“DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” by Bad Bunny

Pop's biggest international artist, Bad Bunny, came out with his 7th studio album after the absurdly successful “Un Verano Sin Ti” and the more under-the-radar Trap excursion “nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana”. I'm not too familiar with Bad Bunny's catalogue and music, truthfully, but “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” was a pleasant surprise. Sure, the album is too long above all, but to me, it showcased very well that Bad Bunny is actually a very talented artist with the potential to make noteworthy records. The more standard Reggaetón tracks from “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” are all at least solid, what's special about the album are its more experimental-, or rather those pieces that are inspired by traditional Latin Folk music. Overall, “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” is a more than just listenable outing from Bad Bunny.

Best Tracks: “NUEVAYol”, “BAILE INoLVIDABLE”, “CAFé CON RON”, “PIToRRO DE COCO”, “LA MuDANZA”

“Perverts” by Ethel Cain

The first new record I heard in 2025 was this so-called EP from Hayden Silas Anhedönia aka Ethel Cain. “Perverts”, her follow-up to 2023s smash-LP “American Daughter”, spans one and a half hours of runtime at 9 tracks and is, by all standard definitions, not only an EP (extended play) but a longplayer (LP). Theories as to way it isn't labeled correctly include thesis of a strategical mislabeling to avoid crashing Ethel Cain's rise in fame. Where “American Daughter”, amidst some disturbing themes and more experimental musical directions, was quite accessible to a reasonably big demographic, “Perverts” isn't easy to process or even listen to. Half the tracks are deeply unsettling Ambient pieces that need lots of patience but also mental strength to sit through. And even the more traditional tracks aren't remotely catchy or upbeat. “Perverts” is a triumphantly ballsy release from Ethel Cain and an especially dark album for any popular musician to put out. It is impressive, magical even, how she is able to transmit emotions so intense just through – cynically said – noise. “Perverts” is an album that you need to be in the right setting and mood for to enjoy. So, choose an evening, put the lights out, light a candle, lie down and just take it in…

Best Tracks: “Punish”, “Vacillator”, “Amber Waves”

“Who Let the Dogs Out” by Lambrini Girls

Shoutout to the album that once again proved how misogynistic online music communities are. No album by an Indie act has provoked such polarising reactions so far in 2025. “Who Let the Dogs Out” is the debut album by UK Punk duo Lambrini Girls. It was loved by critics and hated by your local music nerd. Why? Because – and this is not my opinion – the playing is amateurish, the music is basic and the lyrics are TikTok-able, inauthentic and superficial. This about sums up what people said about this album – and it couldn't be further from the truth. While, yes, this album is basically just another Punk album instrumentally, it is insincere to say that the playing isn't rock-solid. The production goes pretty hard too and the lyrics, while being placative, no doubt about it, are spot-on most of the time and well written for what they are supposed to be. “Who Let the Dogs Out” is a fiery 2025 edition of Riot Grrrl music. It's not the most intricate or original album, but a good and, above all, fun debut album.

Best Tracks: “Bad Apple”, “Love”, “Cuntology 101”

“BLACK'!ANTIQUE” by Pink Siifu

In the ongoing battle between West Coast and East Coast in the US Hip Hop game, there are some regions that can often be overlooked. Of course, Southern Hip Hop is very well introduced in the Hip Hop sphere with artists like OutKast, Missy Ellito, McKinley Dixon, JID, Travis Scott, Denzel Curry and many more, but the historically developed duality of the coasts still dominates discourse. In my opinion, the most unique set of sounds in American Hip Hop comes from the South though – and with artists like those named above, the South's roster of rappers and producers is definitely up to the challenge. The artist who introduced the Southern Hip Hop flair to 2025 is Pink Siifu. Listening to the rapper's new album “BLACK'!ANTIQUE” makes it very clear why he is a more underground artist. This is hands down one of the most abstract, sometimes even abrasive Rap albums that I had to get my ears accostumed to so far in my admittedly young Hip Hop listening journey, blending Industrial Hip Hop, Trap and Cloud Rap. The results range from very noisy, to moodily ambient, but there's also jazzy and soulful beats to be found on the album. Its first six tracks mostly delve into more abrasive sounds with Trap and Industrial elements. From there on out, we get a varied mix of all the described stylings. The transitions between songs are often very smooth and make it easy to just let the album play out. 
I have some critiques to level the way of “BLACK'!ANTIQUE” too though. While my first listen to the album left me a little confused and unimpressed, it becomes clear on second listen that there are actually lots of hooks to latch onto here and there. Still, it has to be said that the album isn't very memorable and songs tend to blend into each other, as we jump from idea to idea. Pink Siifu's performances aren't very distinct either, not even from his feature guests. His rapping abilites are certainly not what makes the album good per sé. Overall, “BLACK'!ANTIQUE” is a very intriguing listen, that's for sure, but its runtime, the execution of its ideas and the somewhat inconsistent track listing lead to it tragically not living up to its full potential. 

Best Tracks: “BLACK'!ANTIQUE'!”, “1:1[FKDUP.BEZEL]”, “Girls Fall Out Tha Sky”, “LAST ONE ALIVE'!”

“Showbiz!” by MIKE

The week of New Music Friday January 31 also saw the release of MIKE's new album, “Showbiz!”. By the time of writing this review, I still haven't got to the album's acclaimed predecessor, “Burning Desire”, but I still want to speak my mind on what will surely be one of the most solid Hip Hop albums of 2025. If you like your Hip Hop spiritual, conscious, jazzy, abstract, drumless and soulful, “Showbiz!” by MIKE is the way to go. The short songs make it an easy task to listen to the whole thing and MIKE's flows are nothing less than soothing, especially in combination with album's buttery smooth production. “Showbiz!” is mostly diverting, but still full of deeper meanings and important messages too. If I were to voice one downside to it, it's that nothing from this album really sticks in terms of memorability. If that were given, a score of 80 would easily be warranted. I'm going to give it anyway, in a lighter form though.

Best Tracks: “Then we could be free..”, “Watered down”, “man in the mirror”, “Burning House”, “Spun Out”