25 Songs That Explain My 2025

One of my favorite year-end music journalism “traditions” is the New York Times’ pop critic Lindsay Zoladz revealing the songs that explain her year. Typically, the songs are not the most acclaimed tracks of the year or even music released from the past year, but “a musical memoir in playlist form," as Zoladz calls it.

Rather than explain where I’ve been or make excuses for myself and The Crossover, I thought I’d share where I was at this past year through a similar playlist form.

Some of these songs resonated because they spoke to the times we’re in, some had lyrics I connected to, some inspired me, some refreshed me, some gave me hope, some gave me comfort, some gave way to my darkest thoughts, some brought me back to the light, but they all spoke to me and still speak to me when I think back to last year.

I want to say I’m back and ready to reconnect with the things I love and what inspired me to start The Crossover in the first place. I’ve found the help I needed to make this platform what I truly envision for it, and I want to keep growing it in exciting ways with the hope that you’ll join in and continue supporting and following along.

What songs defined your 2025? Let me know because I want to reconnect with all of you and talk to you about music again with music’s biggest night taking place this weekend.

Once again, thank you for reading and your support. More soon…

-Jeff

1. Marina, “BUTTERFLY”

My most-played song of the year was this ethereal yet bizarre thumper about transformation and leaving behind the conventions of past success to reach a higher state. “BUTTERFLY” was the lead single from PRINCESS OF POWER, Marina’s first album as an independent artist since leaving Atlantic Records, and was the anthem I kept returning to when trying new things myself — including starting The Crossover — accepting places of comfort were no longer as I knew them to be and I could, in fact, let other parts of me die to reach a more final, realized form.

2. NMIXX, “Papillon”

The second-best song to represent 2025 is NMIXX’s “Papillon,” which is the French word for butterfly — I get it, universe!!! It was a year I needed to leave the cocoon and spread my wings…

But this song drew me in for how weird it is, even coming from a girl group under one of the largest K-pop labels, JYP Entertainment. The grinding electronic production layered with NMIXX’s glitchy harmonies was one most exciting listens of this year — I even told a rep for NMIXX that FKA Twigs would sound right at home on a remix (while admitting she may not be the artist with the greatest affinity with NMIXX). But “Papillon” was the kind of reminder and refresh of inspiration for the gems that can be buried inside albums at a time when it was getting personally difficult to listen to longer projects by artists.

And the lyrics took things to the next level: a recognition of struggle while also a pushing through towards one’s dreams.

3. Taylor Swift & The Chicks, “Soon You’ll Get Better”

Without sharing too many personal details without their permission, a close family member was diagnosed with cancer this year, and it affected me in ways I hadn’t ever anticipated. I’ve always been the positive person, looking on the bright side with others, and, initially, that was my response: to push back, to ignore, to know a lump wasn’t anything, to declare our family is “just lumpy.” But my wishful thinking didn’t change anything.

I don’t know when I started doing this, but I have this terribly stressful habit of imagining that every call from this family member is them calling me about tragic news. And after years of doing that, one of the worst calls you can get happened, and continued to happen. One of those calls came less than two hours before I had to be the energetic MC at an event introducing a new artist to the world. I’m not a crier, but I cried this year. Did I do something to bring this on? Was I consistently asking for that horrible call? Why wasn’t I putting out happier thoughts and prayers?

2025 reminded me of the power of my mind and my thoughts — and maybe I need to change my brain to make sure I’m putting myself (and my loved ones?) on the best path.

So, say whatever you want about Taylor Swift, but the woman knows how to tell a story and the desperate faith you have to have when you feel powerless.

4. Jasmine Amy Rogers and Boop! The Musical's Original Broadway Cast, “Something to Shout About”

Keeping with the theme of “Papillon,” 2025 was a reminder that inspiration can come from the most unexpected places. Who would have thought the Betty Boop musical would not only be one of my favorite shows of the year, but the 11 o’clock number being words that fully resonated while battling my internal demons.

5. Rosalía, Björk & Yves Tumor, “Berghain”

I loved seeing Rosalía kick off her LUX album with a single that features a full orchestra, a full chorus, Björk, Yves Tumor, Spanish, English, and German, all packed into one cinematic track. I was comforted by the critical acclaim for the song — and LUX in general — as the kind of music that inspires me to make sure we recognize the importance of pushing.

6. Doechii, “Anxiety”

7. KATSEYE, “Gnarly”

My mind was blown (in the best way possible) when I first listened to KATSEYE’s comeback single “Gnarly” and, once the pieces came back together, my only thought was “Finally.” While KATSEYE comes in part through the K-pop world, coming through HYBE in partnership with Universal Music’s Geffen Records, “Gnarly” is ambitious as a single for even some of the biggest risk takers in K-pop. It wasn’t an immediate or obvious hit, but the song did impact the charts and made a larger statement for KATSEYE’s career, paving the way for a song like “Gabriela” to truly crossover through mainstream avenues like Top 40 radio. It’s also a reminder that artists can drop polarizing, envelope-pushing singles balanced by more obvious radio hits.

The song actually reminded me of some of my favorite experimental British girl groups — specifically Neon Jungle’s “Trouble” from 2013.

