Amaarae – S.M.O.
For the second year in a row, welcome “Slut Me Out” to my year-end songs list! While BLACK STAR doesn’t quite live up to the summer staple that is Fountain Baby, that doesn’t mean Amaarae didn’t find ways to wow me. “S.M.O.” was the perfect song to start off with. The beats are much more aggressive and punchier than they were in Fountain Baby, with rolling drums and the dark stomp of the bass paired with whistle chirps and synth hits that burst like fireworks. Amaarae’s voice remains soft and seductive, but she’s easily able to keep up with the pace of the song and its frenetic energy. While the lyrics aren’t as ridiculous as NLE Choppa’s “Slut Me Out”, it is just as horny in describing all the different  ways Amaarae wants to taste her, touch every inch of her waistline, and make each other “scream and shout”, as it were. Delirious, yet undeniably fun.

Jack Van Cleaf ft. Zach Bryan – Rattlesnake
“Rattlesnake” is not a new song. In fact, the song existed as far back as 2022, off Jack Van Cleaf’s debut album that year. But 2025 saw an upgraded version of this song with Zach Bryan, who had been a fan of Jack Van Cleaf and this song for years. It makes sense, this is the kind of song Zach Bryan would make himself. Lonely strums of acoustic guitar paired with galloping drums, brooding lyrics describing trudging along life, indulging in sex and drinking and misery as you try to run away from that heartbreak that lingers on your mind, the kind of small-town outlaw folk that can only be made by young, disgruntled country boys. This updated version with Zach Bryan really steps up the production though. The addition of a banjo to lead the melody while the acoustic guitar follows, Zach’s deeper gruff singing together with Jack’s gentler hum, and of course a chorus of trumpets that make the song feel triumphant. The original builds to its climax really well, but the sharper production job on this version along with those additional instruments and Zach Bryan’s cries of anguish make that angst hit even harder. You can feel the heartbreak and loneliness truly soar in those final moments. I wish I gave more time to Jack Van Cleaf and his music, because while Zach Bryan was the one who drew me in, the song and its spirit are all Jack’s.

ROLE MODEL – Sally, When The Wine Runs Out
It’s a tricky line to walk when you’re not exactly a country artist, but you want to play with its aesthetics and instrumentation regardless. It’s easy to spot the fakes between people who are genuinely about the country lifestyle and those who just think cowboy hats are cool. So take it as a huge compliment that I think ROLE MODEL embodied the joys of a good bar song better than most actual country artists this year in “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out”. The bright acoustic strums that open the song lead into a stomping rhythm and ROLE MODEL shooting glances at a girl just across the bar. Described by his friends as a born-again wildcard, this girl takes ROLE MODEL by the hand and takes him through an unforgettable night of drinking and throwing up at red lights. The joyous melody on the chorus that comes in harmony with the skip of the rhythm and twang of the guitar brings to mind the image of someone truly unforgettable, and you can feel through ROLE MODEL’s voice the elation and fear that this might be the only night they have together. The best part of the song is the most famous part, the bridge where in live shows a big-name celebrity takes on the role of “Sally” and dances along to the chants on the bridge. Not only do I just love this gimmick of getting someone to come up and be that life of the party, but the bridge itself is such a fun way to really bring home the energy and joy in the room whenever Sally lets loose and lights up the room. That final burst for the final chorus as the song comes together and celebrates one last time, it’s nothing short of magic.

Solarstone – shivelight
A very late discovery in the year, but one that has had me hooked since the first moment I heard it. First, you’re drawn in by the dark thrums of a guitar, then the atmosphere starts slowly enveloping around you with ghostly coos, hazy synths and tip tapping percussion. Every synth and flourish suddenly starts to feel like you’re in a sci-fi movie, and once that thrum is joined by a synth that goes “bowww nowwww nowwwwwww”, you’re thrust into this mesmerizing rave beat built off a thicker patter and the persistent rumble of the bass. The build up to that full instrumental is breathtaking, and the journey it takes you through its melodies and gorgeous timbre is nothing short of hypnotizing. I am utterly magnetized by the many different spaceman-like synths that come in and out of the song, all the while keeping that core thrum throughout the whole song. It practically feels like your heartbeat as you’re surrounded by indiscernible shapes and colors. The mixing is so thick and full that it envelops everything around you. You wouldn’t be able to hear a single sound outside of what this song gives you. I imagine on the dance floor (and maybe on drugs) you could legit feel like you’re on another planet listening to it.

