^ Lol, thanks Bré / tomato cat for your services xx

TOP 100 SONGS: 10-01

10. Zanias - Serpentsmile | 447 points

09. Witch Fever - SAFE | 451 points

08. akiaura, LONOWN & Baby Jane - Deathwish | 478 points

07. Wolf Alice - The Sofa | 479 points

06. Sam Quealy - Londontown | 480 points

05. Oklou - choke enough | 482 points

04. Night Tapes - helix | 500 points

03. Ela Minus - QQQQ | 669 points

02. Ethel Cain - Nettles | 691 points

01. Addison Rae - Headphones On | 755 points

Zanias originally came to my attention when her musical project Linea Aspera was sent to the BuzzJack Song Contest by Mattias' nation Deandria, albeit took a while to join the dots that she was the vocalist. I later discovered her solo output and have been following along intently, as someone with a penchant for darkwave music. 'Serpentsmile' was chosen as the third single from her fifth album Cataclysm and swiftly became my favourite of the campaign. I was instantly hooked by its storming, frantic drums and dancefloor-ready breakbeats. Zanias contrasts the chaos with an ethereal vocal performance too. 'Serpentsmile' is about how to move forward when civilisation and the ecosystem are on the brink of collapse, also reflecting on how far we've come as a species. She has a commanding presence in the music video in amongst the sand dunes of Fuerteventura. 'Serpentsmile' was sent to the 178th edition of the BuzzJack Song Contest this year, by Cody's nation Cor Lupus. This had already been a multi-week #1 in my personal chart, so wasn't a discovery in the contest, but my hand was still forced to give it top marks. This was a successful endeavour for Cor Lupus as it bagged them a 10th place finish. That contest also produced my aforementioned win for Erin LeCount, so the top 10 was book-ended by my own entry and my favourite from another country, the taste.

Four-piece Manchester band Witch Fever originally came to my attention when Severin chose their song 'Congregation' for one of the themes in a 30 Day Song Challenge thread we had on the forum a couple of years ago. I was on a mission to listen to the accompanying playlist in its entirety and made an incredible discovery out of this song, vowing to keep tabs on the group going forward. I was sold on their genre-blending sound which appeared to mix elements of grunge, punk and gothic rock. 'SAFE' was chosen as a single in the lead up to the release of their sophomore album FEVEREATEN. This was a more shoegaze-tinged sound for them but still promises an explosive chorus with punky rage, thanks to the all-consuming emotion in the vocal performance, crashing drums and ferocious guitars. The lyrics are vulnerable throughout, detailing the bittersweet feeling of a relationship that is salvaged as a close friendship instead, with lines such as "special for a time but it wasn't right" highlighting this. I enjoy the very real emotions mixed with some poetically written lyrics, for example: "bathed you in the beam of my moonlight". The instrumentation keeps you on your toes right until the last moment - with all the raw, angry energy drawing to a close and morphing into a softer, reflective outro, with piano and strings.

'Deathwish' was a meeting of three artists I'd originally discovered in BJSC, as Kath's nation Kathaldazia sent previous akiaura and LONOWN collaboration 'Sleepwalker', while Baby Jane had already been unleashed by Cody's Cor Lupus ('Cemetary Date') and Wouter's Lookylion (with 'All The Saints Of Notre Dame'). I was particularly keeping tabs on akiaura and LONOWN, as 'Sleepwalker' was a big favourite and I'm so glad I came across 'Deathwish', another triumph. This song incorporates a range of sounds. I have seen it described as 'angelcore' in YouTube comments, which is a rising internet aesthetic and form of otherworldly electronic music. 'Deathwish' specifically appears to adopt vocal trance elements, plus harsher electroclash and witch house sounds. I adore its build-up, which gradually reels you in with dreamy vocals and softer, nostalgic production, but progresses into a dark stomper of a drop. The lyrics are melancholic, wishing for some kind of escape, but dressed up prettily - with opening lines mentioning the titular death wish, but also descriptors like "stardust on your lips".

I was immediately infatuated with Wolf Alice's 'Bloom Baby Bloom' but needed more time with the contrast of softer second single, 'The Sofa'. It initially scraped into my weekly top 40 but blossomed into a personal chart #1 in time, after it slowly clicked into place. Ellie Rowsell provides a heavenly delivery of the lyrics that praise the mundane, such as "watching reruns on TV". She maturely reflects that she's happy with just being, rather than constantly striving. She once had youthful dreams of escaping to California, but is now quite relieved and happy with the reality of slowing down in London's Seven Sisters, explored in the second verse. This song truly speaks to me, especially right now, as I type these words from the comfort of the sofa. Ellie sits on a travelling sofa in the heart-warming video. This single is a lot less showy and in-your-face than its predecessor but shines in its own way, with simple and effective beauty. I love the piano-led production and strings that particularly flourish towards the end of the song, while Ellie also pushes her voice to a more passionate place. 'The Sofa' is the closing track on Wolf Alice's fourth album The Clearing, so they certainly end this experience on a high.

