"In spite of a shattered monoculture and dividing attention spans, the studio album still held power as a cultural event in 2025.Everyone from rappers who'djust as soon persistas a hail of singles, like Playboi Carti and Cardi B, to pop overlords like Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpentercame to the plate. Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, and Doja Cat used their albums to broadcast tastes that span decades."
"An album is a megaphone and podium, or an intricate sculpture, or a temporary press whirlwind. The best of this year took the opportunity to nudge us toward a deeper love for our fellow humans, or a greater appreciation of an outstanding auteur's craft,or a fresh outlook on an existing musical tradition - without losing sight of the hunger for big hooks and cool riffs that brought us around in the first place."
"The Brooklyn arts collective joined a growing number of artists this year who pulled albums from Spotify as disdain mounts for the company's payouts and practices. They sent listeners on a quest to obtain their third album: For a few hours on September 11, you could meet someone in a Mickey Mouse costume in Times Square to pay cash for a DVD that turned out to contain the new music."
In 2025, studio albums retained cultural significance despite fragmented attention and a shattered monoculture. Artists across rap, pop, rock, and country used albums to broadcast eclectic tastes or to refocus attention on musical talent. Albums acted as megaphones, podiums, intricate sculptures, and temporary press whirlwinds. The strongest releases encouraged empathy, celebrated auteur craft, or reimagined musical traditions while preserving strong hooks and riffs. Some artists resisted streaming platforms, staging alternative distribution moments. One Brooklyn collective withdrew an album from Spotify, staged a cash-for-DVD drop in Times Square, then livestreamed and sold copies, blending historic influences with modern experimentation.
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