2025 proved to be the year of women in the music industry. Based on our selections alone, a trend emerges, with most performers being female. From Cardi B rapping about being a “Bodega Baddie” to Taylor Swift declaring her love for fiancé Travis Kelce’s…” wood,” it was a great year for female musicians, queer artists, and music.
Fornication Under Consent Of Queens,” by Tony & The Kiki
Tony and The Kiki’s “Fornication Under Consent Of Queens,” which features tracks like “HOLY XTC,” a power rock anthem infused with groovy beats that blend the best elements of disco, 70s rock, and 80s glam rock. Tony’s sultry vocals and the catchy guitar riffs instantly had everyone moving to the rhythm.
Among their own songs was the infectious track “get OUT or get ON,” also from their new EP. With just five tracks, the EP leaves listeners craving more. Each listen reveals new details, from the tingle of the keytar to the stellar drumming and sexy guitar licks. The groovy bass lines hit just right, and the powerful vocal stylings of frontman Anthony, a.k.a. Tony, are beautifully complemented by outstanding backing vocals. This combination, along with factors like eye-catching album artwork, engaging lyrics, and strong social media promotion, sets a recipe for success. We confidently select Tony and The Kiki’s 2025 EP, “Fornication Under Consent Of Queens,” as our pick for Best Album (EP) of 2025.
“Am I The Drama?” (Ultimate Edition) by Cardi B
The Ultimate edition of Hip Hop artist Cardi B’s “Am I The Drama?” features thirty-three tracks, totaling an hour and thirty-nine minutes of listening. The album’s launch came on the heels of her fourth pregnancy, but even with the possibility of going into early labor, the chart-topping Hip Hop Icon never slowed down. At meet-and-greets, she stayed for hours, making sure each fan felt heard and seen. That, along with the hot beats and lyrics that at times seem playful and at others like she’s just waiting for a reason to pop off. “Am I The Drama?” is Cardi B’s triumphant return to a genre she’s elevated into the chart-topping, multi-platinum, Archival Couture-wearing, Dominican Bronx native who once danced for dollars as a stripper to a multimillion-dollar Global Superstar who never loses her sense of awareness and humor.
“Here For It All,” Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey gave us Christmas earlier this year with the release of her outstanding 2025 album “Here For It All,” which kicked off with the hit single “Type Dangerous,” an instant hit. It was a friendly reminder that Mariah is more than just the “Queen of Christmas.” She is a bona fide global music icon who can drop hot tracks at her leisure. The opening song, “Mi,” features lyrics like, “I don’t care about much, if it ain’t about me/Let the money talk first, conversations ain’t free/I’m the D-I-V-A, that’s MC/ I’m the hot toddy, hottie body, yeah, that’s tea.” Welcome to the new era of Mimi. She can still bring listeners to tears with empowering tracks like “Nothing Is Impossible,” a heartfelt ballad with uplifting lyrics like, “So I weather the storms that most can’t handle/Surprisingly, I’m alive to stand up/Miracles never cease to set me free/They chase me down, but I’m still rollin’/Something in me cannot be stolen/I will not break, I won’t be broken/It’s deep, can’t you see” cue the tears! “Here For It All” is Mariah’s best album to date, and like fine wine, she just gets better with time.
“Something Beautiful,” Miley Cyrus
Earlier this year, Miley Cyrus released her latest project, “Something Beautiful,” a visual album that showcases the pop star’s iconic raspy vocals across thirteen tracks, including a prelude and interlude, and encapsulates this era of her career. “Something Beautiful” is the follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2023 album, “Endless Summer Vacation.” “Something Beautiful,” the “high concept” album, is a dance-retro-disco, pop-rock record that portrays the songstress as a lost soul working through the wreckage of heartache. But heartache doesn’t mean you can’t dance the pain away, at least that’s the vibe we get from tracks like “End of the World” and “Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved.”
“Something Beautiful” is a fan favorite, and the visual elements serve as a stand-in for her lack of touring, which was revealed to be due to vocal constraints and a desire not to tour for the foreseeable future.
“Mayham,” Lady Gaga
From a backhanded compliment about Gaga “reheating her nachos” to the pop star’s return to form in her signature sound and theatrical elements that at times feel larger than life, “Mayham” proved to be her best album to date, and this is coming from someone who still obsessively listens to “Bad Romance” as a shot of Dopamine. The lead-off single, “Abracadabra,” went viral, with little monsters worldwide recreating elements of the iconic music video; there was no denying Gaga was back. The album revisits the brilliant aspects of her back catalog (disco-pop, electro-grunge) with a fresher, gothic spin that encapsulates the Grammy Award winner’s current reinvention. Simply put, Mother Monster is happy in her personal life, and this music will reassure you that she will always return when we need her and she’ll bring along sick beats.
“Narcissus,” Queen Quail
All hail Queen Quail, the Milwaukee-born artist now based in Berlin, who is making a name for herself in the indie pop and folk singer-songwriter scene. Her debut EP, “Narcissus,” features six impactful tracks that explore themes of introspection, longing, and identity. Songs like the dreamy “Last Night” and “Grace” set a serene tone with their gentle vocals and contemplative atmosphere. What makes this EP great are lyrics like, “I can hear all of my silence/Talking about all of the things I once wanted/I’m liking the way that you’re walking/Flashing your cash as you’re closing your wallet,” (Grace). Looking forward to a full album from Queen Quail.
“The Life of a Showgirl,” Taylor Swift
It began with the New Heights podcast’s surprise announcement of Taylor Swift’s latest album and has since become a record-breaking release, generating mixed reviews. After her masterful “Tortured Poets Department,” which spanned thirty-one tracks (The Anthology edition) totaling two hours and three minutes, Taylor Swift has opted for a short twelve tracks, totaling forty-two minutes. A quick jaunt down pop music lane with previous Swedish collaborators Max Martin and Shellback, with whom she co-wrote previous albums, “1989” released in 2014, and “Reputation” released in 2017. As with their last collaboration, “Reputation,” reviews were mixed upon its release. In hindsight, Taylor was ahead of her time, and that tumble reenergized her. She would later go on to win “Album of the Year” two additional times at the Grammys for “Folklore” (2020) and “Midnights” (2022). In “Life of a Showgirl,” Taylor’s glossy, dreamy dance-pop direction may seem perplexing to non-Swifties who are still processing the complexities and poetry of “Tortured Poets…” but Swifties know that sometimes YOU need to be in the right era for the record to resonate truly. For instance, in 2020, during the height of the pandemic, I was not in the proper headspace to process “Folklore.” I don’t think I would have survived listening to her voice crack on “This is Me Trying,” but the album ultimately found me and has become one of my favorite Taylor albums. I have the sneaky suspicion that we will look back on this record as a pivotal moment in her career, and you better believe it’s going to be fun.