Bad Bunny – BAILE INoLVIDABLE
He was out for a minute, but once again we arrived at one of my year-end songs lists in the 2020s with Bad Bunny on it. You can’t really blame me when he brings out this much quality time and time again. The song starts out so innocuously, with these heavy synths and Bad Bunny sounding as if he’s deep in the darkness, only illuminated by the horns that come in at the forty-seven second mark. But the song doesn’t wake up until those salsa drums come in and you’re launched into this remarkable salsa arrangement, where the horns are beaming and the percussion is crisp and joyful. The sudden turn from darkness to lightness through this instrumentation is so brilliant, it truly feels like a whole new world has opened for you. The song is wallowing in heartbreak, but you can still feel yourself getting lost in the rhythm and the communal joy of that chorus of men singing along to the chorus. The little piano solo on the bridge is so delightful, the whole song sounds like a party. In a way it’s one of the most effective “crying on the dancefloor” hits in recent memory, because the vibes are so immaculate, yet Bad Bunny still bleeds on the floor with his heartbroken lyrics. Then again, that’s how music heals, especially a type of music so close to Bad Bunny’s heart where the community can revel in his overflowing emotions together.

Turnpike Troubadours – Heaven Passing Through
Turnpike have a ton of great songs worth picking out from The Price of Admission. Really, any one of them from “On The Red River” to “Leaving Town (Woody Gunthrie Festival)” could be in this spot. But it’s also no question for me who stood out the most. “Heaven Passing Through” is a very simple song on the surface, a nice acoustic guitar line with flourishes of a gorgeous steel and fiddle combo. Evan Felkner is given the spotlight as he describes the memories he has with his wife, when they were young and living life to their fullest. Over that gorgeous chorus with incredible harmonies that lift it to the sky, Felkner cherishes those moments where he’s out of the darkness and into the light, truly enjoying the life he’s been gifted, even amongst the hardship. Given how much hurt and damage he’s endured, especially prior to the band’s reunion, it’s relieving to hear Felkner in a much healthier, happier spot. Not the least in part thanks to his daughter, who acts as his moment to truly live young again. Not through reckless nights and drinking, but through simply being in awe of the world. It’s a beautiful sentiment, one that I came back to a lot when I felt myself getting lost in cynicism and hopelessness. Sometimes you just need to slow down and cherish those moments when the light comes back, and heaven visits you for just a moment.

Jason Isbell – Ride To Roberts
This one became a bit of a comfort listen for me throughout the year. In an album that otherwise reckons with sudden life changes and hard goodbyes, there’s something so particular about a song where Jason Isbell finds new relationships after his divorce, rediscovering moments of infatuation and curiosity in the people he meets. They go to a bar in Nashville and while he’s a bit distracted and in the clouds, he still finds himself focusing on the people he meets and appreciating the company. He’s still running from the trauma that’s unfolded in his divorce, but at least he knows where he’s going and who might be coming with him. The flutter of the guitar is so pretty. Even as the sole instrument on this song, the melody and counter melody is so distinct and memorable. It recalls the Jason Isbell of old and when he was first going on this journey of new love. Shame he has to go through it again, but he at least sounds like he knows where to go from here.

Tyler The Creator – Ring Ring Ring
“Ring Ring Ring” is nothing Tyler hasn’t done before. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard those same synth presets, the phone sound effect, that bass groove, and even the motif of simply awaiting a call in many of Tyler’s albums before. But if DON’T TAP THE GLASS was meant to be a shamelessly fun dance album that’s more about the feeling rather than the meaning, then “Ring Ring Ring” is Tyler taking what he knows and having a blast with it. The grooves on this song are sticky as hell. From the bass and drum working together to keep the song at a steady beat to the way the phone ringing is mixed into the song along with brief snippets of Tyler answering with a “Hello?”. Not to mention Tyler’s softer singing voice carrying a ton of lovelorn, yearning emotion as he awaits that call from his lover so he can talk to them all day and all night. A friend of mine once described this song as “Tyler if he made a song for Off The Wall”, which is not only a high compliment, but an accurate one.

JT – Girls Gone Wild
This is the rap girlie song of the year, bar none. One that I’m honestly kind of shocked I haven’t seen more people talk about. I’m not even that big on City Girls, but the moment I heard those cinematic synths switch into the “bwamp” bass synth as it kicks into this incredible chorus, I knew this was going to be an anthem. The drums skitter and clutter as the synths and bass build the song up to sound as enormous and world-conquering as possible. JT’s chants as her posse joins in describing all the ways they shake ass, flash their tits, and command the room with their mere presence is utterly enviable. You can feel the blurring lights and cold winds coming from poking your body out the sunroof, perfectly embodying that “night is still young” attitude that sounds as fun as it is hedonistic. It’s not even about the money and glamour either, it’s all sex appeal, baby! As if it couldn’t get any better, the bridge consists of the beat dropping out except for the bass, a stuttered sample of an earlier verse, one last flex from JT and then transitioning to the chorus with a vocoded bar!? And then the song rides out with an electric guitar!? Holy shit!!

