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Time Magazine
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
The Best Songs of 2025 So Far
The biggest music story of 2025 remains, as it has for many years, the very fact of how music is discovered, as streaming monoliths and social-media algorithms continually overtake what we hear and what it sounds like. When TikTok virality and playlist automation saturate listeners' attention, artistic sameness threatens to rule the day—but independent artists on their own unique paths are still with us. Let this list, which mostly eschews household names, be an antidote to that crisis, surveying 2025's most notable releases thus far across pop, rock, electronic, rap, and Latin music. Wednesday, 'Elderberry Wine' The North Carolina band Wednesday, led by Karly Hartzman since forming in 2017, fuses the blistering edges of shoegaze and the twangy ache of country (shall we call it rootgaze?) into a vessel for vivid, gnarled storytelling, filled with literary detail. This heartbreaker from Wednesday's sixth full-length, due in September, is the most finely-wrought tune yet from the group, which includes the ascendant MJ Lenderman on guitar. (His cover of This Is Lorelei's 'Dancing in the Club' is another of the year's best releases so far.) The titular metaphor refers to a healing herb that becomes toxic in the wrong dosage, much as love requires the right proportions to find harmony. Jenny Hval, 'To be a rose' Ten years ago this month, the Norwegian auteur Jenny Hval released her fifth album, Apocalypse, girl, cementing her stature as a modern art-pop luminary. Also a novelist, Hval makes records that brim with presence, intelligence, and the suspended elegance of Laurie Anderson or Suzanne Vega. Like some of her best songs—'That Battle Is Over' and 'American Coffee' among them—'To be a rose,' from May's Iris Silver Mist, is an electroacoustic musical bildungsroman. It seems to braid two abstracted narratives, hers and her mother's, both in pursuit of beauty, swelling to exalted synth chords and referencing Gertrude Stein for good measure. Nourished by Time, 'Max Potential' On Marcus Brown's 2023 debut, recorded in his parents' basement during the pandemic, the Baltimore songwriter and producer, known as Nourished by Time, fused meticulously arranged club anthems with DIY textures—favoring maximal emotional impact. 'Max Potential,' the dizzying jam of a lead single from his forthcoming The Passionate Ones, is the apotheosis of his project to date. 'If I'm gonna go insane/ At least I'm loved by you,' Brown sings, stretching each syllable into a titanic hook that charts a euphoric new horizon. Marie Davidson, 'Sexy Clown' Montreal electronic producer and poet Marie Davidson writes spoken-word accompaniments that cut through the icy facades of club culture, staring listeners in the eye. Drawing inspiration from Shoshana Zuboff's The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, this electroclash banger from City of Clowns sounds like a person's digital footprint lost in a fun-house maze—like life itself in the algorithmic echo chamber of targeted advertising and calculated self-promotion. 'Sexy Clown' taunts the entire system: 'Can you feel the cutting edge/ Of my dying tenderness?' goes Davidson's earnest sing-song chorus, an invitation to log off in service of your truest self. Perfume Genius, 'It's a Mirror' For 15 years as Perfume Genius, Mike Hadreas has built one of the most consistently arresting catalogs in independent music. That streak continues with Glory, the singer and songwriter's latest collaboration with his partner Alan Wyffels and producer Blake Mills. Inside of an expressive indie-rock sound as precise, stylish, and grounded as mid-century architecture, album opener 'It's a Mirror' finds Hadreas sounding at home, even as he reckons lyrically with how to steel oneself in face of the world and the mirror alike. Mills, a longtime associate of Fiona Apple, knows this territory well: the pointed self-analysis of an extremely sensitive person. Turnstile, 'Never Enough' With 2021's Glow On, the Baltimore rock quintet Turnstile became not only the biggest band to emerge from the global hardcore scene in recent years, but one of the biggest bands to emerge from this supercharged strain of punk ever. Post-pandemic restlessness was just one feature of the perfect storm that catapulted Turnstile and their legendary, highly participatory live shows into the pop-cultural zeitgeist. 'At the right place, at the right time/ And still you sink into the floor,' Brendan Yates sings on the bracingly honest title track of Turnstile's hugely anticipated followup, a reminder that at the heart of Turnstile's whirlwind moment is unified, shared experience. Spellling, 'Alibi' The Bay Area artist Tia Cabral made her name first as a homespun R&B sorcerer, then, on 2021's The Turning Wheel, as an heir to the widescreen synth-pop idiosyncrasies of Kate Bush and the vocal audacity of Minnie Riperton. She's taken her most unexpected pivot yet on this epic kiss-off from Portrait of My Heart, with visceral riffs and overdriven melodies evoking the high-wire emo theatrics that infiltrated MTV during the 33-year-old's own teenage years. With contributions from Turnstile guitarist Pat McCrory, 'Alibi' enacts its line-in-the-sand sentiment of post-breakup clarity: 'Yeah I won't take you back this time!' she sing-screams with abandon, finding a new side of herself instead. Lana Del Rey, 'Henry Come On' Aside from flecking her lyrics with the occasional 'giddy-up' and 'hey y'all,' there's nothing especially down-home about the sound of this lead single from Lana Del Rey's next album, which is purported to be a country turn from the California fatalist whose best-loved LP included a psych sprawler titled 'Venice Bitch.' This would-be cowgirl is all Lana, chronicling her destiny alongside a tormented man with a torchy deadpan. 