2025 Albums of the Summer

By Arman Saxena     4/22/25 11:07pm

From long‑rumored comeback records to underground favorites ready for a breakout, this summer is stacked with new music that could soundtrack every pool day, road trip and late‑night study session you have planned. Here are nine projects we’ll be spinning the moment they drop.

“Lotus” - Little Simz

Fresh off a hat trick of hip‑hop masterclasses (“Grey Area,” “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert,” “No Thank You”), Little Simz is set to bloom again. Early teaser singles pair razor‑sharp storytelling with orchestral flourishes, hinting that “Lotus” may be her most cinematic statement yet. 

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Release Date: June 6

Title TBA - Lorde

Four years after the sun‑kissed detour of “Solar Power,” our cryptic Kiwi queen wiped her socials and promised a new single “soon.” Rumor has it she’s chasing a mood somewhere between the nocturnal haze of “Pure Heroine” and the maximal heartbreak of “Melodrama.” If the single lands before June, don’t be surprised if a full project follows before August. 

Release Date: TBD (single expected this summer)

“Something Beautiful” - Miley Cyrus

From Disney darling to country crooner to glam‑rock belter, Miley’s never met a genre they couldn’t tackle. The sprawling self-titled single points toward an adventurous, indie‑leaning opus featuring Model/Actriz’s Cole Haden, Alvvays’ Molly Rankin and underground rap darling Kenny Segal. Expect gigantic hooks, left‑field production choices and at least one stadium‑sized power ballad. 

Release Date: May 30

“Pirouette” - Model/Actriz

Before Haden’s cameo on Miley’s record arrives, his own band will crash back with their signature blend of serrated guitars and dance‑floor pulse. Lead single “Cinderella” is equal parts brutal and catchy — think Girl Band pushed through a Ministry drum machine. If you like your rock sweaty, noisy and weirdly groovable, mark your calendar. 

Release Date: May 2

Title TBA - Addison Rae

TikTok’s resident pop convert keeps dodging the one‑hit‑wonder tag with glossy, shoulder‑shimmying bops like “Diet Pepsi.” Three follow‑up singles have spanned slick electro‑soul, breathy R&B and atmospheric club-ready beats, proving she’s more than a viral hook. If the full project sustains that variety, Rae might pull off the summer’s most unexpectedly fun pop record. 

Release Date: June 6

“More” - Pulp

Britpop reunions are a dime a dozen, but Jarvis Cocker and Co. rarely do anything by rote. Rumored track‑list leaks point to string‑laden epics, acidic political jabs and at least one disco romp — essentially, classic Pulp filtered through a 2025 lens. Whether you were there for “Common People” or came aboard via TikTok nostalgia edits, this comeback record is poised to be compulsory summer listening.

Release Date: June 6

“GOLLIWOG” – billy woods

Underground rap’s preeminent poet has been unusually quiet since last year’s “Maps.” Woods has hinted at a solo LP project — his first since the cult classic “Aethiopes.” Expect knotty rhyme schemes, dusty jazz loops and lyrical rabbit holes you’ll still be unpacking by O-Week.

Release Date: May 9

“Evangelic Girl is a Gun” - yeule

Every yeule rollout arrives with a single that instantly lands on year‑end lists: the synthetic dream‑pop of “Poison Arrow,” the emo-folk catharsis of “Don’t Be So Hard on Your Own Beauty,” the shoegaze crush of “Dazies.” The new era’s teaser track, “Evangelic Girl is a Gun,” merges cyber‑ballad vocals with drum‑and‑bass breakbeats — a sign this record could warp Y2K nostalgia into something defiantly futuristic. 

Release Date: May 30

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