Baths – Eyewall
I’m in awe of this song. Normally my favorite kind of pop songs are the ones that take all their emotion and blast it to the screen, full of big melodic hooks and danceable grooves. In that sense, “Eyewall” as a pop song feels like it’s holding back. The soft twinkle of the pianos, harps and the subtle bass line running under the angelic atmosphere is really pretty, but it always sounds like it’s building up to something rather than truly exploding. Even as the song gradually escalates, William Wiesenfeld’s vocals going from patient cooing to startling shrieks and yells, every instrument getting louder and building and building, but we never do get that big explosive melody. Instead the same buildup we’ve given just persists, swirling and swirling as saxophones, strings and hazy synths are added to the chaos. It’s a song that’s so full of tension yet the tension is also the payoff, and it leads to this gorgeous swell that fully envelops the listener until it finally releases with that single guitar line to play it off. It fits for a song about a failing relationship where no one’s listening to each other and the patience is wearing thin. Why get a payoff when the relationship keeps going in circles. Even in the bridge where Wiesenfeld tries desperately to keep it all together, his voice is frantic and terrified as everything falls apart. That’s what makes this song’s gradual build-up and the way every instrument slowly suffocates each other so potent. All you’re left with is this gorgeous purgatory where love and passion still exist but could never reach each other.

Creepy Nuts – Bling-Bang-Bang-Born
I’ll admit, I’m cheating with this one a little bit. This was a big hit in 2024, I definitely listened to it in 2024, and the only reason it counts for this list at all is because Creepy Nuts included it in their album this year, LEGION. Still, I did listen to this song more this year than last year, and I find that album super underrated, so fuck it. However much love this song gets is never enough. It’s such an inventive song, one that combines the rhythmic jump of jersey club and gives it a j-pop swerve full of deranged rap verses, a blocky melody with marimbas and pianos that gives it such a unique sound and texture, and a deeply memorable hook whose wackiness will never leave your head. This song was made as an opening for an anime that I’ve never watched, but I have seen the opening sequence, and it rules. Perfectly captures the manic, restless energy of the song. Creepy Nuts have gone on to make even more great songs, including another anime opening, this time for Dandadan (which also rules), but there’s a reason this was the song to put them on the map.

JID – Glory
I’ve seen a lot of people mourn the fact that JID hasn’t quite reached his full potential yet, especially when The Forever Story felt like such a turning point that should have made him one of our true undisputed greats. But the reality is that even if that album was phenomenal and showed what he could be, JID is still relentlessly hungry. That’s why “Glory” blows me away so much. The operatic beat with a gospel choir singing over the hum of an organ, fearsome pianos and a harsh trap snare beat really makes you feel the power and energy of this song, especially as JID raps with incredible dexterity. He’s completely locked in, telling stories of the new gifts of his building career juxtaposed with the internal struggle he feels regarding his faith and the violence back home that still lingers on his mind. Especially in relation to his brother, who is actively involved in gang violence and winds up back in prison. As much as the song is celebratory and demands your attention, it’s also one where you can hear the conflict in JID’s voice. When the beat suddenly drops into a lower pitch for the third verse, it almost feels like that grandiosity becomes a threat. It’s still huge and powerful, but significantly more uneasy and unstable. The fun’s over. Shit’s getting serious now.

PUP – Needed To Hear It
If there’s anything PUP excels at, it’s songs with infectious sing-along hooks about the messiest, most toxic relationships you’ve ever had. But while “Kids” still had a romantic “there’s no one I’d rather suffer with than you” angle to it, “Needed To Hear It” is pure frustration and bitterness. Over an excellent guitar snarl and Stefan Babcock’s perfectly whiny voice, PUP snaps back at a partner who seems to lash out at them every time things go wrong, and it’s gotten so bad that they’ve reached a breaking point. And yet, they still find it hard to fully blame her because she’s gone through some shit too, and her behavior is merely a symptom of trying to keep herself from falling apart. But you can still feel in every shout and voice crack in this song that it still fucking sucks, and they can only put up with the bullshit for so long. I don’t think either party looks good in this song, but there’s still a catharsis in finally telling someone off and shedding that need to play nice that really hit for me in 2025. Even as in the bridge, the song slows down and we get the one honest moment between the couple. Apologies are given, minds can be changed… but still, it doesn’t have to keep being like this.