'Yesterday I heard God say/ I was born to the one,' she croons, 'Who holds the hands of the man/ Who flies too close to the sun.' Saba & No ID, 'How to Impress God' On this brash mini-anthem of anti-materialism, two generations of Chicago-bred rap royalty link up for a conversation with the creator, too, determining what really matters. Jewels, cars, clothes? Hard no's. Album streams? Try again. Packed arenas get a disenchanted 'Woo.' Tucked into the second half of Saba and No ID's collaborative album, 'How to Impress God' is a flash of casual brilliance from Saba's searing pen. When he finally gives voice to God, self-acceptance is the message: 'Don't you know I gave you keys before you had a piano?/ Don't you know you enough?' (Paging Turnstile.) Bad Bunny, 'DtMF' Música urbana supernova Bad Bunny has called DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, from January—the title translates to 'I Should Have Taken More Pictures'—his 'most Puerto Rican album ever,' even as recent years found him moving away from home. 'When you are far, sometimes you can see better, you can appreciate more,' he told the New York Times. This focused celebration of traditional Puerto Rican rhythms plays out stirringly on his chart-topping title track, a plena whose live instrumentation and joyfully communal hook are like a cinéma-vérité bridge between generations, on the world's stage (and, yes, TikTok).
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
3 new songs and 3 new albums to check out this weekend
Welcome to our weekly music post, where we spotlight our favorite new songs and albums. Hop in the comments and tell us: What new music are you listening to? Since the release of Laura Stevenson's last album, which came out in 2021, the singer-songwriter has earned a master's degree in music therapy. She's putting those skills into practice with her upcoming album, Late Great (out June 27). 'When I started this [music therapy] career path a few years ago, I kind of quieted my own healing relationship to music, because I honestly didn't have time, but this record is me getting back to it. This is me processing, and reconnecting with that part of myself, and it carried me through,' Stevenson explained in a press release. On 'Honey,' Late Great's first single, Stevenson turns her focus inward, vulnerably assessing the damage of a break-up. 'Elderberry Wine,' the new track from Wednesday (released, appropriately, on a Wednesday), leans more heavily into the band's alt-country side than their occasional dalliances with shoegaze. Singer and guitarist Karly Hartzman's gorgeous vocals are a Trojan horse hiding a deep pain at the center of the lyrics. ''Elderberry Wine' is about the potential for sweet things in life (love, family, success) to become poison if not prepared for and attended to correctly,' Hartzman explained in a press release. Earlier this year, guitarist MJ Lenderman announced that he would no longer tour with the band, though he'd continue to record with them in the studio. Suede frontman Brett Anderson doesn't want listeners to have any illusions about the Britpop band's upcoming tenth album, Antidepressants (out September 5). 'This is broken music for broken people,' Anderson said in a press release. 'Disintegrate' is the first single, and it's also the album's opening track. 'Come down and disintegrate with me,' Anderson sings in the arena-ready chorus, and it's so catchy that he almost makes the bleak lyrics sound appealing. Quit To Play Chess is a posthumous album from Cola Boyy, a musician, community organizer, and disability activist who died in 2024. Cola Boyy's disco-inspired sound (he called himself a 'disabled disco innovator') permeates Quit To Play Chess, which pairs his passion for bringing people together with groovy beats. 'Tell me, is there Hennessy in heaven? / If not, I'm gonna nosedive straight to hell,' he sings on 'Babylon,' giving listeners a good idea of what made him such a magnetic presence both on stage and in real life. Bandcamp put together an excellent tribute to Cola Boyy that features interviews with his friends and musical collaborators like Mac DeMarco and Juan Wauters, and it highlights how special and unique he was as an artist, and what a loss it is that he's no longer with us. Good news: Stereolab is back, and they're just as weird and hard-to-define as ever. It's been 15 years since Stereolab's last album, 2010's Not Music, after which the band disbanded to work on other projects. Now, they've returned with a new album, Instant Holograms On Film. If song titles like 'Electrified Teenybop!' and 'Esemplastic Creeping Eruption' are any indication, Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier haven't lost a bit of their cerebral spark in their time apart. Edgar Wright's 2021 documentary The Sparks Brothers shined a long-overdue light on the relentlessly innovative band Sparks, who have been consistently releasing music since 1971. MAD! is the 25th album from the duo, which consists of brothers Ron and Russell Mael. The Maels' uncanny ability to reflect the current moment has always been one of their best magic tricks, and it's present here on songs like 'A Little Bit Of Light Banter,' in which a couple pointedly refuses to talk about any difficult topical issues in favor of putting their heads down and not making a fuss. MAD! reflects a world that's out of alignment, filtered through an absurdist lens. It's everything you could want from a Sparks album. More from A.V. Club 3 new songs and 3 new albums to check out this weekend A zippy episode of Duster steps on Elvis' blue suede shoes Roy Wood Jr. says no one at The Daily Show could really explain the Hasan Minhaj controversy
