TOAST – Albums of 2025

“A dance record that’s both fresh and nostalgic” – NME

“…assured and ambitious from one of our brightest pop personalities”  – Dork

“endearingly honest – and frankly moving – breakup album”  – Clash 

“self-aware, fun, whipsmart, and witty” – DIY

“undoubtedly her most personal, intimate record to date” – DIY

“their reign over the dancefloor has only just begun”  – Dork

“His rise feels inevitable” – The Observer

“bursting with magnetic charm and evocative storytelling” – Wonderland

“Rakei’s grandest record to date” – Wonderland

“Haunting, immersive, and undeniably catchy, this is Provoker at their spectral, self-assured best.” – The Line of Best Fit

“Welcome to Shanti’s golden era”  – CRACK

“a record that proves to be as kaleidoscopic as it is irresistible” – Rolling Stone UK

“Everybody wants a piece of The Dare” – GQ

“Alt-pop gem…a tender and rewarding collection of cuts.” – Wonderland

“Pop at its most insightful” – CLASH

“The British singer-producer continues to make gorgeously singular and fleet-of-foot pop-R&B”  – The Guardian

“they raise the bar on themselves once again” – NME ★★★★★ 

“shifting away from their punk and grunge roots and cementing their growing reputation” – The Line of Best Fit, (8/10)

“A Royel Otis at their most self-assured…back-to-back summer anthems, guaranteed to bring a feel-good vibe to any occasion”  – NME ★★★★

“An alternative force to be reckoned with.”  – Kerrang!

“Joy Crookes is only 26, but the south Londoner ’s music already feels omnipresent…the perfect combination of pop and politics.” – The Observer ★★★★ 

“new depth and complexity to Strauss’s punchy, sneakily virtuosic pop sensibility.” – The Guardian

“This is the moment when Larsson is finally coming into view as pop’s main girl.” – Vogue

“Now an even sharper writer with an even more refined flow” – TRENCH

“mainstream disruptor glaive is leading the left-field charge on pop sensibility” – Wonderland

“The producer du jour” – The Guardian

“full of humour, heartbreak and unexpected joy. A little messy. Very human. And all the better for it ” – Dork, 4/5

“a beautifully melancholy portrait of homesickness and sacrifice” – NME

“Vynehall has developed into a master craftsman” – Pitchfork

“What we have here is a highly accomplished talent with a big future” – London Standard ★★★★ 

“the first full-length from the London duo is as sunny and upbeat as its title alludes”– DIY

“one of the most fascinating figures in UK electronic music” – CLASH

“Instantly one of the greatest albums of all time” – The Telegraph ★★★★★

“The world of music is a far better place for having Jamie Woon in it” – CLASH

“at once irresistible and unpredictable” – Financial Times ★★★★

“Anti-pop’s enigmatic hero” – The Line of Best Fit

“fierce and enticing rock-n-roll” – DIY

“This transatlantic duo’s exuberant, swaggering album is one of the strongest debuts of 2025” – The Observer