The 30 Best Albums Of 2025

We ranked the 30 projects that shifted R&B culture, stirred our spirits & fed our ears all year.

Every December, we start reminiscing on the albums that soundtracked our year. Not just the albums people streamed the most or those that got Grammy-nominated, but the albums we personally lived with.

2025 was a year where R&B and its orbiting sub-genres felt endless — like everyone was playing around with the funny little concept of genre, pushing warmth into digital spaces, pulling soul into new shapes.

These are the 30 albums that sat with us the longest. The ones we reached for without thinking. Our Best Albums of 2025:

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30. The Weeknd — Hurry Up Tomorrow

Abel wanders back into his cinematic, late-night universe with a darker, more subdued palette than his last couple of albums. “Baptized In Fear” is the prime example of how Abel has mastered cinematic music.

29. Mariah Carey — Here For It All

Mariah proves (again) that her longevity is not an accident. A polished, emotionally grounded project with some of her sharpest vocal moments in years. And we love an R&B album with gospel records at the close.

28. Ciara – CiCi

Ciara is back in her element on ‘Cici’ – giving us dance floor-ready bops, sexy slow jams, elite music videos, and everything in between.

27. anaiis — Devotion & The Black Divine

A quiet, internal album that feels like a long exhale. anaiis makes music that sounds like sitting with your own thoughts — soft, reflective, and spiritually heavy in a way that feels just right.

26. Zyah Belle — Are You Still Listening?

Our Indie Issue cover star Zyah Belle sounds like she’s having fun even when she’s telling the truth. This is a vibrant, groovy, personality-forward record that stays in our rotation thanks to songs like “LYIN”, “About Time” feat. Ben Reilly, and “Diamonds" feat. Jane Handcock.

25. JAWAN.mp3 — Reverie

Independent R&B is consistently some of the best R&B dropping, and Jawan.mp3’s Reverie project is a prime example. Fans of Musiq Soulchild, give this one a chance, and thank us later.

24. keiyaA — hooke’s law

KeiyaA lives in her own sonic universe, and this album proves that she belongs exactly where she is. ‘hooke’s law’ is a layered, avant-garde, alternative soul experience that we’ll be listening to for a long time.

23. Summer Walker — Finally Over It

Summer finally gives herself the closure fans have been manifesting for years. The writing is calm yet cutting, and the production allows her voice to take center stage in a way that feels refreshing and new.

22. PartyNextDoor, Drake — $ome $exy $ongs 4 U

Two Canadian nightcrawlers link again for a project that feels like a DM you definitely shouldn’t send. Dark, intimate, and surprisingly playful with R&B at its core.

21. Sault — 10

Another entry in Sault’s quietly legendary run. Warm grooves, purposeful messages, and a sense of mystique that make the whole album feel sacred. Shoutout to Cleo Sol, Inflo, and all parties involved.

20. Coco Jones — Why Not More?

Coco leans confidently into her tone and emotional range on this debut album. This is Coco doubling down on her strengths and pushing toward bigger, more textured storytelling. It’s the type of album that makes you excited for what’s next from Coco.

19. threetwenty – separate from the noise

The husband-wife duo (Ivana & Filip) that is threetwenty reignited a specific groove that R&B has desperately been needing. The music (like Sault’s) is purposeful in its lyrical content – and it has us ready to time-travel back to a time when Zhané and Groove Theory ruled the scene.

18. bLAck pARty — The Last Dance

A warm, groovy record that feels like a romantic night in a tropical destination. It’s his most cohesive and replayable work yet.

17. Gabriel Jacoby — gutta child

There’s a raw texture to this EP that feels refreshing. It’s gritty, it’s tender, it’s southern AF. Gabriel has been drawing comparisons to D’Angelo, Childish Gambino, Bilal – and we’re not mad at any of that.

16. SAILORR — FROM FLORIDA’S FINEST

‘From Florida’s Finest’ is an exciting snapshot of an artist finding her voice in real time. SAILORR mixes regional swagger with a bop-making ability that lets you know that she’ll be around for a long time.

15. KIRBY — Miss Black America

KIRBY made an album that was deliberate, melodic, and rooted in purpose. This is an album that you feel in your chest, especially if you’re Black and from the Deep South of America. Read our in-depth interview with KIRBY about this album.

14. JayDon — Me My Songs & I

An earnest debut mixtape with songwriting & vocals that hit harder than most of his peers (who are years older than the dancing teen). JayDon has a huge future in front of him, and this project is just the beginning. His co-signs from Usher, Chris Brown, and LA Reid are no mistake!

13. DESTIN CONRAD — wHIMSY

Destin loosens the edges of his sound here, letting the songs swirl and float in new, jazzy directions. It’s fun, it’s soft, and it’s full of tiny emotional details that stick. Features from Terrace Martin, Keyon Harrold, and James Fauntleroy were the perfect dabs of hot sauce on top of this hot one.

12. Q — 10 Songs

This is one of those projects that sneaks up on you. The first listen is calm, the fifth listen is spiritual. It’s a mixtape that Q put out without expectations from his label or fans, but with songs like “bad man” and “pretty woman” – Q should be one of the biggest acts in music right now. Q is equal parts ‘nostalgia, Ultra’ and ‘Prince’ and we need more!

11. Khamari — To Dry a Tear

A beautifully restrained project where silence matters just as much as melody. Khamari knows how to build emotional weight that will have you heavily feeling the feels.

