#IMPicks: The Best of Q3 2025
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Q3 took it up a notch, showcasing some of the best music this year has to offer. Whether you love hard-hitting rap bars, some heavy rock anthems, or some smooth R’n’B vocals, we’ve got you covered. Our team has come together to choose their top 5 songs and albums, so let us delve into their picks.
Jon Chew
Best Songs
5: Balu Brigada – Backseat
Strap yourself into the front seat and take an odyssey with the eclectic ‘Backseat’, the single off New Zealand alt-rock band Balu Brigada’s latest album ‘Portal’. Led by the talented brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley, the album is one of the surprising finds of the year, chock-full of elastic instrumentation and irresistible tracks like ‘Sideways’ and ‘Politix’. But it’s this six-minute joyride that fires up all senses. Ignited with a disco-inspired engine and a Julian Casablancas-like swagger, the first half is the kind of post-punk drive that makes you head-bang into the wind. But at the midpoint, the song suddenly switches gears, turning into an EDM jam that swerves through space and time. ‘Backseat’ becomes, quite literally, a breathless portal into a dimension where the walls of musical categories collapse onto themselves.
4: Natanya – Jezebel
If you’ve never heard of Natanya, count yourself now in the in-crowd. Hailing from North-West London, her brand of neo-soul and ear for compulsive hooks marks them as a musician to watch. The best display of this is in her latest single, the ultra-confident ‘Jezebel’. The singer takes the archetype of the godless Jezebel, and turns her into a figure of admiration and freedom. She clothes this idea in a robe of slinky, R&B grooves, layering in multiple singing runs that act as the most captivating chorus to the titular heroine. It’s like listening to the sound of a waterfall, only this is dripping with bass beats and overflowing with coolness. If this is Natanya in her nascent stage, we cannot wait for the full unveiling.
Buy the track here.
3: Audrey Hobert – Thirst Trap
Mostly known as the writing brain behind Gracie Abrams’ latest album, Hobert has shown she is not content with being a name hidden inside liner notes. Instead, the American songwriter has packed her acerbic wit and ear for melodic hooks into this ridiculously catchy tune off their banging album, ‘Who’s the Clown?‘. Hobert is especially nimble with words, turning a typical crush into modern social commentary with lines like, “I’m takin’ thirst traps in the mirror in my room / I think I look bad, so I change the lightin’.”. She supplements her guitar strumming with a maximalist pop sound and diary-istic vocal dexterity that make her kaleidoscopic view of life hella’ accessible. The song climaxes in a guns-blazing saxophone outro that, to the last note, makes ‘Thirst Trap’ one of the year’s most undeniable earworms.
Buy the track here.
2: The Beths – Mother, Pray For Me
The plucking of an acoustic guitar around a handful of unembellished chords. And the intimate, piercing confessions of lead vocalist Elizabeth Stokes. Those are the only ingredients present in New Zealand band The Beths’ ballad off their superb record, ‘Straight Line Was A Lie’. Yet, it’s this stripped-down vulnerability that makes ‘Mother, Pray For Me’ such an emotional powerhouse. Stokes wrote this in an attempt to reckon with her relationship with her mother, who is a staunch Catholic. She holds hope in her hands like a baby birdling, whispering to it with the kind of honesty that sutures hearts. Lines like, “Mother, don’t cry for me / I have done enough injury / I wanted to hurt you for the hurt you made in me.”, tread the line between prayer and lament. Yet, none of the rawness is drowned in sentimentality, as the group wraps the
nakedness in a soft, constant layer of a tender organ. It’s the kind of art that makes people believe in redemption.
Buy the track here.
1: Wolf Alice – The Sofa
Wolf Alice would never have been mistaken for a form of dreamy languor – until now. ‘The Sofa’ is the centrepiece of the band’s fourth record, ‘The Clearing’, and their first with Columbia Records. The London-based rock group may have surprised many with their reinterpretation of classic rock sounds throughout their latest work. Still, it results in this exquisite album closer. Over a calm piano, lead vocalist Ellie Rowsell waxes and wanes in gorgeous style about taking a break on the proverbial sofa, accepting all states we find ourselves in. “I can be happy, I can be sad / I can be a b***h when I get mad.”, are a few of the proverbs Rowsell and her bandmates dole out with Fleetwood Mac-like craft and grace.