Toby Fox – It’s TV Time!
^{(It’s also worth watching the actual boss fight for the full effect)}
In 2021, I did genuinely consider putting “BIG SHOT” on my songs list, the glitchy and cinematic secret boss theme of Deltarune Ch. 2 but ultimately decided against it. Still, it was only a matter of time before I gave Toby Fox his flowers, and he turned out to make a better boss theme (maybe even two?) in Chapter 3’s main boss battle against the antagonist, Tenna. I can’t explain everything about Deltarune for those who don’t know in just short blurbs but just know that Tenna is a big TV man in a red suit who acts like a game show host and desperately wants our protagonists to keep playing his stupid pointless games. In that case, the absurdity of the shooping synths that carry the lead melody, along with the wailing electric guitars, synth horns and twinkling percussion is the perfect amount of silly chaos for a character like Tenna. There are multiple motifs from locations and events in Chapter 3 sprinkled throughout (as Toby Fox tends to do) and they’re implemented so impeccably. The song is frantic yet still putting on a big show as if it’s trying to keep your eyes glued to the screen. The many different big turns it takes, from the more sinister motif of the third round where the characters were trapped in capsules to the horn led bridge near the end of the song, is as spectacular as it is overstuffed. I highly recommend watching footage of the fight alongside it, because it captures the busy and exciting battle that unfolds when this song plays in all its glory.

bbno$ - two
Man, I really hated “Lalala” back in 2019. What a table turning moment for bbno$ to make an appearance on my best songs of the year list. Admittedly, I’ve gradually warmed up to bbno$ as he focused on more energetic and punchy beats, fully embracing his sense of humor but with genuine talent in his flows and hooks. “two” is his best song yet. A choir of kids count down and chant his name, leading into a sharp synth and bouncy bass beat occasionally accented by four-count flashbang synths. bbno$’s quick, witty bars are admittedly shallow, but delivered with so much humor and confidence that you still find yourself irresistibly bouncing along. bbno$ has a crazy amount of synergy with this beat, and they both don’t let up until the very end of the song, which is just over two minutes. Short enough to stop itself from being too annoying, but also short enough that you can’t help but go back for one more round.

Ruston Kelly – Pickleball
Ruston Kelly made my favorite album of 2023 through one of his bleakest, yet most resilient moments in his life. But I never want my artists to stay in those moments forever. I would much for prefer them to be happy and healthy, regardless of what happens to the quality of their music. “Pickleball”, in a sense, picks up where The Weakness left off. He meets his soon-to-be wife because they’re pickleball partners, and Kelly is immediately open about his self-destructive tendencies and history of substance abuse. Pretty immediately his partner lines out a boundary of never wanting to see him at that level as long as she knows him, encouraging him to help himself and heal rather than fall into those bad habits every time something goes wrong. There’s something so powerful about Kelly responding to this with, “I guess I ain’t got a choice but never turn back”. After constantly letting himself fall again and again, he decides this time to really go through with it and live for her. And in turn, it means he starts living for himself as well. The song is triumphant in its production, full of fluttering guitars and a soaring hook. You can feel that weight lift off Ruston’s shoulders as he finds himself once again out of that pit and truly experiencing happiness and love. There are lots of songs on this album that exemplify this, but to me, this feels like the turning point that feels the most satisfying.

Muscadine Bloodline – Chickasaw Church of Christ
One of my favorite songs of 2018 is Lori McKenna’s “The Lot Behind St. Mary’s”, a really touching song about a fading love that yearns to go back to when they were teenagers, smoking behind a church parking lot without a care in the world. Muscadine Bloodline’s “Chickasaw Church of Christ” feels like that song’s spiritual successor, in a way. Only instead of being a fading love well into adulthood, it’s the abrupt end of young love being torn apart by distance. The strums of acoustic guitar drift across the track as the duo reflects on the wonderful relationship they’ve had up until now. Not just their relationship, in fact, but the hometown they grew up in and the special memories and locations they know like the back of their hand. Though the girl will be moving away, and thus, their relationship will never be what it could’ve been if she stayed, there’s no resentment or even sadness over this girl’s decision. They both know that it’s for the best, and they had a truly incredible run while she was here. All they ask is one final night in the dark, maybe behind the Chickasaw Church of Christ, and kiss until the sun goes up. It’s melancholic, bittersweet, but the maturity and empathy of this song is what really touches me and made this an early favorite of mine in the year.