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10. Durand Bernarr — Bloom

Bloom is pure personality. Durand is one of the few artists who can make insanely impressive vocals feel playful instead of self-serious. Bloom is a garden — funky, colorful, unpredictable, and full of little left turns that make the listening experience feel alive. It’s the kind of record only Durand could make, and that’s what makes it special.

9. Elmiene — Heat The Streets

Elmiene has a rare kind of voice – the kind that makes you stop what you’re doing and listen intently. Heat The Streets is a mixtape that honestly feels like a legacy moment. He blends funky soul, gospel edges, and R&B textures without ever sounding like he’s reaching. It’s all instinct. The production gives him room to emote, to crack, to glow. Our Timeless Issue cover star isn’t just singing; he’s channeling something older than him.

8. Isaia Huron — CONCUBANIA

Isaia lives in those beautifully strange spaces between genre lines. CONCUBANIA is surreal, glitchy, and emotionally laser-focused all at once. It’s the kind of record where you hear new details each time — small production flourishes, unexpected harmonies, lyrics that hit differently depending on your mood. And the man sounds immaculate live – something I always look for when artists go from “yeah, he’s cool” to turning me into an evangelist spreading their name. Isaia is officially the latter.

7. Mariah the Scientist — HEARTS SOLD SEPARATELY

An album full of beautiful honesty. When I hear a lyric that literally makes me emote with a “Mmmmph!” or “Oh my god!” with a matching stank face, you know you got me. I had that moment early on with this album while listening to “United Nations + 1000 Ways To Die.” The concept of being a soldier for love is present in every visual and audio detail throughout the album and its promo run. And “Burning Blue”? That’s a 10/10 song. Also, shoutout to Mariah for knowing how to edit and making this album just 10 songs. It’s all that was needed to deliver an amazing body of work.

6. Olivia Dean — The Art Of Loving

Olivia writes love songs the way people journal—carefully, honestly, sometimes reluctantly. Her voice is easeful, her pen is sharp, and the album moves with a quiet confidence that feels refreshing in a world full of overproduction. Every track feels intentional and handcrafted. She draws a lot of inspiration from Motown greats like Michael Jackson and The Supremes, as well as British stars like Amy Winehouse and Corinne Bailey Rae – and you can hear it all over The Art Of Loving. It’s soul music for people who love storytelling, and pop music for people who love love.

5. Kenyon Dixon & Terrace Martin — Come As You Are

Come As You Are feels like opening the windows on a Sunday morning. Kenyon and Terrace craft a warm, analog world that sits somewhere between soul, jazz, and modern R&B. The attention to detail is ridiculous — horns tucked into corners of the mix, harmonies stacked like plush blankets, grooves that feel perfectly lived in. This is grown folks’ music without feeling too nostalgic; it’s timeless in a way that feels earned.

4. kwn — with all due respect

kwn has a conversational writing style — casual but precise, emotional but never overly dramatic. Toxic at times. She also has a woozy, atmospheric production style that wraps around the vocals in a way that feels almost hypnotic (go listen to “back of the club” and you’ll know exactly what we mean). It has the ‘90s bridge and melody and structure qualities that we yearn for, while remaining ultra-modern. Put some respect on with all due respect!

3. Rochelle Jordan — Through The Wall

Rochelle continues her run as one of music’s most innovative architects. She’s building her own lane at the intersection of electronic music, club culture, and polished R&B nostalgia. Through The Wall is sleek but emotional, futuristic but deeply rooted in soul. Rochelle doesn’t follow trends – she creates whole ecosystems and lets everyone else play catch-up. It’s the reason we made her he cover star of our Breakthrough Issue this year. A diva reimagined!

2. GIVĒON — BELOVED

GIVĒON’s BELOVED is the album that I’ve been waiting for from the Long Beach, CA native. For some reason, I never fully bought into GIVẼON’s appeal before this – but now I get it. The writing is mature, the vocals are carved with purpose, and the emotional stakes feel genuinely high. The emotive “Mmmph!” stank face moment that I described with Mariah The Scientist’s “United Nations” – it happened multiple times listening to this GIVEON album, especially on “KEEPER.”

GIVEON is leaning into the weight of his tone over live instrumentation in a way that makes this album feel as rich as it is timeless.

1. DESTIN CONRAD — LOVE ON DIGITAL

Numbers don’t lie, and Spotify told me I listened to this album more than any other album in 2025. LOVE ON DIGITAL feels cohesive in a way that only happens when an artist has lived every inch of the world they’re singing about. The songs glide flawlessly through so many contemporary R&B tempos and sounds, thanks to frequent production collaborators Louie Lastic and Mack Keane.

This album feels modern, intimate, and infectious. Songs like “KISSING IN PUBLIC”, “BAD BITCHES” with Kehlani, and “THE LAST TIME” with Teezo Touchdown show that even without major label backing, DESTIN CONRAD is capable of making music at the highest level of quality.

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Honorable Mentions

These projects are proof that R&B is a very stacked genre, full of diverse talent:

Teyana Taylor — Escape Room
Josh Levi — HYDRAULIC
Sasha Keable – act right
Bryson Tiller – Solace & The Vices
CARI – FLUX

Honestly, several more albums deserve to be on this list, but we had to cap it somewhere. R&B music was in very, very worthy hands in 2025. And we know that 2026 is shaping up to be even better with R&B veterans and newcomers alike storming our music libraries.