Some Albums We’re Hyped for in 2025
A new year means new music, and while we have no doubt plenty of surprise drops and sleeper hits are on the way, there are already some albums we can’t stop thinking about. From long-awaited returns to unexpected follow-ups, here are just a few of the records we’re most excited to hear in 2025.
INHALER - OPEN WIDE
BAILEY BLAKE - EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Open Wide by Inhaler is set to release on February 7, and it’s easily one of the albums I’m most excited for in 2025. Inhaler has shown immense promise with their previous two records, It Won’t Always Be Like This (2021) and Cuts & Bruises (2023). The album is shaping up to be Inhaler’s most ambitious yet, largely thanks to their collaboration with producer Kid Harpoon, known for his work with Harry Styles. His influence seems to have shifted the band’s sound in a more upbeat, pop, and anthemic direction. Still, the singles “Your House,” “Open Wide,” and “A Question of You” retain Inhaler’s signature flair, even as they steer into exciting new territory.
As someone who has followed Inhaler for years, it’s always exciting to hear something new from them. Each release feels like a new chapter, and Open Wide is no exception. Plus, a new album means more chances to see them live—and their live shows are where they’re at their absolute best.
LANA DEL REY - THE RIGHT PERSON WILL STAY
ALIVIA STONIER - STAFF WRITER
Fans of melancholic pop are in for a treat this May, as Lana Del Rey’s highly anticipated tenth studio album, The Right Person Will Stay, promises to blend Southern Gothic charm with her signature sound. Originally set to be titled Lasso, the album marks a new direction for the artist as she explores a different side of her sonic landscape.
The singer revealed that the project will be a 13-track record featuring contributions from creative collaborators like Jack and Drew Erickson, “among others,” according to her Instagram post. Despite leaning into new influences, the project will not be a drastic departure from the essence of her previous records.
If her most recent album, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, is any indication, The Right Person Will Stay may feature beloved collaborators alongside beautifully introspective and personal tracks that don’t shy away from past heartbreak. Ocean Blvd was a perfect ode to Los Angeles, with a lush soundscape to match.
Although I don’t typically gravitate toward country music, I’m excited to see how a more Southern tone influences her upcoming album. The artist's recent marriage may also shape the record’s tone, and if the title is any indication, romance and love are sure to be central themes. It’s incredible to witness her progression as an artist, as her experiences continue to shape her music without holding back.
The Babe Rainbow - Slipper Imp and Shakaerator
DUSTY HAYES - STFF WRITER
Coming into the new year, I didn’t have any albums I was particularly looking forward to. That’s not to say I wasn’t expecting anything—quite the opposite, actually, as most of the bands I follow are due for a new release. Still, I spent the first few weeks of 2025 twiddling my thumbs, waiting for an announcement. One finally came just days ago when The Babe Rainbow announced their upcoming sixth studio album, Slipper Imp and Shakaerator.
I fell in love with Babe Rainbow’s psychedelic jams when prolific genre icons King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard collaborated with them back in 2017. Since then, I’ve followed them closely through five albums, three EPs, and constant musical exploration. They may have shifted away from their psychedelic roots—as psych bands tend to do—incorporating more rock and roll and Latin rhythms in their newer work. Still, I love their songs and wouldn’t hesitate to follow them through any musical shift, even if they decided to follow their countrymen in putting out a metal album.
Slipper Imp and Shakaerator releases April 4—plenty of time to get your hands on it before Bicycle Day! You better believe that no matter what weather Indiana throws at me, I’ll be first in line at Luna over on 52nd Street, waiting to grab a copy. If you haven’t yet, go listen to the two teaser tracks we’ve gotten, “LONG LIVE THE WILDERNESS” and “Like cleopatra,” for a little taste of what’s to come this April.
Sleep Token - Untitled Project
HARLEY HOLMES - STAFF WRITER
In 2024, Download festival creator Andy Copping revealed that one of the 2025 headliners, Sleep Token, would have released new music by the time Download comes around.
