musical history and contemporary sound.
- Justin Bieber released two albums under the name "Swag," with the song "Daisies" praised for its experimental sound from collaborations with Dijon and McGee.
- Chappell Roan had a significant breakout with two songs, "The Giver" and "The Subway," while Sabrina Carpenter's follow-up album was perceived as less successful.
- Doechii was highlighted for her breakout year in 2025, marked by a Grammy performance and a deliberate release strategy.
- Sabrina Carpenter continued her arena tour, transitioning from TV to music and incorporating new album material.
- Taylor Swift's album 'The Life of a Showgirl' achieved record-breaking success and chart dominance in 2025.
- Despite its popularity, critics noted a shift in public conversation, with more open criticism compared to previous releases.
- The increased criticism was attributed to heightened expectations following her massive tour, engagement, and a podcast appearance.
- Lyrical content and themes, particularly those related to sexuality, marked a departure from Swift's established persona, leading to a mixed reception.
- Cultural exhaustion with Swift's celebrity was seen to overshadow the music, exacerbated by the theatrical release of concert film footage.
- Taylor Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl" and Morgan Wallen's "I'm the Problem" dominated the 2025 charts.
- Other artists like Lady Gaga, Tyler the Creator, Cardi B, and the masked metal band Ghost had brief chart successes.
- A micro-trend identified in 2025 was the rise of the producer as an artist, with Dijon's solo album "Baby" cited as a unique example.
- Dijon's "Baby" was praised for its fusion of avant-garde sounds and themes of new fatherhood.
- The band Geese's album "Getting Killed" was lauded by one critic as the "album of the year," described as "exhilaratingly inventive and strange."
- Opinions diverged sharply on frontman Cameron Winter's vocal style, with some finding it unique and a breakthrough, while others compared it to 'yowling.'
- One host initially disliked the album but grew to appreciate it with repeated listens, despite still struggling with Winter's voice.
- The panel noted that Geese's sound may serve as a novel introduction to older musical styles for younger audiences, contributing to a broader trend of rock music's resurgence in 2025.
- New York rock band Water From Your Eyes was praised for Nate Amos's distorted guitar and Rachel Brown's deadpan vocals, with dark, apocalyptic lyrics drawing comparisons to 90s alternative rock.
- A trend of British women making interesting pop music in 2025 was identified, exemplified by PinkPantheress's album 'Fancy That,' which explored a burgeoning romance.
- PinkPantheress's album was described as a refreshing, lighter, and flirtier departure from her previous work.
- Lily Allen's album was discussed as a tabloid-worthy release, recounting an autobiographical story of marriage dissolution and infidelity, with some genuinely good songs.
- Ella Langley's song 'Choosin' Texas,' co-written with Miranda Lambert, was highlighted as a standout sad girl heartbreak country track evoking classic country music.
- Sleigh Bells' album 'Bunky Becky Birthday Boy' was recommended for its experimental and hyper-pop influences.
- Hayley Williams released 'Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party,' described as a heartfelt and punky singer-songwriter album.
- The hardcore band Turnstile has incorporated poppy, gauzy, and shoegaze elements into their current sound, prompting questions about their genre classification.
- The podcast featured a game segment titled "Viral of the Fittest," challenging guests to identify artists from viral quotes.
- A second game, "Kids Bop or Kids Flop," involved guessing if Kids Bop had covered songs by artists including Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, SZA, Doechii, Billie Eilish, and Miley Cyrus.
- The final game, "Cursed Come, Cursed Served," involved identifying individual songs within complex mashups, featuring tracks like 'Golden' by Huntrix, 'Sue Me' by Audrey Hobart, and 'Automatic' by Dijon.
- Lindsay Zoladz won the music quiz and was presented with "The Gilby," a homemade trophy, by host Gilbert Cruz.