The mention of Seven Sisters nicely segues into the 6th place song in the countdown... Sam Quealy's 'Londontown'! I first got into the techno-pop princess a couple of years ago, with 'Seven Swords', then Kath recommended her debut album Blonde Venus to me and that love only grew. She is gearing up to launch second album JAWBREAKER at the end of this month and lead this era with the glittering 'Londontown'. This song is a rush with its mix of synths, beats and bass. It has retro touches, like disco influences in the production, plus a general '80s feel - with Bré comparing it to Visage's 'Fade to Grey', which I can now hear too, an almighty compliment as one of my all-time favourite songs. Quealy is chasing connection in a fast-moving world, with London being an appropriate reference point, her place of both hope and heartache. The music video feels like a perfectly rapid fit, as she firstly takes to the streets on a motorcycle, then moves to a nightclub to partake in some electric choreography. Her vocals and the production both feel euphoric yet have a yearning quality too, marking this firm 'sad banger' territory. It was recently revealed that someone attempted to enter this song to the 181st edition of BJSC, but was vetoed, due to Sam Quealy's previous form and appearing in the multi-chart, so apologies for contributing to the latter, as this was an easy multi-week #1 for me.

Oklou's 'choke enough' is both the highest BJSC entry and non-#1 in my weekly chart to make the countdown, peaking at #2 there. I unleashed her to the first BuzzJack Song Contest edition of last year, BJSC 171, completely unaware of her rising internet hype and unfortunately blocked a few others who were also planning to send her the same month, albeit with different songs - two participants tried 'harvest sky' and another attempt was 'take me by the hand'. Of course, 'choke enough' was my chosen one from the album of the same name. This song was the earliest demo from the project, dating back to 2022, but Oklou took her time to get it right - and what a final product it is. I was instantly sold on its beautifully restrained execution - with distant, dreamlike vocals and a muffled, ambient trance sound featuring synths that slowly shift along. This song was inspired by Oklou spending time in Los Angeles, a place she found "weird, naïve and disconnected". 'choke enough' specifically reflects on dramatic situations we are willing to put ourselves in to feel alive, for example, driving recklessly is explored in the first verse. I was hoping this would be a hit for my nation, especially after the confirmation battle and indeed it started off our year on a positive note, placing 10th in the final of BJSC 171.

Night Tapes have amassed a satisfying 500 points with the beautiful 'Helix' thanks to its lengthy run in my weekly chart, achieving 4th place in the countdown this year. The trip-hop sound of previous release 'babygirl (like n01 else)' was catnip to me and thankfully 'Helix' also enters this sonic realm, with added hazy dream pop and shoegaze elements, a killer combination. This song explores the emotional potential of a transformative new connection, which could be one of the best decisions you've ever made, or the worst. The group illustrate these feelings with a vulnerable, delicate vocal performance from lead singer Iiris Vesik, plus gorgeous astral descriptions in the lyrics, such as "uncertain vapour twilight helix" during the chorus. This song was a bit of a slow burner, debuting in my chart at #10, but its subtle charms and driving synths continued to hit me more, subsequently climbing to #1 for two weeks over the summer.

'QQQQ' by Ela Minus is the highest placed non-English language song this year, as it's performed in her native Spanish. Ela achieves a well-earned podium placer in a strong year for her in my personal chart, as 'QQQQ' was the second of three #1s from her DÍA project; this one spent four non-consecutive weeks at the top. 'QQQQ' was the focus track on album release week and immediately blew me away with its mix of intricate electronic production and distorted vocal delivery. This track thrives on its duality as it completely embodies the 'sad banger' tag. The words have depth and are quite apocalyptic, with lyrics translated to English as "...might as well end it here, let the world end now". But the throbbing, club-ready beats and added keys are pure joy. Ela deliberately set out to make the "most joyful" song of her career, viewing it under a liberated lens. She originally envisioned 'QQQQ' as a bonus track during the early stages of its creation, but decided her album was missing a moment of pure euphoria for club and concert settings, so went back to this song and worked her magic - now strong enough to be a focus track.

Taking the runner-up spot is the breathtaking 'Nettles' by Ethel Cain. I'm not sure what it says about me that the top YouTube comment on the visualiser is "this is like the super bowl for people with crumbs in their bed" 💀 sure, why not. 'Nettles' has been ranked the #1 most acclaimed 2025 song on RateYourMusic, so I haven't quite matched that, but can still sing to the high heavens about how much I love this song. It had existed as a demo on SoundCloud since 2021 but finally got a proper release as the lead single for sophomore album Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You. This song once again revolves around a devastatingly dramatic depiction of the relationship between fictional characters 'Ethel Cain' and 'Willoughby Tucker'. Ethel said that 'Nettles' represents a "dream of losing the one you love, asking them to reassure you that it won't come true and to dream, instead, of all the time you'll have together as you grow old side by side". Ethel's anxiety has essentially manifested into dark all-consuming thoughts of Willoughby, where she imagines his death throughout the song. The nettle metaphor, a spiky plant also beneficial for you, ties in with Ethel feeling like she's difficult to be loved, but is still craving this feeling, as shown by lines such as "to love me is to suffer me". There are complex layers of anxiety, from feelings surrounding her relationship, to familial trauma, to even gendered envy in the pre-chorus. I am hooked on her vivid storytelling as ever and Ethel's vocal performance is so heart-felt and versatile, evolving from soft to deeply pained. The production similarly unravels throughout, quietly building up an incredible gothic, Americana soundscape that contains the banjo, violin, guitars including pedal steel, fiddle, organ, drums, piano and last but not least - synths, that Ethel specifically hunted down and bought for the album after she heard them in Twin Peaks. The swirling crescendo completely sticks the landing. This is an absolutely stunning 8 minutes of music.

