Metacritic/EOY Aggregate: 2025 New Music: World

Notes

For information on what lists are consulted, and what the various abbreviations and notes mean, click here.

For reissues and compilations, click here.

Sub-Lists

Some breakdowns by genre:

Ranking

  1. Bad Bunny: Debí Tirar Más Fotos (Rimas Entertainment) {22}: AV:+, BB:+, Cl:*, CS:+, Ex:+, G:+, HV:+, Ne:*, NME:*+, P:+, Pf:*, PO:*, PM:*, RS:*+, S:+, Sl:+; am:*, vu:+ -- A:90/7, TH:***
  2. Ichiko Aoba: Luminiscent Creatures (Hermine) {15}: BPM:*, Cl:*, Fa:+, O:*, P:*+, Pf:*, PO:*, RC:*, SC:*, Sk:*, SLi:*, U:*; am:* -- A:81/14, TH:*
  3. Mdou Moctar: Tears of Injustice (Matador) {15}: ClR:*, Mj:*, MO:*, PM:*+, RS:*, ST:+, TN:*, U:*; am:* -- A:82/8, RX:**, TH:***
  4. Rosalía: Lux (Columbia) {14}: Cl:*, CS:*, D:*, Em:*, Ex:*, G:*, I:*, IT:*, NME:*, Pf:*, RS:*, RSUK:*, Sl:* -- A:93/13, TH:*
  5. Ale Hop & Titi Bakorta: Mapambazuko (Nyege Nyege Tapes) {13}: DW:*+, G:*, Pf:*, PO:*, TN:*, U:* -- A:72/5, RX:A-, TH:***
  6. Salif Keita: So Kono (No Format) {11}: Mj:49*, MO:*, O:*, PM:*, U:* -- A:82/5, RX:***, TH:**
  7. Mahotella Queens: Buya Buya (Umsakazo) {11}: PO:*; xjdc:* -- RX:A, TH:A-
  8. Songhoy Blues: Héritage (Transgressive) {10}: FO:*, Mj:*, MO:*, O:*, RC:*, U:*; am:* -- A:80/7, TH:***
  9. Mulatu Astatke: Mulatu Plays Mulatu (Strut) {9}: AD:*, PM:*, PO:*, RC:*, U:*; am:* -- A:85/6, TH:***
  10. The Kasambwe Brothers: The Kasambwe Brothers (MASS MoCA) {9}: -- RX:A, TH:A-
  11. Karol G: Tropicoqueta (Bichota/Interscope) {7}: Pf:*, PO:*, RS:* -- A:77/3, TH:A-
  12. Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek: Yarin Yoksa = If There Is No Tomorrow (Big Crown) {6}: FO:*, G:*, PM:*+ -- A:87/3, TH:**
  13. Ammar 808: Club Tounsi (Glitterbeat) {5}: AD:*, FO:*, MO:* -- A:80/3, TH:**
  14. Hollie Cook: Shy Girl (Mr Bongo) {5}: LW:*, Mj:*, PO:* -- A:75/4, TH:**
  15. Kokoroko: Tuff Times Never Last (Brownswood) {5}: AD:*, Cl:*, LBF:*, Mj:*; am:* -- A:75/9, TH:B
  16. Los Thuthanaka: Los Thuthanaka (none) {5}: G:+, P:+, Pf:*, PO:*, Sg:+ -- A:93/1
  17. Poor Creature: All Smiles Tonight (River Lea) {5}: FO:*, G:*, IT:*, Mj:*, U:* -- A:84/5
  18. DJ Dadaman & Moscow Dollar: Ka Gaza (Nyege Nyege Tapes) {4}: PO:* -- TH:***
  19. Jazzwrld & Thukuthela: The Most Wanted (Waltz Music Group/Empire) {4}: SpL:** -- TH:**
  20. Natalia Lafourcade: Cancionera (Sony [Mexico]) {4}: BB:+, Ne:*, P:+; am:* -- A:85/2
  21. Lolo [Mamah Diabate/Jabel Kanuteh/Stefano Pilia/Marco Zanotti]: Lolo (Black Sweat) {4}: PO:* -- TH:***
  22. Jako Maron: Mahavélouz (Nyege Nyege Tapes) {4}: PO:* -- TH:***
