2025's best songs (so far)

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Songs Considered – "2025's Best Songs (So Far)"

Release Date: July 1, 2025
Host: Robin Hilton
Guests: Stephen Thompson, Sheldon Pierce, Hazel Sills, Mia Folick

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Introduction

In the July 1, 2025 episode of NPR's "All Songs Considered," host Robin Hilton, along with contributors Stephen Thompson, Sheldon Pierce, Hazel Sills, and Mia Folick, delve into an "absurdly incomplete list" of the year's best songs to date. The panel discusses a curated selection of tracks that have remained in heavy rotation over the first half of 2025, offering in-depth analyses, personal insights, and engaging conversations about each song's impact and artistic merit.

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1. "Stateside" by Pink Panthers

Discussion and Analysis:

Hazel Sills introduces "Stateside" as one of her favorite songs of the year, highlighting Pink Panthers as a standout UK dance artist and a voice of her generation. The song blends bubbly pop elements with darker, deeper undertones, creating a unique juxtaposition.

Sheldon Pierce praises Pink Panthers for their ability to craft "cutesy at the surface, sugary pop music" with an underlying "twisted" edge, citing the artist's love for horror films as a testament to this duality. Stephen Thompson appreciates the track's blend of low-stakes bubblegum pop with more complex emotional layers, noting an "undercurrent" that becomes apparent when the bass kicks in ([02:57]).

Notable Quotes:

• Stephen Thompson ([02:57]): "It's just that perfect cross between sort of low stakes kind of bubblegum pop and something much, much deeper and darker going on."
• Sheldon Pierce ([04:50]): "But Hazel's right. Like the measuredness of it, it's almost too in the pockets for me."

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2. "Relationship" by Haim

Discussion and Analysis:

Sheldon Pierce selects Haim's "Relationship" as a favorite, emphasizing its exploration of desire and the complexities of modern dating. The track stands out as a departure from Haim's typical rock-oriented sound, incorporating early 2000s R&B influences.

Hazel Sills agrees, noting the song's R&B jam feel and its divergence from the rest of the album, "Glory." Stephen Thompson reflects on the song's placement within the album, initially perceiving it as less of an outlier but later recognizing its unique qualities upon deeper listening ([07:48]).

Notable Quotes:

• Sheldon Pierce ([05:54]): "I hear something really fresh for them in this song."
• Hazel Sills ([07:48]): "It really is sort of this one-off R and B Jam."

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3. "Keep Pushing" by Clipping

Discussion and Analysis:

Stephen Thompson introduces "Keep Pushing" by Clipping from their March album "Dead Channel Sky." The song presents a dystopian view of the world, structured in three acts that depict societal collapse, numbness, and eventual destruction.

Hazel Sills expresses reservations about the track, citing Daveed Diggs' theatrical rap style as a barrier to her appreciation. Sheldon Pierce is intrigued by Diggs' "measured" flow, interpreting it as a deliberate reflection of the song's themes of numbness and societal detachment. Stephen Thompson defends the delivery, likening Diggs' articulate flow to the precision of a piano's notes ([10:29]).

Notable Quotes:

• Stephen Thompson ([10:24]): "It's essentially... it has three acts. The first act is when he says it all fell down..."
• Hazel Sills ([10:27]): "There's something about the clipping stuff, specifically his rapping, that feels very stage ready, very theatrical."

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4. "Henry, Come On" by Lana Del Rey

Discussion and Analysis:

Hazel Sills shifts the conversation to Lana Del Rey's anticipated song "Henry, Come On," questioning its upcoming album's rumored shift toward country music. The song, co-produced with Luke Laird, blends folk country elements with Del Rey's signature Americana style.

Sheldon Pierce appreciates that the song retains Lana's distinctive sound despite country influences, though he critiques its "half-formed" feel. Stephen Thompson finds Del Rey's raw and "weird" production elements endearing, interpreting them as reflective of tour diaries and the artist's authentic emotional expression ([20:41]).

Notable Quotes:

• Hazel Sills ([18:05]): "It feels like it could be in conversation with the stuff on, like, Blue Banisters or, like, Chemtrails over the Country Club."
• Stephen Thompson ([20:56]): "I am totally team Lana Del Rey and always have been... her stories that I can get lost in."

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5. "Blade Bird" by Oklu

Discussion and Analysis:

Sheldon Pierce introduces "Blade Bird" by French alt-pop artist Oklu from the February album "Chokenough." The song's haunting lyrics and mysterious imagery captivate the panel, prompting interpretations about struggle and freedom.

Stephen Thompson initially saw the blade as representing the bird's wings, symbolizing freedom, while Sheldon Pierce interpreted it as a more sinister threat to the bird's life. Hazel Sills observes the song's emotional depth, suggesting it conveys a sense of letting go and the accompanying emotional turmoil ([24:15]).

Notable Quotes:

• Sheldon Pierce ([24:46]): "There's a knife on this bird's neck."
• Stephen Thompson ([25:06]): "I was thinking the blade was like the wings of the bird."

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6. "This Time Around" by Mia Folick

Discussion and Analysis:

Stephen Thompson presents Mia Folick's "This Time Around" from her February album "Erotica Veronica." The song evokes deep emotional responses, with its rising melodies and heartfelt lyrics resonating with listeners.

Initially, Stephen perceived ambivalence in the song, recognizing a struggle between desire and acceptance. Over time, both he and Sheldon Pierce agree that the track embodies a poignant battle within oneself, highlighted by Folick's expressive vocals and layered harmonies ([28:18]).

Notable Quotes:

• Sheldon Pierce ([29:32]): "It's not okay."
• Mia Folick ([27:58]): "Need you like a bite that won't stop bitching."

