🔗 Share this article Our Ten Top Worldwide Records of 2025 As the year draws to a close, we reflect on the worldwide music that defied expectations. Here is a countdown of ten notable albums that characterized the year in music. Number Ten: Sarathy Korwar – There Already Is Beauty The concept of a 40-minute, uninterrupted piece built on insistent drumming might not seem the easiest musical proposition. But, south Asian percussionist and producer Sarathy Korwar turns this persistent pulse into a unexpectedly magnetic album. Leading an group of three drummers, Korwar develops a intricate percussive vocabulary over the record's 10 movements. The work draws from Steve Reich's phasing motifs as well as Indian classical phrasing, each grounded in the reiteration of a ongoing, thrumming figure. The longer one listens, this refrain begins to emulate the hypnotic repetition of ceremonial music, pulling the listener further into Korwar's unique percussive world. Number Nine: Yasmine Hamdan – I Forget, I Remember Following an eight-year break, Lebanese singer-songwriter Yasmine Hamdan re-emerges with a contemplative collection of songs. It continues exploring the Arabic-sung, dub-tinged sound that made her a staple in the Arab alternative scene since the 1990s. Hamdan's vocal delivery is quiet and thoughtful, singing tender melodies over the bowing strings of a track like Hon and the rolling trip-hop groove of Vows. During more energetic moments such as Shadia and Abyss, she employs a trembling, yearning vibrato over north African synth lines and rattling electronic percussion. The album's sound is minimal and restrained, yet this simplicity provides the perfect environment for Hamdan's emotive lyricism to shine through. It is that justifies the wait. Number Eight: The Mexican Producer Debit – Desaceleradas From Mexico producer Debit has a knack for haunting reworkings of archival audio. On her latest release, Desaceleradas, she zeroes in on the 1990s variant of cumbia rebajada – a slowed, dub-inflected interpretation of the rhythmic Latin American dance music genre. Debit drags this sound even further, filtering its signature synths and syncopated rhythm through layers of murk and noise to create a fresh, foreboding beat. At turns atmospheric and discomfiting, Debit transforms the celebratory dancefloor sound of cumbia into a enduring, ethereal echo. 7. DJ K – Liberator Radio! Sheer intensity is the operative word for the output of São Paulo producer Kaique Vieira, AKA DJ K. Pioneering his own genre of "bruxaria" (witchcraft), Vieira layers a cacophony of sirens, pummeling bass tones and screamed lyrics over the enduring Brazilian genre of baile funk. This captures the propulsive sound of urban celebrations. On his new record, Radio Libertadora!, Vieira ramps up the intensity, throwing in everything from techno kick drums to samples of the Islamic call to prayer into his unruly bruxaria mix. The result is a notably manic and punishingly loud forty-minute listening experience. Surrender to the assault and Vieira's bold productions become unexpectedly freeing. Number Six: The Singer Mohinder Kaur Bhamra – Punjabi Disco Sikh devotional singer Mohinder Kaur Bhamra's record from 1982 of disco music and Punjabi folk melodies is a newly appreciated masterpiece. Produced by her son, music producer Kuljit Bhamra, Punjabi Disco's ten tracks present an unusually captivating fusion of the synthetic sound of electronic keyboards and programmed drums with her fluid classical Indian vocal technique. Drum machine patterns mirrors the wavelike tones of the tabla, while synth lines doubles the classic sound of the reed organ on tracks such as Pyar Mainu Kar. At other times, Latin-inflected grooves comes to the fore on Soniya Mukh Tera, and Nainan Da Pyar De Gaya channels a fast-paced disco bass groove. It's a party blend pioneered more than ten years before the Asian Underground explosion. Number Five: Enji – Sonor Mongolian singer Enji's delicate fourth album, Sonor, expands on her jazz-influenced sound to offer some of her most diverse music so far. Stepping outside her background in traditional Mongolian "long song" singing, the record's selection of pieces range from the soft Norah Jones-esque melodies of downtempo number Ulbar to the German spoken-word lyrics and trilling guitar lines of Unadag Dugui. The album also includes a lively, funk-inflected cover of the 80s Mongolian pop hit Eejiinhee Hairaar. Featuring a full backing band rather than her usual setup of guitar and bass, Sonor's sound remains close, pulling the listener into the gentle acoustics of her singular voice. Number Four: Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek – If There Is No Tomorrow Inspired by the 1960s legacy of Turkish psychedelia established by groups such as Moğollar, Turkish-born, Germany-based singer Derya Yıldırım's new album alongside her group fuses the metallic twang of the electrified saz with dreamy keyboard and classic soul melodies. It's a nostalgic vibe anchored in Yıldırım's strong high register and influenced by producer Leon Michels' warm, tape-saturated aesthetic. However, on Turkish standards such as the nursery rhyme Hop Bico and 60s classic Ceylan, the group finds lively new territory. They create slinking, downtempo grooves and soaring vocals that give a new, unconventional twist to the Anatolian psychedelic style. Number Three: The Colombian Artist Lido Pimienta – La Belleza Catholic requiem mass music, Czech harpsichord folksong and symphonic arrangements all come together on Colombian-born singer Lido Pimienta's remarkable latest work. Orchestrating music for the sixty-member Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra, Pimienta and producer Owen Pallett traverse everything from the liturgical vocals of opener Overturn (Obertura de la Luz Eterna) to the dramatic interweaving lines of Aún Te Quiero and the syncopated dembow rhythms of the brass and woodwind-led El Dembow del Tiempo. Yet, it is Pim
