The 25 best albums of 2025

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Piling on, stripping down, looking back, pushing ahead: Musicians found all sorts of uses for the album form this year, long after the jukebox in your pocket first threatened its existence.Here are the 25 LPs that held together the shards of my attention span in 2025.Our picks for this year’s best in arts and entertainment.1.

Jensen McRae, “I Don’t Know How but They Found Me!”The year’s sharpest pop songwriting came from an overachieving L.A.native who understands at 28 that romantic relationships don’t live — and certainly don’t die — between just two people.

In chatty yet carefully measured tunes with nearly as many hooks as words, McRae illuminates the accumulated humiliations and misunderstandings against which every couple flails.You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll wonder whether her ex’s sister had any luck with the baby.2.

SZA, “Lana”The only dishonest thing about “Lana,” which arrived just before Christmas last year as 15 new songs slipped under the wrapping of 2022’s “SOS,” is that SZA says it’s not an album.3.Madi Diaz, “Fatal Optimist”Nothing to lose and nowhere to hide.4.

Morgan Wallen, “I’m the Problem”It’s his party, and he’ll cry if he wants to.5.Dijon, “Baby”An album about new parenthood that feels like new parenthood.

Music The Nashville-based singer and songwriter discusses the stripped-down breakup songs of her new album, ‘Fatal Optimist.’6.Bad Bunny, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos”After the adventure, the homecoming.7.

Tobias Jesso Jr., “Shine”A pop-star whisperer takes a moment to listen to himself.8.Parker McCollum, “Parker McCollum”Beware the Nashville authenticity play — and admit that sometimes it works.9.

Gigi Perez, “At the Beach, In Every Life”Like an emo-folk snowglobe.10.Justin Bieber, “Swag”On which, having survived teen-pop stardom, he flicks another ash out on the o...