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7. "It's a Mirror" by Perfume Genius

Discussion and Analysis:

Hazel Sills introduces "It's a Mirror" by Perfume Genius from the January single and March album "Glory." The song delves into introspection, self-isolation, and the struggle with one's own identity.

Stephen Thompson interprets the "mirror" as an infinity mirror effect, representing an endless cycle of self-reflection and the inability to change. Hazel Sills adds that the song captures the tension between self-awareness and external pressures, emphasizing the recurring nature of personal struggles ([33:41]).

Notable Quotes:

• Stephen Thompson ([34:00]): "Like endlessly stretching out."
• Hazel Sills ([34:06]): "It never changes."

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8. "Room of Fool" by FKA Twigs

Discussion and Analysis:

Sheldon Pierce highlights FKA Twigs' "Room of Fool" from her January release "Usexua," praising its embodiment of freedom and physicality. The song reflects Twigs' dual role as a musician and professional dancer, showcasing her ability to merge movement with musical expression.

Hazel Sills concurs, noting the song's theme of bodies in conversation and the collaborative creation it inspires. Stephen Thompson draws comparisons to artists like Kate Bush and Björk, appreciating the song's experimental and evocative nature ([37:39]).

Notable Quotes:

• Sheldon Pierce ([37:46]): "I feel free listening to this song."
• Hazel Sills ([39:19]): "We're open w. Just bleeding out the pressure."

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9. "Gold Rush" by Lucius

Discussion and Analysis:

Stephen Thompson introduces "Gold Rush" by Lucius from their May self-titled album. The song's infectious groove and harmonious vocals make it an instant favorite, with the panel appreciating its feel-good vibe amid the complex tracks discussed earlier.

Hazel Sills emphasizes Lucius' seamless collaboration and the duo's ability to create a unified sound that stands out. Sheldon Pierce describes the song as "addictive," while Stephen Thompson admires its balance of swagger and melodic sweetness, making it a perfect anthem for feeling good ([40:27]).

Notable Quotes:

• Sheldon Pierce ([42:13]): "It's a very addictive song."
• Hazel Sills ([43:16]): "They are almost perfectly matched."

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Conclusion

The episode concludes with the hosts reflecting on their "absurdly incomplete list" of 2025's best songs so far, celebrating the diverse range of music that has captured their attention. From haunting introspections to infectious pop grooves, the panel showcases the year's rich musical landscape, highlighting both established artists and rising stars. As they wrap up, the conversation hints at future episodes, including a nostalgic look back at 2018's number one songs, maintaining the show's tradition of in-depth musical exploration.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Stephen Thompson ([02:57]): "There's a real... there's an undercurrent in here, especially when that bass kicks in."
• Sheldon Pierce ([04:50]): "This is a song... it's a creepy track."
• Hazel Sills ([07:48]): "It really is sort of this one-off R and B Jam."
• Sheldon Pierce ([20:41]): "She just kind of whimpers it and whispers it."
• Stephen Thompson ([34:00]): "Infinity mirror. You know, like, just duplicates."

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Final Thoughts:

"2025's Best Songs (So Far)" offers a comprehensive and engaging exploration of the year's standout tracks, enriched by the panel's diverse perspectives and deep musical insights. Whether you're an avid music enthusiast or someone looking to discover new sounds, this episode provides a valuable snapshot of contemporary music's evolving landscape.

Transcript

[Robin Hilton]

This message comes from Progressive Insurance and the name your price tool. It helps you find car insurance options in your budget. Try it [e-mail], progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates price and coverage match, limited by state law. Not available in all states.

[Stephen Thompson]

You know, Stephen Thompson and I were talking on a recent show about how impossible it is to keep up with everything that's coming out. This is something you guys. You experience this, right? Don't you?

[Sheldon Pierce]

No, I can't.

[Hazel Sills]

Hazel doesn't. Yeah, Hazel is on. On top of everything.

[Sheldon Pierce]

Yeah, I actually. Everything that's coming out.

[Hazel Sills]

And I just come to her and.

[Sheldon Pierce]

She just tells me no. It's really hard to keep it up.

[Stephen Thompson]

It is. Sheldon. That's like that joke between me and Hazel. We know everything. And if I ask you something, you say, that's the one that Hazel knows.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, that's one you've got to ask her about. But otherwise, between the two of us, yeah, we know everything. Well, one of the small ways that we try to make sense of it all, you know, sort of whittle down that impossibly long list of releases is by hitting pause on everything around the mid year point. You know, we pool our collective brain power, which is quite something. I mean, it's sizable. Yeah, right.

[Sheldon Pierce]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

This is like. This is big time stuff.

[Hazel Sills]

It's definitely more than nothing, I can guarantee that.

[Stephen Thompson]

Okay, not by much, but what we end up doing is we come up with this absurdly incomplete list of the year's best songs so far. And that's what we're doing this week on the show. We all brought stuff that, you know, we've still got in heavy rotation after six months of 2025 releases. Sheldon Pierce and Hazel Sills here. Yeah.

[Hazel Sills]

Can we start off with one of my favorite songs of the year? And I know Hazel is into this song as well. It's by the UK dance artist and in my opinion, a voice of her generation, Pink Panthers.

[Stephen Thompson]

Wow.

[Mia Folick]

Stateside I'm freezing Outside I feel my skin tight My coat is inside But I look up at you I tracked your plane right? The one you're in tonight Tell me when is the next time I'll run into you it sounds insane, right? I'll take the same flight Way at your bedside around right next to you I'm g space yeah But I'll see you tonight Tell me how did a girl like me get into you? Can be my control Never been abroad before When I'm knocking through your door with my.

