Color My '25
A rainbow of albums that made my year sound more beautiful than it felt...
2025 was a hard year, one of the hardest of my life. This year brought me some of the toughest battles I have ever had to deal with. It felt like I was being tested on every front and frankly, I realized I might not be as strong as I thought. But that’s okay. I’ve had to constantly remind myself that I am not a robot but rather a human being who is allowed to sit in her pain. I’m not meant to be okay all the time. I’m not meant to be a productivity machine. I am learning that although my life has become more demanding, I still deserve the time to validate my feelings and find a home my humanity, no matter how uncomfortable or unproductive that may feel in the moment. Lots of wounds, many of those that I didn’t realize existed, were slit open.
These albums are my year. Lessons of love, loss, loneliness, self-discovery, yearning, womanhood, helplessness, anger, and pure enjoyment captured by 9 beautiful projects. Looking back on my year makes me want to cry. I struggled… a lot, but this blog has always been my safe haven to channel these crazy years of my life into something tasteful to reexamine. I want to look back on these one day and remember how full of color my life was, despite the bumps in the road. Every time I fell in love with an album, I painted my year in that shade. 2025, thank you for being the most visceral and transformative one yet. I hope you all enjoy reading this recap as much as I did writing it. 💋
How I Do, 2001 - Res
Finding an album like this made me feel like the luckiest girl on earth. When I heard the first track “Golden Boys” this September, I felt like I was 13-14 again. A 13-year old Amanda very confidently applied to the two best all-girls schools in my borough because the very thought of going to school with boys for another 4 years irked my soul. I so badly wanted to start over without feeling the pressure to perform like all the other girls around me. I’m convinced that life cycles every ~7 years so now at 21, I can say that these feelings are coming back with a vengeance. Res captured these not-so-new feelings so so SO well. What CTRL was for me in middle school is what How I Do will likely be for me in my 20s. This feels like ancient religious text for Black girls that can see through all the BS of the world around them and choose to rise above it. This record oozes of the type of self-confidence that the world demonizes black women for. How could I not love it?
Midnight Lounge, 2001 - Jody Watley
Where do I even start with this one? Do y’all even deserve to know this album exists? I mean, seriously. I’m blessing you with my hidden gem. This is some of the best music I’ve ever heard in my life. There is witchcraft in this record. So much so that it singlehandedly fueled my new *like* for running. Something about those early morning runs in DC from August-October felt like pure magic with “More” playing in my headphones. Upon doing some research, I found out that Jody Watley was on Soul Train, and all the pieces fell into place. A flawless deep house and soul record that makes me want to hug all my friends and frolic until my legs give out. I have loved and will love Midnight Lounge for a very long time.
Wicked, 2025 - Deela
Remember when I said I believe life cycles every 7 years? I wanted absolutely nothing to do with useless boys at 13-14, and I’ve been feeling this way, especially this year. If you know Igbo women, you know we want nothing to do with a man who does not have money. Wicked reminds me that I’m not alone in this world where girls are proposing to men (send the rapture). This album is full of manifestations that radiate straight to my soul. Everyone hates a Black woman with confidence and standards! These songs are so fun. Deela has been in her own lane since “Patience Ozokwor”. Hair, fashion, talent, she is so fab. If Deela has no fans, I’m dead! Real music for the girl who believes men should worship the ground she walks on.
Last Splash, 1993 - The Breeders
My year began with a 90s alt-rock and grunge deep dive. I was on a desperate search for new energy after a VERY mentally taxing end of 2024. I have a little secret… most of my favorite songs throughout the years were random YouTube deep-dive finds. None of these streaming services can compare to the OG. That being said, this is the first album I fell in love with this year. I watched the “Cannonball” music video and really adored Kim Deal’s voice. Her grittiness spoke to my soul. I was so excited to blast this song all summer and it did not disappoint. This entire year I’ve been searching for the theme or meaning to this album, but I can’t. This revelation has shockingly made me love this record even more. This is the closest I’ll get to entering a portal into the 90s. No wonder Gen X calls these the “good ‘ol days”.
