#DALEYPOP X Class of 2025
2025 was so last year but still....
Music has been embedded in my life ever since I was in the womb, my mum and dad basically raised me on music, especially POP music! I grew up listening to Madonna, Mariah Carey, Kylie Minogue, Spice Girls, Britney Spears and even AQUA and I’ve always been obsessed with pop culture and Eurovison! I love yapping about my favourite songs and album of the month every month with the world from Scene HQ!
Sugababes finally dropped new music in 2025 (even if the album teasing is still very much ongoing….), Griff at last gave us an official music video for the absolute masterpiece that is last night’s mascara, a track she released back in November 2024 after it nearly disappeared into a pile of demos (I still can’t believe it was once an “album reject”) oh and then there was Lady Gaga who somehow delivered one of the strongest years of her entire career this deep into the game, OG little monsters know exactly how big that is.
Meanwhile, small furry creatures with big eyes and terrifyingly wide smiles began popping up everywhere in 2025 too….LABUBU'S, basically the final boss of consumerism. Anywaaaay choosing my favourite songs of the 2025 was nearly impossible because there were just so many great ones, but I’ve done my best and Spotify Wrapped definitely helped so bear with me and afterwards check out my 2025 AOTY picks HERE.
PinkPantheress – Illegal
Victoria Walker aka PinkPantheress unveiled Illegal in 2025 taken from her second mixtape Fancy That and gave major Y2K-meets-club vibes. Oh and the official music video oozed MySpace era aesthetics which as a millennial, I deeply appreciated!
On Reddit, PP described Illegal as a “weed diss track,” and the official video reinforces the message by exploring the darker consequences of drugs, moving from a deal like encounter into surreal, hallucinatory scenes before snapping back to reality. In 2025, the track was impossible to escape on TikTok too, spawning a viral meme built around the song’s opening and a two person handshake from alternating points of view.
Sugababes – Jungle
2025 was an immaculate time to be a Sugababes fan after what felt like 84 years because the girls released their first single Jungle from their upcoming 9th studio album here via their own label distributed by The Orchard and it’s, well, simply a bop!
Jungle is an irresistible slice of pop perfection, with elements of 2 step, garage and alt-pop woven together with the girls trademark vocal harmonies. Production powerhouse Jon Shave (Grammy winner for Charli xcx’s BRAT album), and acclaimed songwriters Anya Jones and Wayne Hector were enlisted. Jungle was co-written by Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy too of course and it's just a stand out track from 2025 for me.
Victoria Silvstedt – Love It!
Miss Sweden herself aka Victoria Silvstedt took to the stage at Husqvarna Garden in Jönköping during the 2025 Melodifestivalen final, performing Love It! in a showdown with five other artists for a chance to represent Sweden at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest. She didn’t make it through and I’m still not over it. #JusticeForLoveIt!
Victoria’s pop credentials run deep. Her 1999 album Girl on the Run went gold in Sweden and spawned singles like Hello Hey, Rocksteady Love (featuring Turbo B) and Party Line. She even gave us an iconic cover of Whigfield’s Saturday Night in 2010. But back to Love It!, Victoria was robbed. The song is pure recession pop escapism and sometimes that’s all we need.
Kesha - BOY CRAZY.
Calling all Animals! Kesha served Butterscotch 2.0 with BOY CRAZY. (if you know, you know. Butterscotch is now officially available on all streaming platforms as part of the 15 year anniversary edition of Animal + Cannibal btw. Meanwhile, BOY CRAZY. arrived straight from Kesha's highly anticipated sixth studio album Period, a huge milestone as her first fully independent release under her own label Kesha Records.
BOY CRAZY. was the fourth single from Period which is wild to me because it absolutely should’ve been the lead or even the second single after JOYRIDE. It arrived with a wink and a smile, striking the perfect balance between relatable chaos and….let’s be real, pure inspiration. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more inspired/gayer! The track is proof that Kesha still reigns supreme at crafting infectious, unapologetic pop anthems that are as empowering as they are addictive and the official music video only cements its iconic status.
