Look no further, WSUM’s station members have put together their lists of their favorite records of 2025. Read, listen and enjoy!

Manola Inthavong, girl, where am i?

Albums:

1. Zara Larsson, Midnight Sun
2. Karol G, Tropicoqueta
3. PinkPantheress, Fancy That
4. Addison Rae, Addison
5. Adela, The Provocateur
6. Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, PAPOTA
7. EMJAY, me estoy volviendo loca
8. Jessie Reyez, Paid in Memories
9. Nova Twins, Parasites & Butterflies
10. Jolianne, Plain Girl: retake

Honorable Mentions:

• AKRIILA, epistolares+
• TWICE, THIS IS FOR
• Rebecca Black, SALVATION
• Alemeda, But What The Hell Do I Know
• 5 Seconds of Summer, EVERYONE’S A STAR!
• Rico Nasty, LETHAL
• Amber Mark, Pretty Idea
• Jae Stephens, TOTAL SELLOUT
• SAILORR, FROM FLORIDA’S FINEST
• PARTYOF2, Jadagrace, SWIM, AMERIKA’S NEXT TOP PARTY!

It goes without saying that this year has been tough for all of us, and this strife has spotlit my favorite of all the economic indicators: the recession pop index. While we drowned in all the difficult decisions we’ve had to make to get by this year, pop royalty both old and new got to work. None is a better example of this than the iconic comeback of Beyoncé’s white daughter, Zara Larsson.

Midnight Sun (2025) is everything you want out of a modern Swedish dance pop album. It’s fun, it’s fresh, and it’s not afraid to be a bit messy. In it, she tastefully references her Scandinavian background with symbols like the midnight sun and phrases like “puss puss” meaning “kiss kiss” in Swedish. Moreover, MNEK’s production skills on the project reflect their nearly decade long relationship creating music. Altogether, these pieces make for an energizing, addictive album which lives up to all the Twitter hype around it. 

The title track, “Midnight Sun,” caught my attention. “Pretty Ugly” had me hooked. “Girl’s Girl” makes me hit play again and again. Zara Larsson created truly a no-skip pop album; a holy book for girls (inclusively) who simply love to have fun. If that sounds like you, it’s time to tune in!

Favorite Track:

Catalina DeSua, Roots in Tunes

Albums:

1. flipturn, Burnout Days
2. Lorde, Virgin
3. Wednesday, Bleeds
4. Momma, Welcome to My Blue Sky
5. Colin Miller, Losin’ 
6. Del Water Gap, Chasing the Chimera
7. Samia, Bloodless
8. Haim, I quit 
9. Olivia Dean, The Art of Loving 
10. Addison Rae, Addison

Honorable Mentions:

• Magdalena Bay, Second Sleep / Star Eyes
• Kills Birds, Madison
• Wishy, Planet Popstar
• The Marias, Back To Me
• Shelly, Shelly 2 
• Lucy Dacus, Forever Is a Feeling 
• Blood Orange, Essex Honey
• Arcy Drive, The Pit

Flipturn is one of those bands that releases an album that you think can’t possibly be topped, and then they go and outdo themselves time and time again. Burnout Days is a classic example of the way that their raw talent and fresh indie rock sound absolutely blows its listeners away. The way the band moves together and creates such a succinct, full sound in every song is astonishing and a true testament to their craft as individual musicians and their flow as a group. I often find it difficult to find music that is both catchy and fun, but also intricate and lingering. Without a doubt, I found that in this album. Released in late January of 2025, I discovered it early on in the year and blissfully let it be the soundtrack to my entire year. Each and every song grabs you instantly and keeps you coming back for more, noticing and basking in new sounds and details with every additional listen. 
Dillon Basse’s raw vocals and impressive range shine so fully alongside his bandmates’ sheer talent in every track. But what stuck out to me the most, was the strong sense of movement and emotion in every song, especially in tracks such as “Right?”, “Moon Rocks” and “Sunlight.” Other tracks such as “Window” and “Swim Between Trees” bring the sound of Burnout Days to a slower and sweeter but just as captivating level. Whether you’re tuning in to the album for the first time or watching with awe as they fill the Sylvee with sound, Burnout Days is aperfect way to start or end 2025.

Favorite Track:

Martha Kowalski

Albums:

1. Recent Rumors, stuck in my head
2. Nightly, songs to drive to
3. Nightly, THE VOID
4. The Paper Kites, Change of the Wind
5. Aidan Bissett, shut up and love me
6. Alvaro Soler, EL CAMINO
7. LANY, soft
8. The Band CAMINO, NeverAlways
9. Bad Suns, Accelerator 
10. The Midnight, Syndicate

Honorable Mentions:

• The Catalina, One Track Mind (single)

I won’t do it, I won’t, I’m not going to say stuck in my head has been stuck in my head. Yep, there: I did it. 

In a year with two Nightly albums, this one is a surprise for me but a quick pick. Apparently, I already had several previous Recent Rumors songs saved in my playlists but didn’t realize it. I won’t claim that the songs on this album top my earlier favorites of  “Almost Home” and “Wherever You Are,” but there is definitely something addicting about the extraordinarily catchy “fool” and “i see you.” Dream pop with an edge, bouncy yet dramatic, ballroom dance at a nightclub – the vibe is simply appealing. The band drills down on the guitar and percussion heavy production I’ve so been missing from my staple artists. Paired with easy to learn lyrics that are neither too boring nor too verbose, it’s an easy album to enjoy. Also, there is something incredibly satisfying about the way “trinity mother francis” flows seamlessly into “i see you” – this band’s vocals aren’t my favorite but they can mix together several really good harmonies. 
All in all, my typical artists delivered – Nightly, The Paper Kites, The Band CAMINO rightly deserve their places on this list – but it was the effortlessness of Recent Rumors that made them my top pick this year. Sometimes all you need is a catchy song, and judge it by their appropriately-titled album: stuck in my head does that.

Favorite Track: