Top 50 of 2025: #45-41: A Pop Queen, Hunters and Aussie Hip Hop

We are back again and running towards the top song of 2025. This block of songs is one of the more eclectic blocks with some hip hop, a previously unreleased track, a movie soundtrack and a long awaited release. So, let’s keep the countdown going!

45. Madonna: Right on Time

As listeners know, I am a big Madonna fan…and thought that being surprised by a new Madonna track was left for a time gone by. Luckily for me there are still unreleased tracks out there. Recently, Madonna released a re-make of her EP Bedtime Stories from 1994, which acted like a bridge from her previous work to her big comeback with Ray of Light in 1998. The previously unreleased demo Right on Time was released ahead of this re-make and was an excellent track with Madonna’s vocals at her peak.

44. K-Pop Demon Hunters: Takedown

K-Pop Demon Hunters took the world by storm when it was released and the soundtrack did huge numbers. K-Pop heavyweights like Twice added their vocals to this incredibly catchy soundtrack. Takedown has all that you love about K-Pop…sugary vocals, some hip hop, neon soaked club beats and pure joy. It is K-Pop distilled to its sugary greatness.

43. Lana Del Rey: Bluebird

Everyone is looking towards a new Lana Del Rey record and the lead single Bluebird has a ton of promise. An indie folk acoustic guitar ushers in Lana’s dark fragile vocal about connection, freedom and wanting to break loose of what holds us back. There are some underlining feminist themes wrapped around a lush arrangement. This is Lana in her element in a bite sized track. It’s like a small Fabergé Egg…fragile, beautiful and mesmerising.

42. Big Noter: Identity

Aussie hip hop activist Briggs teams up with Rage Against the Machine engineer Nick Didia to make a heavily Rage influenced metal/hip hop call to action. A high energy punk track with amazing guitar riffs and Briggs raw vocal is a perfect combination. Issues of race, identity, Australian colonialism are all explored with fire in this call to action. This is about how identity is more than DNA and about community and pride. Big Noter is an interesting genre experiment by Briggs and showcases his talent as an artist.

41. Mark Pritchard and Thom Yorke: This Conversation is Missing Your Voice

In the midst of Radiohead’s latest tour we are all excitedly waiting for a new Radio record. Until that happens, we have Yorke’s side projects to listen to. On this track Thom teams up with longtime electronic artist Mark Pritchard to create an otherworldly track about the trappings of modern society and the hum condition. Like a lot of Yorke’s electronic work, this track is trippy, weird and sonically intoxicating. The song expands and falls in on itself as Yorke’s beautiful focal punches pinholes of sunlight into a relatively dense sonic landscape. Yorke’s experiments are always must listen’s for me and his vocal on this track hits an emotional sweet spot.

There we are…another block of music in the books. There were some heavy hitters in this block with singles that promise more music to come. Next block will have a surprise that’s not in the top 10, some new bands and a panther.