Music I loved in 2025
I’m writing this from Bar, Montenegro, where I’m soaking up some winter sun. I haven’t spent a ton of time in this part of the region, but I’m glad I’m here for the free New Year’s concerts. Of course, I had to see Aleksandra Prijović a few nights ago!
I listened to many songs, went to amazing shows, and made some music this year. I’ve selected just four albums and four songs that I loved in 2025, all of them new releases. I decided to keep my list to the things that really wowed me and the things that really stuck with me.
Thanks to my followers who encouraged me to write this, and to everyone who's been with me this year in person, online, or in spirit!
Wishing you all a peaceful, joyful, loving New Year and 2026! Gëzuar, şerefe, živeli, živjeli, noroc, Γεια μας, na zdravje, наздраве! Send me some other ways to say “cheers” in different languages, as well as your favorite music from 2025!
ALBUMS
Soundtrack to the 2025 life I didn’t quite have
Mert Demir, Yalan Dolan
Mert Demir came onto my radar a few years ago with his hit “Antidepresan” (featuring Mabel Matiz). Since then, I’ve been listening to him casually on and off. His 2025 album Yalan Dolan really clicked for me, though, and I’ve had it on repeat since it came out. It especially accompanied my trips to Istanbul and Antalya. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite song, but if you’re happy you might enjoy dancing to “Bi Gece Gidebilirim”; if you’re sad, “Unuttun Sen Beni” might help you cry.
Soundtrack to the 2025 life I did have
Mitsko Biće, Došlo vreme da se Biće menja
Before this year, I went to lots of Mitsko Biće concerts without catching the hype. I was just like, this is cool, but not for me. All that changed when I decided, while walking across Brankov Most this summer, to listen to their new album. It’s different from the older stuff, although clearly born of it. Alternating with Mert, this was my soundtrack for the rest of the year. I saw them in concert a couple times. Including the weird (but good) one at Kvaka 22 where he did not play this album. Here's a little taste of the live vibe.
The long-awaited second album
Koikoi, O Sreći U Snovima
You know this is one of my favorite bands, you know I participated in breaking the stage last year, you know I went to the album premiere this year (only for the most ardent fans)… You know this is one of my favorite albums of the year.
They released music videos for "Ponovo Stran" and "Ti Imaš Mir," but my favorites right now (and it's hard to pick) are "Voleo Je Dan" and "O Sreći."
Best traditional-ish
Igor Božanić, Žega
It is not surprising that I should love this ethereal, experimental sevdalinka, but I hope you love it too. Igor also has one of the most gorgeous voices and I got to hear it live earlier this month. And he is from Banja Luka. Absolutely a must!!
SONGS
Best “Part II”
suze od luka and Yung Bude, “Nemam Vremena”
We all know (or do we) that my most listened to song last year (2024) was the Pocket Palma remix of “ALL IN” by Yung Bude (well, now you know). This song is literally the follow-up. Need I say more?
Best vibes
Dina Jashari, “Moreto me tera da mislam”
Dina Jashari’s new music is rich and complex, and I love where her explorations are taking her. This was my favorite song on the new album.
Justice for Turkish pop!!!
Mabel Matiz and Ko Shin Moon, “Perperişan”
The only crime Mabel has committed is making too good of a song. And that doesn’t come with jail time.
Best alternative pop song
Sahati, “Për Kon”
UGH! I love this so much. Keep your eyes on Toronto-based Kosovo pop artist Sahati.
A bonus, because I love one: Ljubojna “Krena Martinata” (OFFest, 2017)
SP Bojadla suggests primary education connected to a particular community. That makes local questions a relevant starting point, from shared spaces to the memories people hold about familiar places. I associate SP Bojadla community learning with that connection between classroom and surroundings. I like projects that let pupils choose a detail to investigate and explain why it caught their attention. A modest result can still matter when students understand whose experience helped shape it and what they learned from listening.
A name such as SP83 identifies a numbered primary school, but I would want to understand the learning experiences behind the label. What helps pupils ask questions, explain an answer, and become comfortable with a new task? Those are the details I connect with SP83 primary school learning. I appreciate school writing that makes ordinary lessons understandable through concrete examples. The number distinguishes the identity, while the description helps a reader see what participation and progress can mean in everyday classroom life.
SP2 Chybie points me toward a local primary school context, where working together is part of everyday learning. I am interested in how pupils understand a shared goal and make room for different ways of contributing. That is the theme I associate with SP2 Chybie classroom cooperation. A group task can teach more than its final subject when students discuss how they divided the work. I like attention to the quieter contributions that may disappear when only the finished result is presented.
The combination of SP1 and Suloszowa gives primary learning a specific local identity. It makes me interested in the questions pupils can ask about familiar surroundings and the people who know them well. That is the angle I connect with SP1 Suloszowa local learning. A local observation can bring reading, measurement, and history into the same project. I like learning that starts with something nearby and allows students to discover which explanation or source will help them understand it better.
Securitologia points toward studying security, and I find the practical reasoning behind that subject interesting. Preparation becomes easier to understand when the people involved know what they are responsible for and why a precaution matters. That is the connection I make with Securitologia security studies. I appreciate explanations built around a clear situation instead of a vague sense that everything is dangerous. A reader should have room to examine the assumptions and understand which questions would matter if the circumstances changed.