(via Shutterstock)
It’s been a weird year for me and music.
I still listened to lots and lots and LOTS of it, it was still the soundtrack to all my commutes and occasional exercise outings and even short trips to the shops, and it remained the focal centre of the way I think through life.
But work was frantic, absurdly so, and with a nightmarishly chaotic boss who couldn’t organise himself out of a wet paper bag, I found myself drowning and drowning when I tried to keep up with the self-imposed but hugely enjoyable demands of this blog.
So, despite still LOVING music, I only did half the usual number of music review posts – 10 instead of 20 – with some extras made up with my annual Eurovision reviews and Christmas music reviews, and while it pained me to do so, it meant I could somehow keep some posts going up (as few as 4 to 6 some weeks).
Thing is though I still found lots of music to listen to and love and below are the twenty of a great many that made the cut; there are a lot more tracks I adored but these are the ones I kept returning to, the ones that made me feel something, that made my feet move and which lifted some of the burden of a horrible year of work that I don’t care to repeat anytime soon. (The manager has resigned so that might mean 2026 is a saner, calmer year. Fingers crossed.)
“Good Morning London” by Rae Morris
“Stretch the Struggle” by Bria Salmena
(courtesy official Bria Salmena Instagram)
Read Line of Best Fit’s review of this powerful song.
“Secrets” by Mary Lambert
(courtesy official Mary Lambert Instagram)
Read the review by Little Rebellion Music.
“ICH KOMME” by Erika Vikman (Eurovision 2025)
(courtesy Eurovision.tv / image (c) Nelli Kenttä / Yle)
OOOO
“Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga
(courtesy official Lady Gaga Facebook page)
“Joyride” by Kesha
(courtesy YouTube)
“Casanova” by Nemo
(courtesy official Nemo Instagram)
(courtesy official Facebook page)
“King Queen Supreme” by Dyan Tai x Lupa J
(courtesy official Lupa J Instagram)
“Want You More” by Moncrief
(courtesy official Moncrief Facebook page)
“Milkshake Man” by Go-Jo
(courtesy Eurovision.tv (c) Jason Henley)
“Reverberotic” by Goldfrapp
(courtesy Discogs)
Read a review by Prelude Press.
“Shy Girl” by Haute & Freddy
(courtesy Wasserman, official booking agency for Haute & Freddy)
“Mr. Electric Blue” by Benson Boone
(courtesy official Benson Boine Facebook page)
(courtesy official Georgia Facebook page)
“Off the Rails” by BENEE
(courtesy official BENEE Facebook page)
“Don’t Follow Me” by Ella Collier
(courtesy official Ella Collier Facebook page)
“Dancing2” by Keli Holiday
(courtesy official Facebook page)
“24/7” by Moyka
(courtesy official Moyka Facebook page)
“SUPERMODEL” by Chandler Leighton
(courtesy official Chandler Leighton Instagram)
Read a review from PM studio co. ltd.
“Candy Apple Girl” by Livia Barrell
(courtesy official site)
“Londontown” by Sam Quealy
(courtesy official Sam Quealy Instagram)
“Diva” by Mikayla Geier
(courtesy official Mikayla Geier Instagram)
Read a review on Indie Music Review.
“Les Gens Qui Dansent (j’adore)” by Sam Sauvage
(courtesy official Sam Sauvage Facebook page)
MY FAVOURITE CLIPS OF THE YEAR!
“Crazy Tasty” by Silky Roads
“Les Gens Qui Dansent (j’adore)” by Sam Sauvage
see above
“table for two” by aron!
“Nobody Like You” by Chesney Hawkes
“Londontown” by Sam Quealy
see above
“H.A.P.P.Y” by Jessie J
“Modern Times” by MIKA
“TALK” by Grant Knoche
see above