10. ‘MAYHEM’ by Lady Gaga

It’s easy to see why listeners went goo goo for Gaga this year. Her sixth studio album is a return to form but not a retreat — Lady Gaga is as loud, bombastic, and boundary-pushing as ever. Tracks like the dance-pop hit “Abracadabra” remind fans of “Bad Romance,” complete with nonsense syllable lyrics, but songs like “Killah” and “Perfect Celebrity” see Gaga trying and nailing electro-funk and electro-grunge respectively. Unified by themes of celebrity and artifice, “MAYHEM” is pure fun. It helps that Gaga’s ruminated on these themes since the very beginning of her career, so at this point her thoughts about the subject have sharpened. They stop short of spoiling the album’s mood, probably for the best. In many ways, “MAYHEM” is fun because it sounds like Lady Gaga is having fun. The queen of dance floors has returned, and partygoers everywhere rejoice to hear her fanfare. —Ria S. Cuéllar-Koh

9. ‘DON’T TAP THE GLASS’ by Tyler, The Creator

Tyler, The Creator brought a fun, energetic mix of sounds in his ninth studio album, “DON’T TAP THE GLASS.” In contrast to Tyler’s other albums, “DON’T TAP THE GLASS” doesn’t have a clear narrative focus. However, in a runtime of just over 28 minutes, Tyler has managed to create 10 distinctive tracks that make you want to dance. “Sugar On My Tongue” showcases a layering of simple beats that masterfully dissolves into a viral dance anthem. In “Ring Ring Ring,” Tyler’s sampling of a telephone operator allows for an immersion into a retro world. The chorus “Ring-ring-ring-ring-ring-ring-ring-ring / Pick up the phone (Hello?),” is catchy and adds to the artist’s growing catalog of songs involving a telephone. Meanwhile, “Don’t You Worry Baby,” featuring Madison McFerrin, is a funky and melodic twist that plays on traditional R&B sounds. In his departure from a clear artist concept, Tyler reminds listeners that it’s acceptable to turn on a good album and dance. —Victoria A. Washington

8. ‘A Matter of Time’ by Laufey

Laufey’s third studio album, “A Matter of Time,” engulfs listeners into a world of whimsy and woe in the artist’s particularly vulnerable release. Laufey addresses friendship, romance, self love, and acceptance in a moving and deeply relatable album. Laufey creatively mixes content and form in her upbeat yet heartbreaking song “Castle in Hollywood” and explores genre throughout the album with tracks like the spooky and alternative “Sabotage” and new jazz pop classic “Lover Girl.” Laufey’s lyrics — such as in the song “Snow White” — make her deeply personal experiences feel universal while her production transports listeners into a different realm, weaving in and out of a flurry of emotions. A testament to her talent and musical mastery, “A Matter of Time” is not only one of Laufey’s best, but one of the best of the year. — Dzifa A. Ackuayi

We covered Laufey’s concert at TD Garden here.

7. ‘Virgin’ by Lorde

There’s a reason Lorde has dominated the charts since she was 16 years old. Everything she touches turns to gold, and “Virgin” is no exception to this musical alchemy. In her fourth album, Lorde pushes the boundaries of pop music, reshaping it in her mold — and the result is daring, immersive, and utterly seductive. Lorde infuses “Virgin” with a searing vulnerability, unflinchingly exploring her evolving relationship with her sexuality, selfhood, and stardom. “My babe can’t believe I’ve become someone else / Someone more like myself,” she sings in “Man Of The Year.” Lorde captures love, lust, and loss with equal rawness, all set to a propulsive backbeat that turns her self-dissection into performance art. In both content and form, “Virgin” is an album that rejects strict categorization, dwelling in the liminal space between binaries and infusing this grey area with heat, color, and vibrancy. —Makenna J. Walko

6. ‘BITE ME’ by Renée Rapp

Renée Rapp remains indomitable in her sophomore record “BITE ME.” An upbeat and defiant album, the “Mean Girls” and “The Sex Lives of College Girls” star is unapologetic, with lyrics like “Sign a hundred NDAs, but I still say something” or “But if I can’t be happy, then at least I’m hot.” It gels, too, with Rapp’s infamous apparent lack of media training, a joke that made her a social media darling and the subject of an SNL skit. Beneath the pop rock of it all, though, is a disquiet and uncertainty of a teen who was launched into celebrity stardom and has had their personal life scrutinized in the media. Tracks like “I Can’t Have You Around Me Anymore” and “I Think I Like You Better When You’re Gone” most clearly show cracks in the bravado, giving the album a layered complexity beyond the bluster. It doesn’t hurt that Rapp, forged in the crucible of musical theater, is a powerhouse vocalist, making the ballads in the album stirringly emotional. —Angelina X. Ng

