My Favorite Songs Of 2025

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  1. Messy – Lola Young
  2. DENIAL IS A RIVER – Doechii
  3. Love Me Not – Ravyn Lenae
  4. Everyday – Celeste
  5. Young – Little Simz
  6. catch these fists – Wet Leg
  7. Pussy Palace – Lily Allen
  8. luther – Kendrick Lamar with SZA
  9. Tears – Sabrina Carpenter
  10. Pretrail (Let Her Go Home) – Fiona Apple
  11. Spike Island – Pulp
  12. squabble up – Kendrick Lamar
  13. Ring Ring Ring – Tyler, the Creator
  14. Eatin’ Big Time – Tyler Childers
  15. Anxiety – Doechii
  16. Lover Girl – Laufey
  17. Tough Luck – Laufey
  18. Chains & Whips – Clipse featuring Kendrick Lamar
  19. APT. – ROSÉ and Bruno Mars
  20. Bitin’ List – Tyler Childers
  21. Flood – Little Simz featuring Obongjayar and Moonchild Sanelly
  22. Don’t Leave Too Soon – Little Simz
  23. Fuck Me Eyes – Ethel Cain
  24. BMF – SZA
  25. Orlando in Love – Japanese Breakfast
  26. Sugar On My Tongue – Tyler, the Creator
  27. Sports car – Tate McRae
  28. Incomprehensible – Big Thief
  29. Free – Little Simz
  30. Rein Me In – Sam Fender with Olivia Dean
  31. mangetout – Wet Leg
  32. peekaboo – Kendrick Lamar feat. AZ Chike
  33. Everybody Scream – Florence + The Machine
  34. Catching feelings – Cerrone, Christine and the Queens
  35. Madeline – Lily Allen
  36. tv off – Kendrick Lamar
  37. Mr. Eclectic – Laufey
  38. Still Bad – Lizzo
  39. Bonnet of Pins – Matt Berninger
  40. The Subway – Chappell Roan
  41. What Is The Reason For it? – David Byrne with Ghost Town Orchestra and Hayley Williams
  42. PIRATE RADIO – Genesis Owusu
  43. Love in Real Life – Lizzo
  44. End of the World – Miley Cyrus
  45. Picture Window – Japanese Breakfast
  46. Only One Laughing – Hatchie
  47. Clean Heart – Perfume Genius
  48. Headphones On – Addison Rae
  49. i used to live in england – supermodel*
  50. Everybody Laughs – David Byrne with Ghost Train Orchestra
  51. Relationships – HAIM
  52. CPR – Wet Leg
  53. Mother, Pray For Me – The Beths
  54. What Was That – Lorde
  55. Man Of The Year – Lorde
  56. A BUG’S LIFE – Sudan Archives
  57. Hydroplaning Off the Edge of the World – Destroyer
  58. Devotion – Hot Chip
  59. All Night All Day – Big Thief
  60. Illegal – Pink Pantheress
  61. Human Mind – Mavis Staples
  62. 30 For 30 – SZA with Kendrick Lamar
  63. Which One – Drake & Central Cee
  64. Wreck – Neko Case
  65. Rusty Mountain – Neko Case
  66. Drift Away – Orville Peck
  67. Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter
  68. All Over Me – HAIM
  69. Hello, Hi – Little Simz
  70. All I Can Say – Kali Uchis
  71. Pale Song – Dove Ellis
  72. Apple – Charli xcx
  73. Drive – SZA
  74. Suzanne – Mark Ronson & RAYE
  75. Run Free – Soulwax
  76. Hit My Head All Day – Dry Cleaning
  77. Sunshine & Rain… – Kali Uchis
  78. wacced out murals – Kendrick Lamar
  79. Best Guess – Lucy Dacus
  80. Stay In Your Lane – Courtney Barnett
  81. Bigger in Texas – Megan Thee Stallion
  82. HOTBOX – Lil Nas X
  83. Dream Night – Jamie xx
  84. Letter From An Unknown Girlfriend – The Waterboys feat. Fiona Apple
  85. Snow White – Laufey
  86. So Easy (To Fall In Love) – Olivia Dean
  87. Time Will Tell – Celeste
  88. When Did You Get Hot? – Sabrina Carpenter
  89. Archbishop Harold Holmes – Jack White
  90. Tie You Down – HAIM and Bon Iver
  91. Neverwannago – Shamir
  92. Childlike Things – FKA twigs with North West
  93. Perfect Stranger – FKA twigs
  94. Man I Need – Olivia Dean
  95. Oscar Winning Tears – RAYE
  96. Nice Shoes – Steve Lacy

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Tunes Du Jour Presents 2025 Thus Far

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Call me old-fashioned, but I operate on a twelve-month calendar. That might be a controversial take, considering that outlets like Rolling Stone dropped their “Best of the Year So Far” lists back in June, apparently under the impression that 2025 is only ten months long. I thought I’d wait for half of the year to pass before I declare that half of the year has passed. For those of us who believe in a twelve-month cycle—not a ten-month one—here are 30 songs that have made my year in music great so far.

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Tunes Du Jour Celebrates Pride 2025

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Every June, Pride Month invites us to honor the LGBTQ+ community—not just its triumphs and ongoing struggles, but its wildly varied voices. This playlist, drawn from over six decades of music, is less a neat collection than a vibrant mix of statements, emotions, and identities. From Sylvester’s ecstatic disco classic “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” to Billie Eilish’s “LUNCH,” the selections aren’t organized by genre, time period, or even theme. That’s fitting. The LGBTQ+ experience is too broad and multifaceted to be summed up by any single sound.

