True to the HighClouds spirit, we’ve once again tried to shine a light on overlooked releases and new or under-the-radar artists alongside some more familiar names. And yes… for the second year the same artist is topping our Best Songs list. At this point, it’s safe to say we’re obsessed. All of the tracks featured here (and many others) are also gathered in our Spotify playlist, that you can find below.

Thank you for reading, listening, and sharing music with us throughout 2025. We wish you a beautiful end of the year, and we’ll be back very soon in 2026 to share even more amazing music with you.

60 Avalon – Harder To Reach Than God
59 Farao – Waiting for You
58 Reggie Devoyage – Down Town
57 Nuovo Testamento – Picture Perfect
56 Yumi Zouma – Drag
55 Boyhood – A Grand Time
54 Danny L Harle; Caroline Polachek – Azimuth
53 Fernette – Lowlands
52 Jouska – Season of Dread
51 Charli xcx – Chains of Love

50 Pearly Drops – End Credits
49 Marina Zispin – Penthouse Samba
48 Boyish – Jumbos
47 Sword II – Sugarcane
46 TOPS – Chlorine
45 Robyn – Dopamine
44 The Deep – KPOP B!TCH
43 Juliana Madrid – Jamie
42 Men I Trust – Come Back Down
41 R. Missing – Telepolartears

40 Jenny Hval – The artist is absent – 89 seconds rewrite
39 Fontaines D.C. – Before You I Just Forget
38 hemlocke springs – the beginning of the end
37 Sea Lemon – Stay
36 Georgie & Joe – Pacemaker
35 Fine – I could
34 Jessy Lanza – Slapped By My Life
33 Arny Margret – Day Old Thoughts
32 Lipsticism – Erased
31 Clara Kimera; notinbed – angel candles

30 Neggy Gemmy – Mysterious Girl
29 Joanne Robertson; Oliver Coates – Always Were
28 Hannah Jadagu – My Love
27 HTRK – Swimming Pool
26 Night Tapes – television
25 Raisa K – Affectionately
24 helen island – hot zone, regular day
23 Dean Blunt; Elias Rønnenfelt – 1
22 Cole Pulice – After the Rain
21 crushed – starburn

20 AMORE – Delirio
19 Oneohtrix Point Never – Rodl Glide
18 Erika de Casier – Delusional
17 Judeline – chica de cristal
16 Dijon – Yamaha
15 Rochelle Jordan – Ladida
14 PinkPantheress – Illegal
13 Maria Somerville – Garden
12 Ethel Cain – Fuck Me Eyes
11 Sophia Stel – Everyone Falls Asleep In Their Own Time

10 Jim Legxacy – ’06 wayne rooney
9 Magdalena Bay – Human Happens
8 snuggle – Woman Lake
7 Addison Rae – Headphones On
6 After – 300 dreams
5 FKA twigs – Striptease
4 james K – Play
3 Nourished by Time – Max Potential
2 Smerz – You got time and I got money
1 Oklou – blade bird

We know these lists are completely subjective and that ranking music can feel a little weird at times but these are the records we’ve had on repeat over the past 12 months. More importantly, in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms, highlighting lesser-known and often overlooked artists remains the very essence of our blog. We hope you’ll take the time to dive into the artists and projects you might not know yet.

Like last year, the list is ordered alphabetically, because the “real” ranking changes every day depending on our mood. That said, if you’re looking for a top three, keep an eye on Oklou, Nourished By Time, and Smerz.

Merry Christmas to all of you, and stay tuned next week for our Best Songs of 2025 list.