I would've found it difficult to believe that Addison Rae was topping an EOY chart of mine just a couple of years ago... but here we are. For me, 'Diet Pepsi' was a grower, while 'Aquamarine' was a shower - revealing that her talented all-female production team had some electronic tricks up their sleeve, also demonstrated on follow-up 'High Fashion', with pleasingly left-field James Blake-esque synths. My fandom was slowly growing with each release and that reached new highs with fourth single, 'Headphones On'. This song contained more emotional depth than her previous material, touching on struggles including identity and even her parents' divorce. But it's an escapism anthem, as she accepts she can't fix what's already broken, but can still look ahead and also temporarily make herself feel better with some of life's simple pleasures. I personally do not use cigarettes as a vice, like Addison, but can wholeheartedly relate to her cathartic release of shutting the world off while putting headphones on. Music is my world, as evidenced by my last.fm counts, so I found an immediate connection with this song. Aside from its themes, the production is also incredibly up my street, with a soothing trip-hop sound that channels some of her idols, such as Madonna's ambient periods in the '90s, or Britney's relevant foray in the 2000s, such as Moby produced album track 'Early Mornin'. Addison makes the best of her vocal range and turns in a mature, intimate, breathy performance. 'Headphones On' became a U.K. top 40 single for her, as it charted at #24 and sounded nothing like any other hit last year for me, so was refreshing in today's landscape. The music video is a stunning addition to her collection, also. It is shot in Reykjavík and Addison is first seen daydreaming during a shift in none other than... Iceland! She is a blonde during these shots, but instead opts for neon pink hair in ethereal scenes of her riding a white horse in the countryside. The video begins with a then-unknown track which turned out to be the interlude 'Life's No Fun Through Clear Waters', which leads into Addison closing track 'Headphones On'. I was lucky enough to hear my favourite song of the year live, when Addison was announced as Lana Del Rey's support act. Not only was I ticking off a bucket list concert in Lana, but also got a dream supporting act in Addison, especially after I'd failed to get tickets for her own tour. What a dream scenario... and this song was equally magical in a live setting. I've also listened to it with wired headphones on an iPod with a pink case (see below!), which I'm sure is what Addison would want.