Katy Perry - bandaids
Katy Perry dropped bandaids less than a year after 143 and it felt like unwrapping a gift from the emotional pop storytelling that built her career. bandaids song was released as a standalone single in 2025 marking another chapter in KP's recent era of more introspective, adult pop songwriting and split from Orlando Bloom.
Rather than chasing bombastic hooks, bandaids opted for sincerity, letting its message about emotional recovery take center stage and feels like one of KP's most relatable releases in years, quietly powerful without trying too hard to be a pop spectacle. Its restrained approach makes the song resonate more deeply, proving that sometimes Katy shines brightest when she leans into vulnerability instead of fireworks. It's an absolute bop though and hopefully a taster of more music to come in 2026.
BLACKPINK - JUMP
After three years of musical silence as a collective, the global K-pop giants made a comeback in 2025 with a vengeance. BLACKPINK (and JUMP) in your area!
JUMP is a full-throttle sonic explosion, blending the girls trademark charisma with fierce industrial synths and pounding bass lines, the track kicks off a daring new chapter in their sound. JUMP made history 48 hours post-release and catapulted to number 1 on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs Global chart, racking up over 13.1 million streams worldwide.
With this milestone, BLACKPINK become the first and only K-pop group to hit the top spot three times, joining their 2022 chart-toppers Pink Venom and Shut Down in the record books. Global domination, tick!
Lizzo – Still Bad
It was about damn time for brand new Lizzo music in 2025! After legal drama in 2023, Lizzo turned up the heat yet again on Still Bad via Nice Life Recording Company/Atlantic Records. Lizzo remains as unapologetic as ever on the enthusiastic and self-assured anthem.
A thumping bass line sets the tempo for the track between pulsating eighties-style keys and head-nodding claps. She comes to a realisation on the chorus, “I don’t need him. I need a drink,” giving way to a fiery funk guitar. Embracing confidence, charisma, and her power, she incites an irresistible chant, “After everything, I’m still surviving and I’m still bad, baby, so bitch I can’t complain.”
Rosalía, Björk, Yves Tumor - Berghain
Berghain was an unexpected viral collab between Rosalía, Björk and Yves Tumor. Rosalía and Björk worked together back in 2023, when Rosalía featured on Björk’s single Oral as part of a fundraiser supporting Iceland’s fight against salmon farming.
Berghain though, is as wild and genre defiant as the trio themselves. Taken from Rosalía's fourth studio album Lux and upon its release topped the charts in Rosalía's home country of Spain and I still keep hearing it all over Instagram and TikTok. The song features contributions from the London Symphony Orchestra and it's just bizarre and fabulous.
Brandi Carlile - Human
I can't believe I only just discovered the joy that is eleven Grammy Award winner Brandi Carlile in 2025 even though she's been in the music industry since like 2004! Thanks to Elton John if you ever read this! Human is a deeply emosh track that taps into a universal struggle-one that feels especially poignant in today’s fractured world. Her impassioned vocals serve as a rallying cry, inviting her band to rise to the moment with equal intensity. And they do, delivering a performance that’s both powerful and profoundly moving.
Taken from Brandi's fantastic eighth studio album Returning To Myself which marks her first solo project in four years. Human is one of Carlile’s most emotionally resonant tracks to date, capturing the universal struggle of self-acceptance with a grace and honesty that only she can deliver. The production value is high of course, and there’s an impressive cast of characters amidst the mainly stripped down approach, including Brandi's spirits, twins Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth, SistaStrings (Monique Ross and Chauntee Ross), drummers Matt Chamberlain and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, keyboardist Josh Klinghoffer, with Watt, Dessner, Vernon and veteran composer Mark Isham. The song closes out with a quietly powerful plea: “Let the bitterness die, fall in time to the beat. When you look in the eyes of the strangers you meet, be human.” It’s a line that lingers, an invitation to empathy in a world that sorely needs it.
