Dangerous Bunny’s victory lap rolled into November, when he lastly gained his first Latin Grammy in one of many three main classes: album of the 12 months for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.
Christopher Polk/Billboard by way of Getty Pictures/Billboard
cover caption
toggle caption
Christopher Polk/Billboard by way of Getty Pictures/Billboard
From Puerto Rico’s world music takeover to the high-profile prison trial of a hip-hop mogul, 2025 had no scarcity of music information. Artists protested throughout phases and streaming platforms; they sparred with the White Home over its use of their songs on social media posts. TikTok creators turned bonafide pop stars and duos who’d spent many years away from the highlight reunited in studios and on the highway. In an ever-changing and fast-paced consideration financial system, musicians hustled to place out information, join with listeners and demand accountability from a number of the business’s largest energy gamers.
This is a rundown of a number of the largest music tales of 2025:
January
- Dangerous Bunny kick-started the 12 months with the discharge of DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, which chronicled Puerto Rico’s cultural lineage from música jíbara to trap-fueled reggaeton. An idea album doubling as a manifesto for his island, the 31-year-old celebrity laid the groundwork for what would develop into a historic 12 months not only for his personal profession, however for a whole diaspora.
- In Los Angeles, wildfires in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades displaced a whole lot of hundreds of individuals throughout town. Many musicians misplaced their properties, and devices, recording gear, vinyl collections and studio areas vanished in a single day.
- As Drake‘s probabilities of squashing his rap beef with Kendrick Lamar slipped additional and additional away from him, the rapper fired an surprising shot: he filed a lawsuit in opposition to his label, Common Music Group (UMG), for releasing and selling Lamar’s diss monitor, “Not Like Us.” The criticism was later dismissed by a federal choose. (Drake additionally withdrew a earlier submitting accusing UMG and Spotify of unfairly selling “Not Like Us”).
- When President Trump took workplace and made immigration crackdowns a core precedence of his second time period, musicians started protesting his administration by refusing to carry out within the U.S. Bells Larsen, Christian Tetzlaff, András Schiff and Dangerous Bunny are among the many artists who skipped U.S. excursions all through 2025, particularly citing the administration’s aggressive immigration insurance policies. A number of festivals centered on Latin music and tradition, together with Michelada Pageant and Migo Fest, have been additionally cancelled later within the 12 months attributable to issues over artist visas and neighborhood security amidst ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.
February
- Two massive winners outlined the 67th annual Grammy awards night time. Beyoncé lastly gained album of the 12 months for Cowboy Carter, and Kendrick Lamar took house 5 golden gramophones for “Not Like Us,” together with track of the 12 months, file of the 12 months and greatest rap track.
- Per week later, Lamar carried out to his largest viewers ever throughout the Tremendous Bowl halftime present. He carried out a medley of songs punctuated by Samuel L. Jackson’s satirical tackle Uncle Sam, a crip-walking Serena Williams and a few very loaded eye contact with the digital camera throughout “Not Like Us.” Lamar’s televised revolution pronounced him the common winner of the battle in opposition to his Canadian rival.
- In Washington, D.C., a distinct battle started to unfold: President Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Heart. Weeks into his second time period, the president purged the board of its bipartisan, Biden-appointed members, fired long-time management and named himself chairman of the nation’s cultural heart (he was later elected to that place by a brand new board). This may solely be the start of a 12 months marked by staffing cuts, canceled performances and hostile exchanges between artists and the Kennedy Heart’s new management.
March
- After spending time in Hollywood, diving into new genres and concluding a fruitful collaboration with Tony Bennett, Woman Gaga lastly stepped again into her best-known function: Mom Monster. With the discharge of Mayhem on March 7, Gaga embraced the darkish dance pop sound that catapulted her into stardom practically twenty years in the past.
Irish rap trio Kneecap took Coachella by storm.