Jade's EOY 2025

01-100 ● full list

01. Addison Rae - Headphones On | 755 points

02. Ethel Cain - Nettles | 691 points

03. Ela Minus - QQQQ | 669 points

04. Night Tapes - helix | 500 points

05. Oklou - choke enough | 482 points

06. Sam Quealy - Londontown | 480 points

07. Wolf Alice - The Sofa | 479 points

08. akiaura, LONOWN & Baby Jane - Deathwish | 478 points

09. Witch Fever - SAFE | 451 points

10. Zanias - Serpentsmile | 447 points

11. Danny L Harle - Starlight (feat. PinkPantheress) | 425 points

12. FKA twigs - Eusexua | 420 points

13. Ela Minus - UPWARDS | 414 points

14. Chappell Roan - The Subway | 412 points

15. EQ - B.S.A.S. (Si Alguna Vez te Sentís Sola de Noche) | 409 points

16. PinkPantheress - Stateside | 406 points

17. Lady Gaga - Zombieboy | 401 points

18. Erin LeCount - 808 HYMN | 388 points

19. Ela Minus - ONWARDS | 372 points

20. Lady Gaga - Abracadabra | 366 points

21. Izzy Camina - Neptune Mood | 361 points

22. Addison Rae - Fame is a Gun | 355 points

23. Demise Of Love - Strange Little Consequence | 345 points

24. Addison Rae - Times Like These | 342 points (peak: #1, weeks on chart: 12)

25. ROSALÍA - Berghain (feat. Björk & Yves Tumor) | 342 points (peak: #1, weeks on chart: 9)

26. Dave - The Boy Who Played the Harp | 336 points (peak: #1)

27. Sky Ferreira - Leash | 336 points (peak: #2)

28. Lana Del Rey - Henry, come on | 333 points

29. Demise Of Love - Like I Loved You | 308 points

30. uvula - ty' i tvoya ten' | 306 points

31. The Horrors - The Silence That Remains | 305 points (peak: #1)

32. Nilüfer Yanya - Cold Heart | 305 points (peak: #4)

33. PinkPantheress - Tonight | 303 points

34. Mount Palomar & Makeshift Art Bar - Pass The Parcel | 294 points

35. Sidewalks and Skeletons & CASHFORGOLD - Dissolve | 291 points

36. FKA twigs - Room of Fools | 285 points

37. Zara Larsson - Midnight Sun | 277 points

38. The Marías - Back To Me | 270 points

39. Nilüfer Yanya - Kneel | 266 points

40. ROSALÍA - Porcelana (feat. Dougie F) | 265 points (peak: #1)

41. Lorde - What Was That | 265 points (peak: #5)

42. Ariana Grande - twilight zone | 264 points

43. Sara Zozaya - Blu | 259 points

44. Sleep Token - Emergence | 258 points

45. Taylor Swift - The Fate of Ophelia | 257 points

46. Danny L Harle - Azimuth (feat. Caroline Polachek) | 254 points

47. Chalk - Pool Scene | 253 points

48. Ethel Cain - F**k Me Eyes | 251 points

49. Model/Actriz - Diva | 248 points

50. Sam Barber - Indigo (feat. Avery Anna) | 247 points

51. Lorde - Shapeshifter | 241 points

52. Snõõper - Worldwide | 240 points

53. Vioflesh - Spring Nostalgia | 238 points

54. Tame Impala - End Of Summer | 237 points

55. Doja Cat - Jealous Type | 235 points (peak: #2)

56. S1RENA - DNA 1NTERLUDE / DNA | 235 points (peak: #3)

57. Bad Bunny - NUEVAYoL | 234 points

58. The Marías - No One Noticed | 228 points

59. Ethel Cain - Waco, Texas | 227 points

60. FKA twigs - Love Crimes | 225 points (peak: #2)

61. JADE - Plastic Box | 225 points (peak: #8)

62. Ethel Cain - Punish | 224 points

63. Charli xcx - Chains of Love | 223 points

64. GANS - IN TIME | 219 points (peak: #5)

65. Wolf Alice - Bloom Baby Bloom | 219 points (peak: #6)

66. Zanias - Naiad | 218 points

67. Lady Gaga - Killah (feat. Gesaffelstein) | 216 points

68. Suki Waterhouse - Dream Woman | 215 points (peak: #4)

69. FKA twigs - 24hr Dog | 215 points (peak: #8)

70. Addison Rae - In The Rain | 212 points

71. Oklou - dance 2 | 202 points

72. Model/Actriz - Cinderella | 201 points

73. Kraftwerk - Europe Endless {BJSC 100th anniversary entry} | 200 points (peak: #4)

74. goneMUNE - AMNESIA | 200 points (peak: #7)

75. Lady Gaga - Garden Of Eden | 199 points

76. Night Tapes - storm | 192 points (peak: #10)

77. sombr - 12 to 12 | 192 points (peak: #12)

78. Sugababes - Weeds | 191 points

79. Gorillaz - The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks) | 187 points

80. Tyler, The Creator - Ring Ring Ring | 186 points

81. TV Girl & George Clanton - Butterflies (feat. Jordana) | 185 points

82. Night in Athens - I Search For A Sign | 181 points

83. PinkPantheress - Nice to Know You | 180 points (peak: #8)

84. The Weeknd - Timeless (feat. Playboi Carti) | 180 points (peak: #9)

85. Katarsis - Tavo akys | 179 points

86. The Horrors - Lotus Eater | 175 points

87. Sofia Kourtesis - Unidos (with Daphni) | 174 points

88. Addison Rae - Summer Forever | 172 points

89. Man/Woman/Chainsaw - Only Girl | 170 points

90. FKA twigs - Striptease | 166 points

91. Lemondaze - o(type) | 165 points (peak: #9)

92. Confidence Man & JADE - gossip | 165 points (peak: #13)

93. Oklou & FKA twigs - viscus | 164 points

94. Madison Beer - yes baby | 163 points (peak: #3)

95. KennyHoopla - NORTHERN LIGHTS// | 163 points (peak: #13)

96. Cynthia Erivo - Defying Gravity (feat. Ariana Grande) | 159 points

97. ROSALÍA - Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti | 158 points

98. FKA twigs - Sushi | 156 points

99. Wet Leg - catch these fists | 155 points

100. ARGO - Korku | 154 points

thank you to everyone who followed along / commented ❤️

p.s. if you don't have time to check out the above playlist but still want a feel of all the songs (or you just enjoy recap videos as much as me) then I put this together:

xxx

Hi there Jade!

Nice to see "Headphones On" at the top of your EOY list for 2025, as well as seeing "The Sofa", "Starlight", "The Subway", "Stateside" and "Abracadabra".

Great list!
Now I still need to finish mine someday!

8 minutes ago, Sergej said:

Hi there Jade!

Nice to see "Headphones On" at the top of your EOY list for 2025, as well as seeing "The Sofa", "Starlight", "The Subway", "Stateside" and "Abracadabra".

Great list!
Now I still need to finish mine someday!

Hi Sergej,

Glad you're also a fan of those songs (quite a few beginning with 'S' there *.*), especially 'Headphones On'

Looking forward to finding out what your own #1 will be.

