The 25 Best Pop Songs of 2025
Letter from the Editor
Dear Reader,
I love pop music. I often say that Britney Spears was my first love, and my reverence for the ever-expanding pop genre burns brightly to this day. My definition of pop is broad, and I hope you see some of your favorite tracks from this year represented on this list. If not, feel free to let me know what a tasteless flop I am.
Sincerely,
Tomi Baby
Disclaimer: Entries are ordered alphabetically by artist name, not by order of preference. Also, each entry contains an “RIYL” section. RIYL stands for “Recommended If You Like…”
Addison Rae
“Headphones On”
Put your headphones on. A former TikTok star and 2 Swedish masterminds created a self-soothing, trip-hop-inspired bop that has been stuck in my head for eight months straight.
RIYL “Sometimes” by Britney Spears; Staring out the window, pretending you’re in a music video
Audrey Hobert
“Phoebe”
Any song from Who’s the Clown? — except for the opening track — could have made this list. I chose this one because it encapsulates Audrey’s hyper-personal songwriting style, at once weirdly candid, tightly written, quickly sung, and ironically inspirational. Weird girls keep winning.
RIYL PEN15; Hannah Horvath from Girls; “All You Had To Do Was Stay” by Taylor Swift
Bad Bunny
“EL CLúB”
In 2025 we yearned in the club, and Benito was kind enough to offer us a soundtrack. This hypnotic dance cut exists in that moment between highs, an uninvited reflection on lost love set against the backdrop of what was meant to be a fun night out.
RIYL “Tears in the Club” by FKA twigs; Beat switches
BANKS
“Meddle in the Mold”
Every musical choice on this tense, string-backed ballad is as unexpected as it is stunning. The orchestral instrumentation, gorgeous background vocals, and dark, synthy elements (signature to BANKS’ music) carve pop into a direction that is original, edgy, and frankly, hot.
RIYL Lux by Rosalía; Drama
Danny L Harle, PinkPantheress
“Starlight”
I’m happy to see another successful collaboration between these two pop innovators! This distorted dancepop banger is nearly indescribable. It’s at once dark, heavy, cheeky, and playful, and it fuels my desire for a full length Danny x Pink project in the future.
RIYL “Ocean of Tears” by Caroline Polachek; Working out your feelings at the afters
Empress Of
“Blasting Through the Speakers”
One of this generation’s most underrated pop experimentalists wants her music loud, bright, and cool. Of the many BRAT-inspired ravey club tracks that dropped this year, this is by far my favorite.
RIYL “Von dutch a.g. cook remix featuring addison rae” by Charli xcx
Ethel Cain
“Fuck Me Eyes”
What else can I say about this song? “Fuck Me Eyes” is an ornate 80’s synth ballad put through the Ethel Cain filter, creating a lush soundscape that is cinematic, atmospheric, and beautifully depressing. This single from Willoughby Tucker holds a certain transcendent shine that elevates it out of Hayden’s insular world-building exercise and into the pop canon, cruising beside her other stadium-size anthems like “American Teenager” and “Crush.”
RIYL “This is What Makes Us Girls” by Lana Del Rey; “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush; Girls too hot for their small town
fakemink
“Easter Pink”
This distorted UK rap track set over a lofi bloghouse beat is captivating, compelling, and simply fun to listen to. If this is the future of pop, I’m into it.
RIYL Azealia Banks x Crystal Castles SoundCloud Remixes; “My Girl” by Coco & Clair Clair; Spring Breakers
FKA twigs
“Perfectly”
Twigs’ vocals float so beautifully over the heavy drums that punctuate this bedroom banger. Meanwhile, those dreamy piano chords – especially on the pre-chorus – infuse this self-compassionate tune with childlike sincerity.
RIYL I’m Your Empress Of; Trying to feel better by doing tarot instead of cleaning your room
HAIM
“Relationships”
I can’t believe this song didn’t exist before this year. It has a timeless quality that I’ve come to expect from Haim, but the quirky 90s drums and elegant melodic lines give it a unique touch fit for the 2020s. The lyrics speak candidly (and wearily) to a generation fixated on attachment styles and compatibility.
RIYL Dissecting your parents’ relationship in therapy, or over a bottle of wine; High Fidelity (2020)
Jens Lekman
“Candy From A Stranger”
Boasting the best lyrical storytelling I heard all year, this big band tearjerker oozes with charm, wit, and romance. Lekman’s playful melodies, call-and-response vocals, and hilarious one-liners are on full display, and I’m happy to be invited to the party.
RIYL Weddings; Hairspray (the musical)
Jorja Smith
“With You”
Returning to UK garage grooves, Smith’s voice glides effortlessly through this moody track, with her vocal lines becoming more jazzy and radiant as the song progresses. The second verse in particular is one of my favorite music moments of the year.
RIYL Nia Archives; “On My Mind”
Kim Petras
“I Like Ur Look”
When Kim hits, she hits! This song’s bratty chorus is a masterclass in catchy pop songwriting, and Frost Children’s tasteful production gives 2010s “recession pop” maximalism a chic update.
RIYL Max Martin’s work with Katy Perry; Treating boys like accessories
Lily Allen
“Pussy Palace”
West End Girl is littered with marital drama, scathing anecdotes, and great songs, but the incisive lyrics and twinkling arpeggiated synths on “Pussy Palace” make it a real standout. The contrast between Lily’s sweet voice and her dark subject matters has always brought me great pleasure, but this song pairs her signature irreverence with cool, glimmering production that holds up outside of the album’s larger narrative.
RIYL “Say It” by Maggie Rogers; Lurid voice memos from your best friend describing their recent sexcapades
Lorde
“Clearblue”
I will never forget the first time I heard this song, the artificial warmth of the vocoder ringing through Run Out Groove Records. “Clearblue” is, in my opinion, the best-written song on Virgin, an unflinching interrogation of intimacy, reproduction, and sexuality. Read more here.
