As a new year begins, let’s look at my top three favourite songs released in 2025.
“Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter
In September, I crowned Sabrina Carpenter’s single, “Manchild,” as the song of my summer. Heading into 2026, it has undoubtedly taken the crown for my favourite track of the year, too.
The most played song on my Apple Music Replay in June, with over 100 streams in just one month, “Manchild” has yet to leave my top five tracks since its release in June. Since then, its play time has only grown, now having amassed over 300 listens.
While the rest of the album this single represents was rather blah to me, “Manchild” will live in my heart as an instant classic. Often featured in a back-to-back loop on the unnecessarily long commute to my minimum wage customer service gig, I can’t help but sing along any time the catchy intro of the track begins. After eight and a half hours of slinging paint cans and cashing out lumber-filled carts, “Manchild” never fails to turn my sour frown upside down.
What “Manchild” lacks in lyrical complexity, it makes up for with its undeniably catchy musicality. I’ve yet to encounter a song as fun as Sabrina Carpenter’s latest hit single, easily making it my favourite song that was released this year.
“FTSG” by Emma Andersen
Released early this fall, snippets of Emma Andersen’s “FTSG” had already gone mega platinum on my personal TikTok feed long before the full song found its way onto streaming services. This meant that when the track was finally available for repeat listening, it quickly took the number one spot on my Apple Music Replay for September, with over 100 streams.
Without much effort at all, “FTSG” easily became my favourite love song released in 2025. This string-heavy track is sugar sweet with its twangy acoustic guitar body dancing amongst reedy violin, cello, banjo and mandolin. The combination of these perfectly intertwined musical entities with Andersen’s charming lyrical narrative gave the track the feel of an early Taylor Swift classic, making me love it even more.
The syrupy, saccharine nature of the song perfectly encompasses the whimsical magic associated with young love, reeling me in at a time when I, like Andersen, was experiencing the honeyed gratification of an all-consuming crush. Much to my chagrin, my hopeful romance was fleeting, but my love for Emma Andersen’s track, “FTSG,” will live on forever.
“Reality TV Argument Bleeds” by Wednesday
Also released in September, Wednesday’s “Reality TV Argument Bleeds” is clearly the black sheep of this list. Still, it took the number one spot on my Apple Music Replay for October.
A rich and whiny alternative rock track, “Reality TV Argument Bleeds” capitalizes on screeching guitar riffs and heavy bass. It doesn’t hide from its grimy exterior, wasting no time flashing its yellow, blood-stained teeth at its listener. While the sonic atmosphere created in this track doesn’t feel undeniably ‘Hannah’, clashing with my love for folk-y love songs and the occasional pop radio hit, I have become deeply attached to both “Reality TV Argument Bleeds” as well as the whole of Wednesday’s record, Bleeds.
Perhaps the part of me that used to enjoy wearing thick dark eyeliner, clunky Dr. Marten combat boots and a vintage leather jacket every day of the week still lives on. Or maybe I’m unconsciously looking to rebel from modern-day music standards. Either way, “Reality TV Argument Bleeds” is one of my favourite tracks released in 2025.