The 47 EPs, Albums, And Mixtapes that defined 2025 according to HighClouds

Acopia – Blush Response
Addison Rae – Addison
After – After EP 1/2
AMORE – Top Hits, Ballads, etc
Annahstasia – Tether
crushed – no scope
Dean Blunt & Elias Rønnenfelt – lucre EP
deer park – Terra Infirma
Disiniblud – Disiniblud
Erika de Casier – Lifetime
Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You
FKA Twigs – Eusexua
Georgie & Joe – What I Made With Joe
Horsegirl – Phonetics On and On
Ichiko Aoba – Luminiscent Creatures
JADE – THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!
james K – Friend
Jane Inc. – A Rupture A Canyon A Birth
Jenny Hval – Iris Silver Mist
Jim Legxacy – black british music (2025)
Joanne Robertson – Blurrr
Jouska – How Did I Wind Up Here?
Laura Groves – Yes
Lipsticism – Wanted To Show You
Malibu – Vanities
Maria Somerville – Luster
Marina Zispin – Now You See Me, Now You Don’t
Men I Trust – Equus Caballus / Equus Asinus
Molly Nilsson – Amateur
Neggy Gemmy – She Comes From Nowhere
Night Tapes – portals//polarities
No Joy – Bugland
Nourished By Time – The Passionate Ones
Nuovo Testamento – Trouble EP
Oklou – Choke Enough
Oneohtrix Point Never – Tranquilizer
Panda Bear – Sinister Grift
Pearly Drops – The Voices Are Coming Back
R. Missing – Like The Sound Of Injured Love
Raisa K – Affectionately
Rat Heart – Dancin’ In The Streets
Sea Lemon – Diving For A Prize
Smerz – Big City Life
snuggle – Goodbyehouse
Sofia Kourtesis – Volver EP
Sophia Stel – How To Win At Solitaire EP
Yawning Portal – Anywhere

THE BEST NEW RELEASES, UPDATED DAILY? STREAM OUR FORECAST TAPE PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY.

“Doom Bikini” unfolds like a sticky summer daydream. james K describes it as “a sun-greased slinky ballad about being hard and soft on myself,” one that she didn’t quite know what to do with at first. Originally built on “boring ‘shoegazey’ guitars,” the song eventually found its form through layers of doo-wop-inspired vocal loops, surfy textures, “gwen-lite” vocal flourishes, and a sweet swirl of G-funk. The result is a track that plays with time, memory, and self-perception — or as she puts it: “Both horizon lines feel interchangeable, pluck-able like guitar strings.” And talking about friends, she actually co-produced it with Patrick Holland and Priori. Listen and pre-order the album below.

Her new offering, “Play,” is a dazzling introduction to her forthcoming album, Friend, due out September 5 via AD 93. The single is a shape-shifting dreamscape, as hybrid as you can imagine. “Won’t try to fight for the last time / Won’t fight ’cause they just lie / Right now, I feel that I am found / Right where I know that I feel the ground,” james K sings, her voice delicate and radiant, even as it rises above wailing sirens and skittering percussion. The accompanying video is just as striking as it draws from a surreal, dystopian palette of white, violet, and hot pink, to depict an ethereal and glitchy retro-futurist universe.

Friend, her third full-length album, is the culmination of years spent honing a sound that resists easy categorization. Written and recorded between New York and Montreal, the 13-track project explores “melancholic ecstasy” and includes the previously released singles “Blinkmoth (July Mix)” and “Hypersoft Lovejinx Junkdream.” It also features collaborations with artists like Special Guest DJ, Francis Latrielle, Ben Bondy, and Priori.

You can also stream james K‘s “Play” and the other best new releases of the week in our Forecast Tape playlist on Spotify.

Some months ago, Yves Tumor was an underground force of deconstructred music on Soundcloud. Now signed to WARP Records, the artist is diving into new soundscapes while keeping his edgy, experimental touch. Following up on the crepuscular “Noid”, he is back today with a melancholic and carnal new song, “Licking An Orchid,” which also features experimental vocalist James K. Watch the accompanying Daniel Sannwald-directed video and check his upcoming live gigs below.

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YVES TUMOR LIVE – 2018 SHOWS

SEPTEMBER

26 – Central Park Summerstage, New York, NY*

27 – The Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA*

28 – Lincoln Theatre, Washington, DC*

OCTOBER

1 – Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON*

2 – Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON*

5 – Avant Art Festival, Warsaw, PL

12-13 – Afropunk Festival, Atlanta, GA

NOVEMBER

8 – Le Guess Who Festival, Utrecht, NL

10 – Mira Festival 2018, Barcelona, ES

*supporting Blood Orange