A new year means new opportunities in many aspects of life. Adding a healthy habit to your routine, reading more, and changing your diet are some of the more common New Year’s resolutions you hear drunkenly spat out at crowded parties minutes before the clock strikes midnight on January 1. While that is all fine and dandy, hardly anyone means what they’re saying. By the first week of February, gyms will be emptied, and sloppy Uber Eats orders will be abundant. A new year does not mean any guarantees except for one. It’s time to shake the holiday cobwebs out of your head; an avalanche of new music is upon us.
With the new year comes the prospect of exciting new LPs. The mystery of who will release and when they will do it is the closest we get to year-round Christmas mornings as music fanatics. While the mystique is enticing, a cemented release date gives us something to look forward to: a light at the end of a long tunnel that snakes around the mountainous promises that the new year brings. 2025 is a blank slate, and artist are already adding their splashes of color to the vagueness of what’s to come.
Glide has assembled a few of our most anticipated albums of 2025. From long-awaited returns to young stars looking to take over the year, there is already so much to look forward to in the new year. Check out our picks for the most anticipated albums of the year below.
Zzzahara – Spiral Your Way Out
Release Date: January 10
Zzzahara’s prolific and ever-tender songwriting is kicking off our year. Their new album, Spiral Your Way Out, is set to be their most concentrated effort yet. The singles tell the tale of lush bedroom pop battling searing punk-leaning guitar tones as the up-and-coming melodic mastermind sets aim at quick yet dense songcraft. Being one of the first significant releases of the year puts a lot of pressure on Zzzahara, but based on their previous work, the pressure is rolling off their indie rock prowess like raindrops on nylon.
Mac Miller – Balloonerism
Release Date: January 17
Originally recorded between 2013 and 2014, around the time the late Mac Miller was working on his Faces mixtape, and subsequently leaked in 2020, the time has officially come for Balloonerism. The long-lost project from Miller is getting an official release on January 17 and is promising to be nostalgic for long-time fans and refreshing for those who are new. With no official singles as of yet, the only preview we have is a short, animated trailer that premiered at the recent Camp Flog Gnaw festival.
Songhoy Blues – Héritage
Release Date: January 17
It is not very often we get the gift of new music from Mali’s Songhoy Blues, but 2025 will see the band make their triumphant return. Five years after the release of Optimisme, the renowned groove-makers are set to release Héritage on January 17, and the three current singles are hinting at the band’s most focused project yet. On each single, acoustic guitars flutter just before complex melodies and stunning vocals enter the arena, giving listeners the impression that Songhoy Blues’ new album will be a more gentle approach to their signature sound.
The Weather Station – Humanhood
Release Date: January 17
Tamara Lindeman’s project, The Weather Station, has become a vehicle for her elegant approach to folksy alt-pop. She looks to continue her dominance over the subgenre with Humanhood, a 13-song LP promising to be some of the artist’s most vulnerable work. Each single is accented by a uniquely stunning simplicity, allowing Lindeman’s ever-lovely songwriting to take center stage.
Mogwai – The Bad Fire
Release Date: January 24
Veteran instrumentalist Mogwai have their feet firmly planted in the sonic landscape that gave them their fanbase, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t more rolling pastures to be explored. The band prepares fans for the release of The Bad Fire, their stadium-sized LP that has the band concocting expansive and explosive worlds. Singles “Lion Rumpus” and “God Gets You Back” set our expectations high with fiery guitar melodies and neck-breaking drum patterns.
Rose City Band – Sol Y Sombra
Release Date: January 24
Since bursting onto the country scene with a psychedelic take on storied traditions, Rose City Band hasn’t stopped innovating. The project of guitarist/vocalist Ripley Johnson is set to release Sol Y Sombra on January 24, and the lead singles have the band diving head-first into their psychedelic roots. “Lights on the Way” and “Seeds of Light” are brimming with breezy balladry that evokes the feeling of levitation, and that’s just a taste of Sol Y Sombra.
Sam Amidon – Salt River
Release Date: January 24
Sam Amidon has built a career out of the broken pieces of folk tropes, tearing into genre norms and emerging with some of the most daring music the genre has seen in some years. Whether he is updating folk standards or exploring his songwriting, Amidon has a way of making everything sound passionate and feel urgent. Salt River, set to be released on January 24, is the next chapter of Amidon’s exciting career. The singles hint at an album that leans on psychedelic simplicity as Amidon continues to change the course of folk music and steer it in a more experimental direction.
Bonnie “Prince” Billy – The Purple Bird
Release Date: January 31
Will Oldham goes by many names and is no stranger to pushing the boundaries of modern folk, crafting a reputation that allows his creativity to guide his path. A hero’s journey always ends at home, and Oldham’s most recognized project, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, sets his sights on a return to form. The Purple Bird will arrive on the last day of January, sounding like a more conventional outing from Oldham. Singles like “Our Home” and “London May” have the artist employing familiar tropes while filtering the ever-growing scene through his kaleidoscope lens.
Manic Street Preachers – Critical Thinking
Release Date: January 31
The legendary Manic Street Preachers are set to release their first new album since 2021, and the indie rock doyens sound as refreshing as they did in the early nineties. Critical Thinking will arrive on January 31, and it already sounds like a high-energy effort. The two singles, “Decline & Fall” and “Hiding in Plain Sight,” take different approaches to up-tempo rock, signaling that Manic Street Preachers are tapping into a youthful yet honed energy.
MIKE – Showbiz!