But don’t mistake peacetime for nothingness. This single builds to a crescendo, swooping into a symphony of violins, cellos,
and the vocalist’s expansive soprano that occupies all nooks and crannies of your imagination. This is lounge music as redrawn by Wolf Alice, a means of levitating you towards euphoria. As breaks go, there’s no better way to spend four minutes of your life.
Buy the track here.
Best Albums
5: JADE – THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!
If you’ve joined in the hand-wringing over a missing song of the summer, may I direct you to the Queen of all seasons? That would be Jade Thirlwall, a former member of the once-ubiquitous girl group Little Mix. Where so many others have stumbled in solo ventures, JADE has vaulted into a whole new pop pantheon with her unbelievable debut album, ‘THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!’. Forget that there were already seven singles released prior to the record’s launch, including the first behemoth, ‘Angel Of My Dreams’, that made the singer a star to watch. It’s that the rest of the LP is such an extraordinary universe unto itself.
There’s ‘Silent Disco’, a gorgeous, airy slow jam that uses her falsetto to luminous effect. ‘Self Saboteur’ is an electro-mash club bop that, without warning, crashes into a cathartic swell of synth and vocal rhapsody. In others like ‘Lip Service’ and ‘Glitch’, JADE sounds like an A-class pop school student who studied the ways of icons like Lady Gaga and Diana Ross. She’s not afraid to push and pull at the seams of the genre, twisting drums and melody lines into her own, technorganic vision. It’s all gaudy and glitzy, and marks an electric start to this artist’s next chapter.
Buy the album here.
4: Siavash Amini – Caligo
As a country explodes before your very eyes, sometimes all you can do is use your artistry like a hammer. That’s not hyperbole when it comes to Iranian composer Siavash Amini and his gut-wrenching album ‘Caligo’. Amini takes some of the earliest piano recordings of classic Iranian folk songs, and sews them into ambient music collages filled equally with patterns of history and nightmare. Opener ‘Maculate’ starts off with gentle archival sounds before a sonic bomb akin to a mechanical saw blasts through the track. In its aftermath, dripping noises and eerie undertones are decrepit signs that we are living in a present-day dystopia. ‘Stilla’ carries simple piano notes through a reverberation of electronic grates and buzzes, like a father walking through a wasteland with his child’s corpse. As entertainment, these are not feel-good tunes. They, however, present one of the most hypnotising artistic responses to a world in chaos.
Buy the album here.
3: Water From Your Eyes – It’s a Beautiful Place
Get knocked off your seat with this inventive, deliciously out-of-sorts hammer from New York-based indie band Water From Your Eyes. Formed by duo Rachel Brown and Nate Amos, ‘It’s a Beautiful Place’ is like throwing paint at the wall and seeing the splashes of colour dance like fireworks upon a night sky. In other words, this is raucous, rollicking art that works. Every song pulsates with experimental energy, and as their seventh studio record, the collection coalesces as a fever dream you never want to get out of.
‘Life Signs’ is a delirious balls-to-the-wall stick of punk dynamite, electric guitars smashing through disenchantment with an adolescent bravado. ‘Nights in Armor’ dares detractors to “Spite me, I’m on fire.”, with a one-two, bass-electronic guitar riff that rearranges your insides in the best of ways. In the album highlight ‘Playing Classics’, Brown spitfires in a sing-speak, throwaway manner over Amos’ club-house beat, before settling down to some bare-bones finger-plucking goodness. Water From Your Eyes defy gravity as a straight rock band, drawing from the same rebel fire that filled the very best of The Strokes and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Buy the album here.
2: For Those I Love – Carving The Stone
Irish spoken-word poet David Balfe has never shied away from splaying out loss and grief into a multi-layered, auditory effigy. Under the moniker For Those I Love, his 2021 eponymous debut was a painful eulogy to his late friend Paul Curran, using recordings and his maverick gift of wordplay to fashion a rousing, fervid musical send-off.
