Songs of the Year 2025

This year I made a rolling playlist of my favourite songs on Apple Music which has been hugely helpful in keeping track of what I’ve enjoyed listening to. I’ve always kept a list of songs from albums I review on Spotify but that doesn’t catch every single. 

Another useful app for me is Last FM which I’ve been using since 2006 to count what I listen to. Sometimes the numbers are skewed because I have to listen to something more to review it, or just because a song came out at the beginning of the year but it still helps me to see what music I’ve gone back to. 

So using those metrics alongside my own gut instinct here are my top 20 favourite songs of the year sung by women. Apologies to the artists who I just haven’t had a chance to listen to this year. Share yours in the comments and let me know what I missed! 

20) The Womack Sisters – If You Want Me

A late discovery this year was the Womack Sisters who are the grandchildren of Sam Cooke, children of Womack & Womack and signed to Daptone records. That lineage alone was enough to spark my interest and I’m delighted to report that they have the talent and style to match expectations. ‘If You Want Me’ is a stunning slice of classic soul with enough personality to suggest they will go far. 

19) Japanese Breakfast – Orlando in Love

One of the underrated albums of the year for me was the perfectly titled ‘Songs for Melancholy Brunettes (and Sad Women)’ by Japanese Breakfast. One of the lush highlights of the album was ‘Orlando in Love’ which had gorgeous strings, poetic lyrics and heavenly vocals. 

18) The Last Dinner Party – This is the Killer Speaking

Despite their rushed second album being a slight letdown there was one or two stand out tracks which matched the quality of their debut and that included the epic sing and stamp along ‘This is the Killer Speaking’. It also came to life for me live and felt like it will be their set closer for a long while to come. 

17) Case Oats – Nora

Another wonderful new artist I enjoyed this year was Case Oats, the band led by Casey Walker who are signed to Merge Records. What I liked about their style was the mix of lo-fi indie folk vibes with some added country sounding guitars. There were many great songs on the album including ‘Bitter Root Lake’ and ‘Seventeen’ but it was the simple hook and heartfelt honesty of ‘Nora’ which stuck with me.

16) Ella Langley – Choosin’ Texas 

In a bad year for mainstream country music ‘Choosin’ Texas’ stood out for its inventive lyrics, great vocals, gorgeous sound and hook. Ella Langley wrote this one with Miranda Lambert, Joybeth Taylor and Luke Dick and it’s become her first number solo number one country song and hit number 11 in the all genre chart too. Irresistible. 

15) Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory – Idiot Box

I absolutely loved the dark, gothic electronica of Sharon Van Etten’s ‘Idiot Box’ which ruminated on how screen time and ‘all that skin against the glass’ has stolen time, sanity and self-esteem from us all. When she screams ‘come on outside / let me hear those thoughts’ she sounds like she’s ready to fight back against the madness of the social media world. Up there with St Vincent’s ‘Digital Witness’ as a song which explains the modern era with devastating clarity. 

14) Brandi Carlile & Elton John – Swing for the Fences

While others may have preferred the poignant ode to parenthood ‘You Without Me’ or any of the inwardly contemplative songs on Brandi’s ‘Returning to Myself’ for me it was the confident, brash, beautiful advice of ‘Swing for the Fences’ which resonated. Maybe everyone just needs an anthem to remind them to keep your head high and go for it and this team of icons delivered. Also if anyone else searches for upbeat non-pop workout music this one’s for you.  

13) Self Esteem – Focus is Power

Of all the songs in this list, ‘Focus is Power’ is the one that reduced me to tears on first listen. There’s something about the honesty and vulnerability of her music which gets me in the heart. On this song she added choirs, strings, and the epic refrain ‘I deserve to be here’ which every woman should sing to themselves when those inevitable doubts start creeping in. Singing this one with a crowd of thousands at the Barrowlands in September was one of my favourite moments of the year. Also shout out to the brutal truth of her other songs ‘The Curse’ and the hilarious ‘Cheers to Me’ for bringing me joy this year. 

12) Brennen Leigh – Don’t You Ever Give Up on Love 

Gosh darn this one is just the most toe-tappingly infectious song I heard all year. Wryly funny, self-deprecating and filled with hopeful optimism all tied up in a vintage country music bow. The whole album was a delight too.  

11) Maren Morris – Dreamsicle

On the softly beautiful Dreamsicle Maren asked herself ‘Will I ever enjoy anything / While I’m standing in it?’, reminding us to appreciate the moment before it all melts away. She wrote this one solo and proves that great voices don’t need pop producers and paid songwriters to find something worth singing about. What’s also lovely was when she told us this was her son’s favourite song too. So sweet, simple and worth savouring. 

