Sunday Special: The Best Music of 2025

Episode of The Daily · December 14, 2025 · 56 min

Gilbert Cruz, Caryn Ganz and Lindsay Zoladz review the biggest and best music of 2025, from Bad Bunny and Taylor Swift to Geese, then play a music quiz.

Summary

In this year-end edition of The Daily's Sunday Special, host Gilbert Cruz was joined by New York Times pop music editor Caryn Ganz and pop critic Lindsay Zoladz to look back on music in 2025. Ganz called it a "year of disappointment" in which many anticipated records fell short, while Zoladz described the mainstream as stagnant but argued the lack of consensus blockbusters made room for under-the-radar discoveries.

The panel praised Bad Bunny's Debí Tirar Más Fotos, which Zoladz compared to Beyoncé's history-minded recent albums, and Lady Gaga's Mayhem, which Ganz said won her over after seeing the tour. Zoladz singled out Justin Bieber's single "Daisies" for its unpolished, demo-like sound. They contrasted Chappell Roan's and Doechii's restraint after breakout years with Sabrina Carpenter's quick follow-up, and discussed Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl, which Ganz called confounding: commercially dominant yet more openly criticized than any previous Swift album. Zoladz criticized the accompanying theatrical film as cynical.

Zoladz highlighted micro-trends including the producer-as-artist (Dijon's Baby), a resurgent New York rock scene, and British women in pop (PinkPantheress's Fancy That, Lily Allen). Geese's Getting Killed, Zoladz's album of the year, proved divisive: Ganz disliked it, and Cruz said he was slowly warming to it despite Cameron Winter's voice. Both critics agreed on Water From Your Eyes. Ganz recommended Sleigh Bells, Hayley Williams and Turnstile, and Cruz praised Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas."

The episode closed with a three-round quiz on viral pop moments, Kidz Bop covers and song mashups, which Zoladz won.

Chapters

0:28
A disappointing year in music?
Ganz calls 2025 a year of disappointment while Zoladz argues the lack of blockbusters made room for discovery.
3:14
Bad Bunny's Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Zoladz and Ganz praise Bad Bunny's album for engaging with Puerto Rican musical history through young musicians.
6:37
Lady Gaga's Mayhem
Ganz explains how the tour won her over and Zoladz praises the album as the best kind of fan service.
10:30
Justin Bieber's Swag and Daisies
Zoladz discusses Bieber's work with Dijon and Mk.gee and the rough, demo-like appeal of Daisies.
13:13
Following a breakout year
The panel contrasts Chappell Roan's and Doechii's restraint with Sabrina Carpenter's quick follow-up album.
17:44
Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl
The critics discuss the album's commercial dominance, unmet expectations, its lyrics and the theatrical film.
22:37
Chart dominance and Ghost
Ganz notes Swift and Morgan Wallen dominated the charts and recounts seeing Ghost at Madison Square Garden.
25:31
Producer as artist: Dijon
Zoladz highlights Dijon's album Baby and the challenge of translating producer-artists to live performance.
29:31
Geese and New York rock
The panel debates Geese's Getting Killed, Zoladz's album of the year, and praises Water From Your Eyes.
37:30
British women in pop
Zoladz discusses PinkPantheress's Fancy That, recounts a roller coaster interview, and Ganz discusses Lily Allen's album.
41:44
More recommendations
Cruz praises Ella Langley's Choosin' Texas and Ganz recommends Sleigh Bells, Hayley Williams and Turnstile.
45:50
Year-end music quiz
Ganz and Zoladz compete in rounds on viral moments, Kidz Bop covers and song mashups, with Zoladz winning.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Caryn Ganz
Ganz said 2025 was a year of disappointment, with many anticipated records falling short.
“So to me, overall, there were a lot of records I was expecting to be great. They were a little lesser than I anticipated”
Listen from 1:55
Lindsay Zoladz
Zoladz described mainstream music in 2025 as stagnant, though she found more room for under-the-radar discoveries.
“I think in terms of the mainstream, it was a very stagnant year”
Listen from 2:14
Lindsay Zoladz
Zoladz argued that Bad Bunny's album engages with Puerto Rican musical history much as Beyoncé's recent albums engage with dance and country history.
“I hear Bad Bunny doing that with the history of Puerto Rican music on this record”
Listen from 4:22 · Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Caryn Ganz
Ganz said that after initially disliking Mayhem, seeing the tour made her view it as a reinvention, though still flawed.
“But overall, I really do see it as a sort of reinvention”
Listen from 7:57 · Mayhem (Lady Gaga album)
Lindsay Zoladz
Zoladz praised Mayhem as positive fan service, returning Gaga to the dark electronic pop her fans wanted.
“her fans have just wanted her to go back to making these dark electronic pop bangers for a long time now”
Listen from 9:40 · Mayhem (Lady Gaga album)
Linked moment · 10:30Skip to 10:30 using a listen link in the info box.
Lindsay Zoladz
Zoladz said Bieber's single Daisies was intriguing for its unfinished, demo-like sound.
“And I think Daisy's just sounds unfinished and demo-like in this really intriguing way”
Listen from 10:46 · Swag (Justin Bieber album)
Caryn Ganz
Ganz argued Sabrina Carpenter's second big album was less successful because its shtick needed a new iteration.
“There is a bit of schtick to her music. And I think that it played off perfectly on the first record”
Listen from 14:35 · Man's Best Friend (Sabrina Carpenter album)
Lindsay Zoladz
Zoladz praised Chappell Roan and Doechii for withholding new music after breakout years, saying it made her more excited for their next work.
“So I think they're approaching their careers in a more considered way, and that makes me more excited for what they do have coming next”
Listen from 16:41 · Alligator Bites Never Heal
Caryn Ganz
Ganz said The Life of a Showgirl left Swift both more popular and more openly criticized than ever.
“she is like the most popular person ever to walk the earth, but she's also being more criticized than she ever has been”
Listen from 19:16 · The Life of a Showgirl
Lindsay Zoladz
Zoladz called the paid theatrical release accompanying the album cynical and off-putting.
“to go see this in a theater felt a little just gross to me, honestly, and that experience”
Listen from 21:54 · The Life of a Showgirl
Lindsay Zoladz
Zoladz said Dijon's live show did not match the strength of his album.
“I found Dijon as a live performer was fine, but his show didn't really grab me as a great show”
Listen from 28:35 · Baby (Dijon album)
Lindsay Zoladz
Zoladz named Geese's Getting Killed as her album of the year.
“Actually, my album of the year is Geese's album, Getting Killed”
Listen from 29:51 · Getting Killed (Geese album)
Gilbert Cruz
Cruz said he initially hated Getting Killed but warmed to it with repeated listens, though Cameron Winter's voice remained a hurdle.
“I hated this album the first couple times I listened to it. And I put it on five times this weekend”
Listen from 32:50 · Getting Killed (Geese album)
Caryn Ganz
Ganz argued Geese fail to successfully channel the 1960s and 1970s New York bands they draw on.
“To me, they're not doing it successfully. It just feels like a mishmash to me”
Listen from 34:35 · Getting Killed (Geese album)
Lindsay Zoladz
Zoladz argued 2025 was a good year for rock music, with younger bands finding new approaches.
“And I think another trend we want to discuss is it was actually a good year for rock music”
Listen from 34:59
Lindsay Zoladz
Zoladz described Water From Your Eyes' record as a 1990s-style alternative rock album by people too young to have lived through that era.
“I think this is, in some ways, an alternative rock 90s record made by people that did not live through it”
Listen from 37:14 · It's a Beautiful Place (Water From Your Eyes album)
Caryn Ganz
Ganz called Water From Your Eyes the most exciting Brooklyn band of the moment.
“To me, this is the exciting Brooklyn band at the moment”
Listen from 37:27 · It's a Beautiful Place (Water From Your Eyes album)
Lindsay Zoladz
Zoladz identified a trend of British women making interesting pop music in 2025.
“there were a lot of British women making interesting pop music this year and pop music under a very large umbrella”
Listen from 37:35 · Fancy That (PinkPantheress album)
Caryn Ganz
Ganz praised Sleigh Bells' comeback album as a reminder that the band anticipated hyperpop.
“it was an amazing reminder of how they were predecessors to all the things that we love in the sort of experimental hyper-pop realm”
Listen from 43:17 · Bunky Becky Birthday Boy