[Stephen Thompson]

So glad you picked this to kick everything Off. I. Full disclosure, I haven't really listened much to this album at all this year. I've really got no excuse other than that whole, you know, impossible to keep up with everything. What I like about it is that it's just that perfect cross between sort of low stakes kind of bubblegum pop and something much, much deeper and darker going on. You know, like, there's a real. I don't know, there's an undercurrent in here, especially when that bass kicks in.

[Hazel Sills]

There's something almost like, if you follow the lyrics, it kind of feels like she's stalking this guy and, like, staging interactions. She's. She's tracking his plane ride. She's like, when is the next time I'll run into you? There's almost something like voyeuristic, like broaching an impenetrable barrier to try to get this guy into her life by any means necessary.

[Sheldon Pierce]

Yeah, I'm a huge Pink Pantherist fan. I actually profiled her for Empire Music a few years ago. And she has this incredible ability to make, you know, kind of cutesy at the surface, like, sugary pop music.

[Stephen Thompson]

Right.

[Sheldon Pierce]

But she's a creepy girl. She has a horror. She loves horror films. Like, if you listen more closely to her work, like, there is something kind of twisted to it. And the reason that I love this song so much is, you know, Pink Panthers is obviously a young British artist and she has such an affinity for, like, early 2000s British pop music and dance music, and it just sounds like a song that could have come out in the UK in like 2003.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, my. My note here says a bop, but kind of creepy. Kind of creepy. I mean, because of what you said, Sheldon. It's like, it's not exactly clear what's happening or why in the story. I don't think that she's sort of unspooling. I mean, it could just be about hooking up with somebody, but, yeah, it feels like obsession.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah.

[Sheldon Pierce]

This is a song. I think when Pink Panthers first came out and her songs were only like a minute long or less, like, they were literally designed for TikTok and I was defending her and I was like, it's music. There are songs. It doesn't matter if it's only, you know, 40 seconds long, but this is a. A full blown song.

[Stephen Thompson]

Stateside was the song from Pink Panthers, and the album that was from Fancy that. That came out May 9th. May 9th was that one.

[Sheldon Pierce]

Well, I would like to play a song that I love this year that is also about desire. And relationships, it's not about stalking, but it is about. It is about figuring out, you know, like, what's going on with dating and being in love, being out of love. And I want to play a song by the band Haim. Their track Relationship.

[Mia Folick]

Relationships. What's all this talk about relationships? It feels like everyone's caught a fit oh, just you wait. You must be Ness. You got a look on your face like a cat in a light, light, light I got you other than myself But I keep asking why, why, why in this relationship? Baby, how can I explain when I did a s mistake turns into 17 days relationships, don't they? In the.

[Stephen Thompson]

So we featured this one on our spring preview. Now that we've heard the whole thing, Hazel, this is still your favorite cut from it.

[Sheldon Pierce]

It is still my favorite cut from it. I mean, you know, I quit the album that this track is off of. It goes in so many different directions for Haim. But this track in particular really just stands out to me because I feel like it's A, Almost like a world of its own. And obviously they're referencing early 2000s R&B on this track. But I just hear kind of like a sense of play to this song. You know, just the way that Danielle is sort of like, you know, when you. Something is like a mistake, and then it lasts more days than you think. And just like, what's going on? And like, what does it mean to be in love? Really kind of loose sense of questioning that. I don't really associate with Haim as songwriters. I think of them as this really great rock band that can just make super tight, concise pop songs. And I guess you could say Relationships is a tight pop song. But to me, as someone who's loved this band for a while, I hear something really fresh for them in this song.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah, it just feels almost so far out of their wheelhouse. I don't think this is a song you would have expected from. From this band coming in. And to Hazel's point, it doesn't sound like anything else on the record either. It really is sort of this one off R and B Jam.

[Stephen Thompson]

I guess I need to go back and spend more time at the record. Cause I didn't feel like it was as much of an outlier as you all did. And maybe that's because when I read about the album before I eventually heard it, I had read that they were gonna, like, really lean into rock. And they don't really. I mean, it's here and there a little bit on the record. There's actually a little bit of country and a little bit of blues, I think, in it. But I don't know. I kind of thought Relationships sounded a little more like the rest of the record than at least what I was expecting. My favorite cuts, the opener, gone, and that is one that. Yeah, I love how they sort of crib from. They don't sort of.

[Sheldon Pierce]

They sample.

[Stephen Thompson]

They completely sample. Yeah. George Michael's Freedom. So the song Relationships from Haim. That album came out on June 20th. I quit from Heim. Let's go to the band clipping. This is something that I had on the show back in February that I'm totally still reaching for. It's a song called Keep Pushing from an album that Clipping released in March called Dead Channel Sky. You kind of need to listen to the whole song, Keep Pushing to, I think, appreciate the arc of it. But we'll hear just a bit of it. We can talk more about why I think it's one of the best songs of the year so far. Again, it's called Keep Pushing.

[Daveed Diggs]

When it all fell down God bless the weight Inflation went ounce musta just ate Cause them became pounds didn't hesitate Them break themselves down like them was late Couldn't wait to get out Them spread all around the world the fiends found them Hopped in the pot then begged to get drowned Them wanna be sick them bitches Munchausen so let it whip Living at the top of the syndrome placebo get you rep and the thin gold ain't worth when the skin gone and it been cold and making money off of the impulse Ain't nothing but sinful but that need faith and where they do that at the world is a wasteland the state is a rat trap cheese and load the pack under the hood of the hatchback before you get snatch back and everywhere you go just keep on pushing dope however hard it's been get up and push again.

[Hazel Sills]

Robin, I'm gonna need you to sell this one to me a bit.

[Stephen Thompson]

Really? Oh, my God.