10) Mavis Staples – Beautiful Strangers 

I don’t usually include cover versions in my songs of the year but there was something truly magical about Mavis’s version of Kevin Morby’s anti-gun protest song ‘Beautiful Strangers’. Mavis has lived through so much change and yet never given up on singing for peace and unity. The lines ‘if I lose my voice/ if I have no choice but to go quiet/ won’t you sing for me a melody’ were a reminder that she won’t be here forever and we need to keep sharing and sharing her message of hope. Let’s hope this song of love wins the Grammy for ‘Best American Roots Performance’ next year.

9) Juliana Hatfield – Fall Apart

Juliana just has this unmatched ability to sing a perfect indie pop song about the harsh truths of life and make you feel less alone. ‘Fall Apart’ is a rueful, catchy tune about how it doesn’t matter how many times you think you’ve got it together this life will come along and knock you off your feet anyway. She’s been through some shit this past few years and I’m forever thankful that she keeps showing up with brilliantly honest and engaging music to help us all get through.  

8) Valerie June – Sweet Things Just for You 

I’ve been hoping desperately for an indie twee revival and thanks to Valerie June on ‘Sweet Things Just for You’ I got my wish. A black woman playing banjo, singing about the good things in life and being in love just felt like the kind of bliss that we need in such a mad world. My other favourite song from her album was ‘Joy! Joy!’ which offered a similarly lovely and much needed escape. 

7) Wednesday – Elderberry Wine

For those, like myself, who found Wednesday a little hardcore and screamy on first impression the song ‘Elderberry Wine’ helped me to appreciate what’s so great about this band. Mixing unusual imagery, with emotional vocals and melancholy guitars this song got me hooked right away. I’m not even sure what Elderberry Wine even is about but it sounds weirdly wonderful to my ears. 

6) Caroline Spence – Fun at Parties

This song was the stand out from the brilliant ‘Heart Go Wild’ album, detailing the reality of what it’s like to go through difficult circumstances. The song has a catchy indie rock chorus, but what makes it so endearing is the humour and honesty of the lyrics. The conclusion is that it doesn’t matter what you’re going through, maybe you should share your truth rather than lying to make other people feel better. There’s such sadness, regret and longing in the song that it’s impossible not to sympathise and sing along. 

5) Snocaps – You in Rehab

I’m a sucker for catchy indie pop songs about the saddest things possible and this was one of my favourites of the year. Allison and Katie Crutchfield’s new band Snocaps was a total dream project and every song felt like a testament to their talent and natural sister musicality. On ‘You in Rehab’ they took the story of their other sister’s addiction and turned it into a cathartic release of tension and a momentary deep breath of hope. 

4) Madison Cunningham – My Full Name

Maybe on first listen this one seems like the simplest love song on the list and yet there’s something deeper here that keeps drawing me back. When she sings of ‘love’s the kind of sorrow worth saving’ you sense there’s darkness and self-destruction in the story of this relationship. The beauty of the piano, the unexpected orchestral flourish and her perfect vocals has made me return to this one over and over. 

3) I’m With Her – Wild & Clear & Blue

Most people, including President Obama, seem to think the song ‘Ancient Light’ is the best thing on I’m With Her album but even though I love that one, for me the outstanding track is their ode to their musical heroes ‘Wild & Clear & Blue’. I adore songs about childhood musical memories and this one tells the story of their love for Nanci Griffith and John Prine with such stunning emotion. I still hear the fiddle and bow of this one long after it’s done. 

2) Nikki Lane – Woodruff City Limit

Obviously I named my blog after Nikki Lane’s signature song so I am a big fan but I was absolutely blown away by her devastating single ‘Woodruff City Limit’ and think it’s the best thing she’s ever written. She has conveyed the story of her own life,  her father’s death, the character of her hometown, the horror of mental illness in a song that still manages to offer comfort too. The line ‘I was a good Southern prodigal daughter / trying to forget everything he taught us / except the old Gibson he bought for me’ is the sucker punch truth of the year. If a man released this song it would be at the top of every end of year list.

1) Margo Price – Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down 

In the end there could only be one winner and that is the barnstorming brilliance of ‘Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down’.  Margo Price has true grit and her gutsy delivery never felt more timely. Riotously funny, frank and feisty this one is just going to be on repeat for the rest of my damn life. Thank you Margo for reminding us of the brilliance of country music and importance of not giving a fuck what anyone thinks! 

Listen to all these songs in my playlist below 🙂