Almost Famous Zine Albums of the Year 2025

Posted byAmanda FlorencePosted inAFZ Team, Music, ReviewTags:, , , , ,
Graphics by Amanda Florence
Albums of the year 2025 - Almost Famous Zine

2025 was a groundbreaking year for music.

Whether it was diving into new releases or rediscovering old favorites, we each picked out the key albums that defined our past 12 months.

Most of us experienced some major life changes this year, and through it all, there was a song for every moment.

AFZ is thrilled to share the records that resonated most with us—our picks for the best albums of 2025.

ANDI (@andibopp)

Honorable Mentions:

ANTONIO (@someoneyoubelong)

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

ELLA (@elladxnovan)

Honorable Mentions:

ERIKA (@erxka)

This year, I spent a majority of my time on tour. Consequently, I found myself with the opportunity to dig into both new and old music as well as new and old feelings. With how busy I was and how far away I felt from comfort, I felt myself drawn more to the softer, soul-crushing acoustic music that makes me yearn for home and any sort of stability. I started off the year with Samia’s new album Bloodless on repeat. This album is full of excruciatingly descriptive and heart-wrenching lyrics attached to delicate melodies that have the power to make you laugh and cry at the same time (one of my favorite things to do).

From there, I found myself falling back into old habits in the summer and leaning heavily back into my old favorites, like Stranger in the Alps by Phoebe Bridgers.

Luckily for me, this year was huge for indie music with devastating lyrics, and I quickly found myself indulging in albums like Bleeds by Wednesday, Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You by Ethel Cain, and If You Asked For A Picture by Blondshell by the time fall came around.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

There’s a Whole World Out There by Arm’s Length. If you’re a fan of hard-hitting, melancholic melodies and gut-wrenching lyrics, this is the emo album for you. It is absolutely one-of-a-kind.

HANNAH (@tallant.png)

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

KENZIE (@kenzcat3.jpeg)

MADALYN (@madalyns.photos)

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

MANDA (@m4nda.jpeg)

  • Virgin by Lorde
    • I won’t lie to you, this album quite literally got me through this year and carried me in its arms while doing so. I kid you not when I tell you I listened to this every single day for a good 3-4 months straight; it saved me. I couldn’t/wouldn’t listen to anything else. This year unexpectedly ripped me apart into pieces, and somehow Lorde always shows up in my life when I need her the most. It was the catalyst for my healing journey; this album guided me through severe heartbreak and ended up becoming the soundtrack for a new chapter of my life as I rediscovered myself and the world around me. Virgin is an ode to the beauty in solitude, treasuring the details, and freedom of existence. I have been able to grow tremendously with this album right by my side. My most special memory from this year was seeing Ella in concert the night before my 24th birthday. I went to the show by myself in a different city, and I got to experience Virgin in all of its glory; I don’t think I will ever get over the feeling I felt from that night. I owe a lot to her. I am forever thankful to be so deeply intertwined with this project through it all. All this being said, this is (if not already obvious) my album of the year.
  • Vanisher, Horizon Scraper by Quadeca
    • Every single tiny itty bitty piece of this album was methodically crafted with the touch of an angel. Just from one listen, you can tell how much effort and thought was put into it. “FORGONE” is my favorite track, even though it makes my eyes leak horribly every time I listen to it. Quadeca is a chameleon of sorts, with a unique talent to mesh and blend all sorts of soundscapes, turning them into something so divine. Highly recommend that you listen with headphones on full volume in the rain, you’ll thank me later.
  • Autofiction by Far Caspian
    • Autofiction is such a special listen. If I had to describe it, I would say listening to this album feels like the sun shining through a window and hitting your skin. There is magic sprinkled into each track, effortlessly woven throughout. I was initially drawn to the album by “First Day”, the first single released from the project, and I was instantly hooked. Other favorites include “A Drawing Of The Sun” and “The Sound Of Changing Place”. This is yet another record that I feel like has been fitting for the transitional period I’ve been experiencing lately.
  • Baby by Dijon
    • Such an incredible project. Dijon is well-known for crafting godlike compositions, and this is no exception. Baby is the work of a true prodigy through its playful genre-bending experimentation. This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime listening experience. Dijon isn’t afraid to break through walls, as is evident through his artistry. The production of this album takes the cake and makes it a standout from 2025.
  • Raw Blue by Whirr
    • Whirr returned at the beginning of the year and dropped this MASTERPIECE on us all. Raw Blue is a culmination of dreamy, otherworldly songs. “Walk Through Space” is my personal favorite track from the project because listening to it feels exactly like the title of the song. I literally have a whole playlist dedicated to that feeling alone, and yes – this entire album is on it. Dare I say, Raw Blue is the epitome of a perfect shoegaze album.
  • SISTER by Frost Children
    • THIS ALBUM IS SO GOOD. Scroll down for Patti’s review because she words it perfectly and better than I ever could. I’m convinced that they can’t make a bad song. SISTER has it all. Bangers on bangers on bangers. Even shit that will make you shed a tear. Call that versatility. I cannot say enough good things about this record.
  • Getting Killed by Geese
    • Guysss, it’s okayyy I promise I’m not a performative male, this album is just really good. Jokes aside, Geese deserve all the praise they’ve been getting + more. The intricate craftsmanship that went into making Getting Killed is apparent through its lyricism and instrumentation. Don’t even get me started on what “Au Pays du Cocaine” does to my mental stability. Like, how can someone get away with writing those lyrics???????? This record has been a staple in my rotation these past few months, and I am so thankful to be alive at the same time as Cameron Winter, amen.
  • Rocket by Dominic Fike
    • Dominic Fike returned from the abyss earlier this year to release this bad boy. Rocket is another one of these albums from this year that has gotten me through the loneliness. To me, the record echoes the remembrance and longing for everyday life with someone you used to be entangled with, and trying to fixate on where everything went wrong. It was, unfortunately, very fitting this year. I think “Epilogue” encompasses these feelings best out of all the songs and would probably be my theme song for the year. “Thought I moved forward but it just goes in circles” could be my life’s motto. Similar to Lorde, Dom always appears at times I need it most. I hold this album extra close to my heart.
  • Addison by Addison Rae
    • Addison Rae’s debut album is so girly and cunty, god, it’s perfect. This one actually grew on me; I wasn’t that into it at first, but ended up revisiting it, and I’m SO glad I did. This is the perfect getting-ready-to-go-out album and will, without fail, make you feel like you are that bitch. “Diet Pepsi” is generational. I grew to love it so much more after Ben Platt covered it and turned it into a ballad. If you had told me 5 years ago that Addison Rae would had a chokehold over me, I would’ve been shocked. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us in the future.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

