Switched on Pop The year that killed music (best and worst of 2025)
15 snips
Dec 16, 2025 2025 was a year of musical highs and lows, with country music topping charts and Morgan Wallen stirring controversy. The enduring appeal of millennial artists like Bruno Mars showed cross-generational collaboration thrives. While Billboard faced stagnation, emerging talents like Dijon and Olivia Dean are making waves with their unique styles. The podcast wraps up with a fun bingo recap, reviewing missed predictions and noting the year’s standout tracks, all while setting an optimistic tone for what’s next in music.
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Country Became The Dominant Mainstream Sound
- Nate Sloan argues that country dominated U.S. music in 2025 and expanded beyond traditional boundaries.
- Morgan Wallen's chart dominance illustrates country’s mainstream sway and genre hybridity.
The Year Of The 12‑8 Shuffle
- The hosts note 2025’s recurring 12/8 shuffle across surprising hits like Ordinary and Golden.
- They suggest the shuffle may be a unifying rhythmic theme of the year.
Olivia Dean’s Nostalgic Yet Fresh Soul
- Nate highlights Olivia Dean as a breakout with a throwback soul sound and vocal-forward performance.
- He analyzes her harmonic use of D♭ major and subdominant movement that creates a floating feel.