[Hazel Sills]

I'm not sold. I mean, you know, I am historically a Hamilton hater, and I think everything.

[Stephen Thompson]

Okay, so Daveed Diggs is in this.

[Hazel Sills]

And Davee Diggs.

[Stephen Thompson]

This is.

[Hazel Sills]

This is Fruit from the Poisonous Tree. There's something about the clipping stuff, specifically his rapping, that feels very stage ready, very theatrical, very almost hammy to me. And so his stuff has never really worked for me.

[Stephen Thompson]

So this is a song that takes a pretty grim view of the state of the world. Very dystopian. You know, everything is Falling apart. But if you listen to the whole song, it's essentially. It has three acts. The first act is when he says it all fell down. And then the second act starts when he says it all went numb. And then the third act and the final act is where he says it all got killed. And, you know, I was thinking that this is probably a song that would feel relevant in any decade, but it really resonates with me right now.

[Sheldon Pierce]

So I had never heard of clipping. I am also not a Hamilton fan. I hadn't really heard of them. And there's something really kind of fascinating to me about Daveed Diggs flow in this song because I kind of similarly to Sheldon, was like, I don't know, hammy is the word that I would use. But there was something kind of like very kind of measured about the way that he raps in this song. It's almost like he's kind of reading the lyrics rather than just like, I don't know. But then I was like, well, maybe that's purposeful because so much of the song is about being numb and sort of taking a back seat and, you know, expressing what's happening in the world about you. But there's just something about his delivery in this song that I felt like. Felt a little like stilted to me.

[Stephen Thompson]

Huh. I would almost go the opposite direction and say it's almost melodic to me. But. Well, I'm surprised to hear that Sheldon, because, yeah, I think he's one of the greats. I don't know, he's just like blazingly fast. And I think I've always liked how crisp and, you know, I want to say articulated in the way that like a piano. Piano notes are articulated. You know, like when I hear someone who does like a piano run or something, I'll hear it can kind of all run together like they've got the pedal down, you know, or it can be super crisp and tight in a way. And I don't know, I kind of feel like that's what I hear in his flow and clipping. I love how bent their sound is. It's just really warped and wobbly. This is maybe one of their more accessible songs. I think it's definitely more grounded than a lot of their stuff.

[Hazel Sills]

But yeah, I will say one thing I do appreciate generally about is they always take big swings with the stuff that they're doing. It's very experimental, very forward looking. In this instance, I think Hazel is right. Like the measuredness of it, it's almost too in the pockets for me. Speed doesn't do it for me.

[Stephen Thompson]

I get that. I think calling him stage ready rap, pretty big blow. That's, that's, I mean, well, he is a.

[Sheldon Pierce]

He did rattle gets his job.

[Hazel Sills]

That's what he comes from. And it's like I understand the appeal of that, but for someone like me, if, if Hamilton, if that kind of thing didn't work for me with Hamilton, it's not gonna work for me in this.

[Stephen Thompson]

Is it too sanitized or something?

[Hazel Sills]

There's something very sort of sanded down about it.

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, I think we'll have to devote an entire other episode to why you both don't like Hamilton, which.

[Sheldon Pierce]

Oh, that's easy.

[Stephen Thompson]

I mean, that makes me. Certainly makes me grab my pearls, but we'll save that for another day. So clipping the song Keep Pushing from the album Dead Channel sky that came out in March. On March 14th.

[Robin Hilton]

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[Unknown]

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[Robin Hilton]

The following message come from Lagunitas Brewing Company. Since 1993, Lagunitas has been challenging the status quo, brewing innovative beer and crafting stories along the way, featuring a wide range of craft brews, cult classics and non alcoholic options. There's a seat at the bar for everyone. Bring the dog to Lagunitas Brewing Co. Because every great song deserves a great beer. It's good to have friends. Learn [e-mail] okay, coming up on the.

[Stephen Thompson]

Show, we will continue our 25th anniversary celebration of all songs considered by looking back at our number one songs from 2018. Stephen Thompson will join us for that plus your weekly reset. That's all coming up. And as always, if you enjoy the show, tell a friend, share it with a friend. Leave us a glowing review in Apple or Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Sheldon We've come back around to you.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah. I'm going to take us in a very different direction with the lead single from a hopefully TBD album by the mercurial Lana Del Rey. The song is called Henry, Come On.

[Mia Folick]

I mean, Henry, come on do you think I'd really choose it all is off and on Henry, come on I mean, baby, come on do you think I'd really lose it on you if you did nothing wrong? Henry, come on, let's go. Hey, y' all, hang yourself.

[Stephen Thompson]

We can talk about the song in a minute, but can we just get it out here right now? Sheldon, there is no album. There is no album coming.

[Sheldon Pierce]

Don't sing.

[Hazel Sills]

Why would you do this to me?

[Stephen Thompson]

They don't even know what it's called or when it's coming. I was actually trying to think, like, is there any other artist? Like, what other artist on the planet can tease an album out for as long as Lana Del Rey? Like, it feels like we've been hearing about this album, and every time an album eventually comes, it feels like we've been hearing about it for months or years, you know, and there are all these, like, false release dates, like, oh, it'll be. It's June. Or, oh, it'll be August. Or, oh, it's whenever.

[Hazel Sills]

It already has its own narrative, too. I mean, because this song was co produced with Luke Laird, who is best known for his works in country with Casey Musgraves and others, people are calling this sort of a turn toward country. I mean, I'm listening to this song, and it feels like it could be in conversation with the stuff on, like, Blue Banisters or, like, Chemtrails over the Country Club. It's still. It's. If it is country, it's folk country. And, I mean, with her, there's always a blend of Americana.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yes. That Laurel Canyon sort of hazy.