Now, in ‘Carving The Stone’, Balfe trains all his angst on Dublin, his beloved hometown, crumbling under nationalism and an exponential cost of living. Every track is threaded with his conversational rhythm and rhyme, imbuing a foreboding doom on his dark view of the city. But this artist is also an audacious beatmaker. In ‘No Quiet’, for instance, a throbbing bass interplays with a sample from traditional Irish folk singer Neilí Ní Dhomhnaill, creating a modern-day ode to working-class exploitation. ‘This Is Not The Place I Belong’ resembles a tempestuous electronica chant, where “I do my work / I stay involved / I pay my rent / Pray for a god.” is repeated alongside lyrical gems like “In bed with technofeudalism / Long past the dead old heads of brutalism.”. In ‘Of The Sorrows’, Balfe begins with the replayed words of an elderly
Irishman, like a seed of wisdom, looking for fertile soil. He then uses this to mine his own conflict over staying or leaving Ireland, screaming hoarse into the void in a whirlpool of strings and percussion.
This sense of deprivation, in the hands of For Those I Love, feels like holding the urn of a loved one. There’s beauty in the dying, majesty in the scattered remains.
Buy the album here.
1: Dijon – Baby
Soul is all Dijon has ever had, and all he has to give. Baltimore-bred multi-hyphenate Dijon Duenas has spent most of his career as a heaven-sent producer, breathing life into artists like Mk.gee, Bon Iver, and (especially this year) Justin Bieber. After branching out on his own in 2021 with his debut ‘Absolutely’, this singer now aims for the stars with his sophomore release, ‘Baby’. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Duenas has somehow fused together the sounds of Prince, Frank Ocean, and even young Michael Jackson to channel a joyous catharsis rarely seen in this arena.
At turn after effortless turn, ‘Baby’ slowly reveals itself to be both the fearless output of a genre-agnostic whizkid and a wrestling father who’s putting his newborn front and centre. In sleek tracks like ‘Yamaha’ and ‘Kindalove’, for example, their pristine voice borrows from 90s R&B to present a cool cat at home prowling in alleyways or inside smoke-filled cocktail lounges. Then, in others like the magnificent ‘my man’, Dijon lets his vocal rasp go wild, grabbing and biting onto every bar and lyric as he wrestles with the legacy of his own dad. The use of reverb, of percussion and electric guitars, of chalkboard-scratching production acrobatics is all on full display in songs like the incendiary ‘FIRE!’ and ‘Rewind’. Yet, this artist manages to sound like he’s performing all his creations in person, in the same room as you, always in the grip of his raw, beating heart. ‘Baby’ is epochal, taking every fiber of an artist’s spirit and transforming it into a composition of transcendence.
Buy the album here.
Emily Teague
Best Songs
5: South Arcade – FEAR OF HEIGHTS
South Arcade is on the up and up this year. I first heard them through their pop punk-infused ‘2005‘ EP. This track continues to capture what impresses me about the band. They’re bold and distinct, with Harmony Cavelle having a great voice that leaves me with a lasting impression.
Buy the track here.
4: Fuel Injection – White Light
I’m always on the lookout for new music that pulls authentically from rock and roll as well as metal. This track does both. I had the privilege of debuting as a promoter for this track’s release party. It now means more to me than just a cool and different release of this quarter. It’s thoroughly a part of my musical journey of the year.
3: The Last Dinner Party – This is the Killer Speaking
The Last Dinner Party is a band I’ve always respected for their unique and well-crafted vision. After seeing them perform at this year’s Y-Not Festival, I was intrigued by the snippets of their new album. This specific track shows how they’re taking inspiration from a wider array of influences in their new work.
2: Mac DeMarco – Holy
‘Holy‘ is a track that I’ve found consistently in my on-repeat playlist since it dropped. Mac DeMarco has a brilliant voice. It pairs perfectly with the stripped-back production. Whilst I became a listener for his psychedelic influence, I’ve stuck around and have not regretted my decision.
Buy the track here.