PATTI (@piecesbypatti)

  • DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS by Bad Bunny
    • This year was a big year of changes for me. I moved to a foreign country and started a new career in teaching English, while my whole life was surrounded by Spanish. I’m incredibly grateful for such an immersive experience, and music is always a part of that. DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS was a club anthem album, full of real people and experiences, that will forever feel like my time in Spain now. Despite the fact that most Spanish speakers say that even natives can’t understand Bad Bunny and his accent (LOL), this album was a vital piece of my 2025 and my efforts to learn Spanish, integrate into a new culture, and learning how to be a young adult in a new city with my people.
  • May it Never Falter – glaive (2024)
    • This album will forever feel like snowy days in a gloomy Polish city, surrounded by shining night lights and laughs with new friends. I traveled to Warsaw by myself to shoot this show for the Luna Collective, and it was a weekend I’ll never forget. Half a year into my new life living in Europe, I began growing in my confidence and enjoying time with myself so much. I was able to explore this city and culture while meeting the best of new friends because of this album. Even before then, I remember specifically a time I was incredibly homesick, walking through a park near my new apartment, crying on a bench under a lamplight. Even when I was sad, this album brought me comfort in the way things were constantly changing.
  • THIS IS FOR by TWICE
    • 2025 was the year of TWICE. After headlining Lollapalooza, selling out many dates on a World Tour, and selling out an entire style of bra dubbed the “Tzuyu bra” after performing at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, I am here to reaffirm their global star power. THIS IS FOR is a beautiful album about love, friendship, and moving on, with a mid-2010s sound that Ariana Grande and other similar superstars boasted. TWICE was one of my gateways into my immersion in K-pop, and they truly are that group.
  • Malcolm Todd by Malcolm Todd
    • For the past few years, Malcolm Todd has released nonstop R&B-pop fusions that soundtracked any nostalgic moment. Learning to lose, butting heads, loving both new and old, and memorializing unique moments in his life, this album helped memorialize the cute little moments in mine. Anytime I was lacking inspiration, this album and artist got me back on track.
  • SOFT ERROR : X – Yves
    • Yves had a glittering 2025 after her hit “DIM” went viral, and her glittering release of her newest mini-album, Soft Error. Following themes of love, robots, and how technology and intimacy intertwine, Soft Error : X is an extended version that boasts both haunting ballads and cyber-esque PC music. Her collaborations with hyperpop princess, Pink Pantheress, queer community icon Rebecca Black, and sapphic rockstar, Bratty, Yves is establishing herself as an important player in the gay pop community. The elusive concept of “White Cat” and repetitively intense bumping of “Study” left their impression on my 2025.
  • DUH! by P1Harmony
    • P1Harmony is a K-pop group mostly known for their great sense of humor and virality, but by 2025, they truly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Their North American tour and promotions, for their 8th mini album, DUH!, and first English mini album, EX, made them central to America’s hyperfixation of K-pop successes. While I don’t listen to a lot of male groups, their cocky hits, “Pretty Boy” and “DUH!” were true earworms, tunneling into my mind. P1Harmony boasted their ability to face masculinity and femininity through these albums, which left an impression on me. Their music quickly became a part of my daily rotations with this artistic approach.
  • Hope, Alaska by Ralph Castelli
    • I talked to Ralph Castelli for an interview with the Luna Collective as this album was being released, and I think the ability to create nostalgia in a project that is brand new to the world is an incredibly unique talent. I feel like I’ve been listening to this album for years, but in a way that feels fresh and uplifting still. His intimate acoustics and thoughtful lyricism brought Castelli fans an exciting new soundtrack for their 2025 (and I was no exception).
  • SEQUENCE 01 by f5ve
    • f5ve is a group destined for hyperpop perfection success, as their creative director, BloodPop, knows the landscape well. While the Japan-based group had their share of ups and downs, almost disbanding completely, they are back and better than ever. Their mid-2000s aesthetic creates interesting visuals, while their music boasts a wide range of textured synths and sharp beats. I listened to this album so much, I began learning the Japanese lyrics out of necessity so I could sing along in the car. A masterful execution of a playful album marks only the start of their success, so I can’t wait to see what 2026 brings.
  • SISTER by Frost Children
    • SISTER was a beautiful ode to the end of summer, burnt out flames, and relationships that you know won’t last forever (as they state on tracks like “WHAT IS FOREVER FOR?”). Now, similarly to all the previously mentioned albums, SISTER is a moment stopped in time for me, but one that I think about fondly. Both SISTER and Malcolm Todd do a fantastic job reflecting on current situations with uncomfortable clarity, with the knowledge that things are bound to end. Many of my 2025 albums, SISTER included, create an upbeat soundscape to reflect upon the good and bad of it all.

See you in 2026!!! <3 AFZ

Published by Amanda Florence

@m4nda.jpeg

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