As the year comes to an end it is clear that this has been another outstanding chapter for music, especially for women. We have enjoyed brilliant debuts as well as long awaited returns. Below is a list of our top ten favourite albums of the year, with links to our full reviews for several of the releases included. It is not an exhaustive list and a few albums that were enjoyable did not leave the same lasting impression as the ones that made the final cut.
Addison Rae makes the leap from influencer to bona-fide pop presence with a surprisingly focused and thoughtful debut. She treats the album not as a vanity project but as the culmination of a longer, more intentional creative journey — one built on genuine songwriting efforts dating back to when she was still consolidating her online fame. By working with just two collaborators, the album stays cohesive and distilled, avoiding trendy genre-hopping and instead offering a clear point of view. The record blends reverence for classic pop iconography with contemporary sensibilities, balancing nods to past eras with modern polish and self-aware playfulness. Tracks like ‘Diet Pepsi’ and the opener ‘New York’ showcase its sensual, moody, club-tinged gloss, while the closing song ‘Headphones On’ reveals Rae’s introspective side — using music as escape, as honesty, as identity. Addison ends up feeling like a confident statement of intent: a debut that isn’t trying to do everything, but is doing exactly what it sets out to do.
Rosalía gave us one of 2025’s most daring and unforgettable albums, a bold, bilingual “pop opera” that reframes heartbreak as a journey of transformation rather than a collapse. The record moves from ache and betrayal toward forgiveness and renewal offering a sense of emotional catharsis that feels both intimate and grand. Across lush, cinematic production — where strings, synths and percussion swirl with precision — her voice floats between vulnerability and strength, shifting effortlessly between languages and emotional states. Rather than chasing instant hits, ‘LUX’ demands patience and reward, turning listening into an immersive experience more like film or theatre than a playlist. In doing so she doesn’t just reaffirm her place among pop’s innovators — she stakes her claim as a visionary willing to stretch pop into something sacred, messy and deeply human.
Lily Allen returned with ‘West End Girl’ and turns one of the most turbulent periods of her life into a quietly devastating and deeply compelling album, making it one of the year’s most affecting pop records. The songs unfold with a clear emotional arc, drawing you from the fragile optimism of the opening track into the confusion, anger and sadness that follow, before landing somewhere more reflective and resolved. Rather than chasing big pop moments, the album’s strength lies in its restraint and cohesion, with Allen’s writing placing emotional clarity above spectacle. It is this honesty, and the confidence to sit with discomfort, that makes ‘West End Girl’ stand out among the year’s releases and secures its place as a defining album of 2025.
On The Art of Loving, Olivia Dean delivers a sophomore record that feels both intimate and expansive — emotionally rich and sonically lush. She’s grown into her voice, not just vocally but as a songwriter, letting her light pour in across twelve tracks that balance sunlit grooves with raw vulnerability. Early singles like ‘Nice to Each Other’ and ‘Man I Need’ capture playful energy and yearning, while songs such as ‘So Easy (To Fall in Love)’, ‘Let Alone the One You Love’, and ‘Baby Steps’ reveal depth and heartfelt introspection. Whether she’s whispering with soft conviction or soaring on soulful choruses, Dean proves she can move seamlessly between warmth, honesty and confident pop poise. By the end the album feels like a personal, full-hearted statement about love — in all its messy, hopeful, tender complexity.
MAYHEM saw Lady Gaga stage a full-throttle reunion with her pop roots. The album doesn’t necessarily break new ground, but it balances nostalgia and polish with impressive consistency and grew on us immensely. From dark, glitchy opener ‘Disease’ to the monster ‘Abracadabra’ to the 80’s- and funk-tinged dance floor flashes of ‘Zombie Boy’, ‘LoveDrug’ and ‘Shadow of a Man’, Gaga proves she still knows how to craft hits that both glow and gnash. ‘Perfect Celebrity’ taps into industrial-tinged angst and pop-cultural critique, while deeper cuts like ‘Vanish Into You’ and ‘Killah’ bring guitar-driven swagger and chaotic energy. And even when the pace dips for slower songs at the end, the strength of Gaga’s vocals and the record’s overall ambition make MAYHEM feel like a triumphant reminder of just how star-made she is.