[Hazel Sills]

The pull of roots music is just over the horizon with so much of her stuff. So it always feels disingenuous to me to be like, this is the country record.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah.

[Sheldon Pierce]

Well, also. Oh, go ahead.

[Hazel Sills]

No, go ahead.

[Sheldon Pierce]

I just think it's funny that this song, or just like, the upcoming project is getting billed as a country thing because, you know. Yes, you're right. She worked with Luke Laird, who has this storied career in country songwriting. But I felt like listening to this. I was like, okay. Even when she works with someone who knows how to write a country banger, it still just sounds like Lana.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah. It comes out a Lana Del Rey song for sure.

[Sheldon Pierce]

It's such A Lana Del Rey song. And I will say, I don't know this song. I like this song, but I feel like Lana is not editing herself as much as she could. And I think what I mean by that is, like, I have loved the direction that Lana has gone in over the course of her career. I think her music has gotten weirder and, like, wilder and, like, less married to kind of the, you know, Marilyn Monroe bubblegum pop that she was making at the beginning. And she was kind of like, those.

[Stephen Thompson]

Are reasons to love her more in my mind.

[Sheldon Pierce]

I mean, I love it all, but listening to this, I was like, there is this quality to it where I'm like, girl, did you just record yourself singing into your iPhone? Like, are these vocals master? Like, I'm saying this as someone who loves her so deeply, and I do, like this song. Does make me excited for, you know, the direction of this album that may or may not come out, but there is something kind of half formed about it. And I tend to like music that has. That isn't so perfect and pristine, but I don't know, it's just like, there's that line in it where she's like, it's last call. Hey, y' all Hang his hat up on the wall Tell him that his cowgirl gone And I think in any other song, in any other artist's hands, who's trying to make a country song that would be played so much differently, and she just kind of whimpers it and whispers it, which is a thing. I don't know. I'm saying a lot of contradictory things.

[Hazel Sills]

But I was about to say everything you're saying is exactly why I love this song so much.

[Stephen Thompson]

Me too.

[Sheldon Pierce]

I think I just listened to it and I'm like. I think that there's just a slightly stronger version of this song.

[Stephen Thompson]

I like it. I like it when she stretches out, goes epic, and, like, her songs sprawl, her narratives, everything, her sonic exploration. I am totally team Lana Del Rey and always have been. I never understood the haters. I think she's next level artist, next level when it comes to not only, like, songcraft and production and just how incredibly outsized her ideas are, but just very big, deep, thinky pieces, too, and stories that I can get lost in.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah, I mean, I. I totally agree, Hazel, that it sounds like she recorded this as a voice memo on her phone, but I like that quality about it in, like, in the context of this song. It feels very like tour diaries, very, like, on the road. All of that feels, like, so rich and Endearing to me.

[Stephen Thompson]

Solana Del Rey, the song Henry, Come On. From an album that may or may not come at some point.

[Hazel Sills]

May or may not be country.

[Stephen Thompson]

May or may not be.

[Hazel Sills]

May or may not have a title.

[Stephen Thompson]

It'd be great if it was just called tbd. But certainly I go along with you on this one, Sheldon. Certainly one of the best songs of the year so far.

[Sheldon Pierce]

I want to play a song next that kind of surprised me in terms of just how much I kept going back to it this year, like, really just kept pressing play on it. It's a song called Blade Bird by the French kind of alt pop artist, OK Lu. And yeah, it's really stuck with me.

[Mia Folick]

I've come to terms. My baby is a bird when you're in the sky I'm hoping you return what can I say? Knew it right away you are what you are and I feel like I catch your so cute My faders on the blade I'll be the one who ends up getting hurt I can't help it Faders on the braid I'll be the one who ends up getting hurt Getting hurt who ends up getting hurt.

[Stephen Thompson]

So we featured Oklu on the show back in February when the album came out. Came out on February 7th. This is from the album Chokenough. The song I went for was Family and Friends, which had kind of, I guess, more of a almost like contemporary classical feel to it. Kind of like Steve Reich or like systems music or process music, you know, like minimalist sort of stuff. But the whole album has such a great range to it.

[Sheldon Pierce]

Yeah. This song in particular, like, I. From the moment I heard it, it really just. There's something kind of mysterious about it, you know, the lyrics are a little hard for me to decipher where it's like there's this idea that she has her blade on the bird and this idea that, like, her baby is a bird, that they are what they are, and she feels like a cage. And I'm like, oh, you know, is this a song about having to let go of someone in a situation where you feel like you're doing more harm than good? And that image of a blade being on the bird is just so haunting to me. Like, do you think it's what is happening?

[Stephen Thompson]

Like, a blade being, like, held up to, like, the neck of the bird or something? Like the birds.

[Sheldon Pierce]

That's what I'm thinking. Like, that's what I'm. I'm curious what you guys think. Like, that's kind of what I heard it as the first Time. And it's like. I don't know if I don't. Yeah. I just. I'm not saying this well. I'm not conveying why this song is good.

[Stephen Thompson]

I don't know. I. For Blade Bird, I was thinking the blade was like the wings of the bird. And I was looking at it a little more optimistically, but I don't know.

[Sheldon Pierce]

Oh, interesting. I was like, there's a knife on this bird's neck.

[Stephen Thompson]

And I took this.

[Sheldon Pierce]

Maybe I'm totally wrong.

[Stephen Thompson]

This bird is going to fly away and be free.

[Hazel Sills]

That kind of does track, honestly. Like, the bird itself is like the blade, and she's trying to hold it, and that's why she's the one getting hurt.

[Stephen Thompson]

We should do a show. We should have, like, a music show where we talk about stuff like that. Because that's interesting.

