Let's face it: when everyone's two improvised cocktails deep, they'll be hollering for Pink Pony Club, and after two more, they'll be doing Fairytale of New York in a male-female karaoke face-off. But for the early part of the party, here's some 2025 pop, dance and rap to keep the mood buoyant.
- Jim Legxacy - Father
- Cardi B - Principal (ft Janet Jackson)
- Dexter in the Newsagent - I Told Ya
- Tate McRae - Tit for Tat
- Addison Rae - Fame is a Gun
- PinkPantheress - Illegal
- Tyla - Chanel
- Jorja Smith - The Way I Love You
- MK - Dior (ft Chrystal)
- Confidence Man - I Heart You (ft Eliza Rose)
- Sammy Virji - Cops & Robbers (ft Skepta)
- Nuovo Testamento - Picture Perfect
- Lady Gaga - Zombieboy
- Leon Thomas - Just How You Are
- Dijon - Yamaha
- Sombr - 12 to 12
- MØ - Lose Yourself
- Avalon Emerson - Don't Be Seen With Me
- Gelli Haha - Bounce House
- Jessy Lanza - Slapped By My Life
Avoid the spiritually vacant music that populates a lot of the "chilled beats" or "downtempo vibes" playlists you see on streaming services: a dinner party needs a bit more bite and humanity. Spanning hip-hop, alt-pop, indie, R&B, jazz and beyond, here's a selection of characterful 2025 favourites that won't dominate, but won't just melt into the background.
- Oklou - Take Me By the Hand (ft Bladee)
- Banks - Delulu
- John Glacier - Ocean Steppin' (ft Sampha)
- Olivia Dean - Man I Need
- Durand Jones & the Indications - Flower Moon
- Night Moves - Hold On to Tonight
- Geese - Husbands
- Cass McCombs - Peace
- Jordana - Like That
- Alex G - Afterlife
- Fontaines DC - It's Amazing to Be Young
- Acopia - Falter
- Erika de Casier - Delusional
- US Girls - Running Errands (Yesterday)
- Saba & No ID - head.rap (ft Madison McFerrin, Ogi and Jordan Ward)
- Yaya Bey - Spin Cycle
- Ady Suleiman - Never Meant to Hurt You (ft Kofi Stone)
- Justin Bieber - Yukon
- Makaya McCraven - Imafan
- Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling, Andreas Werliin - Chahar
When it's the morning after, and all you can contemplate is which type of stuffed crust pizza might conceivably reincarnate you, you need to be soothed as you pour tiny pools of ash-filled beer out of almost empty cans. Here's some of the year's best dream-pop, acoustic songwriting and more to make everything better.
- Joanne Robertson - Always Were (ft Oliver Coates)
- Mark William Lewis - Tomorrow is Perfect
- Maria Somerville - Garden
- Eiko Ishibashi - Coma
- Cate Le Bon - Mothers of Riches
- Jasmine.4.t - Elephant
- Big Thief - Grandmother (ft Laraaji)
- Venturing - Believe
- Caroline - Total Euphoria
- Léa Sen - lvl 1 - Home Alone
- Loyle Carner - In My Mind
- Earl Sweatshirt - Exhaust
- Odeal - Miami (ft Leon Thomas)
- Nourished By Time - Tossed Away
- Nilüfer Yanya - Treason
- Cass McCombs - Missionary Bell
- Celestial - Mermaid Boulevard (ft Romance)
- Purelink - Rookie (ft Loraine James)
- Steve Hauschildt - Dividua
- Burial - Comafields
You don't want anything raising the stress levels in the kitchen, but you don't want the vibes to be so placid you end up leisurely overcooking everything. Reach for this blend of blissful funk, classic soul, folk-rock and heartfelt balladry from across the years to keep your mood on the lowest simmer.