Matt Cardy/Getty Pictures/Getty Pictures Europe
cover caption
toggle caption
Matt Cardy/Getty Pictures/Getty Pictures Europe
April
- Director Ryan Coogler launched the interval thriller Sinners, a non secular and musical exploration of cultural vampirism within the Mississippi Delta drawing a throughline from blues to hip-hop.
- Irish rap trio Kneecap took Coachella by storm, marking the start of an electrifying and extremely controversial competition season for the group. Already identified for its politically-motivated advocacy for the Irish language, the group additionally led the gang in chants of “Free Palestine,” which resulted in stark criticism from folks starting from Sharon Osbourne to the British Prime Minister. British legislation enforcement finally charged band member Mo Chara with a terrorism offense for allegedly holding up a flag in assist of Hezbollah, which was later dismissed.
Might
- The prison trial of hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs started in New York Metropolis, and would proceed to dominate headlines and social media discourse for the primary half of the summer time. Combs’ ex-girlfriends, former staff and legislation enforcement brokers all testified on behalf of the federal government, which accused Combs of operating a prison enterprise that enabled and hid abuse for many years.
- After a years-long battle that included a public feud with music government Scooter Braun and the re-recording of a number of LPs, Taylor Swift lastly purchased again the grasp recordings to her first six albums.
- Nashville unhealthy boy Morgan Wallen launched I am The Downside, which topped Billboard’s 200 chart, as anticipated, and remained there for months. The 37-song mission soared throughout a number of charts and cemented Wallen’s standing not simply as a rustic celebrity, however as a pressure to be reckoned with in pop.
June
- Former Hype Home TikTok creator Alex Warren hit No.1 on Billboard’s Sizzling 100 with “Atypical,” a romantic ballad that will develop into the largest track within the nation for a lot of the summer time.
- Two legends who revolutionized American music within the Sixties died inside days of one another: Sly Stone and Brian Wilson. Each led emblematic Los Angeles ensembles that soundtracked altering social and political norms within the period’s counterculture, although they finally retreated from the highlight.
- Indie rock band Deerhoof determined to tug its music off Spotify in protest of CEO Daniel Ek’s protection investments. A wave of different artists quickly adopted swimsuit, criticizing not simply Ek’s ties to a German navy know-how firm, however Spotify’s payout mannequin extra broadly and its affect on artists’ skill to make a residing.
Oasis reunited for a collection of live shows 16 years after breaking apart.
KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP by way of Getty Pictures/AFP
cover caption
toggle caption
KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP by way of Getty Pictures/AFP
July
- A federal jury acquitted Sean Combs of probably the most severe expenses in opposition to him, intercourse trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. He was convicted on two counts of transportation for prostitution, however the verdict was thought-about an total victory by his group, and led to sizable celebrations outdoors the courthouse — although it additionally sparked questions about Combs’ legacy shifting ahead.
- It lastly occurred: Oasis reunited for a collection of live shows 16 years after breaking apart, resulting in nostalgic, intergenerational sing-alongs on each side of the Atlantic.
- One other pair of brothers — with considerably much less public baggage – additionally teamed up once more: Clipse launched its first album in 16 years. Let God Kind Em Out shortly turned one of the critically acclaimed hip-hop information of the 12 months, and later obtained a heat welcome (again) from the Recording Academy.
- On Spotify, controversy continued. An AI-generated music mission posing as an actual band racked up thousands and thousands of streams (and appeared on a number of widely-listened to playlists) earlier than anybody seen the group was not, in actual fact, made up of human musicians. The debacle sounded alarms over how streaming platforms will strategy synthetic intelligence shifting ahead, and led to calls for for extra transparency from specialists and listeners alike.
August
- Dangerous Bunny’s historic residency in San Juan, “No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí” (“I Do not Need to Depart Right here”), hit its midway level and cultural apex in August. The 31-concert, three-months lengthy collection, which included a particular block for Puerto Rican residents solely, drove house the themes of his record-breaking album and injected large income into the native financial system.
