BEST OF 2025 (and the worst too):
Last year was definitely a bit hectic. Not just for all the dramatic things happening all over the world, but also on a personal level, as, for one reason or another, most of the projects I was already involved in have become more intense.
I’m still passionate about all of them, but since many of them involve fighting for what’s right for different communities, it has also been pretty draining at times, so I’ve found myself pretty often in 2025 looking for music that gives me peace and that slows down the pace of my daily inner thoughts. It should be no surprise that the album I’ve listened to the most this year was Robert Glasper’s Let Go , and from my playlists, RELAX was the most recurring.
But this article is about my favourite tracks of 2025 so here you have the playlist with all of them! Don't worry, the vast majority are as groovy and vibey as usual. You'll also find the artist and song list at the end of the article. Feel free to hit the play button while you continue reading!
There have been many surprises, especially from emerging artists I’ve been glad to discover, but probably the most unexpected return was Myron’s new album after a 17-year break. I've written about his album “Free” before on my website and Substack, as he's one of my favourite discoveries ever, so I'm really glad to see him back.
Another thing that unfortunately has defined this year was the avalanche of AI tracks. In my case I’d say that around 10% of the tracks I've received have strong AI characteristics, and I could consider myself kind of fortunate as this percentage is significantly higher in other genres.
Unlike previous years, the quality of AI songs is more mature production-wise at this time, but despite that many artists/prompters try to hide they used AI, there are still some elements that usually give them away. Here you have some of the most common in the genres I listen to the most:
In the most sophisticated AI tracks, usually there is some sort of noise or distortion attached to the vocals or wind instruments, an extremely polished production and some elements artificially tight or sharp.
In the less sophisticated AI tracks, song start and ending is usually abrupt and unnatural, and the vocal personality often has the same tone. Sometimes there are techniques that are physically impossible with a certain instrument, for example a piano performing a slide without note transitions, as if it was done with a steel guitar.
Many times you can also guess by the cover art or the anonymity and coldness of artist’s profiles on socials. Generally those songs lack imperfections and personality, but I gotta admit that melodies and song structures are getting increasingly better built. Since most users don’t disclose the use of AI and its usage becomes harder to detect every day, I think that at one point the transition will turn silent.
I know there are many reasons that might lead people to using AI to some degree to create music, and that it doesn’t necessarily mean that they lack artistic skills or talent, nor that they have dark intentions. But I have to admit I’m worried about the impact it will have in the music ecosystem at many different levels.
To start, there will be a significant portion of current musicians’ income that gets redirected from artists to tech oligarchs, who have demonstrated on many occasions their lack of ethics and who are already much more powerful and rich than any individual should ever be allowed to be. Streaming platforms might get even closer to how social platforms work, because why bother recommending and highlighting good songs or albums from talented artists if they can just take advantage of the vulnerabilities of our brain and hijack our natural reward system with ultra-personalized AI content that perfectly matches each user’s mood at every time of the day? Why bother promoting songs from real artists and splitting revenue with labels, publishers and artists if you can get a flat subscription to an AI music company at a fraction of the cost?
Some AI-enthusiasts say that AI will free us and nobody will have to work anymore, life will be wonderful and we will be free all day to engage in all sorts of artistic activities or whatever fits us better.
I can’t read the future, but to be honest, I don’t see it. Even if there’s some truth in AI enthusiasts’ utopia, what’s clear to me is that one of the things to come first is a massive decline in the number of people that are skilled in any craft. And I’d venture that one of the key triggers will be how much more ‘instant’ life, content generation and consumption will become, how far beyond natural human capabilities.
While there might be an increase in the number of people who might start learning an instrument or any creative skill (some of them probably using new sophisticated AI-assisted learning tools), who will have the patience to practice for years to master any craft when anybody can create a symphonic orchestra arrangement in a matter of seconds?
Attention span was already drastically reduced before the current AI popularity, and many talented artists have already felt pushed to enter the wheel of neverending social media content generation to increase their audience and stand out. If we significantly accelerate the pace of content generation and consumption, it won’t be easy for musicians that value the traditional way of writing and recording songs who release an album every few years to find their way and retain their audience in a world full of distractions.
Maybe at some point only old music will be considered pure creative material, and people will mistrust any new artist or any new song created after the release of model number X of the leading AI music company.
The truth is that I really don't know, so let’s pause and take a deep breath, since we are not there yet, and we might never get there. Fingers crossed. But it’s not a bad exercise to picture how we don’t want our future to be to know how to approach what will come next.
Instead of just asking what is the technology capable of doing? Let's ask ourselves, what do we want the technology to do for us?
There have always been people that have milked the industry and treated music as any other consumption good. As if the listening process is something totally detached from the intrinsic value of the artistic and creative process and any inspiring real life experience that triggers it. But we are currently experiencing the beginning of an era where this might reach an extreme level.
So I really hope that, in the years to come, we manage to find ways to properly treasure the creative process, protect artists and their music from predatory companies and algorithms, and that we succeed in providing an ecosystem to allow human artists to flourish.
Because not even the most sophisticated AI track will be able to replace the intimacy of performing a heartfelt song you wrote to your loved one nor will it ever provide such a life-long lasting memory.
