Her first full length is called The Greatest Album Of All Time, which is a pretty fun title for album number one, and it arrives October 16 through A24 Music. Stel produced the record herself, and the songs released so far suggest she is leaning further into the tension that already made her earlier work interesting: big, emotional club music on one side, quieter and more inward looking writing on the other. “Bitches Talk Shit”, “Molly In the Club” and “Now I’ve Got A Lot You Know” have each shown a slightly different version of that world, moving between rave euphoria, intimacy and a certain detached coolness. “The album is about believing in yourself and believing in love and is dedicated to my brothers Luke and Royce,” Stel says.

The brand new single, “I Do”, also plays on that contrast. The track has the rush of trance music, but Stel sings through it with a much softer presence, her voice processed and weightless rather than pushed to the front. Directed by Stel’s close friend Scarlet Ross, the accompanying video takes a similarly restrained approach. Stel wanders around New York, stopping by the Diamond District and casually looking at jewellery rather than giving us the obvious club fantasy the song could easily invite. In conclusion: “I Do” is a banger. Watch the video below, or stream the song in our Best Songs of 2026 playlist.

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.

The latest track, “All My Friends Are Models,” dives deeper into the emotional fallout of curated social lives and performative joy. Set in a hazy club scene full of strobe lights and surface-level connections, the song captures the isolating aftermath of chasing euphoria that never quite lands. It’s about pretending to have fun, dressing the part, and still ending up alone, something that feels especially familiar in the age of filtered feeds and “it-girl” aesthetics. “Cold sweat, I was so ashamed to be alone,” Stel confesses in the opening line, setting the tone for a slow build of airy vocals, swirling guitars, and aching honesty. By the time she sings, “All my friends are models / I’m not complaining now / There’s harder pills to swallow,” the illusion has cracked.

The accompanying video, made by Scarlet Ross and edited by Stel herself, leans into her signature Y2K nostalgia. It is lo-fi, intimate, and full of soft focus, evoking the emotional hangover that lingers after a night out.

Her latest single, “Everyone Falls Asleep in Their Own Time,” pairs a woozy instrumental with moody lyrics. The chorus floats in with the line, “But I’m all yours babe, Saturday night / Show me a better way to make something right,” capturing the melancholy sweetness of a night suspended in time.

Both intimate and carefree, the accompanying music video, directed by Scarlet Ross and Aaron Lum, was shot on a breezy rooftop in Stel’s hometown. It’s lo-fi, nostalgic, and casually stylish: Stel twirls in a white shirt, lip-syncing into the night sky with a cigarette in hand.