GPB staff picks the Best Music of 2025; Happy New Year!

Summary

Georgia Today Podcast — Best Music of 2025: GPB Staff Picks

Date: December 31, 2025
Host: Orlando Montoya (Georgia Public Broadcasting)

---

Episode Overview

This special New Year’s Eve episode of Georgia Today pivots from news to celebration, as the GPB News team shares their favorite music discoveries of 2025. Staff from different departments offer their “albums of the year,” ranging from neo soul revivals to hip hop, Americana, and whimsical jazz. The episode is filled with personal stories, memorable tracks, and revealing insights about why each selection resonated with them throughout the year.

---

Staff Picks & Highlights

1. Stone Foundation — Revival of Survival

Staff: Krista York Wooten, Music & Culture Writer
Segment Start: [00:47]

• Pick: Revival of Survival by the British neo soul band Stone Foundation.
• Why: Krista describes the album as a source of hope and resilience amidst chaos, praising its positive mantras and irresistible groove.
• Quote:

  “Its positive mantras plus irresistible grooves … counteracted the chaos with hope whether on distant shores or looking out my window at home.” — Krista York Wooten [00:47]

• Memorable Track: Lyrics sampled:

  “It’s that beat I know… tells me where I’m going… it’s that beat I know, tells me where I’ve been.” [01:14]

---

2. Geese — Getting Killed

Staff: Chase McGee, Senior Newsroom Producer
Segment Start: [01:22]

• Pick: Getting Killed by Geese, a Brooklyn-based band.
• Why: Chase admires the album’s lyrical density, comparing its frontman, Cameron Winter, to Bob Dylan, predicting a long future for the band.
• Quote:

  “I’ve seen people evoke names like Dylan in comparison, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you see a long future ahead for these artists.” — Chase McGee [01:22]

• Memorable Moment: Features a snippet from the single “Taxes”:

  “Dr. Dr. Heal yourself.” [01:48]

• Recommendation:

  “If you’re into them, check out the whole album front to back.” — Chase McGee [01:55]

---

3. Rachel & Vilre — West of Broadway

Staff: Mark Chilla, Radio Operations Manager
Segment Start: [02:01]

• Pick: West of Broadway by Rachel & Vilre.
• Why: The album evokes the charm of digging through crates for forgotten Broadway albums from the ’40s and ’50s, full of original, whimsical jazz tunes.
• Quote:

  “It makes you feel like you’re digging through the crates of a record store and uncovering a lost Broadway cast album...” — Mark Chilla [02:01]

• Favorite Track: “Is It Jim?” — a bizarre, hilarious song about a woman whose partner is replaced by a tortoise.
• Memorable Lyric Noted:

  “I love that he rhymes the word ‘tortoise’ with ‘enormous’, ‘laborious’, ‘fortress’. It’s just great.” — Mark Chilla [02:52]

• Sampled Lyrics:

  “But who would leave a tortoise?” [02:44]

---

4. Shallow Water — God's Gonna Give You A Million Dollars

Staff: Mark Davenport
Segment Start: [03:05]

• Pick: God’s Gonna Give You A Million Dollars by Shallow Water.
• Why: The album masterfully blends Americana instrumentation with “slowcore”—moving between ethereal country soundscapes and intense, distorted sonic peaks.
• Quote:

  “It’s this great combination of both Americana and style [of] slowcore… beautiful ethereal country instrumentation to the loudest distortion you can imagine.” — Mark Davenport [03:05]

---

5. D’Angelo — Voodoo and Black Messiah feat. The Vanguard

Staff: Victoria, Audio Engineer
Segment Start: [03:34]

• Pick: Though she highlights 2025 hip hop releases from Tyler, the Creator (Don't Tap the Glass), Kendrick Lamar (GNX), Clipse (Let God Sort Em Out), and Earl Sweatshirt (Live Laugh Love), her most meaningful album was revisiting D’Angelo’s Black Messiah (2014).
• Why: The album remains deeply personal, connecting Victoria to her music studies and reflecting on D’Angelo’s influential legacy.
• Quote:

  “As I re-listen to the album… I get to relive how deeply personal his comeback was in 2014 and thus how deeply his influence was felt.” — Victoria [04:17]

