Our Top 10 Lists have been named in honor of late Blog Director and DJ Clarence Ewing, who pioneered and published this annual feature for nearly a decade.
Our next list is from Paul Anderson.
Single of the Year
"Abracadabra" by Lady Gaga, Mayhem (Interscope)
10. Choke Enough by Oklou (True Panther)
A subtle, gorgeous record that rewards multiple listens as you delve into its many layers. A quiet triumph.
Listen: Bandcamp
9. The Passionate Ones by Nourished By Time (XL)
The sophomore record from the Baltimore native brings in an expansive take on R&B with a dash of funk and '90s house while addressing the tough times we live in. "9 2 5" alone is one of the best tracks this year.
Listen: Bandcamp
8. Sortilège by Preservation & Gabe 'Nandez (Backwoodz Studioz)
French for spell-casting, Sortilège is an apt title for this incredible hip-hop collaboration. The almost mysterious production and sampling from Preservation pairs well with the lowkey delivery of Gabe 'Nandez to create a special, enchanting record.
Listen: Bandcamp
7. Percepticide: The Death of Reality by Pixel Grip (self-released)
The third record from Chicago's Pixel Grip feels like they are finally hitting their stride. This is a polished darkwave / EBM record filled with screams, yelps, and some serious beats to keep you dancing through even the darkest of nights.
Listen: Bandcamp
6. YHWH Nailgun by 45 Pounds (AD 93 / Many Hats Endeavors)
This stunning, intense debut from four-piece YHWH Nailgun runs through ten tracks in a little over twenty minutes but leaves a serious first impression. Meticulously chaotic, avant-garde, and a serious shout out to the marvelous drumming from Sam Pickard makes this a must-listen album from 2025.
Listen: Bandcamp
5. Switcheroo by Gelli Haha (Innovative Leisure)
In one of the greatest cameos of the original run of "Sex and the City," Lexi Featherston (played by Kristin Johnson) stops a party dead in its tracks to ask, "Whatever happened to fun? Nobody's fun anymore!" Lexi could have used a listen to Switcheroo. Complete with bonks, gongs, and even dolphin cries, Gelli Haha goes maximalist in her pop debut. Seriously unserious, and one of the most inventive pop records of the year.
Listen: Bandcamp
4. The BPM by Sudan Archives (Stones Throw)
A genre-expansive record of R&B, electronica, and pop, The BPM is a thrilling new work from singer/songwriter/violinist Sudan Archives. Teaming up with family and friends from the Midwest, this is a one-of-a-kind record. The title of course refers to the dance-floor bangers, but also something sincere: the heart.
Listen: Bandcamp
3. LUX by Rosalía (Columbia)
Rosalía gave us little time to prepare for this mammoth of a record, her 4th full-length and the follow-up to her breakthrough 2022 album Motomami. This is a dense work, sung in several different languages, and with references to forgotten saints (as well as one notorious, elusive Berlin club.) This could easily have been unwieldy, but Rosalía's voice still manages to shine a ray of light through the clouds. A stunning work.
Listen: Rosalía webstore
2. Los Thuthanaka by Los Thuthanaka (self-released)
There has never been a record quite like Los Thuthanka. When listening to individual tracks, it can seem like an overwhelming wall of sound, but when experienced as a whole, the record shapeshifts effortlessly, taking you on a spiritual journey with Chuquimamani-Condori and Joshua Chuquimia Crampton as your shamans. As the English-language translation of the opening track goes: The Queer People Medicines Are Here.
Listen: Bandcamp
1. big city life by Smerz (Escho)
AOTY. An unexpected pop masterpiece from Norwegian duo Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt. Slinky, mysterious, chic, modern, retro, and unique. If "Roll the dice" (one of my favorite tracks of the year) and "You got time and I got money" don't hook you instantly, I can't help you. Come hang out with two of the coolest chicks on the planet--you're a girl in the city and you shouldn't think twice.
Listen: Bandcamp