8. HUNTR/X’s EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami for KPop Demon Hunters, “This Is What It Sounds Like”

While 2025 was the year of KPop Demon Hunters and, mostly, “Golden,” is it sacrilegious for me to say this was actually the best song? Of course, I’m still excited to see “Golden” take over through awards season, though.

9. First Aid Kit, “The Last One”

Sometimes you realize the simple things don’t require being messy, and what you have might already be perfect as it is.

10. andromeda & KVRXD, “NO FEAR!”

Brazilian phonk that represents what 2025 felt like inside my head most of the time. And, sometimes, chaos is a comfort.

11. Conan Gray, “Vodka Cranberry”

An ongoing theme of 2025 was reminding myself not to look provincially. Despite knowing of him for years and people whose music tastes I respect also loving him, I never listened to a single Conan Gray song. Then “Vodka Cranberry” played in an automix — and I went down a rabbit hole. Why didn’t I take that dive before?

If you’ve been paying Conan dust for some reason, too, take a listen. And watch the amazing queer love story in the video :,)

12. Chaeyoung of TWICE, “SHOOT (Firecracker)”

Another example of a song from this year that gets me excited about music all over again. I love when an artist can break away from all expectations of their past with Chaeyoung going towards a lo-fi bedroom-pop sound for her debut solo album.

This song also somehow has lyrics about butterflies, so I really can’t escape them.

13. Marina, “Venus Fly Trap”

A song I had written off and never particularly liked from Marina that resonated in a whole new light in 2025.

14. idntt, “You Never Met”

Many times, K-pop boy bands don’t tend to deliver the same exciting experimental pop as their female counterparts, but the debut single from idntt (a group that will eventually have 24 members) resonated in a way that makes me think these boys could break through with critics and, perhaps more importantly, the gays (who we all know have great taste).

15. FKA Twigs & Koreless, “Drums of Death”

I went into 2025 thinking FKA Twigs’ EUSEXUA was on track to be the overall Album of the Year and take the win (or at least a nomination) at the upcoming Grammys. I wasn’t quite right, which just goes to show you should expect nothing but the unexpected, but the LP did get its praise and is one of my albums of the year. Here is the video for “Drums of Death,” which shows that choreography in music videos is not dead. I do believe my insistence on pushing FKA’s videos in my voting ballot for last year’s VMAs got her the nomination for Best Choreography in the professional category.

16. Nina Simone, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”

17. izna, “SIGN”

This song came to me while listening to some new K-pop and it brings me the kind of simple joy that only bubblegum pop can deliver. “SIGN” is crafted by BLACKPINK producers Teddy with his go-to partners Kush, 24, and Ido, with their signature edge on the verses, until a simple switch-up on the chorus that reminds me of K-pop from an earlier, simpler generation — and it’s something I keep going back to again and again.

18. Marina, “Happy Loner”

19. Sleigh Bells, “Bunky Pop”

Another bizarre song from the year that got me excited about music again. This song also feels a bit like what my brain sounded like throughout the year.

20. Christina Aguilera, “My Favorite Things (Live From the Eiffel Tower)”

I’m not much of a holiday music fan, but after a bizarre year, Christina Aguilera’s Christmas in Paris strangely got me in the festive mood. Honestly, I didn’t even know “My Favorite Things” was considered a “Christmas song,” but the joy and fun in this song uplifted my spirit when I needed it most.

(Anyone who knows me knows my love for Xtina, but this one was particularly special, I promise!)

21. Marina, “I’m Not Hungry Anymore”

Marina was obviously my artist of 2025. This song, which has been floating around unreleased since 2015, finally got its official release in 2025 and sums up a mature, understood and peaceful understanding of the balance between one’s life and one’s career.

22. PJ Harding & Noah Cyrus, “Dear August”

If Marina was my artist of the year, “Dear August” represents the sound. The folky harmonies on PJ Harding and Noah Cyrus’ 2021 joint album People Don’t Change have a haunting-but-comforting feel.

My Twitter algorithm randomly served me a performance of Danielle Marsh’s cover of Cyrus’ “July” from NewJeans’ YouTube channel. I was so struck by her saying how the song “transports me to somewhere very happy and I have many happy memories listening to this song as a child, on the bus, and watching the sunrise.” Yet it’s one of the saddest songs I’ve ever heard! It’d be funny if the NewJeans situation wasn’t so sad for music in general, but I remain hopeful we’ll see some kind of resolution that makes everyone happy…

23. Wendy, “Believe”

Another one of my favorite K-pop releases was Wendy of Red Velvet’s Cerulean Verge solo album, which kicked off with this gorgeous “prologue” track, “Believe.” It was her first release after leaving her longtime label, SM Entertainment. I love watching someone take a new path and this felt like a battle cry of true liberation via ballad.

24. Gryffin, Model Child & Marina, “If I Left the World”

25. DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ, “Search for the Feeling (On and On)”

Sometimes a vibe is just a vibe. DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ brings an atmosphere with uplifting clips of words, samples and shouts that create musical worlds all their own and will end this little feature on the note that I want to take into 2026 with you all, hopefully as my readers.