1: Limp Bizkit – Making Love to Morgan Wallen
Limp Bizkit’s new single perfectly captures their original groove. Whilst some people have disdain for bands who don’t change their style massively, I think it shouldn’t matter. If a sound works, it works. And for me, this certainly works.
Best Albums
5: The Aces – Gold Star Baby
When reviewing this record earlier in the year, I loved the world-building. The introduction and intermission to the album only add to its disco-infused party vibes. The only thing I wish is that it leaned more into its nostalgic atmosphere; some aspects of it felt too modern and took away from its strength. Still a really cool album though.
Pre-order the album here.
4: Deftones – private music
I’ve placed this record in the list as it has become my go-to background music. That might be strange for Deftones, but I find their distinct heavy sound, with their well-known guitar distortion, to be a staple of music. There’s also some really nice lyricism in there. It touches on themes that are powerful and thought-provoking.
Buy the album here.
3: Twenty One Pilots – Breach
After ‘Clancy‘, I was skeptical to what extent I’d enjoy this record. For me, this duo will release a great record among a couple of others that aren’t so much my style. Having said that, ‘Breach‘ is debatably more enjoyable than its predecessor. It brings to a close a storyline that has been going on for ten years. Certainly a great end to an epic saga.
Buy the album here.
2: Suede – Antidepressants
Suede have delivered another interesting record. They’ve always stuck out to me for being a band within their genre that has an edge of difference. I love an album with a huge vision, and this is exactly that. This is part of a trilogy of records, with 2022’s ‘Autofiction‘ beginning it. Ten records in and they’re still fresh.
Buy the album here.
1: Mac DeMarco – Guitar
This record is truly a personal effort. It feels extremely authentic and carefully crafted from beginning to end. Going into it, I was hoping for the psych indie sound that made me fall in love with DeMarco. However, I was treated to an album that is summed up perfectly by its straight-to-the-point title. A frontrunner for my favourite album of the year.
Buy the album here.
Kloe Paton
Best Songs
5: Odeal FT. Leon Thomas – Miami
Odeal is taking the international music scene by storm, and rightfully so. His new EP, ‘The Summer that Saved Me’, just missed being in my top five albums this quarter, but it is a really worthwhile listen. His soulful, deeply personal music and genre-bending approach have attracted R&B man of the moment Leon Thomas. Together, the pair take a world tour with their lady love in a single that fuses both their styles seamlessly.
4: Amaarae – Fineshyt
Ama Serwah Genfi can do it all. With a futuristic fusion of pop, R&B, Afrobeats, and alté, her new album ‘BLACK STAR’ is a tour de force of her glittery, glamorous world. Though not every track on the record spoke to me, the ones that did really stuck. ‘Fineshyt‘ has been in constant replay since first listen. It’s giving late 2010’s, 1 am in the club, and you’re seeing double but loving it. It’s unhinged, pulsating, and needs playing at full volume.
Buy the track here.
3: Lupe Fiasco – SOS
GOAT alert – Lupe the lyrical king is back in style over some jazzy beats. Nothing feels better than when a massively talented rapper hops on a beat that fits like a glove to their style, and I get this with ‘SOS’. As part of the ‘Samurai DX‘ project, this new single continues his incredible run. I still feel that itch that people aren’t giving him the credit he deserves critically and commercially. His work can get lost in the streaming era, where lyricism isn’t as held in high regard. However, this record reminded me how dangerous he is, and how much I love listening to his music.
2: Rapsody and Madlib – Daddy’s Girl
What happens when two of the most important artisans of the underground rap scene pair up? Magic, of course. You’ve never had to convince me of the brilliance of Rapsody, whether her flow, flair, lyrical prowess, or delivery. Both she and remarkably decorated producer Madlib are deeply dedicated to preserving the core tenets of hip-hop. Their two-track collaboration project, ‘MadRaps’, proves it, and I think this is my favourite track of the two, although it changes day by day. “I still ain’t got my roses I’m waiting.”, she raps. I couldn’t agree more.
Buy the track here.