- Netflix’s animated movie Kpop Demon Hunters got here out in June, however in August, the movie’s soundtrack dominated the pop charts, changing into the primary film soundtrack in three many years to have that sort of affect.
September
- The Federal Commerce Fee filed a lawsuit in opposition to Ticketmaster and its guardian firm, Stay Nation, alleging that the corporate willingly misleads customers about ticket costs and cooperates with scalpers to markup resale costs — all on the expense of artists and music followers.
- Daniel Ek, the co-founder and most seen face of Spotify because it grew into the largest streaming service on this planet, introduced his choice to step down as CEO on the finish of the 12 months and transition to government chairman in 2026.
- A whole bunch of worldwide musicians launched “No Music for Genocide,” a boycott that eliminated their music from streaming companies in Israel. The motion continued to achieve steam for months, with over a thousand musicians becoming a member of and pledging to partake within the geo-block till there’s an finish to the violence in Gaza and the West Financial institution.
- Dangerous Bunny was introduced because the headliner for the 2026 Tremendous Bowl halftime present, changing into the primary artist who performs completely Spanish-language music to take action. The announcement obtained swift backlash from conservative politicians and media retailers. Throughout an look on Saturday Evening Stay, the Puerto Rican celebrity mockingly suggested his critics to begin studying his native language.
Taylor Swift launched her twelfth studio album, The Lifetime of a Showgirl.
Valerie Terranova/Getty Pictures/Getty Pictures North America
cover caption
toggle caption
Valerie Terranova/Getty Pictures/Getty Pictures North America
October
- A federal choose sentenced Sean Combs to over 4 years in jail for the prostitution-related expenses he was convicted of in July. Prosecutors had advocated for an 11 12 months sentence, whereas Combs’ attorneys argued their consumer must be allowed to go house earlier than the top of the 12 months. Throughout the ruling, Choose Arun Subramanian said {that a} substantial sentence was essential to account for the gravity of Combs’ bodily and emotional abuse over his victims.
- Taylor Swift launched her twelfth studio album, The Lifetime of a Showgirl, created throughout her blockbuster Eras Tour and extremely high-profile romance together with her now-fiancé, Travis Kelce. As anticipated, the album was a direct industrial success. The track “Really Romantic” additionally stoked rumors a couple of feud with Charli xcx, creating friction between the artists’ respective fanbases on-line.
- Visionary singer D’Angelo died on the age of 51 following a battle with most cancers. A pioneer of what would develop into often known as neo-soul, he launched solely three albums, however left an indelible mark on R&B — although he spent a lot of his life skewing the labels compelled onto his picture and his sound.
November
- Dangerous Bunny’s victory lap rolled into November, when he lastly gained his first Latin Grammy in one of many three main classes: album of the 12 months for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. He devoted the award to the younger folks of Latin America and Puerto Rico particularly.
- Former rapper Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York Metropolis, following a heated race that thrust him into the nationwide highlight. All through the marketing campaign path, musicians from town and past together with PinkPantheress, Lucy Dacus and Djo introduced Mamdani onstage at live shows or endorsed him. New York Metropolis’s indie rock neighborhood additionally rallied behind the candidate.
- Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, a very powerful platform for nation music, turned 100 years previous. It’s now the longest operating reside radio present on this planet, and continues to be an emblematic stage of a style nonetheless rising and reworking.
- Warner Music Group — one of many largest file labels on this planet — signed licensing offers with two synthetic intelligence firms it was beforehand suing for copyright infringement: Suno and Udio. The brand new offers will enable paid customers of the AI platforms to create songs with the voices of artists and compositions of songwriters who conform to take part.The corporate pledges that these partnerships will enable artists and songwriters to be correctly compensated for the way their work is utilized in AI-music fashions.
December
- The primary Kennedy Heart Honors have been held in Washington, D.C. since President Trump’s takeover of the establishment. KISS, Gloria Gaynor and George Strait have been musicians honored this 12 months, with Trump declaring he was “very concerned” within the choice course of. He additionally turned the primary president to host the awards ceremony.
