By Dylan Masvidal | Staff Writer
First impressions are deadly serious.
With attention spans dwindling by the second, the art of the single becomes a telltale sign of the cream rising to the top.
Musicians who understand that the appetizer is just as important as the main course, whether it’s to usher in a new era or solidify one’s premier status.
And despite the tides of the music industry constantly changing, a good song remains a good song.
What makes the following singles worthy of a year-end list is that they’re not just good, they’re excellent.
Honorable Mention: Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist-“1995”
Album cover for “Alfredo 2” | Image via Virgin Music Group
2025 was a special year for hip-hop, as you’ll see, making it difficult not to cram as many of my playlist favorites and call it a day.
But with my hands tied, I’d be remiss not to mention “1995”: a sequel partnership between two giants.
Everything about this track feels larger than life.
Freddie Gibbs’ bragging and boasting paint him as a folk hero à la Paul Bunyan, switching flows like it was his superpower.
If that wasn’t enough, Alchemist laces the song with his usual brand of eargasmic production, building a rich atmosphere through elegant keys and vocal samples.
Don’t even get me started on the electric guitar transition, which I can only assume is what plays on Valhalla’s speakers.
This is the kind of introduction to a genre that creates lifetime listeners.
5. The Weeknd-“Cry For Me”
Album cover for “Hurry Up Tomorrow” | Image via XO and Republic Records
Ignoring his studio-backed Tommy Wiseau vanity project, The Weeknd has been on a creative warpath as of late.
A pop star’s ability to reinvent themselves is what makes them a permanent etch in the history books, something he’s understood since the beginning of his “After Hours” trilogy.
For his final installment, “Hurry Up Tomorrow”, The Weeknd reinforces themes of heartache and synth trap stylings to craft one glamorously infectious teaser, “Cry For Me”.
Say what you will about pop music’s affinity for the plain and simple, hook writing exists in a new plane of reality when he grabs the pen.
Brushing your teeth, on your way to work, getting your wisdom teeth removed, it won’t matter: “I hope you cry for me like I cry for you” will be hummed.
There’s a fascinating contrast between the overt personal pain and the slick catchiness of The Weeknd’s songwriting.
I’ve never been a fan of the recycled Michael Jackson comparisons whenever he’s clearly emulated.
Nuclear fame like that is a one-time thing.
But in The Weeknd’s case, he’s pretty darn close.
4. Lady Gaga-“Abracadabra”
Single cover for “Abracadabra” | Image via Interscope Records
Speaking of artistic ingenuity, Lady Gaga uncaged the animal once more.
In the midst of Facebook scrolling background music, i.e., Benson Boone and Alex Warren, you can always count on Gaga to offset the more Mormon-coded chart toppers with ferocious bite.
“Abracadabra” is certainly familiar territory for the pop diva, only there’s ruthless intent on the dance floor this time.
Gaga’s theatrical sensibilities give this foray into electro pop doused in the macabre a deeply visceral quality.
It’s primal and yet still masterfully structured.
You know exactly what’s coming after the initial chorus while your body moves anyway.
Talk about a beat drop, “Abracadabra” at its fever pitch could crack open the San Andreas Fault.
Rowdy Gaga is the best Gaga, and with what I can only describe as a chip on her shoulder, she seems adamant about reminding the public of her legend.
3. PinkPantheress-“Illegal”
Single cover for “Illegal” | Image via Warner Records
Contrary to my dated references and yearning for the past, I’m quite the poser.
I meet my TikTok brainrot quota like everyone else despite my complaints.
There was a repeating factor in my endless hours of scrolling, too: “Illegal”.
A simple handshake trend was accompanied by users lip-syncing the opening lines of the song, showing itself on every corner of the app.
Though how could I be surprised at a PinkPantheress single taking up prime real estate in our heads with an unshakable earworm?
At only 24 years old, she’s mastered a game-winning formula that all but guarantees her music having a stranglehold on social media.
Her succinct songwriting methods and soothing vocal style complement UK garage effortlessly, “Illegal” being no different.
The mark of a bona fide banger is audiences being so swept away by the sound, they don’t acknowledge the point until the second listen.
PinkPantheress has it all figured out if she can make a song about weed paranoia go viral.
2. Danny Brown & underscores-“Copycats”
Single cover for “Copycats” | Image via Warp Records
The irony of a Danny Brown song titled “Copycats” is his refusal to play it safe and ride trends even as he gets older.
Much debate arose from the announcement of his latest album, “Stardust,” having such a prevalent focus on younger, more niche electronic artists, causing concern for Brown, maybe biting off more than he could chew.
To my readers who ever meet one of these doubters, I want you to point at them and laugh.
Digital parameters are nothing unfamiliar to the Detroit native, featuring his trademark wit (“When the money talk, listening ain’t cheap”) and adlibs (Check!).
Where his talent is never in doubt, his instincts continue to impress by including rising glitch pop darling underscores, who absolutely owns the hook.
I’m making my prediction known now: she’ll be a household name by next Christmas.
Dynamic wouldn’t even begin to describe the instant chemistry between Brown and underscores as they weave together a hell of a party jam.
1. Clipse-“So Be It”
Album cover for “Let God Sort Em Out” | Image via Roc Nation Distribution
Just as frequently as music functions as a form of escape, it can quickly sober you up to the truth.
A radioactive spider bite sends you to the emergency room instead of letting you crawl up the side of a skyscraper.
That uneasy feeling is personified in “So Be It”, and Clipse are happy to be the boogeymen to shatter your reality.
Reuniting after nearly 16 years to wreak havoc, Pusha T and Malice didn’t abruptly become horrorcore rappers or anything like that; their kingpin codex is back in full swing.
No, what’s different is tone and atmosphere.
Age and industry politics have made them more callous, less willing to put on a fake smile for those they don’t respect.
Pharrell Williams sets the stage for their verbal daggers, giving them a beat for the ages which contains manipulated record scratches, haunting sample chops and a hefty 808.
Aside from the obvious fact of Clipse turning in the best rapping performances of the year, how naturally they accept the supervillain role on this song results in Hitchcockian terror.
Taking the high road gets tiring, so why not be the bad guy for a change?
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