Gigantic Picks: The Best Albums of 2025
Posted on Friday 19th December 2025 at 16:13
Written by
Jodie Averis
2025 has been a fantastic year for music. Just on the tip of the musical iceberg, we've seen the extraordinary return of the queen of pop, Lady Gaga, with Mayhem cementing her as a blueprint for what it means to be a pop star. We've also seen the meteoric rise of New York rockers Geese, whose offering Getting Killed has blown them into the stratosphere.
Live music has also been on fire this year, and we all know what simply HAS to be mentioned. The return of Britpop icons and Manchester boys Oasis, one could say, has brought the country back together with some lager-soaked joy. Rock legends Radiohead have also returned to form with some stellar sold-out London shows which blew away new and old fans alike. And not to mention the Glastonbury Pyramind Stage, with sparkling performances from The 1975, Olivia Rodrigo, CMAT, Pulp and many, many more.
At Gigantic, we’ve seen it all this year—intimate gigs, explosive arena shows, and albums that have stayed on repeat. Our team of music enthusiasts has pulled together their highlights to celebrate albums that truly defined 2025.
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Ego Death At A Bacherlorette Party - Hayley Williams
Hayley Williams is my favourite artist, and most likely, your favourite artist's favourite artist - and for good reason. Ego Death At A Bachelortte Party has further proven Williams to be a poetic and biting songwriter, capable of mastering any genre that she wishes to dip her toes into.
This record is a wonderful meditation on healing, heartbreak, loneliness, mental health, politics and more, with sonic influences ranging from the hardcore breakdown in tearjerker "Parachute" , to trip-hop, post-punk and more. It is always a joy to hear her work without the context of her band Paramore, and this album has certainly meant that we have a glimpse of Williams at her most vulnerable following the trials and tribulations of the last few years.
This album, much like it's cover artwork, is a burst of yellow amongst a grey sky.
Jodie Averis - Marketing Assistant
Exiting a 20 year-long major label contract alongside her band, Paramore, and coming out of what we can now assume is a pretty heavy break up, Hayley Williams experienced a huge amount of turbulence during a short space of time. She came away from it producing an album that needed to be made, and crucially needed to be made alone, and away from the context of Paramore.
Ego Death… is an exploration of self in many ways. The record finds itself diving into Williams’ deep love, knowledge and appreciation of many genres of music, whether that’s in the form of “Good Ol’ Days”, a SZA-soaked song filled with R&B hooks and soulful vocals, or “Parachute” which bounces between alt rock, pop and even a hint of hardcore.
Not only in its sound, but in its content is EDAABP the most ambitious and honest of Williams' career. Loneliness, heartbreak and yearning are key themes throughout, mixed in with depictions of mental health, racial inequality, and gentrification. Standout track “True Believer” harks back to Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” in an ever-important examination of the USA and its relationship with the marginalised. Meanwhile title track “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party” picks apart the ever-changing state of her imperfect hometown of Nashville.
At its final running time of 66:44, it would be easy to assume this is a bloated record, but every minute feels justified and crucial. It’s Williams’ most ambitious record to date, and it has been rightfully applauded this year across the world of music and beyond. From its unique roll-out as 17 individual choose-your-own-adventure singles, to the final vinyl pressing of a track list of 20, EDAABP is a true triumph and, without a shadow of a doubt, my defining album of 2025.
Sarah Moore - Head of Brand and Commercial
Zookeeper - Victor Jones
Zookeeper is a concept album whose story is wrapped up in absurd humour, but underneath it’s dealing with themes of war, the costs of freedom, identity as a performance and the trappings of modernity, perhaps titled as such because it’s about keeping that inner beast locked up in a world full of noise and comfort. Musically it’s chaotic with rough and raw production, which for me only adds to its rebellious tone
I didn’t get this album at all on first listen, and that’s what kept pulling me back. It rewards repeat listens, it’s poetic and provocative, and still manages to be genuinely funny…this is a weird album
Sam Potts – Ticketing Project Manager
Unclouded - Melody's Echo Chamber
Melody Prochet’s new record won me over immediately, despite my lukewarm response to the first singles. It’s immersive and emotionally direct, pulling you into a hazy, richly textured world. The melodies soar over dense, heavy instrumentals, balancing dreaminess with a real sense of momentum & drive. "Eyes Closed" is easily one of my songs of the year - nostalgic, tight, and perfectly assembled, from the funky rhythm section and fuzzy guitars to the space-echoed, ethereal vocals and smatterings of sitar. I’m sure there’s some recency bias at play here, but few records this year have grabbed my attention so quickly and held it so confidently.