RIYL “715 - CRΣΣKS” by Bon Iver; “Hide and Seek” by Imogene Heap
Ms* Gloom
“Jinx!”
Ms* Gloom’s reverbed, falsetto vocals mesmerize, soaring over a propulsive dance beat to generate a listening experience that feels like a broadcast from a dystopian future.
RIYL Sophia Stel; Sci Fi popstars
Noga
“Gilad”
Hilarious, catchy, and weirdly poignant, “Gilad” is an international hyperpop song that explores a topic I’ve never heard discussed in song: a lesbian who’s fallen in love with an unsuspecting gay boy. I wish them both luck.
RIYL “Lesbians <3” by Alice Longyu Gao; Kissing your friends “as a joke”
Pearly Drops
“Pillow Face”
Any song from The Voices Are Coming Back could have made this list, but this indie pop gem is impossible not to dance to. That pulsing, slurring bass line is the definition of ear candy, and Sandra’s signature high-pitched vocals give the track an endearing, dreamy quality.
RIYL Art Angels; The Sims
PinkPantheress
“Stateside”
It’s unbelievable, the amount of exquisite pop melodies PinkPantheress can fit into one song. The Dare’s smacky, kinetic production elevates this catchy bop into the territory of pop perfection.
RIYL “American Boy” by Estelle; Fantasizing about falling in love with a local while on vacation
Robyn
“Dopamine”
Robyn does what she does best on “Dopamine,” crafting an intricate dancefloor hit injected with ambivalence, doubt, and insecurity. It was also co-written by Taio Cruz. It’s good to know that he’s doing well.
RIYL Melodrama; Future tripping after the first kiss
roro
“Hot Hits”
Too c*nt to fail, “Hot Hits” is a cocky, ferocious ode to worldwide club culture. I’m not one for gambling, but I wouldn’t bet against roro.
RIYL “Good Puss” by COBRAH; Legendary
Shygirl, Club Shy, Jorja Smith, SadBoi
“Wifey Riddim”
This thumping bad b*tch anthem is my pick for best group performance of the year, to use Grammy’s terminology. The interplay between Shygirl, Jorja, and SadBoi, pieced together mosaically by Oscar Scheller’s ultra-rhythmic production, offers us a glistening, glitchy banger that defies categorization.
RIYL M.I.A.; Friend groups where everyone’s hot in their own way
Tei Shi
“Montón”
I love a multilingual, multitempo bop about meeting a new guy who’s cooler than your last guy. I’m partial to an arpeggiated synth, and the sped-up vocal in the post-chorus gives this reggaeton-inspired pop song a really cool, experimental edge.
RIYL “Prada” by Arca; Rebounding and upgrading
tonser
“parasite”
The up-and-coming Danish popstar, tonser, and his collaborator, the bird, delivered some of the best pop production of the year on “parasite,” blending hyperpop, SoundCloud rap, EDM, punk, Eurodance, and ambient music into an emotive digital hit.
RIYL “crush” by 2hollis; Genre-hopping
umru, underscores
“Poplife”
Umru’s kinetic, pounding production pairs so well with underscores’ nonchalant confidence on this freaky musical manifesto. She warns us, clear as day: underscores is coming for her place in the pop pantheon, and I, for one, can’t wait.
RIYL Red Bull; Subculture
Honorable Mentions
Oklou
A glaring omission, I know. I love choke enough, but it’s more of an immersive album experience for me, and the only song from the record I could see on this list would be “harvest sky,” which came out as a single in 2024.
underscores’ Solo Work
I really like “Music,” but I don’t find myself returning to it very often. Maybe everything will click when her new project comes out.
Sudan Archives
I feel bad. I didn’t connect with THE BPM as much as I did with Athena or Natural Brown Prom Queen. I feel like in a year I will revisit this album and feel the sting of shame for my ignorance in the face of genius.
“Cuntissimo” by MARINA
“Do people still say ‘YOLO?’” A lyric so bad that it excluded an otherwise great song from this list.
Isabella Lovestory
Vanity slid under the radar for me this year, but it was obviously fab.
Rosalía
Friends and colleagues will be shocked to not see her featured on this list. I’ve been a huge Rosalía fan ever since I first heard “Malamente” blaring through a Bershka in Rome, fall of 2018. This year, however, the “poppier” cuts from her new record are not my favorites. When I listen to Lux, I gravitate towards “La Rumba Del Perdón” and “Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti,” which are hard songs to justify adding to a “Best Pop Songs of the Year” list.
Final Thoughts
2025 felt like a transitional year in pop music. We saw more seasoned artists returning to older styles (Robyn, Jorja Smith, Lorde, even Lady Gaga), a new class of hyperpop-influenced artists (roro, underscores, tonser, Frost Children) gunning for the throne, and a healthy dose of 2010s nostalgia.
One of my favorite trends of this year was the Ode to Music Itself, demonstrated on “Headphones On,” “Blasting Through the Speakers,” “Hot Hits,” “Montón,” and “Poplife.”
I think we’re all curious to see what 2026 brings, musically and otherwise. Amidst increasing political and economic uncertainty, I expect artists to prioritize escapism, leaning into even larger and more ambitious world-building exercises, and I hope that we continue to see the best and brightest stars experimenting and innovating once again.
No one can say what the future holds, but it is with great fondness I look back on these impressive releases from 2025, inspiring creations that decorated our nights out, crash outs, car rides, and moments of reflection. If you’re reading this, I’m wishing you a beautiful end of the year. Queue 2026.
Feel free to comment some of your favorite pop songs of the year below!