Thank you for commenting :D

30-21 thoughts:

2025 was a rare year where I didn't give any 18s to Jadakissnia but uvula got the closest for me with a 15 (it was denied by YOU LOVE HER's 'This Is A Raid' and in retrospect I miiight flip them over if I revoted in that contest now), of course difficult to go wrong for me with a post-punk entry but this one stands out for being very catchy which is perhaps not always a quality I associate with the genre, also still forced to stan the Lord Buckethead esque creatures in the video Shame that Lana seems to have gone radio silent after a couple of great singles in 2025, was lovely to see 'Henry, come on' making the top 40, I want to say yay for it being the first song from one of her albums to do so in a long time but at this point who knows if it'll even be on her next album still if she ever releases another album at all of course was a highlight of her live show as well, the final line in the chorus really stands out as quite poetic. Also in the field of artists who keep ghosting on album releases, the ongoing saga of 'Masochism' just keeps getting more farcical with each passing year but I have mostly enjoyed the very occasional scraps we get from Sky Ferreira and 'Leash' is no exception to that. Dave is one of the few artists who is very good at making me sit down and actually pay attention to lyrics, he always has important things to say and I suppose it helps that he tends to rap with a lot of clarity and over beats which don't command too much attention away from the lyrics (although both the production and lyrics are excellent on this song) - the namedrop of Chris Kaba stood out as a particular gut punch in this song as well as the lines you highlighted. 'Berghain' I think would be very closely competing with 'Tonight' for me for my favourite top 40 hit of the year but it's definitely the best top 40 moment for numerous reasons, of course I've been heavily invested in ROSALÍA's career since nearly day one with me sending a song from her debut album to BJSC so it's still kind of insane that she got a song this leftfield to be her first top 40 hit as lead artist and bringing along a returning Björk and a debuting Yves Tumor to boot - I remember just feeling quite overwhelmed by the song on first listen with so much going on in it but quickly got over that and can just appreciate it as a beautifully constructed track and a fantastic introduction to another triumphant era for her (she's really fast becoming a contender for my favourite artist ever, I might have to change my BuzzJack bio if R5 is as much of a slamdunk as R2-4 x). Much love for the critters in the video too <3 I do still wish Yves Tumor's part was a bit more substantial but it still works well as an intense outro for the song. Both of the Addison songs here are good ones, #spoilers for my thoughts on your #1 (not that you don't already know x) but I did think 'Times Like These' was a better trip-hop track from her and 'Fame Is A Gun' is just a bop that I could get into straight away, could appreciate the instrumental sounding like a bit of a throwback to deadmau5's early hits, so I'm happy I can get behind that one more compared to my more mixed feelings on her other two top 40 hits, cool to see it getting another run in the chart now as well (and more video critter appreciation for the tortoise in the video!) The Izzy Camina song is also a fun dancepop banger. The two weakest songs in this section for me are the two from Demise Of Love unfortunately oops - 'Strange Little Consequence' is slightly more up my street out of the two but I find both to slightly go over my head which is a shame as I usually love everything Daniel Avery does and really enjoyed the last Working Men's Club album too, thankfully Daniel's next solo album after this got me well back on board.

Headphones On I couldn't agree more with the Madonna comparison, it also reminded me of early 90s Janet, particularly 'That's The Way Love Goes' which is one of my Janet faves. Either way, an unexpected musical style to hear from Addison but she clearly pulled it off. Great #1!

15 hours ago, Brer said:

30-21 thoughts:

2025 was a rare year where I didn't give any 18s to Jadakissnia but uvula got the closest for me with a 15 (it was denied by YOU LOVE HER's 'This Is A Raid' and in retrospect I miiight flip them over if I revoted in that contest now), of course difficult to go wrong for me with a post-punk entry but this one stands out for being very catchy which is perhaps not always a quality I associate with the genre, also still forced to stan the Lord Buckethead esque creatures in the video Shame that Lana seems to have gone radio silent after a couple of great singles in 2025, was lovely to see 'Henry, come on' making the top 40, I want to say yay for it being the first song from one of her albums to do so in a long time but at this point who knows if it'll even be on her next album still if she ever releases another album at all of course was a highlight of her live show as well, the final line in the chorus really stands out as quite poetic. Also in the field of artists who keep ghosting on album releases, the ongoing saga of 'Masochism' just keeps getting more farcical with each passing year but I have mostly enjoyed the very occasional scraps we get from Sky Ferreira and 'Leash' is no exception to that. Dave is one of the few artists who is very good at making me sit down and actually pay attention to lyrics, he always has important things to say and I suppose it helps that he tends to rap with a lot of clarity and over beats which don't command too much attention away from the lyrics (although both the production and lyrics are excellent on this song) - the namedrop of Chris Kaba stood out as a particular gut punch in this song as well as the lines you highlighted. 'Berghain' I think would be very closely competing with 'Tonight' for me for my favourite top 40 hit of the year but it's definitely the best top 40 moment for numerous reasons, of course I've been heavily invested in ROSALÍA's career since nearly day one with me sending a song from her debut album to BJSC so it's still kind of insane that she got a song this leftfield to be her first top 40 hit as lead artist and bringing along a returning Björk and a debuting Yves Tumor to boot - I remember just feeling quite overwhelmed by the song on first listen with so much going on in it but quickly got over that and can just appreciate it as a beautifully constructed track and a fantastic introduction to another triumphant era for her (she's really fast becoming a contender for my favourite artist ever, I might have to change my BuzzJack bio if R5 is as much of a slamdunk as R2-4 x). Much love for the critters in the video too <3 I do still wish Yves Tumor's part was a bit more substantial but it still works well as an intense outro for the song. Both of the Addison songs here are good ones, #spoilers for my thoughts on your #1 (not that you don't already know x) but I did think 'Times Like These' was a better trip-hop track from her and 'Fame Is A Gun' is just a bop that I could get into straight away, could appreciate the instrumental sounding like a bit of a throwback to deadmau5's early hits, so I'm happy I can get behind that one more compared to my more mixed feelings on her other two top 40 hits, cool to see it getting another run in the chart now as well (and more video critter appreciation for the tortoise in the video!) The Izzy Camina song is also a fun dancepop banger. The two weakest songs in this section for me are the two from Demise Of Love unfortunately oops - 'Strange Little Consequence' is slightly more up my street out of the two but I find both to slightly go over my head which is a shame as I usually love everything Daniel Avery does and really enjoyed the last Working Men's Club album too, thankfully Daniel's next solo album after this got me well back on board.

