Mid-year review: the best pop albums of 2025
Rating: 4/5
Release date: March 7, 2025
Why you should listen: Whether you like dancing or not, Lady Gaga's MAYHEM has all the right songs to fit your vibe. For happier and more carefree times, she offers tracks like Zombieboy , Garden of Eden and How Bad Do U Want Me . For more dramatic nights, there's Don't Call Tonight , Blade of Grass and the record-breaking Die With A Smile featuring Bruno Mars.
Overall, the context of all the songs on her album reflects her maturity in songwriting. She has, in so far as artistic expression goes, achieved a level that most of her contemporaries have yet to reach: a well-translated storytelling that feels deeply personal yet universally relatable.
Related : Tatler review: Is Lady Gaga's 'MAYHEM' an instant pop hit or slow-burner? 3. Addison Rae's 'Addison'
Rating: 3/5
Release date: June 6, 2025
Why you should listen: You can count on Addison Rae's self-titled album Addison to turn any backseat moment into an intimate listening escapade. With chart-shattering standout Diet Pepsi and the irresistibly catchy Fame is a Gun , she masterfully blends R&B nostalgia with fresh pop vibes. 4. Lorde's 'Virgin'
Rating: 3.5/5
Release date: June 27, 2025
Why you should listen: Every Lorde album signals a new chapter of our lives, and her 2025 album Virgin is no exception. The striking choice of cover art, paired with her evocative storytelling, sets the tone immediately. As ever, the music is beautifully-written, mixing her signature poetic lyricism with lines that hit close to home.
Virgin is a compelling body of work that invites deep reflection and rewards repeated listens. It deftly brings together themes of heartbreak, growth and the navigation of adulthood.
Read also : Unique Salonga: On music, artistry, 'Daisy' 5. Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco's 'I Said I Love You First'
Rating: 2.5/5
Release date: March 21, 2025
Why you should listen: In their album I Said I Love You First , couple Selina Gomez and Benny Blanco deliver a polished alt-pop collaboration that both surprises and satisfies new and long-time fans. The tracks demonstrate an equal balance between new-found love and heartaches and the bittersweet complexities of growing with a partner. 6. The Weeknd's 'Hurry Up Tomorrow'
Rating: 4/5
Release date: January 31, 2025
Why you should listen: Say what you will about The Weeknd, but his talent in crafting cohesive storytelling through music remains unmatched among his peers in the pop-R&B genre.
Hurry Up Tomorrow , widely regarded as the final chapter in a trilogy that began with After Hours (2020) and Dawn FM (2022), continues to build on his artistic evolution; the album is an ambitious, cohesive work that resonates deeply for fans and new listeners alike. 7. Miley Cyrus's 'Something Beautiful'
Rating: 3.5/5
Release date: May 30, 2025
Why you should listen: With 13 standout tracks, Miley Cyrus' Something Beautiful delivers a work that is full of life. The album's charm lies in its cinematic layers, which make the listening experience more immersive
Something Beautiful is arguably one of the singer's most daring projects yet, painting a portrait of the artist she wants us to see: serious, smart and effortlessly fun.
More from Tatler: The Rise of P-pop: How today's generation of artists pushed Filipino music forward 8. Marina's 'Princess of Power'
Rating: 3/5
Release date: June 6, 2025
Why you should listen: Marina (formerly Marina and The Diamonds) is here to stay, and she has an album to prove it. With leading tracks like Buttefly and Cuntissimo , the pop artist once again demonstrates her fearless approach to songwriting.
The production has proudly released a lush, layered blend of synth and electro pop that tackles feminism, artistic autonomy and Marina's self-reclamation. Her vocals remain as rich and full as ever on the album, making it clear that it's still her, only now with greater confidence. 9. Alessia Cara's 'Love & Hyperbole'
Rating: 4/5
Release date: February 14, 2025
Why you should listen: Many of Alessia Cara's fans have grown alongside her, so it's no surprise that her music maintains that same balance: a first-listen banger with a rhythm that invites reflection. In her 2025 album Love & Hyperbole , she thoughtfully confronts the effects of ageing, much like she did in 2015 with Know-It-All .