  23. Youssou N'Dour: Éclairer Le Monde - Light the World (self-relesed) {4}: XCI:* -- TH:***
  24. Africa Express: Africa Express Presents . . . Bahidorá (World Circuit) {3}: PO:*; xjdc:* -- TH:*
  25. Ata Kak: Batakari (Awesome Tapes From Africa) {3}: -- TH:***
  26. Mark Ernestus' Ndagga Rhythm Force: Khadim (Ndagga) {3}: PO:* -- TH:**
  27. HHY & the Kampala Unit: Turbo Meltdown (Nyege Nyege Tapes) {3}: PO:* -- TH:**
  28. Jupiter & Okwess: Ekoya (Airfono) {3}: PM:*+ -- A:80/1TH:*
  29. Mádé Kuti: Chapter 1: Where Does Happiness Come From? (LegacyPlus) {3}: Mj:*, PM:*, U:* -- A:75/4
  30. Eslabón Armado: Vibras De Noche II () {2}: BB:+; am:* -- A:80/1
  31. Marilina Bertoldi: Para Quien Trabajas Vol. 1 (Sony Music Argentina) {2}: -- TH:**
  32. Yasmine Hamdan: I Remember, I Forget (Hamdanistan) {2}: Mj:*, U:* -- A:73/3
  33. Nick León: A Tropical Entropy (TraTraTrax) {2}: HV:+, Pf:* -- A:83/1
  34. Le Sserafim: Hot (Source Music/HYBE) {2}: NME:*; am:* -- A:80/2
  35. Mark: The Firstfruit (SM Entertainment) {2}: Cl:*, NME:* -- A:80/2
  36. Monsta X: The X (Starship -EP) {2}: Cl:*; am:* -- A:80/2
  37. Akira Umeda & Metal Preyers: Clube Da Mariposa Mórbida (Nyege Nyege Tapes) {2}: PO:* -- TH:*
  38. Florence Adooni: A.O.E.I.U. [An Ordinary Exercise in Unity] () {1}: PM:+
  39. Astropical: Astropical (Universal Music Latino) {1}: am:* -- A:80/1
  40. Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso: Papota () {1}: SpL:*
  41. Cazzu: Latinaja () {1}: BB:+
  42. Fanfare Ciocarlia/Adrian Raso: The Devil Rides Again () {1}: XCI:*
  43. Fuerza Regida: 111Xpantia () {1}: BB:+
  44. The Good Ones: Rwanda Sings With Strings (Glitterbeat) {1}: am:* -- A:80/1
  45. Gao Hong/Baluji Shrivastav: Neelam (ARC Music) {1}: -- TH:*
  46. Illit: Bomb (HYBE/Belift Lab -EP) {1}: NME:* -- A:80/1
  47. Jin: Echo (HYBE/Big Hit -EP) {1}: Cl:* -- A:70/3
  48. Jisoo: Amortage (Blissoo/Warner/Empire -EP) {1}: NME:* -- A:80/1
  49. Kingdom Molongi: Kembo (Nyege Nyege Tapes) {1}: PO:* -- TH:B-
  50. Mon Laferte: Femme Fatale (Sony Music Latin) {1}: am:* -- A:90/1
  51. Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali: At the Feet of the Beloved () {1}: Mj:* -- A:80/1
  52. Anoushka Shankar: Chapter III: We Return to Light (Leiter) {1}: am:* -- A:76/2
  53. Diala Thukzin: 031 Studio Camp 2.0 () {1}: xjdc:*
  54. Tomorrow X Together: The Star Chapter: Together (Bit Hit/HYBE) {1}: NME:* -- A:80/1
  55. TripleS: Assemble25 (Modhaus) {1}: Spk:* -- A:80/1
  56. Neton Vega: Mi Vida Mi Muerte () {1}: S:+
  57. Zerobaseone: Blue Paradise (Wakeone -EP) {1}: am:* -- A:80/1