Here's hoping 2025 was a blip for gold medals and I can find something that gets right up there again for you 🙏 interesting that uvula might be there now retrospectively, though. I agree that it is really catchy for a post-punk song and felt the same way about TEMMIS, although did not envisage that being such a hit. C'mon Lana give us the goods!

2026 needs to provide Masochism summer after all this time, tbh. I agree Dave is such a gripping lyricist, always with a lot to say indeed and impressive wordplay to boot. Glad you also rate the production of 'The Boy Who Played the Harp' as it is hauntingly beautiful. Dave to get a piano out again and do it at the BRITs please!

My first listen of 'Berghain' was very similar, I felt overstimulated by everything going on and just thought what is THIS unhinged sound?! but it was intriguing all the same and quickly became a firm fave. Hearing it on the chart show was an out of body experience tbh. I can imagine how satisfying her journey to stardom has been for you so far! She's come a long way since that BJSC DNQ. I think I only gave that song 1 point, so did enjoy it, but album #2 truly made me sit up and take notice, the rest was history. High praise if she's coming for The Prodigy in your affections!! But deserved because albums 2-4 have all been my respective AOTYs, icon behaviour x I remember being at the absolute height of my Addison stanning in the run up to 'Fame is a Gun' dropping, so was pleased you liked that so instantly too. Yay for 'Times Like These' appreciation too as that feels a bit underrated from this campaign x

Aw shame the Demise Of Love stuff here hasn't really clicked for you! Obviously not as good as the best of Daniel Avery and Working Men's Club (the latter of course with their former EOY #1 here) but was an enjoyable little side project for me. Glad you at least enjoyed Daniel's latest solo album! Good stuff indeed.

Thank you for commenting!! <3

11 hours ago, Riser said:

Headphones On I couldn't agree more with the Madonna comparison, it also reminded me of early 90s Janet, particularly 'That's The Way Love Goes' which is one of my Janet faves. Either way, an unexpected musical style to hear from Addison but she clearly pulled it off. Great #1!

Oh yes I can see what you mean with Janet! Definitely has that breathy R&B vibe as well as the aforementioned trip-hop elements. Glad you're a fan too I'm so pleased Addison and her producers Luka and Elvira have all curated such a strong sound for her, hyped for album 2.

Thank you for commenting ❤️

No surprise with that #1 but it's deserved, what a dreamy track, and from a brilliant album too!

10 minutes ago, JosephStyles said:

No surprise with that #1 but it's deserved, what a dreamy track, and from a brilliant album too!

I'm so pleased you ended up enjoying the album a lot too!

thank you for commenting <3 <3

Wow, that's a fantastic top few, there are several in here that I have already waxed lyrical about in my thread, and in all honesty you probably did a much better job than me analysing them, so I will simply throw an <3 to Headphones On (an expected but brilliant number 1, I did wonder who that pink haired girl in your avatar was for a while x), Nettles, Helix, Eusexua, Abracadabra & The Subway from your top 20, here are a few other standouts that weren't in my list:

07. Wolf Alice - The Sofa | (Would've been included had I been doing more than one artist, I love the build on this one and has some lovely strings)

22. Addison Rae - Fame is a Gun | (The whole album was really good and this had a really great chorus

26. Dave - The Boy Who Played the Harp | (I only heard it once on Synctube so far, but this definitely seemed like more of the Dave I enjoyed than Raindance)

27. Sky Ferreira - Leash | (I counted this as last year so this didn't make my list this time, but it's great. The film itself was a bit middling overall, but the soundtrack was on point, love how dramatuc this sounds)