[Hazel Sills]

That's crazy.

[Sheldon Pierce]

They'll never let us do that.

[Stephen Thompson]

Really?

[Sheldon Pierce]

They'll never let us do that.

[Stephen Thompson]

That's pretty deep stuff. So. Oklu Blade Bird from Choke Enough. That came out in early February. I'm kind of. I'm a little reluctant to play anything now that I'm. I thought clipping was my home run of the show. And neither of you liked it very much.

[Hazel Sills]

I like your other. Spoiler alert. I like the other songs. I mean, we've already talked about.

[Stephen Thompson]

Okay. Yeah, yeah. We've talked about some of the stuff before. Well, let's go to Mia Folick. This was something I featured on the very, very, very, very first contenders episode of the year in January. Hazel, you did that show with me. That was the first contenders in January. And this is one that I also. This song is one that I also added pretty quickly to my short list of songs that wreck youk. Because there's something in this one that always makes me tear up. Something in Maybe the way. Something in her voice. Something in her voice. In the way that both her voice and the melody rise up in the chorus. That kind of just makes my heart swell in a way I don't know. See what you think the song is called this time Around.

[Mia Folick]

Filled with hope but my heart keeps sinking? I don't wanna miss you So I just stop thinking? Bleaching my hair in the bathroom sink? Never understand Seeing the things that you think. I'm filled with dread but I can't stop wishing? Cause every time I touch you? The cat starts hissing? Need you like a bite that won't stop bitching? You're one half with me and one half missing. Hey, babe. It's okay. I Just feel like I'm on fire. The pulsing of my chest sort of feels like desire and I'm getting used to it matter. Maybe I get out this time around.

[Stephen Thompson]

Poor Sheldon has to sit here in the studio watching me get all blubbery. Hazel, you're safe in New York. You know, I think when I first listened to the song, I kind of honed in on what felt like this ambivalence in it. You know, like how she says she's feeling something that's like. Well, it's kind of like desire.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

You know, like how uncommitted it is. But I realized, you know, the more I've sat with this over the past six months, that it's like MIA Folk is really struggling in this song. I think it's someone who is. It's someone who's trying to hang on and trying to understand a world that simply does not make sense. And I. You know, I. I do think that the meaning of songs and how we receive them evolve and change depending on where we are in our lives and depending on what's going on in the world. And maybe this one just hits a little differently after six months of 2025.

[Sheldon Pierce]

Yeah, I didn't hear ambivalence in this song when I first heard it. I think, in fact, Robin, when we first talked about it, I was like, this song kind of broke my heart, and it's still kind of breaking my heart. And. But, yeah, I hear struggle. I hear the sound of someone trying to deal with circumstances that make life really hard for them and this kind of push and pull of, you know, wanting something that's bad for you, trying to get out of it. And I just think that line, you know, in the chorus when she's like, hey, babe, it's okay. It's so weighted. It's not okay. Like, it's not okay.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah.

[Sheldon Pierce]

And, yeah, I just think that the way that she sings the song is so beautiful, the way that her voice drops in certain spots, and there's kind of this, like, weepiness and weariness to it, and it is a really beautiful song.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah, it's her. It's her voice that sells it. I mean, there's something. It's almost like resignation. She. She has sort of. She knows that this thing can't work. She's feeling the pressure of it. She's weighted down by it.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah.

[Hazel Sills]

But she keeps yearning for it. She keeps moving toward it. And being caught between that rock and the hard place is what you feel in those. Those harmonies in the chorus, the way they're layered so gently they kind of ease out like a sigh, like, yeah, yeah, this is a thing that I have to accept, but I don't want to accept it.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah. This time around from the album Erotica Veronica that came out on February 28th.

[Robin Hilton]

This message comes from Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states. This message comes from Progressive Insurance. Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

[Stephen Thompson]

All right, we still have that 25th anniversary look back at the year 2018 and also your weekly reset coming up. But I think we all have one more song that we want to play.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah. On our 2025 preview show, I brought the Perfume Genius album Glory. And the lead single off that record has stuck with me throughout the year. I want to play it again. It's called It's a Mirror.

[Mia Folick]

What do you get from the Stretching your eyes and that still running high when the man's at the door Polishing boots down the line in the basement When I should be running outside on.

[Stephen Thompson]

My own.

[Mia Folick]

It's a mirror.

[Stephen Thompson]

So the album this is from Glory has since come out since we played it on the preview show. This is still your. You think the standout cut from it?

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah, this is. This is the one that really grabbed me. I mean it's. The whole record is supposed to be the most confessional Perfume Genius record saying a lot, which is like, I mean, he's been kind of doing it this whole time, but. But I kind of get at what he's saying. And I think this song to me really sort of sold that idea of introspection, of looking within. It's so clearly about like self isolating habits and how they can be self defeating. How sometimes you are your own worst enemy. Sometimes the actions that you take become the person that you are. And I think that's the idea of it being a mirror.

[Stephen Thompson]

I took the whole mirror thing as him not looking in the mirror, but two mirrors facing each other. That he sees the struggle as very circular, kind of like it's like chasing your own tail. This trap that you can't get out of. He says something at the top of the song about like a horizon Stretching off into the distance.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

And that made me think of these two mirrors that are held up to each other and how they create that infinity.

[Hazel Sills]

Infinity mirror.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, Infinity mirror. You know, like, just duplicates.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah. Like endlessly stretching out.

[Stephen Thompson]

And that's how. Which is what I thought was so genius about.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah, yeah. No, I think that that's. That feels like a really accurate reading of what is happening to me because there's this tension of self awareness, this tension of the outside world, but sort of realizing that no matter what happens, you are stuck with being yourself over and over and over again.

