September 29, 2025 by Elias Prodger (‘26)
If 2024 was the freshman year of a brand-new era of popular music culture, 2025 is a confident sophomore slump. In a year of several misses from established artists, some artists found ways this summer to capture the attention of an audience who was left lost.
June Guitar-Alex G
Alex G maintains his classic songwriting in his second album since his major label transition. The slicker production budget doesn’t inhibit his unique ability to craft unique and interesting melodies over sonically cluttered and diverse instrumentation.
Rewind-Dijon
Fans of Frank Ocean can spend their time waiting for his new record listening to his more lo-fi expansive counterpart. Dijon’s latest release masterfully blends lo-fi rock and pop aesthetics with an angelic RnB background.
P.O.V.-Clipse
The magnum opus of both Pusha T. and Malice’s career is a masterful display of lyricism and Pharell production. Tyler, the Creator’s verse becomes the cherry on top to the most impressive song and display of quality of their entire career.
BIRDS: Turnstile
Turnstile does best with their hands firmly grasped around their hardcore punk roots. As the band transitions to larger venues and begins to barricade themselves away from their more visceral roots, it’s good to know that their original influences are still present.
Nights In Armor: Water from Your Eyes
Nate Amos and Rachel Brown have found a way to make some hyper pop influences cool to the 90’s indie rock purists. The synth and guitar blend in the track interlocks into gritty blocks of sound, forming a perfect base layer for Brown’s heavily processed vocals.
HYPERYOUTH: Joey Valance & Brae
The Penn State duo found a way to invoke heavy 2000’s Neptunes and red solo cu rap influence without seeming corny or obnoxious. The whole album is incredibly fun, and “Hyperyouth” doesn’t wait a second to piss off the old heads.
Community: JID
The juxtaposition of a subdued crooning soul beat with a heavily articulated and furious delivery from each rapper adds to the outpouring of emotion and anger displayed on this track. Here, JID cements his legacy while adding to Clipse’s incredible 2025 run.
Mar-a-lago: Freddy Gibbs
The most sonically relaxing song about FBI raids ever created. Freddy cruises across this entire album while The Alchemist continues to work his magic.
Live: Earl Sweatshirt
Earl’s signature off-kilter delivery thrives in spades on a dissociative and dizzying beat from Black Noi$e. The track ebbs and flows, as Earl and the percussive vibraphone fight for 3 minutes of attention.
Ruin My Life: Quadeca
Genre chameleon Quadeca invokes Sufiyan Stevens in his most sonically adventurous album to date. The production of the track feels semi aquatic with a finish that builds up to a tsunamic environment.