Pol Prince – 24 Posturas
I discovered Pol Prince when I was on holiday in Lanzarote last year and I kept hearing this song every where and then the video randomly popped up on my YouTube homepage I realised our phones really do listen to us but I’m grateful this time because I never would’ve known how easy on the eye Pol Prince is!
Pol Prince was definitely my….crush of the year not just crush of the day! This song will forever remind me of laying by the pool sipping Tropical lemon Canarian beer whenever I hear it now :).
LLL – Parasite
LLL are Sofia-Augusta Thoresen, Rebecca Pleym, and Elisabet Drøsdal and my new fav girlband from Norway!
LLL entered 2025's Melodi Grand Prix with Parasite which didn’t win even though it’s such a banger.
Parasite was written by Olli Äkräs, Nora Jabri, Jim Bergsted and *the* Ben Adams (from A1 and Subwoolfer) and showcases LLL’s ability to craft a sonic world that’s both abrasive and intricately layered, marking them as an artist unafraid to delve into the darker corners of electronic music, this is the girls debut btw so keep your eyes peeled for more new music.
Dove Cameron - Romeo
Dove Cameron is the missing piece the music world didn’t know it was craving, serving raw talent, hypnotic vocals, cinematic visuals and an unapologetic blend of beauty and edge. Her dark aesthetic is pure artistry, and she’s ready for her Espresso moment.
Romeo, the third single from Dove Cameron’s upcoming (still untitled) debut studio album is an absolute triumph. It's a dizzying, moody masterstroke and I think Allie X, Madonna, and Lady Gaga would be proud. Cameron describes the track as “a love that feels mythic-fated, all-consuming, and a little dangerous and disarming.” With visuals designed to be bizarre and otherworldly, Romeo feels intentionally adrift in space and time. At its core, it's a love song cloaked in shadowy, undulating production-her signature sound in this thrilling new experimental era. She shapeshifts through the track, weaving a dramatic operatic tone into cheeky, near-rap verses. It’s femme fatale energy with jaw-dropping versatility and I’m hooked.
Agnes - BALENCIAGA COVERED EYES
Following the critical success of Magic Still Exists which earned multiple Swedish Grammy nominations-Swedish pop powerhouse Agnes made a comeback in 2025 with BALENCIAGA COVERED EYES from her upcoming album BEAUTIFUL MADNESS which is out THIS MONTH!
BALENCIAGA COVERED EYES is a deep house anthem that marks the beginning of a bold new era and with each listen, the track reveals new layers-its sleek production, pulsing rhythm, and Agnes’s signature powerhouse vocals only grow more addictive over time! Agnes once again proves she’s unafraid to blend glamour with vulnerability.
Griff – last night’s mascara
I can’t get enough of this epic pop masterpiece, it honestly is still living rent free in my head!
Breakout pop powerhouse Sarah Griffiths (not to be confused with 2024 Big Brother's Sarah Griffiths lol) aka Griff dropped an official music video for last night’s mascara in 2025, that was given its live debut whilst she was on tour supporting global star Sabrina Carpenter (no big deal) around the US. Griff really is an insanely underrated talent though.
Mariah Carey - Type Dangerous
It’s hard to believe it had been seven years since Caution, it felt even longer than waiting for GTA 7 but Mariah Carey made a triumphant return in 2025 with Type Dangerous taken from Here For It All. Type Dangerous was the first single taken from Mimi's sixteenth studio album, Here For It All and it's a sleek, hip-hop soul track that reasserts her place at the top of the pop pantheon.
Sampling Eric B. & Rakim’s 1986 classic Eric B. Is President, the song fuses vintage swagger with modern finesse, driven by clapping percussion, a bass-heavy groove and sharp, playful lyrics and a confident delivery! Mimi proves she’s not just back-she’s evolving, and still setting the standard.
2025 was a fabulous ride for us lambs! I've still not recovered from Mariah being at Brighton Pride last summer....