As the year draws to a close, we reflect on the worldwide music that defied expectations. Here is a countdown of ten notable albums that characterized the year in music. Number Ten: Sarathy Korwar – There Already Is Beauty The concept of a 40-minute, uninterrupted piece built on insistent drumming might not seem the easiest musical proposition. But, south Asian percussionist and producer Sarathy Korwar turns this persistent pulse into a unexpectedly magnetic album. Leading an group of three drummers, Korwar develops a intricate percussive vocabulary over the record's 10 movements. The work draws from Steve Reich's phasing motifs as well as Indian classical phrasing, each grounded in the reiteration of a ongoing, thrumming figure. The longer one listens, this refrain begins to emulate the hypnotic repetition of ceremonial music, pulling the listener further into Korwar's unique percussive world. Number Nine: Yasmine Hamdan – I Forget, I Remember Following an eight-year break, Lebanese singer-songwriter Yasmine Hamdan re-emerges with a contemplative collection of songs. It continues exploring the Arabic-sung, dub-tinged sound that made her a staple in the Arab alternative scene since the 1990s. Hamdan's vocal delivery is quiet and thoughtful, singing tender melodies over the bowing strings of a track like Hon and the rolling trip-hop groove of Vows. During more energetic moments such as Shadia and Abyss, she employs a trembling, yearning vibrato over north African synth lines and rattling electronic percussion. The album's sound is minimal and restrained, yet this simplicity provides the perfect environment for Hamdan's emotive lyricism to shine through. It is that justifies the wait. Number Eight: The Mexican Producer Debit – Desaceleradas From Mexico producer Debit has a knack for haunting reworkings of archival audio. On her latest release, Desaceleradas, she zeroes in on the 1990s variant of cumbia rebajada – a slowed, dub-inflected interpretation of the rhythmic Latin American dance music genre. Debit drags this sound even further, filtering its signature synths and syncopated rhythm through layers of murk and noise to create a fresh, foreboding beat. At turns atmospheric and discomfiting, Debit transforms the celebratory dancefloor sound of cumbia into a enduring, ethereal echo. 7. DJ K – Liberator Radio! Sheer intensity is the operative word for the output of São Paulo producer Kaique Vieira, AKA DJ K. Pioneering his own genre of "bruxaria" (witchcraft), Vieira layers a cacophony of sirens, pummeling bass tones and screamed lyrics over the enduring Brazilian genre of baile funk. This captures the propulsive sound of urban celebrations. On his new record, Radio Libertadora!, Vieira ramps up the intensity, throwing in everything from techno kick drums to samples of the Islamic call to prayer into his unruly bruxaria mix. The result is a notably manic and punishingly loud forty-minute listening experience. Surrender to the assault and Vieira's bold productions become unexpectedly freeing. Number Six: The Singer Mohinder Kaur Bhamra – Punjabi Disco Sikh devotional singer Mohinder Kaur Bhamra's record from 1982 of disco music and Punjabi folk melodies is a newly appreciated masterpiece. Produced by her son, music producer Kuljit Bhamra, Punjabi Disco's ten tracks present an unusually captivating fusion of the synthetic sound of electronic keyboards and programmed drums with her fluid classical Indian vocal technique. Drum machine patterns mirrors the wavelike tones of the tabla, while synth lines doubles the classic sound of the reed organ on tracks such as Pyar Mainu Kar. At other times, Latin-inflected grooves comes to the fore on Soniya Mukh Tera, and Nainan Da Pyar De Gaya channels a fast-paced disco bass groove. It's a party blend pioneered more than ten years before the Asian Underground explosion. Number Five: Enji – Sonor Mongolian singer Enji's delicate fourth album, Sonor, expands on her jazz-influenced sound to offer some of her most diverse music so far. Stepping outside her background in traditional Mongolian "long song" singing, the record's selection of pieces range from the soft Norah Jones-esque melodies of downtempo number Ulbar to the German spoken-word lyrics and trilling guitar lines of Unadag Dugui. The album also includes a lively, funk-inflected cover of the 80s Mongolian pop hit Eejiinhee Hairaar. Featuring a full backing band rather than her usual setup of guitar and bass, Sonor's sound remains close, pulling the listener into the gentle acoustics of her singular voice. Number Four: Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek – If There Is No Tomorrow Inspired by the 1960s legacy of Turkish psychedelia established by groups such as Moğollar, Turkish-born, Germany-based singer Derya Yıldırım's new album alongside her group fuses the metallic twang of the electrified saz with dreamy keyboard and classic soul melodies. It's a nostalgic vibe anchored in Yıldırım's strong high register and influenced by producer Leon Michels' warm, tape-saturated aesthetic. However, on Turkish standards such as the nursery rhyme Hop Bico and 60s classic Ceylan, the group finds lively new territory. They create slinking, downtempo grooves and soaring vocals that give a new, unconventional twist to the Anatolian psychedelic style. Number Three: The Colombian Artist Lido Pimienta – La Belleza Catholic requiem mass music, Czech harpsichord folksong and symphonic arrangements all come together on Colombian-born singer Lido Pimienta's remarkable latest work. Orchestrating music for the sixty-member Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra, Pimienta and producer Owen Pallett traverse everything from the liturgical vocals of opener Overturn (Obertura de la Luz Eterna) to the dramatic interweaving lines of Aún Te Quiero and the syncopated dembow rhythms of the brass and woodwind-led El Dembow del Tiempo. Yet, it is Pim