Offerings from Playboi Carti, Teddy Swims and Mariah the Scientist helped define the year.
(Photo Illustration: Jessi Esparza, Philip Robibero | Source: FILE)
This year in music wasn’t always dominated by its biggest stars. Sure, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga dropped epic Grammy-nominated albums that honored their roots. And yes, Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” became another commercial success for the pop icon.
But most of the works that truly punctuated the landscape of popular music this year were created by upstarts (Olivia Dean, Dijon, Addison Rae) or veterans experiencing a rebirth (Kehlani, Clipse).
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10. Penelope Road – “Chance Encounter”
Atlanta’s Penelope Road released an EP titled “Chance Encounter” on Oct. 31, 2025. (Courtesy of Warner Records/Big Wine Guys)
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9. Spook – “The Spook Who Kicked the Door”
Budding Atlanta rapper Spook dropped her sophomore album “The Spook Who Kicked the Door” on April 4, 2025. The 12-track LP features fellow Atlanta rapper Vayda. (Courtesy of New 11 Records)
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8. Swavay- “Billy 2″
In 2025, rapper Swavay was featured on a Jermaine Dupri album and dropped his own “Billy2” EP, signaling his return to being an independent artist. (Courtesy of Crazyman)
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7. Metro Boomin- “A Futuristic Summa”
In the summer of 2025, Atlanta producer Metro Boomin dropped his star-studded mixtape, “A Futuristic Summa,” featuring Quavo, Young Thug, T.I., BunnaB and Young Dro. (Courtesy of Republic Records)
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6. Teddy Swims – “I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 2)″
In early 2025, Conyers artist Teddy Swims released “I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 2).” The album, which is nominated at the 2026 Grammys, features Coco Jones, GloRilla and Giveon. (Courtesy of Warner Records)
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5. Playboi Carti – “Music”
Playboi Carti made a bold return with his album “Music,” released in March 2025. Following its debut, he scored another No. 1 album, made his BET Awards performance debut and embarked on a long-awaited tour. (Courtesy of AWGE/Interscope Records)
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4. Mariah the Scientist – “Hearts Sold Separately”
Following the success of “Burning Blue,” Mariah the Scientist dropped her fourth studio album “Hearts Sold Separately,” where the singer compares love and war. (Courtesy of Epic Records)
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3. Girlpuppy – “Sweetness”
In March, Atlanta rock singer Girlpuppy released her sophomore album “Sweetness.” She was featured in Rolling Stone’s Future of Music issue for 2025. (Courtesy of Captured Tracks)
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2. JID – “God Does Like Ugly”
JID’s “God Does Like Ugly” earned two nominations at the 2026 Grammys: best rap album and best melodic rap performance. (Courtesy of Dreamville/Interscope Records)
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1. Amaarae – “Black Star”
Amaarae’s third album “Black Star” feautures an impressive guestlist, including Naomi Campbell, Pink Pantheress and Charlie Wilson. (Courtesy of Interscope Records)
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DeAsia is a music and culture reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She focuses on the intersection of arts, culture and diverse communities, as well as how emerging social trends are being expressed through the lens of the Atlanta aesthetic. DeAsia’s work can be seen in Pitchfork, Essence, Teen Vogue, Elle and more.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.ajc.com ’