34. Mount Palomar & Makeshift Art Bar - Pass The Parcel | (Mount Palomar proving really consistent so far, love his new one as well)

41. Lorde - What Was That | (Her last era didn't do it for me, but this one was a return to form)

48. Ethel Cain - F**k Me Eyes | (Had I been including more than two this would've been there for me too, love the 80s style production, one of the more accessible songs on the album)

59. Ethel Cain - Waco, Texas | 227 points (...and a fantastic album closer here <3)

61. JADE - Plastic Box | 225 points (Heard this on Pitchfork's singles of the year list, not quite Angel of My Dreams, but another good song from her, nice to see some proper experimentation coming from a previously constrained pop star)

62. Ethel Cain - Punish | 224 points (Amber Waves and Housofpsychoticwoman were my top picks, but I was very on board with the sounds of this project)

73. Kraftwerk - Europe Endless {BJSC 100th anniversary entry} | (Always love to hear Kraftwerk and I think this is the most I gave you in BJSC last year? Great stuff)

79. Gorillaz - The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks) | (I did enjoy this one but it got a bit overplayed, I ended up preferring The Manifesto and Damascus)

99. Wet Leg - catch these fists | 155 points (Nothing this time around stuck with me as well as Chaise Longue or Wet Dream, but this was a lot of fun too, the guitar line is infectious)

Fantastic commentary throughout, I got tired with 40 so props for doing that 60 more than me!)

On 26/01/2026 at 15:03, Chez Wombat said:

Wow, that's a fantastic top few, there are several in here that I have already waxed lyrical about in my thread, and in all honesty you probably did a much better job than me analysing them, so I will simply throw an <3 to Headphones On (an expected but brilliant number 1, I did wonder who that pink haired girl in your avatar was for a while x), Nettles, Helix, Eusexua, Abracadabra & The Subway from your top 20, here are a few other standouts that weren't in my list:

07. Wolf Alice - The Sofa | (Would've been included had I been doing more than one artist, I love the build on this one and has some lovely strings)

22. Addison Rae - Fame is a Gun | (The whole album was really good and this had a really great chorus

26. Dave - The Boy Who Played the Harp | (I only heard it once on Synctube so far, but this definitely seemed like more of the Dave I enjoyed than Raindance)

27. Sky Ferreira - Leash | (I counted this as last year so this didn't make my list this time, but it's great. The film itself was a bit middling overall, but the soundtrack was on point, love how dramatuc this sounds)

34. Mount Palomar & Makeshift Art Bar - Pass The Parcel | (Mount Palomar proving really consistent so far, love his new one as well)

41. Lorde - What Was That | (Her last era didn't do it for me, but this one was a return to form)

48. Ethel Cain - F**k Me Eyes | (Had I been including more than two this would've been there for me too, love the 80s style production, one of the more accessible songs on the album)

59. Ethel Cain - Waco, Texas | 227 points (...and a fantastic album closer here <3)

61. JADE - Plastic Box | 225 points (Heard this on Pitchfork's singles of the year list, not quite Angel of My Dreams, but another good song from her, nice to see some proper experimentation coming from a previously constrained pop star)

62. Ethel Cain - Punish | 224 points (Amber Waves and Housofpsychoticwoman were my top picks, but I was very on board with the sounds of this project)

73. Kraftwerk - Europe Endless {BJSC 100th anniversary entry} | (Always love to hear Kraftwerk and I think this is the most I gave you in BJSC last year? Great stuff)

79. Gorillaz - The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks) | (I did enjoy this one but it got a bit overplayed, I ended up preferring The Manifesto and Damascus)

99. Wet Leg - catch these fists | 155 points (Nothing this time around stuck with me as well as Chaise Longue or Wet Dream, but this was a lot of fun too, the guitar line is infectious)

Fantastic commentary throughout, I got tired with 40 so props for doing that 60 more than me!)

Love that we have quite a few snap big favourites this year, especially sharing 'Nettles' on the podium, 'Helix' in the top 5 and 'Headphones On' in the top 10. Just realised I had both of our #1 picks as an avatar this year as I definitely had a Chappell one for a little while around the time it came out too *.*

Glad you enjoyed Addison's album on the whole! I would've ended up sending pretty much all of it if she had lasted a bit longer in the Pop Factor contest last year as aforementioned, I'd definitely recommend Dave's new album in full too, was pleased to see your reaction to the title track on SyncTube.

Love the 'Housofpsychoticwoman' shoutout, I really enjoyed that one too, even if it makes my heart race

Just had a quick look and yes I think your 15 points for Kraftwerk were the most you gave me last year! I would've returned plenty for Snapped Ankles had you qualified </3 here's hoping for strong relations in 2026. Glad 'Europe Endless' did connect with participants in a big way as I had no idea how it would go down.

