Hidden Gems: The 12 Best Albums You Missed from the First Half of 2025
Congrats! You made it halfway through the year.
So far, I’ve listened to over 250 new albums this year (yes, I keep track).
How is this even possible?
Every morning, I wake up with two albums queued up as I head for the gym. It’s become a sort of sacred ritual for me.
While you’ve probably heard new albums from the biggest stars like Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga, and Morgan Wallen, there’s so much incredible music that flies under the radar.
That’s where this list comes in. I wanted to hand-pick 12 albums by artists with fewer than 500,000 monthly Spotify listeners. Think of it as your gateway to the year’s best-kept musical secrets.
In my opinion, these albums all have one thing in common: they push the boundaries of what music can be. Many are experimental, intense, and original in ways that just won’t appeal to a mainstream audience. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them a chance.
Hopefully, there’s something here that resonates with you.
But First: Why You Should Listen to Albums
Before we dive in, I wanted to share a brief thought on why albums are still worth listening to:
In the era of playlist culture and TikTok videos, there's something magical about experiencing an artist's complete vision from start to finish. Albums tell stories that individual songs simply can't. They have arcs, themes, and sonic journeys that reveal new layers with each listen. Sure, you might discover your new favorite song buried as track seven, but more importantly, you'll understand the full context of what the artist was trying to say. It’s like reading a tweet versus reading a novel—both have their place, but only one can truly transport you somewhere else.
The Top 12 Albums
12. Imperial Triumphant - Goldstar
(March 2025, Genre: Avant-Garde Metal)
This album is not for the faint of heart. The band consists of three New Yorkers who somehow figured out a way to make jazz-infused death metal that actually works. The album itself is a reflection of the dazzling chaos and architectural grandeur of New York city. There’s luxury and decay in every corner—a strange beauty in the madness.
Sample Track: “Gomorrah Nouveaux”
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
11. Model/Actriz - Pirouette
(May 2025, Genre: Dance-Punk)
If you’ve ever said to yourself, “Some punk music would be nice right now—but also, I really feel like dancing,” then this album is for you. While it can sometimes feel a bit repetitive, the sharp angles and fevered energy are undeniable. It’s dark, moody, and yet highly danceable.
Sample Track: “Vespers”
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
10. Backxwash - Only Dust Remains
(March 2025, Genre: Experimental Hip-Hop)
Backxwash has been known to push hip-hop into darker, more experimental territory, and she does so again with this album. The production expertly blends elements of industrial, metal, gospel, and post-rock, creating abrasive beats with haunting samples. The album interrogates trauma, mental illness, and the paradoxes of survival. If you’re the type of person who thinks they don’t like rap music, maybe give this one a try—it’s heavy, cathartic, and unique in its own way.
Sample Track: “Wake Up”
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
9. Honningbarna - Soft Spot
(February 2025, Genre: Post-Hardcore, Noise Rock)
This relatively unknown Norwegian band is my favorite new find of the year so far. It’s a ferocious post-hardcore album, bursting with energy and surprisingly catchy hooks. I recommended it to a friend, and he replied, “Who needs coffee when you have Honningbarna?” I couldn’t have put it any better myself. Put this album on and let it take you to the moon.
Sample Track: “Festen som aldri stopper”
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
8. DjRUM - Under Tangled Silence
(April 2025, Genre: IDM)
If you checked out any of the albums listed above, you’re probably ready for a sonic reprieve. UK producer DjRUM crafts intricate electronic soundscapes that feel like a long, patient journey. What impresses me most are the layers and instrumentation—this album is incredibly detailed, combining glitchy beats, field recordings, and ethereal melodies. If you’re in a meditative mood or want something instrumental while you work, put this one on.
Sample Track: “A Tune for Us”
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
7. Swans - Birthing
(May 2025, Genre: Experimental Rock)
Ok, this one’s a doozy. If you’ve never listened to Swans before, they’re known for making rock that slowly builds, getting more and more intense until it erupts into a completely overwhelming and immersive experience. With its nearly two-hour run time, this album feels more like a spiritual ritual than a collection of songs. The pieces are massive (some of them over twenty minutes), but if you give them time to unfold at their own pace, you’ll experience something genuinely transformative.
Sample Track: “The Healers”
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
6. Billy Woods - GOLLIWOG
(May 2025, Genre: Experimental Hip-Hop)
This album is built on a foundation of horror—both literal and metaphorical. “GOLLIWOG” references a racist caricature from 19th-century British children’s literature, which Billy Woods reimagines as a symbol of historical violence. The production is dense and atmospheric, blending genres seamlessly into something both hazy and disorienting. It’s a confrontation with the grotesque legacies that still haunt the present.
Sample Track: “Misery”
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
5. Deafheaven - Lonely People with Power
(March 2025, Genre: Blackgaze, Post-Metal)
I’ll admit that this is maybe my least favorite album on this list. So why is it ranked so highly? I’ve seen it get a lot of love and praise, and knowing that my experience and familiarity with metal isn’t as deep as it is with other genres, I sometimes recognize I just have to trust what the musical hivemind is telling me. Deafheaven returns to their black metal roots with this album, while still layering in the lush, melodic textures they’ve explored in recent years.
Sample Track: “Magnolia”
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
4. Annahstasia - Tether
(June 2025, Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Contemporary Folk)
So far, everything I’ve shared—aside from the DjRUM album—has been on the more intense side. If you’re looking for an easy-listening experience, this is the album for you. Annahstasia’s husky, resonant voice is magical, immediately pulling you into a warm and beautiful world. Her music is deeply personal and vulnerable, exploring themes of love, integrity, and authenticity.
Sample Track: “Be Kind”
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
3. Caroline - Caroline 2
(May 2025, Genre: Post-Rock, Avant-Folk)
The most important thing you should know about Caroline is that there are eight people in this band. Why does that matter? Because it allows them to blur the lines between post-rock, folk, and ambient music in a way that most bands simply can’t. They weave together violin, cello, guitars, hushed vocals, and a host of other instruments, tying it all together with an emotional longing that lingers long after the music fades.
Sample Track: “Tell me I never knew that (feat. Caroline Polachek)”
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
2. McKinley Dixon - Magic, Alive!
(June 2025, Genre: Jazz Rap)
There are some truly great jazz-rap concept albums out there—To Pimp A Butterfly comes to mind, most notably—but McKinley Dixon’s Magic, Alive! gives even the best a serious run for their money. The album centers on a group of kids who lose a close friend and embark on a magical, surreal quest to bring him back. Not only are the instrumentation, composition, and production highly impressive, but the storytelling is vivid and emotionally resonant. This is, without a doubt, the best hip-hop album I’ve heard this year.
Sample Track: “Sugar Water (feat. Quelle Chris and Anjimile)”
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
1. Jane Remover - Revengeseekerz
(April 2025, Genre: Digicore, Electronic Dance Music)
Where do I even begin? To put it simply, Jane Remover is pushing electronic music forward in a way that no one else is. Aside from one track featuring Danny Brown, every song on this album is written, sung, arranged, and produced by Jane Remover alone. The chaotic blend of breakbeats, distorted vocals, and video game-inspired samples is hyperactive and abrasive, capturing the restless energy of a generation raised on the internet. This is the future of music, and you have the privilege of hearing it now.
Sample Track: “Dancing with your eyes closed”
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
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