Following the release of Take Me Back to Eden in 2023, the band has experienced a huge boom in popularity, and fans have been desperate for new music since its debut. With recent activity from their guitarist and bassist on Instagram, it seems we may indeed be in for a treat.
One of the most unique things about Sleep Token is how they interact with their fans—or, perhaps, their lack of interaction.
The anonymous British band has a distinctive way of disclosing news, often waiting until new music is released to the public before making any announcements.
Sleep Token has made no official statements about new music, but fans are increasingly excited for the anticipated release of their fourth studio album, which, in true Sleep Token fashion, hasn’t even been confirmed by the band.
Peter Capaldi - Sweet Illusions
AMANDA MACK - PHOTOGRAPHER
Are you surprised that your favorite Doctor (possibly) or sweary political spin doctor is on this list? I would be too—if the March 2025 release of Sweet Illusions weren’t actually his sophomore album.
In 2021, Scottish polymath Peter Capaldi released his debut album after a lifetime of downplaying himself as a decent guitarist and singer who, at one time, was in a punk band with fellow Scot Craig Ferguson. If you follow Capaldi’s career as closely as I do (he is my Doctor, after all), the announcement and release of St. Christopher was not entirely out of left field. On Doctor Who, he wielded an electric guitar while riding a tank in one of his finest moments of the series, in the episode “The Magician’s Apprentice.” You can also hear Capaldi’s guitar playing in a special version of the opening theme song in the episode “Before the Flood.”
In 2020, after providing guitar and vocals on the song “If I Could Pray” with the music collective Monks Road Social (which included his good friend Dr. Robert of The Blow Monkeys), I reckon that was probably the moment the music bug finally bit him hard enough to seriously get him into a studio. I wasn’t a fan of how St. Christopher was mixed, but I was immensely impressed with Capaldi’s offerings on the album. I thought his writing was sharp and emotional, and his influences—especially Bowie and Nick Cave—were paid robust homage.
The three singles released ahead of Sweet Illusions—“Bin Night,” “Is It Today,” and the title track—all feel very in line with what was started on St. Christopher, just with a bit more confidence from Capaldi behind the mic. If the prompt was to talk about what I thought was going to be my favorite album of the year, I’ll admit that Sweet Illusions probably wouldn’t have been my pick. But as the album I’m most excited to hear? How could I not put the sophomore effort from actor/writer/director/artist/musician Peter Capaldi above everything else releasing this year?
Tate McRae - So Close to What
EMMA GAGNON - STAFF WRITER, COPY EDITOR
Anyone who’s been on TikTok—or watched the NHL All-Star Game—in the past two years has likely heard of Tate McRae. The 21-year-old Canadian singer has released songs like “exes,” which inspired a viral TikTok trend. Even if you don’t think you know her, you probably do. McRae performed at the 2023–2024 NHL All-Star Game halftime show, catching the audience’s attention with hits like “greedy” and “you broke me first.”
Now, McRae is set to release her third album, So Close to What, on February 21st. Ever since the album was first announced in November 2024, it has been my most anticipated release of 2025.
I believe McRae encapsulates feminine rage and the teenage girl experience™ better than any artist today. Even her softer songs, like “stay dead,” capture the internal struggle of wanting something you know is bad for you, with lyrics like:
"We're best friends and enemies / We're good 'til you're dead to me."
While artists like Olivia Rodrigo dance around these feelings and layer them with metaphors (still love you, queen), McRae isn’t afraid to show her raw, unfiltered self.
She has already released two tracks from So Close to What: “2 hands” and “It’s ok I’m ok.” Each explores a different aspect of a relationship, with “2 hands” expressing McRae’s desire for someone, while “It’s ok I’m ok” reflects on healing from a past love. The contrast between these two songs—in both theme and sound—has only made me more excited to see what she does with the full album. And, hopefully, I’ll get the chance to see her live this September.
With so much new music on the horizon, there’s no telling which albums will define the year. Whether these picks meet expectations or take us in unexpected directions, we’re ready to dive in and see what 2025 has in store.