Here you have the song list and again the link to the playlist. Enjoy!
WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT:
Spotify : Best of 2025
TRACK LIST:
Vulfpeck, Theo Katzman - Tender Defender
Scoobert Doobert - merry christmas (from the beach)
The Next Movement - Call Me
Nathan Farrell - Some Skin
Emily Otto - Crocus Funk
Jones - Twenty
Dandi - Dizzy
FORAGER - Pomeranian
Tingsek - Feather
Willow Stephens, Swatkins - Fortune Teller
Sam Esse - Forever
EVALINA - Raincheck
Frida Touray - Sisters' Keeper
Theo Katzman, 10 Good Songs - Rome Wasn't Built in a Day
Noname, Devin Morrison - Hundred Acres
Xurxo Yarza - Piel de Sal
Phoebe Katis - i'm a kid
Sorvina, jakohitsdifferent - Time
Woodbeez - Pony Love
Willow Stephens, Alfiya Glow - Got a Good Thing
Mike Gronsky - Different
okdw - Tu Mou-Lo
Vincen García, Funky Times - At the Edge
Olivia Akolo - Rain
Roy Shakked - Lose Your Mind
Jan Nieto - I swear
honeyhaven, D Sauls, Tim McNary - she
Cosima Olu - Ocean
Ramakhandra - Lullaby For Dragonite
Horst Hansen Trio - Sophisticated - Bonus Track
Louis Cato - SPACE
giuliette price - only one
Swedish Funk Mafia, Nick Campbell Destroys, John Schroeder - Destroys
Carbonara Collective, GINGE - Simon Says
Saintard - Rien ne tombe jamais du ciel
Kurt Elling, Charlie Hunter, SuperBlue, Huntertones - Turn To Stone
The Next Movement - More Cowbell
BUTTER FUNK FAMILY, Printz Board, TOOK4GRANTED - Pussy Pit
Vic Mirallas, MARO - tal vez
Robin Katz, Giacomo Smith - Wise Son
Flo Naegeli, August Charles - Changes
daoud - dijon
Brother Zulu - Soldiers
Kasper Nova, ParHasard - Pineapple Funk!
Hajaj - The Waiting Room
Mister Co., Free Parking, Jonathan Bufalino - Can't Stop The Funk
Anett - I'm In Luck
Debby Smith - What If I
Roundabout - MISK
YÆLLEE - Make Me Wanna Stay
Harry Linacre - Ring The Bell
Filippo Bubbico, Claudio Filippini - Quiet Minds
Roman Bulakhov, Paulbright, Max Gerl, Joshua Bryant, Austin Drake - NOTHING BUT SOMETHING
Angus Hardcastle - Big Lion
Millie Gibson - eleven : eleven
Brandon Victor Dixon - Hotel California
muralim - one of Us
Almo - Old Lies
Shayna Blass - I Feel
Stephen Day, Allen Stone - Sweet Iced Tea
Jared Grant - Reach Out
corto.alto - DON’T LISTEN
AIMAN - Speechless
Myron - The Way You Are
Cimafunk, ROC - La Sugar
Desmond Craine, Michael Pignéguy, Sian Brown, Nathan Winterflood, Peter Jeavons, Leo Guardo - West Bank Moon (Mixed) [2025 Remaster]
71A - Out of Time
Qwalia, Miryam Solomon - Elevator Company - Live
Graeme Gengras - Apollo
Jacob Jeffries, 10 Good Songs - As You Go
Aron - Thunder
Elise Allasia - F U And Move On
Swedish Funk Mafia - Human Generated
JeRonelle, Felicia Temple - The Let Out
Vulfmon, Andy Arthur Smith - Merengue alla Turca - Mozart Rondo
Robert Glasper - Going Home
Alberto Manco - No Rush
Andrew Gould - Sashay
Nate Smith, säje - BIG FISH
Braxton Cook - We've Come So Far
zestengusto - kisat-prat
Edna Bravo, Amaia Miranda - Digue'm qui t'estima
Couch - On The Wire
Joe Armon-Jones - Journey South
A-C Leonte - A Way of Being in the World
Horace Bray - Hymnsong
Queenstown Collective, Plumm - City Lights
Benjamin Jaffe, 10 Good Songs - (Gotta Get Some) Meat Up On the Bone
Jacob Collier - Heaven (Butterflies)
Robert Glasper, Esperanza Spalding - Didn’t Find Nothing In My Blues Song Blues (feat. Esperanza Spalding)
Dani López, Cercle de Cultura Tradicional i Popular Marboleny, Josep Cordobés, Vic Moliner, Koldo González, ROS, Albert Dondarza, Eva Curto, Marina Feliu, Joni Ripoll, Magí Capdevila, Pau Vidal - SINTONIA ÉSDANSA 01
Saiga Tracks, Josh Short, Mike Anning - Detroit
YOF - GiornoNo
Jacob Collier - Heaven (Butterflies)
PS: Dive intomy “Nu-Funk Alt R&B Indie Soul Picks” Playlist to find most of my favourite songs of all time.