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Tatler Asia
a day ago
- Tatler Asia
‘Virgin' by Lorde is the singer's sonic reckoning with identity, ego death and acceptance
In her latest studio album 'Virgin', Lorde trades polish for pain in 11 raw tracks A water bottle, duct tape and an X-ray scan. Promotional content for Virgin began with the release of its first single, What Was That . The accompanying video, filmed in Manhattan's Washington Park, shows Lorde crawling out of a New York City manhole to a crowd of gathered fans. This kind of sardonic theatricality has long been part of the singer's MO. And while a little more pared down, it reappears in her fourth album in a more subdued but still resonant form. Those who've grown up listening to Lorde will get the most thrill out of the album. It's the New Zealand singer-songwriter at her most provocative and most introspective. 'A hundred per cent written in blood,' she wrote on her official website. Even the album's artwork echoes this sentiment. The cover features an X-ray image of her pelvis, with her IUD in plain view. On the inner sleeve of Virgin's vinyl, she wears a pair of transparent trousers, leaving nothing to the imagination. It's less spectacle than invitation—a permission slip for fans to bask in her vulnerability. More from Tatler: Mid-year review: the best pop albums of 2025 There are remnants of the 16-year-old prodigy we met in 2013. But now, Lorde is in her late twenties, world-worn and heavier with experience and heartbreak. Gone is the teenage jadedness. In its place is something more threadbare. On David , the closing track, she nods to her debut with the line: 'Pure heroine mistaken for featherweight.' The callback is deliberate. Virgin reads like a summation, or even culmination, of everything she's written before. Thematically, one can draw similarities to earlier entries in her discography: the aftermath of a codependent romance ( Melodrama ), the ache of growing pains ( Pure Heroine ) and the quiet confrontation with self ( Solar Power) . But if Solar Power was escapist—slow dancing while the world burns— Virgin is scorched earth. Lorde sits in the wreckage, and there's no running away from it. Above New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde performs onstage during Glastonbury Festival 2025 () One of the album's main thematic tentpoles is Lorde's overdue reckoning with her sexuality and gender identity. While the singer hasn't officially come out as queer, she's been candid about her evolving relationship with her own body. She references this expected turmoil in Hammer and Man of the Year . In Shapeshifter , with its fairytale references and fast-paced beat, the singer reflects on the many roles she's played throughout her life—putting on nonexistent airs, often for the sake of a partner, and masking discomfort in exchange for affection. A similar confession unfolds in Broken Glass , where she references an eating disorder and an internalised distaste for her own body, pleading with the girl in the mirror to break free from a cycle of self-destruction. The album cycles through a grocery list of emotional opposites—longing and lashing out, hunger and abstinence, self-destruction and preservation—all distilled into a brisk 35-minute runtime. David closes the record in a fade to black, ending on the question: 'Am I ever gonna love again?' See also: 7 things to know about BTS member Suga Announcing the intention behind this project, especially in the early promotional period may have not worked in her favour. But even without that context, the music stands on its own. The songs are more literal than expected, and sometimes even to its detriment. Lyrically, this may not be her sharpest work, but its rawness offers a vulnerability that feels unfiltered and direct. Sonically, Virgin leans into repetition. Beats thrum and loop in varying iterations, as if she's rocking back and forth in a fetal position, trying to soothe herself. There's no attempt to disguise the pain with even more metaphor than it's worth. Though the album does play like an open wound, it seems as if it's this polished quality that keeps her rooted in the pop charts, even as she attempts to tiptoe toward something more experimental. Lorde's remedy for grappling with heartbreak is more cough syrup than chicken soup, and listening to Virgin for the first time is probably something you need to experience in a safe and secure space, preferably wrapped in blankets. It feels like abstaining from alcohol at someone's birthday party because you've been prescribed antibiotics for a waning fever; dry-swallowing a bitter pill; a stuffy headache after crying for hours; sobering up from a tantric high. It's that awkward moment of running into a former flame at a mutual friend's get-together and the ensuing spiral into self-rumination. With Virgin , Lorde reckons with what's left of herself after the flames have gone out. And in the moment, she allows those who have followed her since the very beginning to take part in this shared catharsis. NOW READ Lost hits? Unreleased tracks that would have dominated charts The next-gen pop queens: Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and more BTS reveals new 2026 album: a look back at their journey from rookies to superstars through their studio albums
Tatler Asia
18-07-2025
- Tatler Asia
Fernando Jorge on crafting fluid jewels: The Brazilian designer's journey and vision for jewellery
With a design philosophy rooted in movement and cultural expression, Jorge shares with Tatler how he challenges traditional jewellery norms and connects emotionally with a new generation of luxury connoisseurs. On his visit to Hong Kong's Joyce boutique to showcase his fine jewellery collection, jewellery designer Fernando Jorge opened up about the journey that transformed his passion from engineering sketches to creating fluid, elegant jewels that capture the spirit of his homeland. Jewellery designer Fernando Jorge sits down with Tatler to chat about his career journey and his design philosophy at a trunk show in luxury brand boutique Joyce in Hong Kong How did you first become interested in jewellery design? It was a combination of small decisions and accidents that led me to jewellery. I always had a very visual relationship with the world and a natural talent for drawing, but I didn't have references for creative careers around me growing up. I initially studied engineering, then logistics, before realising I needed to