Music Features
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The 50 best albums of 2025
It’s time to celebrate your faves – and discover something new to love
Kurayamisaka tell stories with sincere, blown-out bliss from Japan’s spirited underground
Armed with triple-guitar catharsis and cinematic noise pop, the Tokyo quintet’s towers of distortion and devoted indie rock tell poetic tales of past and possible lives – and have ignited fierce genre debates
Wolf Alice are a band in constant evolution: “Not resting on your laurels is really exciting”
Since forming in the early 2010s, the four-piece have consistently pushed themselves forward, refusing to be beholden to one pocket of sound. Their fourth album, ‘The Clearing’ is taking them to new heights, as they conquer the UK’s arenas on their latest tour
What Saffron founder Laura Lewis-Paul has learned from 10 years in music tech
Running down the non-profit's achievements to date and discussing its upcoming collaboration with FKA Twigs
The 50 best songs of 2025
Gleeful genius, emotional reckoning and genre joyrides – this year had it all
These are the best gigs to see this month
From buzzy new superstars to bonafide legends
Bib Sama. and TayoLoxs on the science of “ear candy” and creating their own digital universe
The duo fuse glitch, trap and video game soundtracks into a universe of chaos and liberation, staking their claim as the underground’s next great world-builders
Rapper Tkandz is making the most of his moment
After an initial breakthrough in 2022, the 19-year-old’s latest single ‘Now Or Never’ has catapulted him onto global charts. The ambitious young artist is taking it all in his stride
Kenshi Yonezu: “I create music with a distinctly Japanese quirk to it. That’s something I take great pride in”
One of J-pop’s biggest artists looks back on his 2025 with NME, including his contributions to ‘Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc’: the “free-fall ride” of ‘Iris Out’ and his massive, melancholic collaboration with Hikaru Utada
5 Seconds Of Summer: “If we call ourselves a boyband, then you can’t hurt us with it”
The Australian pop band discuss their new album ‘Everyone’s A Star!’, having to prove themselves, and their “most ambitious” tour yet
Gary “Mani” Mounfield, 1962-2025: baggy bass hero whose melodies made the Madchester movement
The much-loved musician helped steer both The Stone Roses and Primal Scream to seminal status – his energy becoming a defining part of both bands
How Eurosonic Noorderslag kickstarts your fave new artist’s live career
Over the years, everyone from Dua Lipa to Fontaines D.C. and Arlo Parks has used this Dutch mega-festival to showcase their live chops. Here's how it nurtures the headliners of tomorrow