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.

True to form, Nilsson directed the video herself, adding another personal layer to a project that already feels intimate and wide-open at once. Amateur will be already her twelfth studio album, and it’s shaping up to be one of her most heartfelt collections yet. The project was written instinctively, recorded at home, and bursting with the kind of sincerity that’s made her a singular voice for almost two decades.

Across its 13 tracks, Amateur is described as “a jubilee for losers,” a collection that embraces mistakes, celebrates curiosity, and offers companionship outside the grind of the rat race. Nilsson shifts between anthemic and deeply personal, always with her trademark clarity and defenceless honesty. Where first single “How Much Is The World” urged us to rethink value in a system that thrives on squeezing us dry, “Swedish Nightmare” tilts toward romance and longing—reminding us that life’s biggest dreams are always tied up in its tenderest fears.

Nilsson has called Amateur a celebration of life lived truthfully, mistakes and all. And really, isn’t that the kind of celebration we could all use right now?

Berlin-based, Swedish artist Molly Nilsson has just announced her tenth album, Extreme, which is described as a project “against the love of power and for the power of love.” This collection of 11 tracks was recorded at home in 2019 and throughout the 2020 pandemic. It opens with first single “Absolute Power,” in which she sings “Get ready for the Fight of the Century” over thunderous guitar riffs and an epic rhythm section. This combative tone is not so surprising though, as Nilsson is a self-managed one-woman band who has regularly been defending female empowerment and standing up against the patriarchy (or denouncing Spotify business model more recently). Watch the visuals and pre-order Extreme via Bandcamp below.