Another great batch of tracks:
21. AAAHH MEN! (Doja Cat):
synth-pop that could have come straight from the soundtrack of Modern Girls or Vision Quest. Doja rattles off all the ways she gets disappointed by the useless men in her life (“Am I gay or just angry?”) while lamenting, “I feel shame because you’re such a pain/But my DNA wants your D in me.” (ROLLING STONE)
22. Divinize (Rosalia):
a bilingual masterpiece that feels both celestial and grounded. The track moves fluidly between English and Spanish, but its message transcends language: Rosalía is divine by design. Through bruises, heartbreak, and chaos, she remains powerful. Her voice swells with conviction, soft yet indestructible, like she’s reclaiming her body and spirit from the world’s judgment. The production is ethereal, full of echoes and light, pulling you into her ascension. It’s spiritual, feminine, and unstoppable. (RATINGSGAMEMUSIC)
23. The Killing (Miguel):
simply drips in lust.
24. Fist Of Flowers (Hamilton Leithauser):
a song that had been percolating for more than eight years but didn’t feel complete until he brought in backing vocalists for a rollicking “doot-doo” refrain. (PITCHFORK)
25. Swarm (Tune-Yards):
Garbus has tried this stylistic trick before and it has worked but it’s never worked so seamlessly before.
26. Bloom Baby Bloom (Wolf Alice):
here, they pull from the ’70s palette of russet and harvest gold-hued sounds – warm and rich, even when Ellie Rowsell is giving us her raspiest yell over the top. It’s splashy and full of little flourishes: Joff Oddie’s twiddling guitar solo, a brief drum splatter from Joel Amey, Theo Ellis’ bassline that pierces through the pre-chorus. (NME)
27. Southern Life (What It Must Be Like) (Sharon van Etten):
searing urgency done perfectly.
28. M.T.B.T.T.F. (Clipse):
love them or hate them but you can’t deny the clever coke rap on show and thay damn catchy chorus.
not quite the entire gang back together but this is as close to a Brockhampton reunion we’re gonna get and the boys hit it out of the park.
30. S.M.O. (Amaarae):
you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more gleeful hook this year than “Scream and shout, slut me out!” Amaarae reaches a clubby, creative apotheosis on ‘S.M.O.’, a lithe and loving fusion of myriad inspirations and styles: Ghanaian highlife, zouk, gqom and more. It’s fresh and forward in more ways than one. Amaarae thrills with her lyrical versatility, sliding from heavenly sweet-talk (“I wanna meet the God that made you”) to cheeky wordplay (“Coke bottle from Sexico”) to naked vulnerability in the transcendental conclusion. Sexy, sweaty, stunning: ‘S.M.O.’ proves without a doubt that Amaarae is a ‘Black Star’. (NME)
31, Think About It (C Duncan):
those tight harmonies get me every time!
32. Everything Is Peaceful Love (Bon Iver):
Justin Vernon digs deep to deliver his finest without getting lost in the usual dense production loops. This indie soul-pop track is an instant classic with warm, layered production. Its simple message feels believable rather than cliché — that we're all surrounded by love. (NPR)
33. Cry About It (Kali Uchis feat. Ravyn Lenae):
the lush duet that I knew not I needed!
34. Afterlife (Alex G):
the rhyme schemes in this wondrous song stretch out to meet the easy stride of its mandolin backing: it’s as if a two-pint buzz on a summer’s day was made into music. And as the US indie darling (though now on a major label) sings the chorus “as the light came, big and bright / I began another life”, you’re reminded anew of the second-to-second business of being alive, and how we can mark out the path we walk on. (GUARDIAN)
35. Cumulus/Memory (Sampha):
another glowing reminder of Sampha's unmatched ability to blend soul, storytelling, and sound design into something deeply human. His return feels timely and restorative, and if this is any indication of what's next, fans are in for something special. (RATINGSGAMEMUSIC)
36. Praise (Panda Bear):
detailing Lennox’s frustration with unreciprocated feelings in a familial relationship, he wrote this song about the lifetime dance that is fatherhood. Through all the ignored calls and harsh interactions that come from a teenager, his love persists. Chasing the relentless optimism, Lennox is prepared to fight for the relationship, even if it means doing it “again and again and again and again.” The inevitable triumph of this dance shines through in the song’s distinct pop disposition and Lennox’s bright vocal tones, while the call-and-response lyrics with Rivka Ravede perfectly reflect the cyclical conversations had between father and son. (PASTE)
37. 3400 (Ghais Guevara):
surprised this bop got overlooked on other year-end lists but Guevara stands on business astonishingly.
38. Summer Sweat (Hannah Cohen):
leans into an aching sensuality in a steamy and dreamy haze. Distant, echoey vocals emphasize this longing as groovy guitars enhance its hypnotic spell. (SOUNDWAVESOCIETYCLUB)
39. Tectonic (Rose Gray):
the type of track that hazily wafts in after last call.
40. Davina McCall (Wet Leg):
billed as "a song about pure, unadulterated devotion," which Teasdale evokes by likening herself to McCall: "I’ll be your Davina/ I’m coming to get you/ Fetch you from the station/ Never gonna let you go/ It’s that kinda love." Bolstered by Hester Chambers' steady guitar groove, it mimics that feeling when the new-relationship butterflies fade and you can relax together at last. (STEREOGUM)