---

6. Ruby Francis — Pages of Philosophy (EP)

Staff: Khari Sampson, Copy Editor
Segment Start: [04:37]

• Pick: Pages of Philosophy EP by Ruby Francis, a London R&B and neo soul artist.
• Why: Khari is a longtime fan since 2017, appreciating her soulful vibe and loyal to anything she releases.
• Quote:

  “I’ve been a super fan of Francis since 2017 and this is clearly my album of the year… I pick up everything that she puts out.” — Khari Sampson [04:37]

• Sampled Lyrics:

  “Red Wine… Tell me about your history. Comfort and familiarity.” [05:05]

---

7. Wale — Everything Is A Lot

Staff: Pamela Kirkland, Host, Morning Edition
Segment Start: [05:16]

• Pick: Everything Is A Lot by Wale.
• Why: As a long-time Wale fan, Pamela feels this album returns to the sound that first drew her in, combining laid-back beats, soulful samples, and honest, vulnerable lyrics.
• Quote:

  “It’s really an album that you can just chill out to, but when you listen, you can hear just how dynamic he is in those lyrics.” — Pamela Kirkland [05:16] “No skip albums are rare for me, but this is definitely one.” — Pamela Kirkland [06:02]

• Sampled Lyrics:

  “God’s good, but I often question him when he listen, the hate is bigger than me. The weight is bigger than me. They crashing out. I feel like I’m a Talladega winning.” [05:52]

---

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “It’s that beat I know—it tells me where I’m going, it’s that beat I know—it tells me where I’ve been.”
  — Stone Foundation, introduced by Krista York Wooten [01:14]

• “I’ve seen people evoke names like Dylan in comparison.”
  — Chase McGee on Geese’s lyricism [01:22]

• “Who would leave a tortoise?”
  — Mark Chilla delighting in Rachel & Vilre’s lyrical play [02:44]

• “Beautiful ethereal country instrumentation to the loudest distortion you can imagine.”
  — Mark Davenport on Shallow Water’s dynamic range [03:05]

• “As I re-listen to the album… I get to relive how deeply personal his comeback was in 2014…”
  — Victoria on D’Angelo’s enduring influence [04:17]

• “No skip albums are rare for me, but this is definitely one.”
  — Pamela Kirkland on Wale’s Everything Is A Lot [06:02]

---

Episode Flow & Key Timestamps

• [00:06] Intro & Episode Purpose: Best Music of 2025 discussion — Orlando Montoya
• [00:47] Krista York Wooten: Stone Foundation, Revival of Survival
• [01:22] Chase McGee: Geese, Getting Killed
• [02:01] Mark Chilla: Rachel & Vilre, West of Broadway
• [03:05] Mark Davenport: Shallow Water, God's Gonna Give You A Million Dollars
• [03:34] Victoria: Hip hop highlights & D’Angelo spotlight
• [04:37] Khari Sampson: Ruby Francis, Pages of Philosophy (EP)
• [05:16] Pamela Kirkland: Wale, Everything Is A Lot
• [06:15] Closing remarks & well-wishes for New Year

---

Final Thoughts

This episode is a heartfelt and eclectic celebration of music from the GPB team, each recommendation revealing a bit about the person behind the mic. The picks span genres and generations, underscoring music’s emotional power—whether by providing comfort, nostalgia, or a new discovery to look forward to in the new year.

Transcript

[A]

Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Today, it's a special New Year's Eve episode with music. Lots of music from our GPB staff. As we gather round and ask each other what was the best sounds that we heard in 2025. Our staff will share their picks for the best music. Today is Wednesday, December 31st. I'm Orlando Montoya and this is Georgia Today. So what artists, albums and songs moved us here in the GPB office in 2025? I certainly appreciate you taking the time to hear our thoughts.

[B]

I'm Krista York Wooten and I write about music and culture here at GPB. The 2025 album that got me through is the revival of Survival by the British neo soul band Stone Foundation. Its positive mantras plus irresistible grooves. The beat I know counteracted the chaos with hope Whether on distant shores or looking out my window at home.

[C]

Tells me where I'm going It's that beat I know it tells me where I've been It's that beat I know.

