Musical digest - my favorite tracks of 2025
It’s that time of year again, time to review my musical journey through 2025. Seeing as this is the second yearly iteration of Musical Digest, I think I’ll probably make this a yearly tradition, to give something for you readers to look forward to (or loathe)
As per last year, these aren’t all tracks that came out this year, just tracks that I gravitated to no matter their release date.
This year was heated in terms of composition between tracks. My notes app was filled with a graveyard of possible candidates, and it was hard to pick just five that I deemed worthy of a position. After much re listening, I think I’ve narrowed it down to the noble five.
Hope you enjoy, and here are my five favorites of this year (in no particular order, because that would simply be too difficult)
Fuck my computer - ninajirachi
Aside from a good song, this album is incredible. Finally, something that feels like a house fusion album that isn’t mind numbingly boring. I first heard this song while doomscrolling on instagram. The Dj had incredible taste and transitioned out of jeans (2hollis) and into the beat drop of fuck my computer, and the beat drop was the thing that hooked me. I think the intensity of this song is perfectly balanced, not too aggressive , but not too monotone, making it actually fun to listen to. I’m very excited to hear more from ninajirachi, and glad to see Australia getting some more recognition in the electronic scene.
Blood of the fang - clipping
Clipping has been a love of mine for years, and I had known about this song for a while, but it wasn’t until the appropriate moment to play hit me, that I really loved it. During finals week, it snowed an ungodly amount in Ohio, and after I was done studying for the night, I’d vacate my spot in the library to go get a half decent meal. This song happened to come on while I was walking through a long row of barren, snow covered trees, which were illuminated by florecent street lights. Villanious is not a word I use lightly, but that is exactly how this song sounded to me in that moment. If you have any amount of snow near you, I highly recommend re-enacting this experience.
Turn up or die - Jane remover
As a Jane remover fan of almost 5 years (I definitely don’t brag about this), Revengeseekerz was an album that I had been waiting on for a couple of months going into 2025, and it definitely did not disappoint. I think it perfectly marked the happy medium between the absurdity and glitchyness of frailty, and the acoustic/shoegaze qualities of census designated. Among that happy medium, this song stuck with me throughout my hundreds of listens. The initial intensity of the kicks when the song first opens up is something that is rarely rivaled throughout the record, and the drop had just the right amount of spice to it, making it have a high replay value in my opinion.
Doctor - Action Bronson
Talk about lyricism. “Need hammer pants to hide the hammer” and “white sweatpants, leg up at the pro day” are two of my favorite lines. Thought the song has a slower, sadder tone to it, I don’t see it as a depressing song, more so of a song to think to. I’ve found this song to be one of my favorites to drive to, something about the sound and feel of the samples just makes me feel, cool. Speaking of sampling, it is immaculately tasteful on this track, giving it a warm, human feel. I’d love to know where he flips his samples from, I’ve already ran through all of the 70’s jazz instrumentals on YouTube.
Rock and roll - Skrillex
When I was making the trip back to Chicago from university for fall break, my roomate and I rediscovered this song, and within four hours, it became our song for the trip. Seeing as both my roomate and I are producers, it makes sense. The layering of bass shots and intense synths had me and my roomate look at eachother multiple times on the trip with one question “how the hell did he make that?”. For me personally, that is indicative of a song that defines a year. In addition to that, the fact that it is a song so good that I was willing to come back to it and relisten, years after my 5th grade dubstep obsession.
I hope you enjoyed my hot, to possibly lukewarm takes. Happy new year, and I wish you at least more than one new bangers in the new year.
-Jq