The 25 Best Pop Albums of 2025

25. Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl (Republic)

The Life of a Showgirl enshrines Taylor Swift’s proof-of-concept as a celebrity: modern fame is an act of honesty and excess, a contemporary witch trial, and a glamorous night out. Charli XCX, Swift’s newest rival, brought depth to the dancefloor ruminations of brat: “I’m famous but not quite / One foot in a normal life,” she said on “I might say something stupid.” 

Swift can capture the zeitgeist because she understands the concept of one: a battle between tension and freedom, and the knowledge that conflict is necessary to sustain the things we want. The Tortured Poets Department proves Swift will navigate pain when it is part of a story. The Life of a Showgirl releases that angst. “They stood by me before my exoneration,” Swift said on “CANCELLED!” Even non-existence as a public figure is a discourse Swift engaged with and survived. Now that’s showmanship. – Matthew Dwyer

24. Justin Bieber – Swag (Def Jam)

With all the will in the world, Justin Bieber’s career hasn’t always been geared toward the avant-garde, so it’s to his great credit that Swag is such a rich experience in audio collage. The record crackles with nervous laughter, whispered dialogue, and moments of guttural confession. “Glory Voice Memo” transports listeners back to a bygone era, where ticks and trumpet notes decorate the background; Dadz Love”, by contrast, is set entirely in the present. This isn’t a poppy, bubble-gum record; rather, a more sophisticated audio drama dotted with diaristic perspectives of his life. By making this transition, Bieber has jumped from pop star to creative thinker par excellence. 

For Bieber fans craving something more conventional, “Go Baby” features one of his most impactful vocal performances, a melody rich with romanticism and melancholy. “Standing on Business” is a more immersive look at his process, festooned with noises and men making jokes. The title track, a cocktail of synths and samplers, pivots from rap to something resembling sophisti-pop. “Sweet Spot”, coated in reggae inflections, adds another colour to the singer’s growing array of influences. “Too Long” packs more ideas into one song than many contemporary songwriters do across an entire record. It’s Bieber’s best work to date. – Eoghan Lyng

23. Demi Lovato – It’s Not That Deep (Island)

While snippets of It’s Not That Deep allude to the singer’s tumultuous past, most of the album stays true to its name. “Popvato is back,” said its creator, who aimed to return to the lighthearted nature of her early work. Demi Lovato’s recent output, the albums Dancing with the Devil and Holy Fuck, explored the angst of her addiction and sobriety journey.

To remain relatable to their audiences, pop stars must have one foot in everyday life, while turning the mundane aspects of that life into a spectacle. Completing this act requires an audience’s willful ignorance and a celebrity’s ability to manipulate reality. In this case, then, It’s Not That Deep has depth in one regard: it makes the hustle look easy, which is no small feat. – Matthew Dwyer

22. Ruel – Kicking My Feet (Recess)

Ruel’s Kicking My Feet is a joyful record that portrays messy emotions as building blocks for newfound happiness. In “Not What’s Going On”, Ruel gives in to a new romance, as glossy harmonies enhance an ecstatic chorus. “I Can Die Now” conveys a similar sentiment: “But since I found you, I can die now.” “Only Ever” calls back to the funk influences of his previous records, but uses crisp guitar riffs to express devotion in a laid-back manner. Elsewhere, “The Suburbs” leans into rock, as a raucous sound contrasts peaceful lyrics: “Always drivin’ under 35,” Ruel says, imagining a settled-down life with a partner. Kicking My Feet is a shiny, highly-produced album, but it stands out in a crowded field of male pop stars. – Matthew Dwyer

21. Mariah Carey – Here For It All (Mariah / Gamma)

Mariah Carey’s recent album pays homage to the past. Here for It All is an affectionate and charming look at Black pop music of the 1970s and 1980s, charmingly retro without feeling stale or derivative. It’s a nod to the kind of music Carey grew up on and the sounds that influenced her as she came of age. Here for It All also highlights her enduring gifts, especially that spectacular voice, which is miraculously intact. The record coincides with a critical time in her life when she wrestles with the balance of being a contemporary pop star and a legacy artist. However, it succeeds, despite the potential baggage it carries, Mariah Carey’s new album proves that she possesses timeless gifts.

20. Sombr – I Barely Know Her (Warner)

The debut album by Shane Boose, who performs as Sombr, I Barely Know Her, is a classic rock homage through Gen-Z internet fandom. “We Never Dated” references the Beach Boys in its harmonies, and the high note of “Dime” recalls Aerosmith. Sombr attended LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts in New York, the alma mater of artists like Nicki Minaj, Timothee Chalamet, and Jennifer Aniston.

Like his predecessors, Sombr is aiming for the upper echelons of pop. “Undressed”, which peaked at no. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, conjures a melancholic atmosphere indicative of the singer’s stage name, and builds to an eerie climax where he confesses: “I don’t want the children of another man to have the eyes of the girl I won’t forget.”

Over the course of the 2020s, pop music has worked smarter, not harder. The Disney channel divas of the 2000s were notoriously overworked, and Katy Perry crammed five number-one singles onto one album, 2010’s Teenage Dream. However, Sombr exemplifies a new trend: pop stars driving their own success. Self-determination is now an aspirational quality. When fans desire something beyond artifice, performers can afford to be somber. – Matthew Dwyer

19. Audrey Hobert – Who’s the Clown? (RCA)

Pop culture captures normalcy but becomes highly specific at random times, and Audrey Hobert represents its ability to do so. Aside from “Sue Me”, most of the songs on Who’s the Clown? do not sound like radio singles, a format traditionally associated with “pop”. Instead, Hobert uses this structure as a platform for verbose storytelling, much as she employs celebrity to discuss the pitfalls of fame.

