The Dumbest Songs of 2025
A break from our regularly scheduled program to discuss the absolute worst of the year.
Five Songs
27 articles
Pop Songs With Plot Twists
Plus: agitprop merengue, dreamlover alt-R&B, an actually-good Christmas song, and more.
Put on Your Big Guy Pants
Plus Skrillex remixing Caroline Polachek, an actually good viral TikTok indie-folk hit, and more.
Brat Summer to Wraith Winter
Plus psych-pop homage, delirious club music, slo-mo folk, and mystical Atlanta rap that would have the 'Game of Thrones' crew throwing bows.
Noname and De La Soul Glide Over the Abyss
Plus a welcome return to form from Oneohtrix Point Never, spaced-out sophsitipop from rural New England, and surrealist funk from the UK.
No One Is Doing It Like Rosalía Right Now
Plus the resurrection of a rap one-hit wonder, revolutionary rave, and ecstatic Thin Lizzy riffage.
D’Angelo Tribute Edition
Remembering the R&B giant with a handful of tracks that express his one-of-a-kind brilliance.
Like J Dilla Zooted Off a Few Lines of Pixy Stix Powder
Plus the catchiest song Dry Cleaning have ever made, a grown-and-sexy house-pop situation, and more.
Tracks About Dreaming That Will Wake You All the Way Up
Plus a sparkling ode to Caribbean music history and a crude-but-real pop trifle from Doja Cat.
Danny Brown’s Incredibly Gonzo Hyperpop Blowout
Plus an otherworldly new supergroup featuring Phoenix, Trent Reznor’s latest locked-in score, and more
Unrequited Indie Rock for People Who Read in Bed
Plus club music from Saturn’s freakiest ring, Jeff Tweedy resurrects Lou Reed, and more