[D]

This is Chase McGee. I'm the senior newsroom producer at Georgia Public Broadcasting. My album of the year is Getting Killed by the band Geese from Brooklyn. The band's frontman, Cameron Winter, put out a really well received solo album last year that kind of primed the pump for this year's album to take up a lot of space. This album is so lyrically dense. I've seen people evoke names like Dylan in comparison, and I wouldn't be surprised if you see a long future ahead for these artists.

[C]

Dr. Dr. Heal yourself.

[D]

This cut is from their single Taxes. If you're into them, check out the whole album front to back.

[E]

I'm Mark Chilla. I'm the radio operations manager here at gpb. You know, I'm an old soul, so my favorite album of the year was Rachel and Vilre's album west of Broadway, which came out this year. This album, it makes you feel like you're digging through the crates of a record store and uncovering a lost Broadway cast album from the 1940s or 50s. It's an absolute delight. The tunes are all original songs written by Vilre, rife with clever wordplay, eccentric characters, endearing melodies, and plenty of whimsy. One of my favorite tracks is the tune Is It Jim? All about a woman who wakes up to discover her partner has been replaced by a tortoise.

[C]

But who would leave a tortoise?

[A]

Is it him?

[F]

Awkward and enormous?

[B]

Is it Jim?

[E]

It's funny, it's bizarre, but I love that he rhymes the word tortoise with enormous laborious fortress. It's just great.

[G]

My name is Mark Davenport and my album of the year is by a band called Shallow Water. The album is called God's Gonna Give youe A Million Dollars. It's this great combination of both Americana and style, slow core. So we'll go from this beautiful ethereal country instrumentation to the loudest distortion you can imagine. Great album.

[H]

Hi, I'm Victoria. I'm an audio engineer here at Georgia Public Broadcasting, and this year my Apple Music Replay consisted of some of hip hop's heavy hitters. As always, top of my list for me was Tyler the Creator's Don't Tap the Glass, closely followed by Kendrick Lamar's gnx, Klipse's Let God Sort Em out, and Earl's Sweatshirt's Live Laugh Love. But most notably and my most replayed for the month of October was d' Angelo's Voodoo and Black Messiah featuring the Vanguard. It's appropriate, seeing that his music was introduced to me relatively early, to honor his legacy. I listened to Black Messiah, which came full circle for me as I was in college studying music when it first released. As I re listen to the album as well as some of his press junkets from that time, I get to relive how deeply personal his comeback was in 2014 and thus how deeply his influence was felt.

[I]

I'm Khari Sampson, copy editor for GPB News here, and my album selection is Ruby Francis and her EP Pages of Philosophy. I've been a super fan of Frances since 2017 and this is clearly my album of the year. She's an R and B artist from London, England, and her work is just a soulful neo soul vibe. I pick up everything that she puts out.

[F]

Red Wine Tell me about your history.

[C]

Comfort and familiarity.

[J]

I'm Pamela Kirkland. I'm the host of Morning Edition on gpb. For me, Wale's new album Everything Is A Lot ended up being one of my favorites this year. I've been a Wale fan for a long time, since he first came out. It's been a minute since his last album, but this one feels like a return to the sound that first hooked me. From the samples that he chose to the laid back beats and just some of the vulnerability in his lyrics. It's really an album that you can just chill out to, but when you listen, you can hear just how dynamic he is in those lyrics.

[C]

Yeah, we celebrate my opposition Ain't not the missive God's good but I often question him when he listen, the hate is bigger than me. The weight is bigger than me. They crashing out. I feel like I'm a Talladega winning.

[J]

No skip albums are rare for me, but this is definitely one social media.

[C]

They are they cotton picking minds. They don't know the details.

[A]

And that's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. Celebrate the new year safely and we'll be back with you again in 2026 with the latest news from across the state. Find the latest news always on our webpage, gpb.org news we welcome feedback about Georgia Today. Our email address is georgiatodaypb.org and as always, hit subscribe on this podcast so you never miss an episode. I'm Orlando Montoya. I'll talk with you again sometime soon.

[F]

How does AI even work? Where does creativity come from? What's the secret to living longer? TED Radio Hour explores the biggest questions with some of the world's greatest thinkers. They will surprise, challenge and even change you. Listen to NPR's Ted Radio Hour. Wherever you get your podcasts.