Chloe Lawrance

It’s been another stellar year for music in 2025, packed full of belters, breakouts and hook-laden earworms.  Lorde returned to her angsty roots, Pulp dropped their first album since, and Bad Bunny reigned supreme on the streamers. We were blessed with new music from pop heavyweights Lady Gaga, Lily Allen and Robyn. In a plot twist, Rosalía dropped a classical album packed with religious references, and Turnstile made hardcore mainstream. Breakout stars CMAT, Addison Rae and Jim Legxacy proved that they are here to stay. Here Time Out editors and contributors have hand-picked the tracks they’ve had on repeat this year. These are the 40 best songs of 2025.  RECOMMENDED: The 25 best albums of 2025. 

This year of music has started with a bang. We’ve seen Chappell Roan go country, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco smothering audiences with gushy love songs and Playboi Carti’s rapturous return from the underground. We've even been blessed with the return of Lorde! Alongside these pop heavyweights, we’re witnessing rap superstar Doechii continue her chart domination and the breakthrough of Gen Z artists like 2hollis, Tate McRae and Kai Bosch. What songs are defining 2025? Well, we’ve searched through our playlists and extracted the best songs of the year so far, to give you a mid-year vibe check of where we are currently at. But it doesn’t stop there. Keep your eyes peeled for updates to this list throughout the year as we’re still awaiting albums from Turnstile, Miley Cyrus, Pulp, A$AP Rocky and many more. RECOMMENDED: 🎧 The best albums of 2025 (so far)🎥 The best movies of 2025 (so far)📺 The best TV of 2025 (so far)

Even after a couple of vintage years for new music, 2025 has been special. Sure, we didn’t get a clear-cut ‘song of the summer’, but artists have been instead putting out defining works in a longer format. The past 12 (well, 11) months have featured all manner of extraordinary album releases.  Belted-to-the-rafters country pop, plunderphonic majesty, ecstatic dance music, intimate electronic world-building, history-collapsing art rock, triumphant hip-hop… these are just a few of the sounds and styles that have been executed marvellously in 2025. Here are the year’s finest 25 albums, chosen by Time Out editors and contributors.

The most important thing about Christmas is here: the festive sandwich. So pure. So dense. So carby. This year, the staff of Time Out London have taste-tested seasonal sarnies from 10 independent bakeries, delis and street food stalls across London in order to find the jolliest Christmas sandwich in town. From vegetarian cheese feasts to meaty marvels and vegan sourdough wedges, these are the very best Christmas sandwiches in London. RECOMMENDED: For more festive fun here’s our guide to the best Christmas markets in London.  And don’t miss the best Christmas events, either. 

You think you know Switzerland? Cheese with holes in it. Gstaad with the fancy-schmancy palace. And chocolate – all the chocolate. But have you heard of Jungfrau, pronounced ‘Yoong-frow’ and home to a peak nicknamed the ‘top of the world’, before? It’s one of Switzerland’s most iconic alpine destinations, but also one of its best-kept secrets – until now. The Jungfrau Travel Pass is your ticket to ride as often as you like with unlimited travel on the mountain railways, cable cars and boats that make traversing the terrain and waterways simple and stress-free. From the soaring peak of Jungfraujoch, boasting Europe’s highest-altitude railway station, to the ice palace and the Aletsch Glacier, no snow-covered corner of this winter wonderland is off-limits. Just bring your pass – and a taste for adventure. Here’s our expert guide.

As the nights draw in and the temperature drops, it's time to embrace the festive season with full force. After all, Christmas has a way of making the December evenings a whole lot more special - particularly when those evenings are spent enjoying festive live performances inside one of London’s most iconic buildings.  We are, of course, talking about the Royal Albert Hall, where there’s something for everyone going on this Christmas. From performances of John Williams’ charming music in Home Alone to Tchaikovsky’s beautiful score in The Nutcracker, via nights of soul, gospel and jazz – there’s plenty of winter warmers to discover. Whatever your vibe, pick the live performance that best suits your personality with our seasonal guide, sure to get you in the festive spirit.