The Best Songs of October 2025 // New Music Friday!
"Telephone Busy" by 5 Seconds of Summer
"Telephone Busy" is not only my new favorite song that 5 Seconds of Summer has ever released, but its easily one of my top favorites of the entire year as well. If this single is any indication of what's to come with the rest of EVERYONE'S A STAR! then it is going to be some of their best work yet. The chorus is insanely infectious, the hypnotic hook has been stuck in my head ever since I first listened to it and have had it on repeat constantly. I also just got tickets to see them live next year in New York City, which I am so excited for!!
"Puddles" by Not For Radio
The opening song off of María Zardoya's debut solo side project, titled Not For Radio, immediately pulls the listener into the world she creates within this music. Melt is such a gorgeous album and I cannot recommend listening to it enough, with "Puddles" beautifully setting the tone for the rest of what's to come with the project. This song beautifully showcases the pairing of María's gorgeous, poetic lyricism and her signature ethereal vocals. It's an emotional moment of surrender, as she writes from the perspective of someone who loves deeply but is still questioning whether love is worth the inevitable risk of loss.
Check out my full review of Melt by Not For Radio!
"Dallas Major" by Lily Allen
West End Girl is bold, messy, and self‑aware in all the best ways. It's an album that really needs to be experienced in full to grasp the depth of the honesty she’s working with. Lily's writing is brutally honest and so sharp, she holds literally nothing back when it comes to sharing her experiences. For the sake of this list, I recommend checking out "Dallas Major", which captures her experience of dating after her divorce with a mix of vulnerability and the dark humor that's so distinctly her own. If nothing else, this album is further proof that so much of today's pop landscape is built on her style and impact.
"Good Ol' Days" by Hayley Williams
You can call her Miss Paramour! Hayley Williams has released yet another bonus track from her incredible Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party, and it's such a standout moment in the expanded world of the album. It's poignant and cleverly written, adding a new layer to the narrative she's been building throughout this album. I love how playful and self-referential it is lyrically, while still feeling deeply introspective to her life.
"Leave Overjoyed" by Post Animal
"Leave Overjoyed" is such a special extension onto Post Animal's IRON, especially knowing the album was born out of the band's innate friendship. It is such a warm and meaningful ode to the memories they've made together and the connection they share.
"Dream of Mickey Mantle - Live From Madison Square Garden" by Bleachers
I was lucky enough to be at this show at Madison Square Garden, Bleachers' biggest show to date, and it's still one of my favorite concert memories. It's so exciting that the night was turned into a live album and released just over a year later; getting to relive it in this way feels incredibly special. Some of my best memories come from seeing Bleachers live, and this show was truly unforgettable. The first Bleachers show I ever went to at Radio City was also released as a live album a few years ago, so it feels surreal that two of their shows (and two of my personal favorites) ended up being preserved like this.
"Dream of Mickey Mantle" is one of my favorite songs ever written, it means so much to me. The "I guess some things do turn out right" lyric change on this live version is so beautiful and such a meaningful moment. There is truly nothing else in the world like the magic of Bleachers live. If you ever have the chance to see them, I cannot recommend it enough!
Check out my full experience + photos of Bleachers live at Madison Square Garden!
"Hole In The Ground" by Inhaler
"Hole in the Ground" has this grungy, 90's edge to it while still feeling completely rooted in Inhaler's signature sound. Lyrically it is so vivid and heartfelt too. I love hearing them already releasing new music and continue to push themselves stylistically in this way.
"Music by Men" by Florence + The Machine
Florence's Halloween release of Everybody Scream is finally here, and it's a deeply personal, reflective, and diaristic album from her. "Music by Men" carries a lot of the same emotional weight and storytelling that I love in "One of the Greats", so I immediately gravitated toward it as one of the standout tracks from the album. The shoutout to The 1975 is such a fun touch, maybe music by men isn't so bad after all!
"Romeo" by PinkPantheress & Rachel Chinouriri
Fancy Some More? is a full remix album featuring all‑new collaborations and reinterpretations of the songs from PinkPantheress' stunning Fancy That record released earlier this year. The project is definitely very much in the same spirit as brat and its completely different but also still brat, which is something I hope see more artists continue to do in the future. The music is still very much rooted in the original world of Fancy That but each track is given a new life with a remix and collaboration. One of my favorites is "Romeo" featuring Rachel Chinouriri, which is so different from her usual style but she embodies it so naturally. Pink and Rachel have been two of my favorite new music discoveries this year and I love seeing them come together for this cool remix of one of the best pop songs of the year!
"Frequency" by Demi Lovato
I haven't loved Demi’s music this much in years, and "Frequency" is such a standout moment from her latest album It's Not That Deep. I love her in this eelctronic hyperpop lane, it suits her voice and her energy so well.
"Fourth Strike" by Terror Jr & King Kylie
One of the most unexpected releases of the year is Kylie Jenner making her iconic debut in music. To celebrate the ten‑year anniversary of Kylie Cosmetics and the Terror Jr song "Third Strike". It appeared in one of her early commercials, so it's perfect timing for them to reunite for a new collaboration, this time with Kylie on vocals for "Fourth Strike". For years, people speculated that Kylie was secretly the voice behind Terror Jr, so this feels like a full‑circle moment in the funniest way. I’m mostly including it here for the novelty of it, but it's undeniably entertaining too!
"Baltimore (Jack's Version)" by Bartees Strange
"Baltimore (Jack's Version)" is a newly reimagined take on the incredible "Baltimore" from Bartees Strange's latest album Horror. The new production from Jack Antonoff adds such a beautiful new layer onto this already powerful song. I first heard this track live at Jack's Shadow of the City festival, where Bartees performed, and have loved it ever since!
"safety net - live from vevo" by Ariana Grande & Ty Dolla $ign
To celebrate the five year anniversary of positions, Ariana finally released the iconic Vevo live sessions she recorded in 2020 on streaming. "safety net" featuring Ty Dolla $ign is such an incredible song, its truly among the greatest performances of her career and I'm so happy its finally available to listen to on repeat anytime! positions is such an underrated chapter in her discography, it still remains one of my absolute favorites.
"Berghain" by ROSALÍA, Björk, and Yves Tumor
"Berghain" is the lead single off ROSALÍA's upcoming album LUX, releasing next month, and it's such an unexpected and experimental new direction for her. This song is a grand, chaotic, and almost operatic blend of genres. It's completely unlike anything else I have ever heard before and following MOTOMAMI in 2022, it feels like one of the coolest and most surprising pivots she could've made. I can't wait to hear how this sound builds into the rest of the album!
"Tie you down" by HAIM & Bon Iver
"Tie you down" is a new bonus track from HAIM's I quit, and it's another gorgeous addition to the era. I love the work Danielle and Justin Vernon have been creating together recently, and his track feels like a natural extension of that artistic chemistry they all share.
"Palomino" by Finneas
"Palomino" by Finneas, from the Nobody Wants This soundtrack, feels like a completely different side of him and it's beautiful to hear. This is such a heartfelt, delicate song, with a gorgeous guitar melody.
"The Fate of Ophelia" by Taylor Swift
I have a lot of thoughts on The Life of a Showgirl, which I'll eventually compile into a full review. For now, though, I'd be remiss not to highlight at least one track, my favorite being the opening song and lead single, "The Fate of Ophelia". The music video in particular captures the showgirl aesthetic of this era with such precision and theatrical flair that it stands out as the project's strongest creative moment. That said, this was a very disappointing release overall, and I'll definitely be diving much deeper into my full thoughts in the near future.
Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out more of my New Music Friday posts here, as well as my song of the week series.☆
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