Was 2025 Really A Bad Year For Pop Music? The Year In Review

Pop in 2025 has been… a ride. In this episode, we break down the year that gave us conservative pop trends, breakout niche-class stars, and some of the strangest chart behaviour we’ve seen in years.I dive into why Pop felt so safe this year, the rise of artists operating completely on their own wavelength — Zara Larsson, PinkPantheress, JADE, and the wider Niche Class — and how R&B quietly became one of the most interesting genres again. Meanwhile, Rap had a tough run, but the lack of superstar domination meant new talent finally got to shine: Ravyn Lenae, Leon Thomas, SOMBR, Katseye and more all delivered some of the year’s strongest moments.