Kehlani – Folded
After several years of always being in the mainstream, but never quite having that big definitive hit, Kehlani finally found their Top 10 hit in “Folded”. It’d be one thing if Kehlani managed to get their hit through just any of their songs, but it hits a little differently when it ended up with one of their best songs. And the truth is, it doesn’t do much differently than what Kehlani usually does. A crisp trap beat coasting off a really nice guitar lick, thumps of bass, and utterly gorgeous multitracking, it’s very much something in their wheelhouse. Still, Kehlani themselves is what makes this such a marvel of a song. Their gorgeous voice is so impeccable as it swoons and swirls across the track, pleading their partner for forgiveness, folding their clothes for them to pick up and hoping it could lead to a steamy hookup that could remind them of the passion they’ve always had between them. Kehlani’s confidence is so sexy and commanding, but it never feels like they’re deceiving you. By all means, they sound very honest and vulnerable when they admit their mistakes and still want you to come over and make things right. Which makes that warmth in their voice over this tremendous instrumental feel truly inviting.

Willi Carlisle – Big Butt Billy
Willie Carlisle has always had a great sense of humor on top of his earnest, yet insightful folk tunes, but nothing has made me laugh as much as “Big Butt Billy”, a story about stopping by a diner and being gobsmacked by the attractive blue-haired non-binary server with the finest ass you’ve ever seen. What would normally feel like a leery, perverted chaser anthem is instead a respectful, albeit painfully honest ramble over just an acoustic guitar where Willi just can’t get over how incredible that ass is. He never makes a move, he gets too scared to even leave his number on the receipt, but the verbose language and very straightforward delivery make every description of that ass and how it drives him wild increasingly absurd. It all builds up to the bridge where the acoustic guitar drops out and Willi goes into this full-on preacher monologue about the incredible size and shape of this fair they/them’s behind. Full of gut-busting descriptions and metaphors that still won’t have you laughing as hard as the abrupt “AWOOOGA!!!” that appears midway through the monologue. All leading up to his plead for attraction, affection, and love, with that final point sung in a little falsetto just in case nothing beforehand has gotten you to crack yet. A masterclass in humor and cisgender allyship.

Jason Isbell – Eileen
Of all the songs on Jason Isbell’s Foxes In The Snow, “Eileen” was the one that struck me the hardest, moreso than even “Gravelweed”. Mainly because while that song is set when it’s all said and done, “Eileen” the revelation that it’s truly over. It’s a song that sounds defeated, full of unanswered questions and unexplained behaviors that are full of guilt and despair. “My own behavior was a shock to me/I never thought I’d have the nerve” is a particularly gutting lyric, especially with the context of Isbell being the one to end this relationship. It almost feels like he’s sneering at himself for daring to break someone’s heart like this. Especially when he himself has endured heartbreak like this before, even when it was necessary for him to be split off for his own behavior. The most powerful image of this song is the letter Isbell found on the wall that Eileen wrote, which simply stated “Forever is a dead man’s joke”. Which could be read as a cynical belief that forever only exists in death, but I think Isbell reads it a little bit differently than that. Love isn’t forever either, try as they might to make it work. But that doesn’t mean the heartbreak has to be either. I’ll admit this is one of the messier songs on this list, especially seeing as it’s definitely about Amanda Shires given how Isbell was the one to file for divorce and Amanda has addressed being blindsided by this decision. Maybe Isbell wrote this song to justify to himself that this decision was worth it, and both will go on to better paths. And if so, that’s his business. Still, I can’t deny that “Eileen” really stirred something in me. It’s that stomach-dropping decision that you don’t know whether it was the right move or not but you made it anyway.

BONUS 3: Teddybears ft. Iggy Pop – Punkrocker
As much as I enjoyed the musical numbers in KPop Demon Hunters, the song from a movie that ended up sticking with me the most this year was “Punkrocker”, a rock song from the 2000s that plays in the final moments of James Gunn’s Superman. James Gunn is one hell of a music nerd, as evidenced by his crate digging soundtracks for the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. My guy loves matching his favorite songs to his characters (he’s just like me for real), and “Punkrocker” is such a perfect fit for his Superman- A deeply earnest and optimistic guy who believes deeply in his powers for good and fights back against the cynicism that the world wants to press on him. Which traditionally might not be seen as “punk rock” (there’s a whole scene about it in the movie), but in reality, Superman’s radical empathy is what makes him truly super compared to everyone else in the movie. And I love how “Punkrocker” plays the movie out, as Superman watches clips of his human family and everything he was taught by them as the sun envelops around him. It’s not only a killer song with one of the best hooks of that whole decade, but the way Gunn recontextualizes this song and connects it to a character that truly embodies “I’m listening to the music with no fear/You can hear it too if you’re sincere” made it stick with me more than even some of the songs later down the list.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 4 coming soon!