gaga!!! the pitt!! west end girl!!! addison rae (again!!) drag race!!! heated rivalry!!! this year might’ve been a bit pale, but it ended with a bang.🎉
3/1/2026 10:35p.m.
it’s that time of year again!!!!🥳🥳🥳 yk it’s been yearss since i’ve started this. and i've tried out a bunch of different blogging websites. some discontinued, some of them aren't available in my country anymore (like tumblr. that's why i'm moving back to blogging here). but anyway, i'll keep doing this until there are basically no platforms left for me to write on. so… let's begin, shall we?👀
💿🏚waco, texas - ethel cain
this is probably my favorite track of the year. what a perfect continuation of the story and a closure connects back to the "preacher's daughter" narrative. i think it also speaks to all of us, in the way it reminds you that sometimes love just isn’t enough. :-( “you know it’s true i’d do anything for you / you know it’s true ‘cause i said it to you” her haunting delivery paired with those synths might be my favorite musical moment this year. it gives me chills every. single. time. it’s comforting in a way that feels deeply personal. and the ending, with it's nod to sun bleached files, just the cherry on top of an already perfect song. easily my #1 this year.
💿🏃➡️love takes miles - cameron winter
i never thought i’d say this, but i love this hetero ass music so much. i used to think i’d only ever connect with female artists, but really, i just hadn’t found a male musician whose work truly spoke to me. geese / cameron winter is a rare exception for me.
i honestly thought the hype around them was just propaganda at first because i kept seeing their name everywhere. but then i listened and wow. they really are that good. the rawness of their sound, paired with his screechy voice just does something to me.
“love takes miles” hit me so damn hard especially. i’ve always felt like the kind of love i’m looking for doesn’t exist where i am, like it’s going to take distance and time to find it. and then this song comes in like “love takes miles, love takes years, so you better start a walking, babe” i literally sobbed the first time i heard it. it doesn’t just describe exactly how i feel, it reassures me that it’s okay not to rush. that love exists somewhere, and finding it is part of the journey. so everything clicked instantly. easily top 3 this year.
💽⚜️addison - addison rae
well this album is proof that her so-called “trying hard” actually paid off. from a tiktok star to a star in her own right, this album/era marks that transition perfectly. for me she comes across like a front-row student in pop culture class, and she’s taking it seriously.
i’ve been yearning for a pop girl to create another ray of light-level moment, and never in a million years did i expect it to be her. yet she did it in her own way. a star is born is the only phrase that feels right for this album.
top picks: times like these (!), aquamarine, diet pepsi
💽💥mayhem - lady gaga
strongest pop album of the year for me. this is her return to her roots (some say it’s her “reheating nachos” or whatever). this album feels like a celebration of her entire past. you can hear the sound of her entire discography throughout, but in elevated, refined, and confident way. kinda feels like a statement of where she is right now.
at times, i was almost afraid she’d never reach this level again. not because she didn’t have it in her, but because of everything she’s gone through. but she is back. back back back again. ever since i saw her perform “killah” on SNL, i knew. there’s a boldness in her eyes without anything left to prove.
this is her healthiest and happiest era for me. she’s revisiting the darkness without being consumed by it the way she once was. and i’m so happy that this celebratory album is being celebrated by the whole world not just us little monsters. 2.5 million people in attendance. all time highest monthly listeners on spotify for a female artist. this is everything.🥹
top picks: can't stop the high (!! her best deep-cuts in YEARSS), abracadabra, vanish into you
💽🍿west end girl - lily allen
one of the best breakup albums of all time in my opinion. it captures every stage of love with so much clarity. i love how it opens with this strange bossa nova-inspired sound like it's immediately letting you know that something is wrong behind the curtain of the relationship. and as the album unfolds, it moves through neglect, mistrust, grief, and eventually, acceptance. lines like “you give me just enough hope to hold on to... nothing” in “just enough” are sooooo devastating because of how simple and honest they are. it also arrived at the perfect time. i think we are exhausted by overly intricate, metaphor-heavy songwriting and are craving something real, raw, and human. this album meets that moment perfectly. and that’s what makes it hit so hard for us.
top picks: west end girl (!!), just enough, tennis
💽✨🦂something beautiful - miley cyrus
she’s crazy for casually dropping her best singles in years on this album. “more to lose” and “secrets” are essential miley at her finest: bold, sensual, and poetic. it honestly hurts that the gp doesn’t seem to care about this album at all. it’s the most underrated piece of music this year for me.
top picks: more to lose (!!!), secrets (!!), end of the world
💽🩻virgin - lorde
she's more revealing than ever in this project (the album cover says it all) it's a very brave and deeply vulnerable project from her, which i can totally appreciate.
i love the art direction of this album cycle sm: iphone-shot videos, blurry photos, horizontal images that don’t fit instagram story rules. this is very "now". the unintentional. after years of chasing perfection, culture is finally circling back to messiness, flaws, and being real. i’m so excited to see where that tide goes next.
