Editors’ Picks: Carter Faith, Zara Larsson, Clipse, ATEEZ and More of Our Favorite Albums of 2025

Editors Picks: Carter Faith, Zara Larsson, Clipse, ATEEZ and More of Our Favorite Albums of 2025

THR </em></a>earlier this year of the grief he and Malice still face. “Some days are better than others. Some mornings, itu2019s fine. Other mornings, itu2019s tears in the shower. Some shows, itu2019s fine performing it. Some rehearsals, itu2019s not. Itu2019s just random times where it strikes you more than others. Itu2019s kind of like a…

THR </em></a>earlier this year of the grief he and Malice still face. “Some days are better than others. Some mornings, itu2019s fine. Other mornings, itu2019s tears in the shower. Some shows, itu2019s fine performing it. Some rehearsals, itu2019s not. Itu2019s just random times where it strikes you more than others. Itu2019s kind of like a disbelief when I feel like u201cdamn. Iu2019m really singing this song and itu2019s real.u201d</p>nnnn

ntCombine the duo’s ambition with strong production from longtime collaborator Pharrell, plus a dispute and breakup with Def Jam to even get the album out, and Let God Sort Em Out</em> became one of the most exciting moments in music this year, bar none. u2014 E.M.

</p>n</div>”,”alt”:”Let God Sort u2018Em Out, Clipse”,”image_credit”:”Courtesy”,”url”:”https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/thr-music-editors-picks-favorite-albums-2025/”,”image_id”:1236457247,”image”:”https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CLIPSE_KAWS_COVER_DIGITAL_2500px-EMBED-2025.jpg?w=1000″,”sizes”:{“pmc-gallery-s”:{“src”:”https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CLIPSE_KAWS_COVER_DIGITAL_2500px-EMBED-2025.jpg?w=240″,”width”:240,”height”:240},”pmc-gallery-m”:{“src”:”https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CLIPSE_KAWS_COVER_DIGITAL_2500px-EMBED-2025.jpg?w=480″,”width”:480,”height”:480},”pmc-gallery-l”:{“src”:”https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CLIPSE_KAWS_COVER_DIGITAL_2500px-EMBED-2025.jpg?w=600″,”width”:600,”height”:600},”pmc-gallery-xl”:{“src”:”https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CLIPSE_KAWS_COVER_DIGITAL_2500px-EMBED-2025.jpg?w=768″,”width”:768,”height”:768},”pmc-gallery-xxl”:{“src”:”https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CLIPSE_KAWS_COVER_DIGITAL_2500px-EMBED-2025.jpg?w=1000″,”width”:1000,”height”:1000}},”fullWidth”:575,”fullHeight”:575,”mime_type”:”image”,”ad”:””,”appleSongID”:null,”enableAppleGA”:false,”additionalDescription”:null,”subtitleColor”:null,”additionalSubtitle”:null,”additionalSubtitleColor”:null,”ads”:{“html”:”t

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nttnt</div>n</div>nttt</div>ntttt</div>n”,”data”:[{“divId”:”gpt-dsk-tab-list-inbodyx-uid8″,”displayType”:”medrec”,”targeting”:[{“key”:”pos”,”value”:”in-bodyX”},{“key”:”pos”,”value”:”mid”},{“key”:”pos”,”value”:”in-listX”},{“key”:”pos”,”value”:”btf”},{“key”:”viewable”,”value”:”yes”}],”lazyLoad”:”yes”,”lazyLoadMultiplier”:2,”zone”:”list/inbodyX”,”sizes”:[[300,250]]}]}},{“ID”:1236453632,”position”:9,”positionDisplay”:10,”date”:”2025-12-17 15:24:52″,”modified”:”2025-12-22 19:31:39″,”title”:”Sequence 01.5</em> u2014 F5ve”,”subtitle”:null,”slug”:”sequence-01-5-f5ve”,”caption”:”u2018Sequence 01.5.u2019″,”description”:”ntttt

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ntPerhaps the most exciting Japanese act in the business right now, girl group F5ve is challenging the preconceived notion of what a J-pop group looks and sounds like. Hitmaker BloodPop serves as F5veu2019s executive music producer, shaping the often-experimental sound of the girl group, which includes members Sayaka, Kaede, Ruri, Miyuu and Rui.</p>nnnn

ntSequence 01.5</em>, the deluxe version of their debut studio album Sequence 01</em>, earned a spot over its preceder thanks to the single u201cI Choose You.u201d Itu2019s dreamy, just-right-amount of saccharine, and itu2019s so different from much of the music F5ve makes, showing a promising range.</p>nnnn

ntHowever, nothing tops the A.G. Cook-produced u201cUFO,u201d released in late 2024 as a pre-release single. Charli XCX is right u2014 I am u201cgonu2019 jump if A.G. made itu201d because u201cUFOu201d is, well, out of this world. Itu2019s addictive, unique and itu2019s set F5ve off on a new path as a group. 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From an unexpected and addicting country debut to the buzzy second act of an established pop star, these are some of our favorite albums of 2025.

Zara Larsson, ATEEZ, Laufey, Jade of Wet Leg, Clipse, Turnstile

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Too often in covering the music business, the discussions we have about what is worthy of a listen are steeped in whether or not something has Grammy buzz or charting potential. While there’s certainly value in discussing that aspect of music releases, there’s something to be said about discussing the music we actually listen to.

When selecting a song to add to a playlist, is the track’s Grammy potential top of mind? Likely not. But the catchy chorus, the hook you just can’t get out of your head or the outro being played on a loop likely is.

Instead of endeavoring to list out the best albums of the year— plenty of people already are — we’re going to talk about the albums that we found ourselves going back to again and again.

Music editor Ethan Millman leaned mainly alternative this year, whether that was alt-country with Carter Faith and Cherry Valley or alt-rock with Wet Leg’s Moisturizer and Turnstile’s Never Enough. And for all the talk about hip-hop’s growing chart struggles, rap is well-represented too between Earl Sweatshirt’s wildly underrated Live Laugh Love and Clipse’s groundbreaking Let God Sort Em Out, the only record on our list contending for the album of the year Grammy this February.

For assistant editor Nicole Fell, all roads led back to pop this year, whether that was Zara Larsson’s brightly colored second act, Midnight Sun, K-pop powerhouse ATEEZ’s earnest push into the U.S. market, Golden Hour : Part 3, In Your Fantasy Edition or J-pop rising stars, F5ve. While Laufey’s A Matter of Time proved to be a career defining moment for the Icelandic singer, Little Mix alum Jade finally had her big breakout moment with That’s Showbiz Baby.

Take a deeper dive into our favorite albums of 2025.

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