Apple Music just dropped this year’s Replay, and like every music nerd with zero shame, I dove straight in. Nothing exposes your emotional chaos or impeccable taste quite like a year-long data dump of your listening habits. 2025 was a weird, transformative, occasionally feral year for me, and apparently my Apple Replay knew it before I did. So here it is: the good, the dramatic, and the extremely on-brand look at a year soundtracked by artists who carried me through every possible mental state.
The Artists Who Took Over 2025
My Top 10 Artists paint a clear picture of the voices that defined the past twelve months:
- Ethel Cain
- Olivia Dean
- Angel Olsen
- Jorja Smith
- The Marías
- Gus Dapperton
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Chappell Roan
- Kaytranada
- Jungle
Ethel Cain sitting at No. 1 makes total sense given she dominated both January and February in my monthly breakdown, practically narrating the winter in full. Olivia Dean, Angel Olsen, and Jorja Smith carried much of my spring and early summer listening; each bringing a distinct emotional register that somehow aligned perfectly with the general chaos of the year. The rest of the list leans into groove and texture, with The Marías, Gus Dapperton, Kaytranada, and Jungle giving the rotation momentum when I needed it and reminding me that not everything has to be devastating to be impactful.
My Top Artists by Month show how the year shifted mood-by-month:
- January – Ethel Cain
- February – Ethel Cain
- March – Lizzy McAlpine
- April – Kaytranada
- May – Lola Young
- June – Jorja Smith
- July – Olivia Dean
- August – Angel Olsen
- September – Sabrina Carpenter
- October – Olivia Dean
- November – Olivia Dean
- December – “Keep Listening”
Looking at it lined up like this, the monthly progression feels like a diary I didn’t mean to keep. Every month had its own energy, its own little era.
The Tracks That Never Left My Repeat Button
Replay also highlighted the songs that followed me the most consistently. My Top 10 Songs for 2025 were:
- “The One” – Jorja Smith
- “Nice to Each Other” – Olivia Dean
- “All I Need” – Loose Goose & Gus Dapperton
- “Lark” – Angel Olsen
- “Sienna” – The Marías
- “A Couple Minutes” – Olivia Dean
- “Image” – Magdalena Bay
- “back to friends” – sombr
- “Won’t Cry” – Amber Mark
- “Thoroughfare” – Ethel Cain
At the top, Jorja Smith’s “The One” was simply unavoidable; smooth, hypnotic, and persistent in my rotation. Olivia Dean appearing twice underlines how much of the year her album carried for me. The rest of the list moves from R&B to indie drama to synth-leaning pop, signaling a year that lived across emotional and stylistic range without ever really settling down.
Albums That Framed the Year
My Top 5 Albums were:
- The Art of Loving – Olivia Dean
- All Mirrors – Angel Olsen
- Submarine – The Marías
- DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOTos – Bad Bunny
- Shake Your Tailfeather – EP – Gus Dapperton & Loose Goose
These projects provided the backbone of multiple listening sessions – full albums I returned to when I wanted something cohesive and immersive. They became the structure around the smaller shifts, the ones that showed up in playlists, long train rides, and late-night loops.
Closing Out the Year With… “Keep Listening”
December doesn’t have a Top Artist yet, just the gentle encouragement of “Keep Listening.” Kind of poetic, honestly. The year isn’t over, and the soundtrack is still unfolding.
If Replay is meant to reveal who we were this year, mine definitely did: a little tender, a little chaotic, and very committed to a core rotation of devastating female vocals and groove-heavy escapes. And honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way.
