Far from the music industry’s prevailing belief that fans want everything spoon-fed to them, 2025’s best (and rapturously received) album offerings were also some of the most challenging.
Artists were clearly in a confessional mood, from Lily Allen’s eviscerating divorce drama West End Girlto Dave’s candid reflections on fame, wealth and faith in The Boy Who Played the Harp. Rosalía, too, gave us something to worship in the form of her remarkable opus, Lux, while Lola Young shattered our boredom over the persisting “clean girl” aesthetic with the messy, confrontational pop of I’m Only F***ing Myself.