Some tracks speak directly to queerness, like Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side,” which namechecks drag queens and trans women, or Bronski Beat’s spiritual descendants, the Scissor Sisters, with their cheeky, loving anthem “Take Your Mama.” Others, like “Rocket Man” or “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” resonated with queer audiences before the artists behind them publicly came out—or even if they never did. There’s a history of coded expression here, of lyrics that offered solace to those reading between the lines.

Then there are the songs that became anthems of empowerment by sheer force of feeling: Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” offered a lifeline to LGBTQ+ youth when it first aired on MTV, while Madonna’s “Vogue” gave a global spotlight to a ballroom culture that had long gone ignored by the mainstream. Judy Garland’s “Over the Rainbow” might seem quaint next to Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!,” but both songs capture longing, whether for love, acceptance, or the audacity to want more.

What unites these artists isn’t a single identity but a shared defiance—sometimes quiet, sometimes flamboyant—against what’s expected. Whether it’s the punkish ache of Buzzcocks’ “Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)” or the glossy Pet Shop Boys cover of “Go West,” the throughline is the refusal to shrink. Pride, in this sense, isn’t about perfection or performance. It’s about visibility, honesty, and a community that keeps evolving, note by note.

So, while this playlist won’t tell a single story, that’s exactly the point. Pride has never been about uniformity. It’s about claiming your truth, however it sounds—and blasting it through the speakers so someone else knows they’re not alone.

Hear last year’s Pride playlist here.

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Tunes Du Jour Celebrates PRIDE!

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Music has long been a powerful force for self-expression and building community for LGBTQ+ artists and listeners alike. This Pride playlist celebrates the incredible diversity within the LGBTQ+ community through a wide range of styles, eras, and voices.

From enduring anthems like Diana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out” and Queen’s defiant “I Want To Break Free” to recent hits from Lil Nas X, Janelle Monae, and Troye Sivan, the songs seamlessly blend messages of pride, self-acceptance, and living authentically. Legendary artists like Elton John, George Michael, and Melissa Etheridge stand alongside bold new voices like Rina Sawayama and Perfume Genius, showing how LGBTQ+ musicians have blazed trails across decades.

The playlist pays tribute to tracks that turned the spotlight on LGBTQ+ experiences through storytelling, like The Kinks’ “Lola,” Pet Shop Boys’ “It’s a Sin,” and Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy.” It also uplifts joyful, celebratory bops, such as “I’m Still Standing,” “Go West,” and the iconic “It’s Raining Men.” 

With a mix of pop smashes, singer-songwriter confessionals, rock anthems, and hip-hop ground-breakers, the eclectic playlist reflects how LGBTQ+ artists have fruitfully influenced every corner of the musical landscape. From Carl Bean’s pioneering disco hit “I Was Born This Way” to Gossip’s “Standing in the Way of Control,” these songs unite in championing self-love, equality, and the fundamental human rights that the LGBTQ+ community continues fighting for.

Ultimately, this playlist invites listeners of all identities and backgrounds to share in the uplifting spirit of Pride. It’s a vibrant, multi-dimensional celebration of the perseverance, creativity, and unshakeable truth at the heart of the LGBTQ+ experience.

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Tunes Du Jour Presents 2017

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In the realm of music, 2017 proved to be a year of vibrant eclecticism, where established artists continued to push boundaries and emerging voices made their mark. The year’s soundtrack was a rich collection of narratives, each song telling its own story, whether it be Kendrick Lamar’s thought-provoking lyricism on “HUMBLE.”, or Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow,” an anthem of confidence and empowerment.

The year also saw artists like Future and Lil Uzi Vert pushing the boundaries of rap music, while Lorde and Portugal. The Man offered a more introspective take on pop. Drake’s “Passionfruit” and Calvin Harris’ “Slide” were the smooth, rhythmic tracks that became the backdrop of many summer nights, showcasing the seamless blend of R&B and electronic music.

Veterans like Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus reinvented themselves, leaving behind their pure pop personas for more mature, soulful expressions in “Sign of the Times” and “Malibu,” respectively. Meanwhile, SZA and Sampha delivered deeply personal albums that spoke to the complexities of relationships and self-discovery.

The indie scene was no less vibrant, with King Krule, St. Vincent, and The War on Drugs each offering a unique sonic experience that defied mainstream trends. And let’s not forget the poignant comeback of Kesha, who reminded us of the redemptive power of music.

As we reminisce about the tunes of 2017, it’s impossible not to feel the excitement and energy they brought into our lives. Each track on this playlist brings its own flavor to the table. It’s not just about the songs; it’s about the memories they evoke, the feelings they stir, and the way they become the soundtrack to our lives. Let’s crank up the volume, lose ourselves in the melodies, and celebrate the music of 2017.

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 2-9-24

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The Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt was sitting in a piano bar in Manhattan, listening to the pianist’s interpretations of Stephen Sondheim songs, when he decided he ought to get into theater music because he felt he had an aptitude for it. “I decided I’d write one hundred love songs as a way of introducing myself to the world. Then I realized how long that would be. So I settled on sixty-nine. I’d have a theatrical revue with four drag queens. And whoever the audience liked best at the end of the night would get paid.”

The Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt was born on this date in 1965. Lots of his/their music is included on today’s playlist.

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Queer Music of the 2010s

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Wrapping up Pride Month with the sixth and final installment of my Queer Music playlist series. Compare this playlist to the first one in the series and look at how far we’ve come in terms of representation and living openly. Coming up with 30 songs was challenging for the fifties/sixties program; limiting the tens program to 30 songs is tough. Much respect to all of the artists under the LGBTQ+ umbrella who didn’t make the cut. Keep on doing what you’re doing, and thank you.

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