James McBride – Business Development and Project Lead
📅 Melody's Echo Chamber tour date:
- Tuesday 21st April 2026: Melody's Echo Chamber - Electric Ballroom, London
Melody's Echo Chamber tickets are on sale now!
EURO-COUNTRY - CMAT
What an album. These songs were on constant rotation, blasted out at every possible opportunity. Euro-Country has it all: huge belters like “Running/Planning”, “The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station” and “Euro-Country”, plus full-blown dancefloor moments courtesy of “Take A Sexy Picture of Me”.
It truly was a CMAT summer, and I’m grateful for this album getting me through what was, frankly, a pants year.
Bethan Boast - Digital Marketing Manager
📅 CMAT tour dates:
- Friday 17th July 2026: CMAT - The Piece Hall, Halifax
- Saturday 18th July 2026: CMAT - Scarborough Open Air Theatre
CMAT tickets are on sale now!
Mayhem - Lady Gaga
I worship at the altar of Lady Gaga. She is a true visionary and completely changed the game of pop music. Mayhem is a typical Gaga album, full of her stunning vocals and sleazy dancey beats. "Abracadabra" and "Disease" are some of the best pop songs I've heard, and you can hear the heavy French house influence à la Justice, which is a huge bonus for me.
"Vanish Into You" may be one of her best pieces of work. Mayhem is an avante-garde masterpiece that cements Lady Gaga as one of the greatest artists of our generation - as if there was any doubt.
I was lucky enough to attend The Mayhem Ball in October at The O2 Arena and it was cinema, opera, and a masterclass in music.
Jodie Averis – Marketing Assistant
Kadath - The Great Old Ones
A French melodic black metal concept album based on H.P. Lovecraft's classic pulp horror novella The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath. As dark, chilling and dream-like as its source material.
Simon Cranswick – PHP Developer
The Art of Loving - Olivia Dean
This album is a fantastic alternative to therapy, instantly putting you in a great mood! The themes of the album make each song distinctively unique, and every tune has its place, honestly not a skippable song in sight and so much to relate to. Also a special shout to "A Couple Minutes" which for me undoubtedly has to be the song of the year, the classic soulful production with her voice and the lyricism oomph, for me it will still hit in decades to come!
Lewis Conway – Service Desk & On-Site Lead
Man's Best Friend - Sabrina Carpenter
I love a sad yearner with the best of ‘em but Sabby C brought back FUN! My top three songs are "Manchild", "My Man on Willpower" and "Go Go Juice" 🧃
Abbie Hargreaves – CRM Marketing Manager
WE WERE MADE PREY. - Kathryn Joseph
I’m going to go with WE WERE MADE PREY. by Kathryn Joseph. It’s folk music, but folk music made by the strange woman who lives alone in the woods with only an Acorn Electron and a shockingly vivid imagination for company. And that’s a good thing.
Chris Reeve – Head of Event Management
God Save The Gun - Militarie Gun
Me when he goes 'ooh-ooh':
Kieren Burns – Event Management
📅Militarie Gun tour dates:
- Wednesday 11th February 2026: Militarie Gun - Electric Ballroom, London
- Saturday 14th February 2026: Militarie Gun - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Militarie Gun tickets are on sale now!
private music - Deftones
Sweet sweet lovely Deftones can do no wrong
Thom Flood – Senior Event Management
Drive to Goldenhammer - Divorce
Tiger Cohen-Towell’s dreamy vocals grabbed me from the very first listen — couldn’t get enough!
Caught them live at Rock City at the weekend —absolutely blew the roof off! One of Nottingham’s finest exports, and honestly, so proud to see them smashing it!
Gemma Treece – Customer Services Assistant Manager
Dog Eared - Billie Marten
Very lovely folk album, perfect album for slow mornings and train journeys.
Favourite tracks are "Leap Year" and "Clover".
Emmie Sheeran – Event Management
Halcyon - Kingfishr