1: anaiis – My World (beyond)
London-based artist, anaiis, is a captivating up-and-comer of the British R&B scene, and one of my personal favourites. Whilst anticipating her new album, ‘Devotion & The Black Divine’, she dropped this single that deserves to be played on repeat. It’s supremely warm, comforting, and uplifting – and one of the best love songs I’ve heard in a long time. When I discovered this track is actually about the love she has for her baby, it all made perfect sense and made me hold this record even closer to my heart.
Buy the track here.
Best Albums
5: Kojey Radical – Don’t Look Down
This album only came out on the 19th of September and has shot into my top five, so if that doesn’t spur you to go listen to it, I don’t know what will. The Mercury Prize-nominated rapper is a composer of the highest calibre, delivering thought-provoking insights into his life since his last release – from fatherhood and personal growth, to relationships and the politics of success. This is a confessional and captivating project that might be his best ever. I gave love to his single, ‘Rule One’ featuring Bawo, earlier this year, which you can read here.
Buy the album here.
4: JID – God Does Like Ugly
Is he my favourite rapper in the world right now? Possibly. JID is unstoppable and unpredictable, and his flows melt my brain. This album has grown on me after the first listen, where I only sincerely loved a handful of tracks. This is a slow burner where he brings his mixtape sound back, so the OG fans will be very pleased. Beat switches, lyrics that are guaranteed to go over your head, and vivid storytelling are part of this artist’s DNA and what make him so unstoppable. This record is packed full of that flavour, so it definitely deserves a listen.
Buy the album here.
3: DESTIN CONRAD – wHIMSY
Continuing on with my love for elite R&B projects, one of my favourite artists of the last few years, DESTIN CONRAD, has delivered a project that fits his style like a glove. I feel this album has slightly slipped under the radar, which is shocking to me because I think it’s perhaps his best work to date. This is a brave new take for the youngster, as he pivots into the world of alt-jazz sounds, layering his candid storytelling on top of frantic and live instrumentation.
2: Sasha Keable – act right
One of our Purple List artists for 2025, south London’s Sasha Keable, has officially hit the mainstream and is finally getting the recognition she deserves. Her fifth EP sounds effortless, with heartbreaking and happy tracks interspersed in an EP that feels like a breath of fresh air. ‘can’t stop’, ‘work’ featuring BEAM, and previous single, ‘WHY’, are must-listens. Nothing can stop this uber-talented young woman.
Buy the EP here.
1: Jim Legxacy – black british music (2025)
What can I say that hasn’t already been said about Jim Legxacy? I’d argue he is the most exciting talent coming out of the UK rap scene right now, and that is a big statement. He’s experimental and thoughtful on this project, with a sound so fresh that it keeps him on that upwards trajectory. You never know what you’re getting from one song to the next. This smorgasbord of tracks can feel a bit disjointed at times, but the quality is all there. There truly is something for everyone on this project, and it deserves all the praise it is getting.
Buy the mixtape here.
Thomas Atkinson
Best Songs
5: Tyler, The Creator – Sugar On My Tongue
This one has slowly but surely increased in my rotation and for good reason. The standout from ‘DON’T TAP THE GLASS‘ is unbelievably catchy both in delivery and lyrically. But the 80s-inspired electro beat and disco influence are what make this fabulous. This is an absolute bop, and I hope it comes on the next time I venture into a club.
Buy the track here.
4: Sasha Keable – FEEL SOMETHING
Technically, this came out the last week of Q2, but I only really got into this in Q3, so I’m taking it. That performance from Keable is full of charisma and confidence, showcasing those high notes expertly. Added on to a head-bopping beat and that top-class gospel choir, this is a great start to her latest EP. A project loaded with quality material, this song still stands tall among greatness.
Buy the track here.
3: Clipse FT. John Legend and Voices of Fire – The Birds Don’t Sing
Speaking of project starters, what a way to begin the comeback album from Clipse. The emotional storytelling takes the lead over this piano-led beat, where they recount how they dealt with their mother’s death. Both John Legend and Voices of Fire knock it out of the park on the chorus, with this brilliant ballad. Everything here just works so well, showcasing this duo’s rapping abilities, but also the power of brotherhood. So good it was performed at The Vatican, give this that Record of the Year Grammy already.