#6
FKA Twigs – ‘EUSEXUA’
F KA Twigs staked her claim as a defining voice in pop this year, delivering ‘EUSEXUA’, an album that felt like a rave-fueled vision and an emotional journey all in one. The club energy she soaked up while shooting a movie in Prague pulses through the record — channeling William Orbit-era Madonna in ‘Girl Feels Good’ to adopting the ethereal moods reminiscent of Kate Bush in ‘Keep It, Hold It’. And yes, there is the surprising appearance of North West on ‘Childlike Things’, a feature that divided listeners — some balked at its strangeness while others embraced it as part of the album’s bold freedom. The follow-up collection released in November, ‘EUSEXUA Afterglow’ added new shades to her world and expanded the universe she’s built, but it is EUSEXUA (in its original form) that remains a brilliantly cohesive and powerful statement.
sombr emerged as a quietly thrilling new force in alt-pop with his debut album, proving that vulnerability and intimacy can carry as much weight as chart-ready hooks. From the brisk opener ‘Crushing’ to the bittersweet textures of ‘Undressed’ and the wistful nostalgia of ‘Back to Friends’ and ‘We Never Dated’, the album transcends TikTok virality to something with real sustenance. Tracks like ‘Come Closer’ ache with longing while ‘Canal Street’ spreads out with cinematic space giving the listener time to breathe. From the very first play, the album hooks you in not only with its rich and glossy production but with emotional honesty. ‘I Barely Know Her’ makes you excited to see where sombr goes next.
Midnight Sun saw Zara Larsson step into her brightest moment yet, delivering a compact but shimmering album that proves she still knows how to make pop feel like joy. The record leans into her dance-pop roots with purpose and polish, wrapping ten songs — just over thirty minutes — in glow and energy that feel equal parts summer night and club floor. From the euphoric title track to the celestial shimmer of ‘Blue Moon’ and the playful camp of ‘Hot & Sexy’ and ‘Eurosummer’, the album carries a mood of lightness and escapism. But it also has depth: ‘The Ambition’ and ‘Saturn’s Return’ hint at insecurity and introspection, balancing the carefree moments with a sense of self awareness and emotional weight. In a year full of strong pop from women, ‘Midnight Sun’ stands out as a record that reminds you why Zara can still own the dancefloor and heart on the same record.
#9
Rose Gray – ‘Louder, Please’
Rose Gray fully arrived as one of British dance pop’s most exciting new voices this year when she released her debut album ‘Louder, Please’. From the dreamy euphoria of ‘Tectonic’ — tender and euphoric all at once — to the anthemic, full-throttle release party vibe of ‘Party People’, the album captures the catharsis and celebration of a vibrant night out. Since her collaboration with Kungs on ‘Afraid of Nothing’ we’ve been hooked, and with the album Rose shows she’s capable of turning that promise into something fully realised. With the added boost of being shortlisted for the 2026 BRIT Critics’ Choice Award, this feels like the start of something much bigger — a debut that could well be the first chapter of something special, especially if her second LP lands as teased in 2026.
#10
Sam Fender – ‘People Watching’
Sam Fender’s third album, ‘People Watching’, saw him double down on the widescreen songwriting that has made him one of Britain’s most vital voices, delivering an album rooted in empathy, observation and emotional weight. Drawing on influences that sit comfortably between classic rock and modern indie, the record feels expansive without losing its sense of place, with Fender continuing to write about community, class and personal reflection with clarity and conviction. The album’s immediate impact was undeniable, debuting with huge first week sales in the UK and cementing his position as a genuine mainstream force. That momentum quickly translated into demand for a tour on an equally massive scale, underlining how deeply his music connects beyond the studio. People Watching feels like the sound of an artist fully stepping into his power, writing songs made to be shared loudly and collectively.