Release Date: January 31
MIKE carved out his lane in Hip-hop very early in his tenure as one of the most prolific producers/emcees of modern times, and he is set to kick off the new year with a bang. Showbiz! will be released on January 31 and finds the artist returning to the soulful minimalism he coined only a few years ago. The two hazy singles “You’re The Only One Watching” and “Pieces of a Dream” feature subtle grooves and expert songwriting, hinting at the fact that MIKE is far from done fine-tuning his unique approach to Hip-hop.
Lilly Hiatt – Forever
Release Date: January 31
Singer/songwriter Lilly Hiatt has the full attention of the country-rock world as she prepares to release her first album since 2021. Forever will arrive on January 31 and is already showcasing an evolution in Hiatt’s signature sound. The single “Shouldn’t Be” features murky garage-rock influences, while the pop-leaning whimsy of “Thoughts” harkens back to the artist’s previous work. With two seemingly juxtaposing singles, Hiatt has a lot of surprises in store on Forever.
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory – Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
Release Date: February 7
A modern songwriting iconoclast, Sharon Van Etten, is taking 2025 to add new dimensions to her already-established sound. On their self-titled debut, Sharon Van Etten brings along Jorge Balbi, Devra Hoff, and Teeny Liberson for their first fully collaborative effort under their new moniker. The self-titled effort is set to be released on February 7 with two infectious and rocking singles, “Afterlife” and “Southern Life,” showcasing the larger-than-life sound the band captured on their anticipated debut.
Squid – Cowards
Release Date: February 7
The overseas post-punk provocateurs Squid have firmly established their dominance in the busy scene, and they look to take home the gold on their third album. Cowards will arrive on February 7, and it is already shaping up to be their most artsy and experimental outing. “Crispy Skin,” our first single, is a warping journey that dips in and out of different tempos as if attempting to find the perfect outfit for date night, giving us a proper yet equally perplexing preview of the anticipated project.
Guided By Voices – Universe Room
Release Date: February 7
The bountiful discography of Guided By Voices is getting a new addition in 2025, with the band set to release Universe Room on February 7. After three albums in 2023 and another in ‘24, the band is kicking off the new year with a sweeping 17-song LP. The three singles showcase crunchy guitars and hazy vocals, a more dense and left-field sound than the digestible indie rock of 2024’s Strut of Kings.
Horsegirl – Phonetics On & On
Release Date: February 14
After making a name for themselves via their critically acclaimed debut LP, the indie trio Horsegirl looks to avoid the sophomore slump with Phonetics On & On. Their new album, produced by Cate Le Bon, will arrive on February 14. Our two lead singles, the twangy bounce of “2468” and the swaying melodies of “Julie,” give us an exciting trailer preparing fans for an expansive and career-defining effort.
Mereba – The Breeze Grew a Fire
Release Date: February 14
The long-awaited new album from southern songstress Mereba finally has a release date. The Breeze Grew a Fire will arrive on February 14 and is the artist’s first full-length since their 2019 debut. The off-kilter drums are soothed by the artist’s cloud-like vocal layering on the album’s lead single, “Counterfit.” A lot of pressure comes with a sophomore release, but Mereba seems ready to tackle the high expectations.
Brother Ali & Ant – Satisfied Soul
Release Date: February 14
Two veterans of modern Hip-hop combine forces on Satisfied Soul as Atmosphere’s producer Ant sets the tone for vocalist Brother Ali’s next album. The collaborative album will be released on February 14 and is proving to be a victory lap for the two highly respected artists. The singles hint at a bright, awe-inspiring tracklist as Ali’s acrobatic vocals nimbly navigate Ant’s equally all-embracing approach to a drum machine.
Panda Bear – Sinister Grift
Release Date: February 28
After spending the last few years releasing and remixing his Sonic Boom-collab project, the multi-faceted Panda Bear gears up for a solo effort. Sinister Grift is set to be released on February 28 and is promising to be a return to form for the acclaimed artist. The singles lean more to the pop side, employing wavey melodies and lighthearted tones, but if Panda Bear’s past output has taught us anything, we never know what to expect.
Everything Is Recorded – Richard Russell Is Temporary
Release Date: February 28
Led by XL Recordings’s Richard Russell, Everything Is Recorded collects a wide array of studio sessions captured at Russell’s London studio. The highly collaborative project has Russell tapping the likes of Sampha and Florence Welch to craft modern fusion records that pull from jazz, hip-hop, and R&B alike. 2025 will mark the project’s first release in five years with Richard Russell Is Temporary. The two singles showcase the unpredictability of Russell’s brainchild. The folksy “Porcupine Tattoo” is an endearing acoustic ballad, while “Losing You” is a jazzy, funky anthem for the brokenhearted.
Deep Sea Diver – Billboard Heart
Release Date: February 28
After closing out 2024 with the release of its title track, indie rock band Deep Sea Diver has officially announced their first album in five years. Billboard Heart will be released on February 28 via Sub Pop. The two singles are synth-drenched anthems that showcase the band’s electronic influences while allowing their songwriting to flourish refreshingly and infectiously. The long-awaited return is almost here, and Deep Sea Diver has an explosive LP on the horizon for fans.
Sports Team – Boys These Days
Release Date: February 25
Sports Team, the guitar-driven indie rock band from England, is already shaping up to be a power player in the scene. Combining their melodic prowess with witty lyricism, the band had high expectations as a young band, and their third album is set to push the band to the next steps of stardom. The two singles, “Condensation” and “I’m In Love (Subaru),” have Sports Team working with nostalgic Brit-pop tropes and bringing them to modern times with complex vocal harmonies and soaring guitar sections.
