Bennett

I have kept finding my way back to this proper debut project from Night Tapes — this album is just a ridiculously clean look at a synth-heavy dreampop band.

The only blemish on this project, and literally the worst track of Kaytranada's career: whatever he did with Pharrell. Aside from that, BUBBA is such a seminal project in the discography of one of the best dance/hip-hop producers of our time.

Is Allan Rayman still "the most mysterious man in music"? Who knows, but the Jekyll-Hyde stunt he pulled with his Roadhouse era started here, and what a start it was. Tennessee literally made me visit Nashville, by train, and Graceland still goes as one of the most defining tracks in his haunting catalog.

What an introduction to one of Canada's best exports of the 2020s. At least to me, Stone Woman doesn't overstay its welcome, and has made me a perpetual fan of her evolving sound. If you want to understand her staying power... Funeral was my top song for 3 years straight.

Is Your Love Big Enough is *such* a debut from one of Britain's best singer-songwriters, that everything that came after nearly pales. But I wouldn't be surprised if she does 25 year anniversary tours for this breakthrough album. It starts so damn strong with Don't Wake Me Up, and gives us equal parts cheeky lyricism at its peppiest ("Forget", Au Cinema) and haunting vocals at its most forlorn ("Gone", "No Room For Doubt").

My favorite album of 2025, the title track of Paradigm was such apt for the paradigm shift it was for Christian Kuria's sound. I already love his sense of riffs—Kuria can be a rockstar when he puts it all together. But that one track is a singular centerpiece that allows the rest of his sound to swim good on songs like Fences, Slow Fade, and Undecided with Cautious Clay.

Cool: Harry Styles got that Grammy for Harry's House, and that's when I started caring about him. But KISSCO will be my favorite project by him — truly a testament to a well-sequenced, dance-forward album. I'll still find myself singing American Girls, and keep Season 2 Weight Loss on repeat. But when I think of male artists with range: Pop is as deeply riveting as Coming Up Roses is low-key devastating.

I may come off as a stan for this take, but children of divorce is such a great album from an artist who got me from the moment he held his first high note in "i met god" back in 2023. "Gollum" was the track to get me through 2025, I think of it so vividly in walks through Madrid. "Have you seen Rachel" swells with its chorus, then cools you off with his falsetto. This is one of my favorite albums of 2026, and just a great, full-length introduction to a singer-songwriter I hope we hear much more of.

What I love about Electric Dusk in terms of bangers, MUTT was just a more cohesive project. The title track did enough damage in the charts, but so much of the album did a great job in illustrating a young Black man navigating love without relying on *just* how good Thomas is as a producer. Feelings on Silent with Wale, the gorgeous duet I Used To, and Vibes. Don't Lie really carry the energy of Leon Thomas' defining album as an R&B king.

To me, this was the album that placed Leon Thomas III in the running of King of R&B. Starts off sweltering with Slow Down, then lets the guitar light flames in X-Rated and Blue Hundreds. Great features: label boss Ty Dolla $ign, crowned Victoria Monét, and Benny the Butcher (in one of the 16 bars Griselda rapper's ever spat.) Slotted towards the back is one of the best love songs of that year in Treasure in the Hills.

So fond of the soul sound Felivand brings to her music. Was first introduced from her single "Miss My Baby" and was fully drawn in by the Chris McClenney–produced "this very thing." Looking forward to her next!

Discovered this album thanks to Forza Horizon 6, their single So Cold is such great damn racing music. Took a beat to check out Portal, their first full length, and these Aussie brothers really get down with tracks like Golden Gate Girl, 4:25, and "from the Backseeeat."