[Sheldon Pierce]

Yeah.

[Hazel Sills]

You're looking out off into the past. You're looking out up into the future, which, to. The infinity mirror effect is like everything is drawn out in both directions forever. But it's all the same, right? It never changes.

[Sheldon Pierce]

There's something very, like, nervy about this song. I think struggle is a really good word for what's happening in this song to me. And, you know, like you said, Sheldon, he's kind of rattling off all of these kind of anxious tendencies and. And things that he's going through that are making his life difficult. And then you just get to that image of, like, it's a mirror down. Like, it's just that image. It's just like, you know, he's, like, facing what's happening to him, but there's also this sense of, like, if he looks at it too closely, if he, like, is faced too much with that mirror image of himself, it's like staring at the sun or something. But, yeah, I think his delivery in this song and the instrumentals that he's using, I was like, it feels like this kind of, like, rollicking, like, cowboy song. Like, he's just, like, out on his own, sort of taking stock of who he is at the moment, what he wants to see, what he doesn't want to see. And, yeah, it's a really strong track.

[Stephen Thompson]

So Perfume. Genius. It's a mirror from the album Glory that. Let's see. The single came out in January. The album came out in March. March 28th.

[Sheldon Pierce]

So I want to play a song that I love this year that is about the opposite of being trapped. It is about being completely free and in your body, in yourself. It is a song by FK Twigs called Room of Fool.

[Mia Folick]

Stranger in the dark room, you this room of. We make something together. We're open w. Just bleeding out the pressure. It feels nice. It feels nice.

[Sheldon Pierce]

I listening to it, I'm like, oh, is this going to be my favorite song of the year? Maybe, Yeah, I think it's.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah.

[Sheldon Pierce]

I love this song because, you know, FKA Twigs is a very thinky artist and her relationship to her body is very interesting because she's a musician, but she also is a professional dancer. She started her career as a dancer. You know, she is always thinking about how she can sort of expand her body and her art and use it in interesting ways. And, you know, the album that she put out this year that the song is from Usexua, was really her making her version of a dance album, like, inspired by her experiences, just like dancing in clubs. And I hear a completely different side to her in this song. I hear someone who is experiencing dancing in their body with such freedom and like physicality and like that lyric, it feels nice. Like Twigs is. She's always thinking and I love her in that mode, but I'm like, oh, this is her like really feeling the effects of the music that she makes and feeling the effects of experiencing that music with other people. You know, not as an artist but like as someone on the dance floor who is creating the experience with other people in that setting. And so, yeah, it is. It's really incredible work from her. And I just, I feel free listening to this song.

[Hazel Sills]

It really is about the body in conversation with other bodies. Right. There's the lyric, we make something together.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, for sure. I'm getting a little Kate Bush and Bjork.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

Like I was thinking, there's moments that really sounded like that Bjork song on her debut album, There's More to Life than this. Do you know that song where she's in. It's recorded in a bar, I think. And like she goes into a bathroom or something and it's still in the song. It gets muffled and like it really reminded me of that. And I mean, that's all a good thing.

[Sheldon Pierce]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

So Room of Fools from you, Sexual. That came out on January 24th. All right, one more for you. And it's from the band Lucius. Another one we had on that same spring preview show. Sheldon. The song is from their self titled album that they released at the top of May. It's called Gold Rush. This is one that I immediately loved when I first heard it and have only come to love it more in the months since.

[Mia Folick]

Never leave I'll never leave Strong in mind we go so hard to please I'll never leave I'll never leave no such luck Too much to prove so much love Too much to lose I'll never leave I'll never leave Never leave Ask me why Leave me alone Pushing the p Feels right at home I'll never leave I'll never leave I'll never leave I'll never leave Sugar as.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yes, I can confirm, definitely one of the best songs of the year for me so far. And you know, I think it will be on my list at the end of the year as well. It's just. I said this last time we talked about them, this band is so cool. I don't know how else to say it. Jess Wolf and Holly Lessig. Just the right amount of swagger. Their voices are always so good together. Great grooves. Everything perfectly picked and placed in the mix. Just the right amount of everything. Love it.

[Sheldon Pierce]

It's very addictive. It's a very addictive song.

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, they talk about sugar rushes on this song and, and maybe that, I mean, and that's sort of what the song is to me. It's. It is sweet. It's sort of.

[Sheldon Pierce]

It's like sticky and sweet.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, yeah. And there's something to be said. As thinky as I tend to get with a lot of the music I listen to, sometimes it's okay to just feel good. And this song just feels so good.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah, I was just gonna say feel good is the word, is. Are the words to describe this.

[Stephen Thompson]

Lucius is one of those bands that I, I want to say I feel like they should be bigger than they are, but I don't know, maybe they are big. You know, they. I. It's so hard, you know, they don't dominate the charts or it can be.

[Hazel Sills]

Difficult to say, like what, what constitutes a big artist these days.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, I don't know, it's. They're not like, you know, they don't have millions and millions and millions of followers or anything like that, but they've certainly been on all kinds of projects like from Harry Styles, John Legend and Cheryl Crow. You know, they were on the new Ringo Starr album. I mean, they're recognized as. Oh, if you want to take this song to another level, let's get Lucius to, to sing on it.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah, I think that's one of the clear things that I hear, not just in this song, but on that, on that record that they released, the self titled album from May. You can hear that practice, you can hear the work that they've put in. And especially as collaborators, they really do feel like to have of a whole when they perform together, musically, vocally, the way they put their songs together, they are almost perfectly matched. It feels like, I mean, to your point about maybe them not being as big as they should be. This does feel like the kind of music you would anticipate, like really ringing off in like an amphitheater.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah. Lighters up moment with a lot of people. I'm sorry. Cell phones up moment. It's a real self concept moment.