Breath From Another, 1998 - Esthero
Secretly, not-so-secretly, trip-hop is one of my favorite genres. Like,,, don’t play “Destiny” by Zero 7 around me unless you want me to fall to my knees. Yes, it is that serious. I wish I could remember how I found this album. It’s as if a fairy dropped it into my rotation and I didn’t question where or how it came to me. I am now indebted to that fairy. Finding this album coincided perfectly with my idea to start watching SATC. Very Miranda, very Carrie, very Charlotte, not very Samantha though… Anyway, I want to thank Doc McKinney personally for this record. His production on this makes it feel like a 2001 movie soundtrack. A truly incredible piece of art. I can’t wait to listen to these songs when the trees are growing and the flowers are blooming in Spring. My new go-to anti-anxiety album. Sorry Zero 7.
you ready, 2025 - onoola-sama
A 2-song, barely EP making it onto this recap should say a lot. I found round&round on on TikTok this November and somehow it snuck onto my wrapped at an unusually high rank… I have listened to these songs getting ready for every single party I went to since the day I found it. There isn’t anything super complex about this pair of songs but not every record needs to have a super deep meaning. Sometimes a girl just wants to shake nyashhh and Bouyon makes me want to do just that. If I turn this record on and you’re not moving? We have a problem! Nonetheless, I believe onoola has the potential to grow so much over the next few years. Mark my words.
Showbiz!, 2025 - MIKE
One of my GOATS as you already know. There was no way MIKE was evading this list. This year I saw him for the 5th time, yet I still haven’t had enough of his music. The ambience he is able to create album after album has been an emotional crutch throughout the last 3 years. By now, my love for MIKE has surpassed the music. I feel a unique closeness that very few artists have been able to maintain. This man’s music has been the soundtrack to my youth: feelings of disconnect, overwhelm, over-awareness yet immense hope in the future. The ability to acknowledge darkness and confusion but not letting that take over because life is a crazy, beautiful and rare thing to experience (especially with the people who love you). I find that people who also enjoy MIKE’s music are by far the most empathetic and giving people I’ve met. For that, MIKE will always hold a dear place in my heart.
Enjoy The Ride (Deluxe), 2025 - Baby Osamaa
Right when I try to convince myself I’ve “outgrown” music like this, there’s always someone or something to suck me right back in against my will I swear. What can I say… I can’t get enough of this kind of “schizo-noise” type music. I played this album to the ground this summer and I think it deserves its rightful spot on this recap just for that. After such a hard winter, I wanted to rock out all summer (and I did just that). Man,,, I even tried to convince myself that the heat made me jaded so I re-listened to it last month and I haven’t stopped listening since… lol. Case closed: this record is heat.
In The Blue Light, 2025 - Kelela
Last but certainly not least, In The Blue Light by Kelela. I’ve raved about Kelela in so many of my posts on here and it won’t stop any time soon. No musician has ever made me feel as seen as Kelela has. In The Blue Light is a Live medley of some of her greatest hits performed at Blue Note Cafe in New York. Even though these are songs I’ve played dozens of times, this album gave them a completely new light. The instrumentation is different, her vocal inflections vary from the original recordings, and the audience’s clamor adds an entirely new ambience to songs I already feel so strongly about. The true beauty of this album is the sprinkles of laughs throughout the recording that make it feel even more personal. Finally, the highlight on this record for me is obviously the live rendition of one of all time favorite songs “Bankhead”. I could write essays about this song alone. As a matter of fact, writing this is making me consider creating an entire post celebrating the perfection that is “Bankhead”. I know many people aren’t fans of live albums but this one has so much intention behind it. If there is anyone who takes their releases seriously, it’s Kelela. Everything she touches is gold.
Thank u so much for tuning in. Also, happy (a little over) 2 years of the cradle. I’ve had so much freaking fun typing away all my thoughts for the last ~700 days. A special thank you for all of you who have stuck with me through my inconsistency. I can’t guarantee that will change anytime soon because my future career in medicine is what I am laser focused on. Regardless of my big goals, music will always be the love of my life, don’t forget it.
Side note: It’s also been great to see so many people I know join this app. It’s quiet and introspective over here. This app is a perfect escape from all of the noise that is modern social media.
P.S. All albums are accessible by their cover images. Interact with them to access the links.
Until next time,
Your friendly neighborhood Spiderman🕸️