Released 25th July via Columbia Records
Zahra Hanif
The rollout of Tame Impala’s new chapter started with the single ‘End Of Summer’. The seven-minute track is a sensation, meshing a seeming contrast of pulsing nostalgia and undeniable grooviness flawlessly in classic Kevin Parker style.
‘It’s Where I’m From’ / The Moonlandingz ft. Iggy Pop
Released 22nd April via Transgressive Records
Chiara Strazzulla
It’s been a while since we heard a rock ballad truly capable of making you feel a twisting knot in your stomach, and ‘It’s Where I’m From’ is that song. The Moonlandingz enlist gravelly, earnest vocals from Iggy Pop to give life to bittersweet lyrics about the passing of time. It’s a no-frills track that feels like a gut punch, maudlin, rough around the edges, and eerily beautiful.
‘For I Am Death’ / The Pretty Reckless
Released 22nd August 2025 via Fearless Records
Danielle Holian
‘For I Am Death’ heralds a bold, theatrical rebirth for The Pretty Reckless. From its ominous, staccato guitar riff to a full-throttle, cinematic surge, the track balances dynamic tension with relentless energy, marking a darker, more ambitious chapter and asserting the band’s command over dramatic, riff-driven rock storytelling.
‘Don’t Cry, Put Your Head On My Shoulder’ / Tom Odell
Released 23rd May via UROK
Danielle Holian
Tom Odell’s ‘Don’t Cry, Put Your Head On My Shoulder’ is a quietly devastating meditation on presence and compassion. Gentle guitar, restrained strings, and intimate vocals create a space of sincere solace, offering comfort not through grand gestures, but through attentive, quiet companionship, a tender reminder of love’s simple, human constancy.
'WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!' / RAYE
Released 19th September via Human Re Sources
Lana Williams
Defying female-singer stereotypes, rather than drowning in sorrow in a woe-is-me tale of a perpetual "single" relationship status, with 'WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!' RAYE turns the tables. Here, she isn't the problem, but the universe for not acting with haste. Witty, bold, and wholly infectious, RAYE is demanding attention.
'gossip' / Confidence Man ft JADE
Released 23rd July via Universal Music Operations
Lana Williams
Perhaps the collaboration of the year, 'gossip' marries Confidence Man's buoyant electronic prowess with JADE's incredible vocal range for a catty, intoxicating cut.
'It’s Amazing to Be Young' / Fontaines D.C.
Released 21st February via XL Recordings
Lottie Webber
‘It’s Amazing To Be Young’ is the 12th track from Fontaines D.C.’s album 'Romance (Deluxe Edition)'. It talks about the feeling of how incredible it is to be young and in love - and how amazing it is to have the opportunity to explore these relationships at a young age.
'Rein Me In' / Sam Fender, Olivia Dean
Released 20th June via Universal Music Operations
Emily Sanderson
With each releasing chart-topping albums this year, Sam Fender and Olivia Dean's collaboration - featuring Fender's characteristic nostalgic guitar, Dean's stunning vocals, and gut-wrenching lyricism - is the perfect candidate for Song of 2025.
'Holy' / Mac DeMarco
Released 22nd July via Mac's Record Label
Emily Teague
This gentle track combines the solitary strum of an acoustic guitar with Mac DeMarco's soft and soothing vocals. It is perfection to relax to.
‘Lord, Let That Tesla Crash’ / CMAT
Released 29th August via AWAL
Sofia Neal
What sounds like a witty diss track on a certain billionaire is actually the year’s most devastating musing on grief and the loss of a friend. Released on‘EURO-COUNTRY’, CMAT showcases her genius lyricism over a soft acoustic guitar. A beautiful combination of dry humour and pure poetry. It's the most striking thing you’ll hear all year.
'Leave Me Alone' / Reneé Rapp
Released 21st May via Interscope Records
Chloe Ridgley
Reneé Rapp returned with a rebellious, self-confident pop anthem marking the start of her new era. Renee empowered many women around the world, encouraging girls everywhere to know their worth and to voice their opinions.
‘The Sofa’ / Wolf Alice
Released 11th July via Columbia Records
Ruby Brown
Narrating the beautiful mundanities and unmet expectations of adulthood that every twenty-something is sure to find solace in, 'The Sofa' bears witness to Wolf Alice at their very peak – romantic, real, and gorgeously repeatable.
'What Was That' / Lorde
Released 24th April via Republic Records & Universal Music New Zealand
Maisy Neale
Lorde intertwines reflection and rebirth with sonic inflexions of 2017’s 'Melodrama' in synth-fuelled breakup anthem, 'What Was That'. A vivid exposé into relationships lost, underpinned by pulsating beats.
'The Subway' / Chappell Roan
Released 31 July via Amusement / Island Records
Kirsty Thomson
No one yearns quite like her. A song for when the feelings still linger long after something is over, Chappell Roan comes into her own with 'The Subway' - its release marks a coming together of an artist at the outset of her career with the person she always dreamed of becoming.
'Survive' / Lewis Capaldi
Released 27 June via Vertigo / Universal
Kirsty Thomson
A testament to his determination to create music that is as devastating and heartfelt as it is stunning to listen to, this single was the perfect way for him to come back. His story is one of endurance, perseverance, and above all else, survival.
'Adam & Steve' / Man/Woman/Chainsaw
Released 7 April via So Young Records
Alex Nuttall
Chaotic, furious, yet tender and delicate, 'Adam & Steve' beautifully encapsulates Man/Woman/Chainsaw’s ability to combine high-energy grunge with thoughtful, sensitive lyrics. The song is a punch full of experimental rock that’s only flaw is that I wish there was more!
Compiled by Lana Williams
Images: Raye by Aliyah Otchere, The Pretty Reckless (press), Tom Odell by Rory Langdon-Down,
Olivia Dean by Gwen Trannoy, CMAT by Arianna Mangubat, Wolf Alice by Rachel Fleminger-Hudson
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