People

In the conversation

Gilbert CruzCanon editor at The New York Times
Lindsay ZoladzPop music critic at The New York Times
Caryn GanzPop music editor at The New York Times

Discussed

Bad BunnyPuerto Rican musician whose Super Bowl halftime show Hamm praised
Lady GagaSinger whose documentary Five Foot Two depicted her chronic pain
Justin BieberSinger cast as Cupid in Maisel's Mythoverse film
Taylor SwiftAmerican singer-songwriter cited as an example of public love-and-hate cycles
Sabrina CarpenterAmerican pop singer contrasted with Sweeney
Chappell RoanAmerican pop singer-songwriter
DoechiiAmerican rapper and singer
DijonAmerican musician and producer
Cameron WinterFrontman of the Brooklyn rock band Geese
Travis KelceNFL tight end and New Heights co-host engaged to Taylor Swift
Brandon FlowersLead singer of the Killers
PinkPantheressBritish singer and producer
Lily AllenBritish singer-songwriter
Morgan WallenAmerican country singer whose tour Langley supports and with whom she recorded 'What I Want'
BeyoncéSinger, mother of Blue Ivy Carter
Ella LangleyAmerican country singer-songwriter from Hope Hull, Alabama

Topics

Bad Bunny Takes Over America
The Daily · Feb 1, 2026 · 49 min
Natalie Kitroeff talks with Popcast hosts Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli about Bad Bunny's rise, his politics, and his contentious Super Bowl halftime show.

From the publisher

As 2025 comes to an end, The Sunday Special is looking back on the year in culture. This week, we’re listening to the songs and albums that defined the year, for better or worse. Gilbert Cruz is joined by Caryn Ganz and Lindsay Zoladz from The Times’s pop music desk to discuss some of the biggest and best releases of 2025.Albums and songs mentioned in this episode: Bad Bunny, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” Lady Gaga, “Mayhem” Justin Bieber, “Daisies” Chappell Roan, “The Giver” and “The Subway” Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild” Doechii, “Alligator Bites Never Heal” Taylor Swift, “The Life of a Showgirl” Morgan Wallen, “I’m the Problem” Ghost, “Skeletá” Dijon, “Baby” Geese, “Getting Killed” Water From Your Eyes, “It’s a Beautiful Place” PinkPantheress, “Fancy That” Lily Allen, “Tennis” Ella Langley, “Choosin’ Texas” Sleigh Bells, “Bunky Becky Birthday Boy” Hayley Williams, “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party” Turnstile, “Never Enough”

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on October 24, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Music Commentary·Music