top picks: hammer (!!!), current affairs, david
💽🎤stage girl - eli
she’s going places i swear. behind the unserious persona and playful marketing there’s real depth in her songwriting. “somebody i’m not” explain the struggle between two selves and the longing to be fully seen and loved as who you truly are. it reflects the experience of a trans woman in a way that feels honest but still fun. one of the most interesting pop projects this year.
top picks: somebody i'm not (!!), like a girl, stars (lullabye)
💽🤺 i got too sad for my friends - shura
nothing i love more than a sad gay album. this is a heartfelt album that showcases a different aspect of depression. the production of this album is soooo warmmm and the vibe perfectly matches the album cover too: that offshore, autumnal gloom that feels isolating but still so beautiful.
it genuinely makes me sad that this album has been overlooked on so many year-end lists. it reminds me that if i hadn’t accidentally found her on youtube back in 2016, i might have never discovered her or this album at all. it makes me think about how many incredible musicians like her are still out there, waiting to be found.
top picks:i wanna be love by you (!!), richardson, ringpull
💿⛓️💥chains of love/house - charli xcx
i love the direction she’s heading in. this whole “you don’t know what i’m doing next” ahh move. feels like classic "true romance" charli as it finest. were going gothic girls!!!!
💿💺the subway - chappell roan
i’m so glad she finally released this. still love the demo/live version for how gritty it feels, but the studio version keeps the heart of the song still intact. lines like “well, f*ck this city i’m movin’ to saskatchewan" are ridiculous in the best way, and that’s exactly why they work. it’s chaotic in a way only she could pull off.
💿🍯caramel - conan gray
i have to admit that i'm not the biggest fan of his music, even though i'm a huge fan of his youtube content and have been since the beginning. i've found his discography to be a bit hit or miss. some of his songs are just "okay" for me, but this one is my absolute fav this year. the high school-like production with the guitar is just right for me, and the catchy hook is absolutely #on repeat. it's a solid track and i really hope it's a good start for me to get into his discography more.
💿honorable mentions
💽🧞♀️eusexua / eusexua afterglow - fka twigs
my picks: lonely but exciting road (!!!), wanderlust, childlike things
💿🩰plastic box - jade
💿🫵🏻i like it i like it - moses sumney, hayley williams
💿💕orlando in love - japanese breakfast
💿👜beat up chanel$ - slayyter
💿💡gone - haim
💿🚪revolving door - tate mcrae
💽🖼️forever is a feeling - lucy dacus
my picks: best guess (!), limerance, ankles
💽👩🏻pinkpanthress - fancy that / fancy some more?
my picks: illegal, tonight, stateside (w zara larsson)
💿💊dopamine - robyn
💿🛸hampstead - ariana grande
💿🏭vacillator - ethel cain
💽🪄everybody scream - florence and the machine
my picks: buckle (!), sympathy magic
💽🧢glory - perfume genius
my picks: clean heart, it's a mirror, me & angel
💽🪐i created the universe so that life could create a language so complex, just to say how much i love you - sega bodega
💿🧎♀️the whole woman - anna von hausswolff
💽🕊️choke enough - oklou
my picks: thank you for recording, blade bird
💿🌕you can't always get what you want - erika de casier
complete list of my picks including honorable mentions⬇️⬇️⬇️
🎥⚡️thunderbolts
it’s rare to see a superhero film portray depression so honestly, especially from the perspective of people who are supposed to be “heroes.” i get why it didn’t get enough flowers bc it’s not the kind of superhero movie people expect. it seems like marvel has been trying to go deeper than just typical action movies lately. with thunderbolts, they explored depression, and with fantastic four, they're focusing on family. and i absolutely adore that direction sm! it's too bad the gp seems to want nostalgia instead, which means endlessly bringing back familiar faces and milking them forever.
🎥🧟♂️28 years later
another example of a movie that’s a bit different from the norm. and i absolutely loved it! it’s not just entertaining, it’s also genuinely heartwarming. the way it captures family dynamics, grief, and motherhood all flows together so naturally, and it connected with me in a way i really didn’t expect.
there’s also a surprising amount of philosophy for a zombie movie, which i loved. it expands the lore and the sense of time and space in such a creative way, i was especially chilled by the idea that the outside world has returned to normal, while the uk remains locked away. it’s so chilling for me and i really hope future films explore that concept even further.
🎥🪵weapons
sometimes you just want pure chaos and fun, and this movie is exactly that. i had the most joyful time watching it. the humor, the mystery, the tension. it kept me #seated the entire time. it's got just the right mix of horror and humor, which i really enjoy.
🎥🐝bugonia
you know i’m a sucker for suspense movies that make you question whether something supernatural is actually happening or if it’s all in your head. so this was completely up my alley. and yes, even the cough spoiler cough extraterrestrial stuff at the end that threw some people off. i personally loved it!!!. it took some risks, but i was all in!!!!
🎥🛣️one battle after another
i loved the tension in this film, it kept me hooked all the way to the end. such a fun experience overall, especially that road scene.
🎥honorable mentions
💃sinners
🐦🔥avatar: fire and ash
🧛♂️nosferatu
🚊final destination: bloodlines
🤳companion