Unlike other pop stars, Hobert does not seek to be aspirational. Instead, she accumulates fame by emulating her audience, a celebrity paradox. Audrey Hobert seems to have already grappled with a fall from grace on a personal level. If the pop culture arena rejects her, it will only prove her original thesis: she never belonged there in the first place. – Matthew Dwyer

18. Circa Waves – Death & Love Pt. 1 (Lower Third)

Circa Waves have been around for more than 10 years, releasing a series of albums filled with catchy guitar-based pop rock. This year was an ambitious one for Circa Waves, as they released their latest album in two parts, in January and October. 

Arriving in January, Death and Love Pt. 1 continued the British band’s winning streak. Opening with a brief and insistent rocker, “American Dream”, the record hits its stride with the second track, “Like You Did Before”, a panoramic gem that combines a 1980s techno vibe with a modern pop twist. Death and Love, Pt. 1 ended with a cliffhanger, though: would Death and Love, Pt. 2 continue to deliver quality tunes or simply be a dumping ground for outtakes and inferior B-sides? 

Fortunately, the nine tunes that comprise Pt. 2 lived up to the standard set by Pt. 1.  “Lost in the Fire”, one of Circa Waves’ hardest rockers, opens the continued album, followed by yet another infectious pop tune, “Stick Around”. From there, Circa Waves explore a variety of pop styles, completing the entire Death and Love album in fine fashion. – Rich Wilhelm

17. Florence + the Machine – Everybody Scream (Polydor/Republic)

With every album, Florence Welch navigates an almost impossible contradiction – writing great-sounding, accessible indie rock about tough, painful topics. It’s like going to an arena to sing along to big room ballads about factory farming and deforestation. It sounds great, but it feels bad, man. Welch doesn’t care. She refuses to make herself small for anybody, ever.

This results in records like Everybody Scream, where Welch comes off as an art rock tempestarii, calling down storms and choking fogs with her iconic banshee wail. She sings unsparingly about her miscarriage, subsequent near-death experience, and all the denizens of the dark. It’s a harrowing listen, but you almost don’t realize it; it sounds so good. – J Simpson

16. Thaba – December/Sedimonthole (Brabant Road)

Even if you didn’t know the story behind Thaba, the unlikely contact that began it, the tragedy of Khusi Seremane’s early passing, the many ways in which December/Sedimonthole pays tribute to him, you’d be hard-pressed not to feel deeply moved by this album. Its mix of charming DIY beats and technical musical excellence, soulful lyrics, and wistful melodies makes for ephemeral moments of nostalgia and familiarity.

New wave peeks through the first notes of “Fofa”. Domenica Fossati’s flute, alongside horns and keys, evokes some of the more engaging Wings singles on “December”, which nonetheless feel fresh. No matter what happens next for this project, though, December/Sedimonthole is an artistic triumph of sentiment and substance, and one worth spinning again and again. – Adriane Pontecorvo

15. Self-Esteem – A Complicated Woman (Republic)

Self-Esteem is an unchagrined sensualist and inclusivist, rejecting patriarchal precepts, including heteronormative standards and traditional notions re: modesty, demureness, etc. Needless to say, Self Esteem will not be endorsing Belah Rose’s Christian how-to book, Delight Your Husband. On her third album, A Complicated Woman, these two aspects are still present, though they’re more integrated and streamlined. The activist has become the coach and advocate. The hedonist has evolved into the embodied woman who no longer needs to deny or prove herself. Whatever the newly fashioned persona, the catchy beats, hooky melodies, and party vibe remain. – John Amen

14. Lorde – Virgin (Universal)

On Virgin, Lorde‘s fourth album, the singer returns to the moodiness of her debut Pure Heroine and its follow-up Melodrama, after basking in the glow of the sun on 2021’s Solar Power. The opener, “Hammer”, sets the record’s course as a look inward. “When you’re holding a hammer, everything looks like a nail,” Lorde says, confessing self-sabotage. This tendency is a condition of celebrity and humanity; when you exist in the spotlight, everything feels like an intrusion. However, throughout Virgin, she also describes hostility in her personal life.  

Maturity requires sacrifice, which, throughout her fourth album, Lorde discovers by separating herself from the person the world sees and often expects her to be. Such small moments of acceptance are a form of freedom. Without them, the next liability is never far away. – Matthew Dwyer

13. Kesha – Period (Kesha)

Now that she’s pushed past her most challenging moments in search of catharsis, Kesha’s ready to let loose. It’s a party-starting good time where our only wish is that it overpoured our shots just a little. It’s a sprawling, uncompromised full-length that mixes bold swings with safe bets, resulting in a record bursting with independent spirit but in need of a tad more commitment to its vision.

While Kesha feels recharged on Period, its best moments are its unconventional ones: the ambient-opening fakeout, the horns and accordions sprinkled throughout the tracks, and dynamite lyrics. While the songs where she plays with both conventional structure and broader lyrical themes are almost designed to prove she could write hit-making material at the drop of a dime, it’s a much better world when Kesha stays true to her vision.