Sunday Special: The Best Music of 2025

As 2025 comes to an end, The Sunday Special is looking back on
the year in culture.


This week, we’re listening to the songs and albums that defined
the year, for better or worse. Gilbert Cruz is joined by Caryn
Ganz and Lindsay Zoladz from The Times’s pop music desk to
discuss some of the biggest and best releases of 2025.

Albums and songs mentioned in this episode:


Bad Bunny, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos”


Lady Gaga, “Mayhem”


Justin Bieber, “Daisies”


Chappell Roan, “The Giver” and “The Subway”


Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild”


Doechii, “Alligator Bites Never Heal”


Taylor Swift, “The Life of a Showgirl”


Morgan Wallen, “I’m the Problem”


Ghost, “Skeletá”


Dijon, “Baby”


Geese, “Getting Killed”


Water From Your Eyes, “It’s a Beautiful Place”


PinkPantheress, “Fancy That”


Lily Allen, “Tennis”


Ella Langley, “Choosin’ Texas”


Sleigh Bells, “Bunky Becky Birthday Boy”


Hayley Williams, “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party”


Turnstile, “Never Enough”

On Today’s Episode


Caryn Ganz is the pop music editor at The Times.


Lindsay Zoladz is a pop music critic at The Times and the writer
of The Amplifier newsletter.

Additional Reading


Best Albums of 2025


Best Songs of 2025


 


Photo Illustration by The New York Times; From left, Angela
Weiss/AFP — Getty Images (Lady Gaga); OK McCausland for The New
York Times (Geese); Erika Santelices/Reuters (Bad Bunny); Helle
Arensbak/AFP -- Getty Images, via Ritzau Scanpix (PinkPantheress)


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