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Wednesday Share New Single ' Elderberry Wine ' Single + Video
Wednesday, the North Carolina rock band led by generational songwriter Karly Hartzman, share a twangy and timeless new single titled 'Elderberry Wine,' alongside a video directed by Spencer Kelly. ''Elderberry Wine' is about the potential for sweet things in life (love, family, success) to become poison if not prepared for and attended to correctly,' Hartzman explains. 'Elderberry is known as a healing fruit, and is an ingredient in many tonics and syrups to aid the immune system. One time however, my sister consumed them raw and it immediately induced vomiting. So 'Elderberry Wine' is ultimately a love song about creating just the right environment for fulfillment. There's a delicate balance that needs to be created, especially in love, for two lives to intersect without poisoning each other." 'Elderberry Wine' is the first taste of new music from Wednesday since the release of their breakthrough album Rat Saw God. The album was one of 2023's most critically acclaimed releases, landing on year end lists at the New York Times, NPR, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, The Altantic, The Ringer, The FADER, Paste, Consequence, Stereogum and more. Wednesday is Karly Hartzman, MJ Lenderman, Xandy Chelmis, Alan Miller, and Ethan Baechtold. Of the video, director Spencer Kelly says ' We shot most of this music video at The Bench, Greensboro's second-oldest bar and easily one of its most vibrant. On any given day, you'll find people there from all walks of life swapping stories beneath the music blasting overhead. We came in with some specific scripted scenes, but we wanted to capture the bar as authentically as possible—so everyone you see in the video is a regular, including Karly's dad, George. This video is a bit of a love letter to places like this, where the sense of community runs deep and the beers are always cold.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Wednesday Release Contemplative New Song 'Elderberry Wine': Stream
The post Wednesday Release Contemplative New Song 'Elderberry Wine': Stream appeared first on Consequence. Wednesday have released 'Elderberry Wine,' their first new song since 2023, along with a Spencer Kelly-directed music video. Stream it below. A breezy, quasi-country track driven by Karly Hartzman's delicate vocals, 'Elderberry Wine' features a chorus backed by guitarist MJ Lenderman in which they sing: 'And the pink boiled eggs stay afloat in the brine/ 'Cause even the best champagne tastes like elderberry wine.' In a statement, Hartzman revealed the song was inspired by a story involving the plant's equal benefits and consequences. ''Elderberry Wine' is about the potential for sweet things in life (love, family, success) to become poison if not prepared for and attended to correctly,' she explained. 'One time… my sister consumed them raw and it immediately induced vomiting. So 'Elderberry Wine' is ultimately a love song about creating just the right environment for fulfillment. There's a delicate balance that needs to be created, especially in love, for two lives to intersect without poisoning each other.' The accompanying video was shot at The Bench, the second oldest bar in Greensboro, NC. Director Spencer Kelly explained that their aim was to capture the establishment's natural ambiance. 'On any given day, you'll find people there from all walks of life swapping stories beneath the music blasting overhead,' he said. 'We came in with some specific scripted scenes, but we wanted to capture the bar as authentically as possible — so everyone you see in the video is a regular, including Karly's dad, George. This video is a bit of a love letter to places like this, where the sense of community runs deep and the beers are always cold.' Tonight (May 21st), the band will perform the track during their late night television debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The episode will air at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS. Wednesday also have two upcoming festival slots: Portland's Project Pabst and Las Vegas' Best Friends Forever (get tickets here). The group's most recent album, Rat Saw God, was named by Consequence as the second best album of 2023. The following year, Wednesday contributed to a track on Cardinals at the Window, a benefit album that raised donations for those displaced by Hurricane Helene. Revisit Jonah Krueger's feature 'Pedal Steel Is Weeping Its Way Out of Country and into the Mainstream,' which included an interview with Wednesday's steel player, Xandy Chelmis. Popular Posts Trump Warns Springsteen: "He Ought to Keep His Mouth Shut Until He's Back Into the Country" New Reality TV Show That Sees immigrants Compete for US Citizenship Has Backing of Trump Administration: Report Holy Shit, You Have to See Footage from System of a Down's Concert in Brazil Bruce Springsteen Gives Trump the Middle Finger with Another Defiant Concert Guns N' Roses Share Video of Axl Rose Repeatedly Falling Onstage: Watch Nathan Fielder's The Rehearsal Tackles Autism — Thanks to a Consequence Article Subscribe to Consequence's email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.