pursue something more creative. When I started studying product design, I got an internship at a Brazilian jewellery workshop doing technical drawings. That experience blew my mind—I was working with the most beautiful materials in nature, creating objects that held deep emotional meaning. I fell in love with jewellery and realised this was what I wanted to do. Your designs have a distinctly fluid aesthetic. Where does that come from? It's a reflection of my cultural background and my interpretation of Brazil. I wanted to capture a sense of rhythm, movement and organic effortlessness but still maintain elegance. When I launched my first collection in 2010-11, the jewellery was very spiky and gothic. [Then] I came out with these soft, fluid pieces that felt new and essential. I'm aiming for something natural and ethereal. Now, 15 years later, a lot of jewellery has this free-form quality that moves with the body. I'm still true to that original spark, but my sensibility has also been refined with my time in London. What is your creative process when designing a new collection? It usually starts with an intention or an idea I want to explore. For example, I went from the concept of fluidity to electricity—from something dripping to something buzzing out of the body. Then I sketch and find a name or concept to reinforce the idea. The choice of materials comes with the intention. Sometimes it's a continuation of something I've done before; other times it's about exploring new combinations or techniques. But I'm always trying to balance innovation with timelessness. I want to be part of the timeline of jewellery that has existed for generations, while still making my mark on the present. See also: Inside the creative journey of Francesca Villa: how her vintage-inspired jewellery empowers self-expression and celebrates sentimental stories
Tatler Asia
09-07-2025
- Tatler Asia
Mid-year review: the best pop albums of 2025
2. Lady Gaga's 'MAYHEM' Rating: 4/5 Release date: March 7, 2025 Why you should listen: Whether you like dancing or not, Lady Gaga's MAYHEM has all the right songs to fit your vibe. For happier and more carefree times, she offers tracks like Zombieboy , Garden of Eden and How Bad Do U Want Me . For more dramatic nights, there's Don't Call Tonight , Blade of Grass and the record-breaking Die With A Smile featuring Bruno Mars. Overall, the context of all the songs on her album reflects her maturity in songwriting. She has, in so far as artistic expression goes, achieved a level that most of her contemporaries have yet to reach: a well-translated storytelling that feels deeply personal yet universally relatable. Related : Tatler review: Is Lady Gaga's 'MAYHEM' an instant pop hit or slow-burner? 3. Addison Rae's 'Addison' Rating: 3/5 Release date: June 6, 2025 Why you should listen: You can count on Addison Rae's self-titled album Addison to turn any backseat moment into an intimate listening escapade. With chart-shattering standout Diet Pepsi and the irresistibly catchy Fame is a Gun , she masterfully blends R&B nostalgia with fresh pop vibes. 4. Lorde's 'Virgin' Rating: 3.5/5 Release date: June 27, 2025 Why you should listen: Every Lorde album signals a new chapter of our lives, and her 2025 album Virgin is no exception. The striking choice of cover art, paired with her evocative storytelling, sets the tone immediately. As ever, the music is beautifully-written, mixing her signature poetic lyricism with lines that hit close to home. Virgin is a compelling body of work that invites deep reflection and rewards repeated listens. It deftly brings together themes of heartbreak, growth and the navigation of adulthood. Read also : Unique Salonga: On music, artistry, 'Daisy' 5. Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco's 'I Said I Love You First' Rating: 2.5/5 Release date: March 21, 2025 Why you should listen: In their album I Said I Love You First , couple Selina Gomez and Benny Blanco deliver a polished alt-pop collaboration that both surprises and satisfies new and long-time fans. The tracks demonstrate an equal balance between new-found love and heartaches and the bittersweet complexities of growing with a partner. 6. The Weeknd's 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' Rating: 4/5 Release date: January 31, 2025 Why you should listen: Say what you will about The Weeknd, but his talent in crafting cohesive storytelling through music remains unmatched among his peers in the pop-R&B genre. Hurry Up Tomorrow , widely regarded as the final chapter in a trilogy that began with After Hours (2020) and Dawn FM (2022), continues to build on his artistic evolution; the album is an ambitious, cohesive work that resonates deeply for fans and new listeners alike. 7. Miley Cyrus's 'Something Beautiful' Rating: 3.5/5 Release date: May 30, 2025 Why you should listen: With 13 standout tracks, Miley Cyrus' Something Beautiful delivers a work that is full of life. The album's charm lies in its cinematic layers, which make the listening experience more immersive Something Beautiful is arguably one of the singer's most daring projects yet, painting a portrait of the artist she wants us to see: serious, smart and effortlessly fun. More from Tatler: The Rise of P-pop: How today's generation of artists pushed Filipino music forward 8. Marina's 'Princess of Power' Rating: 3/5 Release date: June 6, 2025 Why you should listen: Marina (formerly Marina and The Diamonds) is here to stay, and she has an album to prove it. With leading tracks like Buttefly and Cuntissimo , the pop artist once again demonstrates her fearless approach to songwriting. The production has proudly released a lush, layered blend of synth and electro pop that tackles feminism, artistic autonomy and Marina's self-reclamation. Her vocals remain as rich and full as ever on the album, making it clear that it's still her, only now with greater confidence. 9. Alessia Cara's 'Love & Hyperbole' Rating: 4/5 Release date: February 14, 2025 Why you should listen: Many of Alessia Cara's fans have grown alongside her, so it's no surprise that her music maintains that same balance: a first-listen banger with a rhythm that invites reflection. In her 2025 album Love & Hyperbole , she thoughtfully confronts the effects of ageing, much like she did in 2015 with Know-It-All . NOW READ Ely Buendia is a 'Method Adaptor' Why Juan Karlos will never leave music behind The Odd Corner: Kean Cipriano on why backing up the 'odd creatures' matters in today's OPM industry