[Hazel Sills]

Robin, don't date yourself, man.

[Stephen Thompson]

Just a lighter. Okay. A lighter is a device that we used to create a plane.

[Sheldon Pierce]

Oh, my God.

[Stephen Thompson]

A song from Lucius from an a album, no notes, self titled album from Lucius. The song gold rush came out in May. It's the top of May. All right, that'll do it for our absurdly incomplete list. The year's best songs so far and I feel like we really crushed it on this.

[Hazel Sills]

Shelton, actually pack it up. We don't need any more songs this year. I think we.

[Sheldon Pierce]

We got no more music.

[Hazel Sills]

We got it.

[Stephen Thompson]

Sheldon Pierce, Hazel Sills. Thanks to you both as always.

[Hazel Sills]

Thanks so much for having me.

[Sheldon Pierce]

Thank you.

[Stephen Thompson]

All right, as I mentioned, it's the 25th anniversary of all songs considered this year and Stephen Thompson and I have been looking back at our number one songs from each of the past 25 years of the show. Doing a new year on each episode. We are up to 2018 and Stephen back here now to talk about it. Hey, Stephen.

[H]

Hello, Robin.

[Stephen Thompson]

So we are up to 2018 and we've been playing a little bit of name that tune. We each play a song for each other and we see if the other person can remember it. I think you mentioned at some point along the way here, hopefully it will be recent enough that it won't be that hard for us to guess what it is. We are up to 2018 and I'm. I think I might know what you're gonna play, but why don't you go ahead and tee it up and hit it and I'll see if I've got it right.

[H]

Oh, man, there's a lot to choose from this year. I'm gonna go with this one.

[Sheldon Pierce]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

All right. It's Prince.

[Hazel Sills]

You're right.

[Stephen Thompson]

Janelle Monae. Correct. But I can't get the song.

[H]

You'll definitely get it. You'll get it before the chorus.

[Stephen Thompson]

You.

[Mia Folick]

Yeah, baby, don't make me spell it out for you. You keep on asking me the same questions why and second guessing all my intentions should know by the way I use my compression that you got the answers to my confessions make me feel.

[Stephen Thompson]

What a great pick.

[H]

Oh, my gosh. This record, and remember this album came out, you know, in the first half of 2018. Prince died in 2016. And I think it Was able to tap into not only this great leveling up and this great mission statement for Janelle Monae as this remarkably inventive, versatile, kind of polymath actor, singer, shape shifting musical superstar, but it also tapped into a little bit of the huge reservoir of love for. For Prince that everyone was still feeling in the aftermath of his death.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, there hadn't even been like, what, like a year and a half. Year.

[H]

A year and a half. And so I think in many ways this was like the perfect album at the perfect time.

[Stephen Thompson]

I thought you might go with the one that I'm gonna end up playing now since you didn't do it.

[H]

Oh, I think I know where you might go with this.

[Stephen Thompson]

Okay, let's see.

[H]

Childish Gambino, this is America, the other song I was considering. Sit around for this moment.

[Hazel Sills]

This is.

[Daveed Diggs]

America don't catch you slipping now don't catch you slipping now look what I'm whipping up this is America don't catch you slipping no don't catch you slipping now look what I'm whipping up this is America don't got you slipping off look how I'm living off Police be tripping though yeah, this is America Guns in my area I got the strap.

[Stephen Thompson]

We've been talking along the way, as we've been going through each year, about how impossible it is for us to be remotely comprehensive. No, about all the great stuff that's coming out and all the important stuff. I would say that it is impossible, possible for us to really have a. An adequate conversation about this one song in just a couple of minute exchange, you know, about it. Because it, to me is just a staggering, important work of art on so many different levels. But I remember when this came out, you know, Donald Glover, who's Childish Gambino, I had just spent however many years watching him.

[H]

I'm on Community on the TV show or Atlanta.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah. And just hilarious, right? He's so funny. A lot of the rap and stuff that he had done was always full of all these jokes. It was like I never really took him very seriously as a musician or an artist in that way. He was just a comedian to me and a very sharp, sharp wit, very funny, smart guy. And then this comes out and you realize, oh, these waters go very, very deep.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

And it's.

[H]

It's another song, kind of like the Janelle Monae where the timing of it. Yeah, that came out in 2018, you know, amid very turbulent times in America. And that song, I think, really spoke to a lot of people and spoke to the moment in ways that I think, I think a lot of people right now are looking for music that is speaking to this moment in maybe the same way. And it's hard to find, at least in what passes for the monoculture.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah. And, well, in the vision that he had in this song, there are so many different things that he sort of takes on in this one song, from, you know, poverty to violence to guns and everything, all those really big, massive topics that he takes on and just the clarity of vision that he has through this whole thing. And I think it's safe to say that everyone was really surprised by this. And I have seen online videos of people watching the video for this and reacting like people are going, like, yeah, yeah. What? Oh my God, yeah.

[H]

Reaction videos. Oh, boy.

[Stephen Thompson]

But we'll go out on this. And until next time, thanks as always, Stephen.

[H]

Thank you, Robin.

[Stephen Thompson]

And for NPR Music, I'm Robin Hilton. It's All Songs Considered.

[Mia Folick]

Sam.

[Stephen Thompson]

It.

[Robin Hilton]

This message comes from Mint Mobile. Mint Mobile took what's wrong with wireless and made it right. They offer premium wireless plans for less and all plans include high speed data, unlimited talk and text and nationwide coverage. See for [e-mail] Switch this message comes.

[Unknown]

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