5. ‘Forever Is A Feeling’ by Lucy Dacus

“How lucky are we to have so much to lose?” marvels Lucy Dacus in her fourth studio album. That lyric, from the lead single “Ankles,” perfectly captures the reverence that Dacus holds as she explores the intricacies of what it means to love and be loved. The album is clearly dedicated to Dacus’s relationship with boygenius bandmate Julien Baker, with “Most Wanted Man” being the clearest allusion as Dacus celebrates catching “the most wanted man in West Tennessee” — but it also touches on the sanctity of friendship in “Modigliani,” a tribute to Dacus’ friendship with Phoebe Bridgers. Though mellower than her previous works, lacking the ferociousness of “Night Shift,” the album is Dacus’ most vulnerable to date, gorgeously rendered and devastating in its simplicity. Forever, it turns out, feels both precious and fragile, and is a treat to listen to. —Angelina X. Ng

We covered Lucy Dacus’ concert at MGM Music Hall here.

4. ‘The Crux’ by Djo

Djo is today’s John Lennon. Is that big praise? The artist — whose real name is Joe Keery (also known for his role as Steve Harrington from “Stranger Things”) — has been releasing curious, intelligent, and heartfelt music for quite a few years now. His most recent album, “The Crux,” affirms this perhaps bold assertion. From the Beatles-esque tracks of “Charlie’s Garden,” “Potion,” and “Golden Line” to the beautifully touching titular track, “Crux,” every song on this album deserves its spot. While this album marks a shift from Djo’s earlier work, his trademark alternative tones persist via “Basic Being Basic” and “Lonesome Is a State of Mind” on the new album. —Thomas A. Ferro

3. ‘The Art of Loving’ by Olivia Dean

2025 was the year of Olivia Dean. Her lead singles “Nice To Each Other,” “Lady Lady,” and “Man I Need” each made a splash this summer, but “The Art of Loving” skyrocketed Dean to A-list stardom almost overnight when it came out in September. Dean blends R&B, pop, and jazz to create a no-skips album that is tender, graceful, self-assured, and ultimately timeless. “The Art of Loving” is exactly what it declares itself to be: a series of portraits of love in all its forms. From friendship and romance to heartbreak and self-love, Dean sketches out the heart’s many seasons with the perfect balance of playfulness and sincerity. Whether you’re dancing to the infectious rhythm of “So Easy (To Fall In Love)” or blinking back tears induced by the moving lyricism of “I’ve Seen It,” “The Art of Loving” takes listeners on an emotional journey that will leave you eager to hit replay. —Makenna J. Walko

2. ‘DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS’ by Bad Bunny

Now on his sixth studio album, Bad Bunny continues to cement himself as a global superstar with a pioneering of Latin urban music. Simultaneously, he inches closer and closer to an intimacy with listeners that consequently sears his music in their minds. Released in January, “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” is not just Bad Bunny at his most sonically cohesive — it’s him at a self-reckoning driven by memories, regret, and spur-of-the-moment decisions. In “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” and the rest of the album, the deliberate choice and inclusion of hand drums, bass, and synth lines pack a punch — as do the lyrics. Here, Bad Bunny creates music that invokes reflection and dancing in its listeners. Beyond being a sonic pleasure, the album is a return to Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rican roots and the beginning of a political and social commentary. With reflections on not only his own experience but that of Puerto Rican residents, the album showcases the realities and complexities of the Latine experience in the country. “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” asks to be felt, not just listened to. With this, Bad Bunny continues to excel in the music industry and achieves one of his best projects to date. —Emily G. Fallas-Chacon

1. ‘LUX’ by ROSALÍA

The opening track of ROSALÍA’s newly released album “LUX,” “Sexo, Violencia y Llantas” begins with, “Quién pudiera vivir entre los dos / Primero amar el mundo y luego amar a Dios,” posing the question — as asked by Ariana N. Barillas Santizo ’28 in her review — “How close can one get to the divine?” Combining classical tones with avant-garde pop, intense symphonies with melancholic melodies, ROSALÍA offers listeners something they didn’t even know they wanted — no, needed. Singing in over 10 languages, ROSALÍA composed an album that transcends musical boundaries, creating something truly magical. In order to pay the album the respect it deserves, however, it should be listened to in full — what results is a meditation that leaves you, at the very least, in awe of the sheer power of art. —Thomas A. Ferro

We reviewed “LUX” and gave it 5 stars.