From AI to Amapiano: 2025 in Music

Every year sees major changes in the world of music, but in 2025, things moved at lightspeed. This year, AI could have written your favourite song, concerts were bigger than ever, royalties came from the blockchain, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. But while things seemed to get bigger, louder, and faster, we also saw niche communities forged at a higher rate than ever before as fans became more engaged in every step of artists’ journeys. From festivals to breakout genres and tech’s unstoppable power, it was chaotic, confusing, and exhilarating in equal measure. Keep reading for the untangled lowdown on everything you need to know about music in 2025.

The crux of music in 2025 was the relationship between fans and artists. This year, we saw artists evolve into community leaders thanks to direct-to-fan platforms. From Patreon to Bandcamp, or Discord, artists built loyal communities with behind-the-scenes access. For fans, this increased exposure cemented a desire to see total authenticity in their idols, following them for their values as much as their music. 

Over the last 12 months, technology brought artists closer to their fans than ever before. Take Björk, for example, whose film Cornucopia showed a new multimedia approach giving audiences immersive experiences even if they can’t be at shows in person. But the conversation of the year revolved around AI. While some projects used AI at every level, most artists grappled with the possibility of using the tech as a creative partner instead, using it to streamline processes in production. 

As for music discovery, AI underpinned all music recommendation systems, from playlist generation to lifelike DJs like Spotify’s DJ X, AKA. Xavier Jernigan. This gives a lot of power to faceless technology: who curates our tastes now, and do we trust them?

Seemingly, yes, we do. Proven by the emergence of several culture-defining movements this year. Afrobeats and Amapiano, led by names like Asake, Tyla, and Ayra Starr, represented a shift in the spotlight away from the West to a more global view, with Asia and Africa leading mainstream tastes with flair. It was impossible to ignore the explosion of Hyperpop this year, too. Fueled by releases from Oklou and 2Hollis, this micro-scene became a macro-scene, following a path laid by Charli XCX to soundtrack life for a generation raised in a world of chaotic digital saturation.

But while these more niche genres emerged, 2025 was a mammoth year for more established artists. Gorillaz and Kiss became our annual True Music Icons, their work celebrated in two limited-edition bottles of Ballantine’s Finest Blended Scotch Whisky. Bad Bunny’s ‘DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS’ was the most streamed album of the year, surpassing 7 billion streams to continue Benito Ocasio’s ascendency to pop icon. But it was a year of leading ladies: SZA, Olivia Dean, Billie Eilish, and, of course, Taylor Swift dominated streaming top-10s and TikTok trends alike with a host of fresh album releases.