2: Fred again.., Skepta, and PlaqueBoyMax – Victory Lap
From a Twitch stream to Grammy-nominated, this song has certainly travelled places, and deservedly so. Fred has delivered plenty of bangers of late, but this link-up with Skeppy was one for the ages. Bringing together hip-hop, dubstep, and grime sounds with a sleek, braggadocio flow, it certainly gets me hyped. While the track continued growing with each new remix, the OG version cemented itself as an example of the producer’s talents and Skepta’s continued relevancy. Also, the Doechii sample gets the chef’s kiss.
Buy the track here.
1: Kae Tempest – Breathe
One of the most gripping and stopping you in your tracks moments of the year, Kae Tempest lays it all out there on the penultimate number from his new album. From referencing the violent death of a friend to having to keep his true self inside, this is a powerful listen. Tempest’s songwriting ability has always been there, but this moment might be his finest. Add a commanding production and Alloysious Massaquoi’s chorus, and this is the quarter’s best song.
Buy the track here.
Best Albums
5: Jim Legxacy – black british music (2025)
Kloe has already bigged this album up, but it goes without saying that this artist is a true talent. Whether on ‘’06 wayne rooney‘ that oozes nostalgia in its sound and video or earworms like ‘sos‘, Jim manages to blend genres perfectly. His penmanship must also be praised, knowing how to get stuck in your head, while highlighting his own personal battles on tracks like ‘brief‘. While ‘homeless n***a pop music‘ got people’s attention, this project has the world watching. I’m sure that people can’t wait to see what’s next.
Buy the mixtape here.
4: Blood Orange – Essex Honey
Fans had been waiting for this new record from Dev Hynes for a long time, and it certainly met their expectations. A very sorrowful and nostalgic album, the instrumentals on this album really hit those feelings of longing, whilst at the same time reflecting on the past. As someone who is currently feeling a bit fed up with the doom and gloom of today, while somewhat nostalgic for what feels like simpler times, the words and feelings of this record do speak to me. I’ve already sung the praises of ‘The Field‘, but tracks like ‘Somewhere In Between‘ and ‘Vivid Light‘ are equally as great. A poignant return from an artist who truly deserves his flowers.
Buy the album here.
3: Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out
I’m not the first person, and I doubt I’ll be the last to praise the new Clipse album, but this was a special moment. From the heart-tugging of ‘The Birds Don’t Sing‘ to the anthemic call-out of ‘P.O.V.‘ to ‘By The Graces Of God‘ closing things out, this is a class listen. Obviously, we knew Pusha T has been doing his thing solo, but Malice proved he still has it and then some. Also, Pharrell’s production has to be credited as this project wouldn’t be the same without it. A return 16 years in the making, and boy was it worth it.
Buy the album here.
2: CMAT – EURO-COUNTRY
It has been a great year for CMAT with Mercury Prize nominations and lighting up The Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury. However, the best thing she has done this year is release this phenomenal album. The songwriting, whether reflecting on identity on ‘EURO-COUNTRY‘ or longing for connection on ‘Janis Joplining‘, is top-tier. And she knows how to write a hit, as shown by the success of ‘Take A Sexy Picture Of Me‘. I’ve always enjoyed what this artist has given me, but this record, whether from a soundscape or lyrics perspective, is her best yet.
Buy the album here.
1: Kae Tempest – Self Titled
Kae Tempest has always been a talented poet, but this record is an important and phenomenal listen. Very much reflecting on his struggles with finding his true self and the craziness going on around them, this is a very personal and open reflection on the struggles of being Trans and being born in the wrong body. I’ve already mentioned ‘Breathe‘ as my favourite of the quarter, but tracks like ‘Sunshine On Catford‘ and ‘Prayers To Whisper‘ are equally as poignant. This is a heavy listen that provides powerful poetry, impactful instrumentals, and very human music that will hopefully open some minds. More people need to be talking about this LP.
Buy the album here.
Read our Best of Q2 piece here.
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