THE Mariah Carey, in Preston Park. In Preston Park. Wild!
Mike Taveira - Hit and Run.mp3
Mike Taveira’s Hit and Run.mp3 lives up to its name, it hits hard, leaves a mark, and vanishes before you can catch your breath. With a cinematic flair, a yearning chorus, and a trancey breakdown, the track is unapologetically queer and emotionally charged.
Mike leans into the drama with theatrical key changes and lyrics that feel like late-night texts you probably shouldn’t send but do anyway. It’s messy, magnetic, and totally self-aware.
Jessica Simpson – Use My Heart Against Me
Jessica Simpson dropped her first single in almost 15 years in 2025 and an EP! Jess said she was inspired by “artists from the roots of Rock and Roll like Betty James, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry to name a few.” and erm it gave These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ vibes!
Use My Heart Against Me was the first release from Nashville Canyon, Pt. 1, part 1 of her two-part project EP. The second part was called erm, Nashville Canyon, Pt. 2 and honestly Jess sounds really good on this EP. She isn't overextending herself, screeching into the microphone, over doing it, or singing in a voice that isn't her. Like this seems legit and real for Jess. The instrumental was tight, the band, the background singers were all amazing and tight in their sound. The lyrics were vulnerable, raw, and heartbreaking.
noonoouri, Max and Harvey - Release Me
Release Me is a sleek, emotionally charged pop track that blends the digital mystique of noonoouri with the heartfelt vocals of Max and Harvey.
The song explores the tension between desire and liberation capturing the emotional push and pull of a toxic relationship. The production is polished with a pulsing beat that supports the song’s dramatic arc, while the interplay between noonoouri’s ethereal delivery and Max and Harvey’s grounded harmonies adds a compelling dynamic.
In case you didn't realise, noonoouri is the first ever AI popstar “with a human soul” or the first “digital character” that is signed to a major record deal. noonoouri might seem like a novelty at first, but her presence adds a futuristic flair that contrasts nicely with the raw emotion Max and Harvey bring. It’s a track that feels both current and slightly surreal-perfect for fans of polished pop with a conceptual twist.
Lady Gaga - The Dead Dance
The Mayhem era is Gaga's best era yet, there I said it! Baaaack last summer, she low key teased The Dead Dance during a Roblox meet and greet where she and her little monsters designed chaotic and campy outfits for a virtual runway. Then she casually dropped a pic of herself gaming on an iPad with the caption, “In case you were wondering if it was me.” Iconic.
Next thing you know, she popped up at Netflix and Spotify’s Wednesday Graveyard Gala in NYC literally inside themed coffins to announce the track. The timing was perfect too since it dropped alongside part two of Wednesday season two (which was too good if btw).
I’ve got to say, I feel so grateful for all the amazing artists I’ve been able to interview in 2025 too, from Swedish pop icon Agnes to Brighton based singer and songwriter Toddy Lightning, Jeangu Macrooy, Cameron Hawthorn, Mateo, Nick Pes, Brooke Alexx, Freddy Krave, Junaid Ahmed, Adamusic, Patricia Baloge, TEARS & GEARZ, Joe Black, Devon Michael Sedrick, NEO 10Y, Mary O'Kart, Snow White Trash, Joerg Zuber, Ruffles, King Dee, David Hernandez, Alfie Ordinary, Davina Sparkle, Tayris Mongardi, Micah McLaurin, Ex-Girlfriend, Stewart Taylor, Dave Lynn, Billie Gold, On Mekahel, Salty Brine, Paul Diello, Lydia L'Scabies, Dolly Diamond, RiVERSE, Allan Jay, Stephanie Von Clitz, Grant Knoche, Ophelia Payne, Dawn the Drag Queen and Brandon Hilton!
That's a lot of interviews, right?! Looking back at that list, it really hits me just how many inspiring conversations I’ve been lucky enough to have this year. It’s been an unforgettable run and I genuinely can’t wait to see who I get to yap with in 2026!
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