Thank you so much for the kind words ❤️ I enjoyed all recent BuzzJack projects, including writing for this, but definitely feel ready for a break now

Very nice EOY charts with loads of gems. These are my favourites from it:

11. Danny L Harle - Starlight (feat. PinkPantheress) | 425 points

This is a very clever arranged dance-track with great vocals from PinkP

14. Chappell Roan - The Subway | 412 points

It did not reach that much points in my EOY-chart, but this one has really stamina and I get never tired listening to it

24. Addison Rae - Times Like These | 342 points (peak: #1, weeks on chart: 12)

Addison had a great run of singles this year. This is my favourite one from yout top 100, but my favourite from the album is "High Fashion".

25. ROSALÍA - Berghain (feat. Björk & Yves Tumor) | 342 points (peak: #1, weeks on chart: 9)

What a great album and "Berghain" is the stand-out song from it for me, eventhough it contains a lot of great songs.

28. Lana Del Rey - Henry, come on | 333 points

This was a great first song from her hopefully upcoming album. Really nice ballad.

37. Zara Larsson - Midnight Sun | 277 points

Excellent single from Zara - now everyone sees the potential of it, but it was strange that it was not a commercial summer hit in 2025

51. Lorde - Shapeshifter | 241 points

By far my favourite song from "Virgin".

58. The Marías - No One Noticed | 228 points

I hop The Marias come back with new music very soon. "No One Noticed" is slowave at it's best.

61. JADE - Plastic Box | 225 points (peak: #8)

Jade had such a fantastic run in 2025. "Plastic Box" turned out to be my favourite song fom the album.

62. Ethel Cain - Punish | 224 points

Overall, I liked both of Ethel's album from last year very much. Eventhough it did not received the most points (that was f*** my eyes) in my chart, in retrospect this is my favourite song from her two albums. So dark, but still uplifting.

68. Suki Waterhouse - Dream Woman | 215 points (peak: #4)

Nice to see this here. This is a fantastic alternative pop song. The verse's are so good. If the refrain would have been a bit more catchy it might have reached more than #41 in my EOY charts.

75. Lady Gaga - Garden Of Eden | 199 points

"Mayhem" is a good album and "Garden Of Eden" my favourite song from it.

77. sombr - 12 to 12 | 192 points (peak: #12)

Sombr had so many great songs last year. "12 To 12" is the best one of it and reached top 3 in my EOY chart.

90. FKA twigs - Striptease | 166 points

My absolutely favourite FKA Twigs song

Just giving the last section of your recap video a play for the songs I've missed - certainly a lot of synths in there! Londontown sounds pretty catchy so nice to see that crack your Top 5, Nettles is quite different to a lot of the songs up there and that's sounding quite good as well. I don't think I paid too much attention to Headphones On when it was in the chart but it sounds quite nice as well, even if there's clearly a lot of pain in the lyrics.

Thanks as always for taking us through this Jade, gets me listening to songs I wouldn't have otherwise!

On 28/01/2026 at 08:10, DaTilt said:

Very nice EOY charts with loads of gems. These are my favourites from it:

11. Danny L Harle - Starlight (feat. PinkPantheress) | 425 points

This is a very clever arranged dance-track with great vocals from PinkP

14. Chappell Roan - The Subway | 412 points

It did not reach that much points in my EOY-chart, but this one has really stamina and I get never tired listening to it

24. Addison Rae - Times Like These | 342 points (peak: #1, weeks on chart: 12)

Addison had a great run of singles this year. This is my favourite one from yout top 100, but my favourite from the album is "High Fashion".

25. ROSALÍA - Berghain (feat. Björk & Yves Tumor) | 342 points (peak: #1, weeks on chart: 9)

What a great album and "Berghain" is the stand-out song from it for me, eventhough it contains a lot of great songs.

28. Lana Del Rey - Henry, come on | 333 points

This was a great first song from her hopefully upcoming album. Really nice ballad.

37. Zara Larsson - Midnight Sun | 277 points

Excellent single from Zara - now everyone sees the potential of it, but it was strange that it was not a commercial summer hit in 2025

51. Lorde - Shapeshifter | 241 points

By far my favourite song from "Virgin".

58. The Marías - No One Noticed | 228 points

I hop The Marias come back with new music very soon. "No One Noticed" is slowave at it's best.

61. JADE - Plastic Box | 225 points (peak: #8)

Jade had such a fantastic run in 2025. "Plastic Box" turned out to be my favourite song fom the album.

62. Ethel Cain - Punish | 224 points

Overall, I liked both of Ethel's album from last year very much. Eventhough it did not received the most points (that was f*** my eyes) in my chart, in retrospect this is my favourite song from her two albums. So dark, but still uplifting.

68. Suki Waterhouse - Dream Woman | 215 points (peak: #4)

Nice to see this here. This is a fantastic alternative pop song. The verse's are so good. If the refrain would have been a bit more catchy it might have reached more than #41 in my EOY charts.

75. Lady Gaga - Garden Of Eden | 199 points

"Mayhem" is a good album and "Garden Of Eden" my favourite song from it.

77. sombr - 12 to 12 | 192 points (peak: #12)

Sombr had so many great songs last year. "12 To 12" is the best one of it and reached top 3 in my EOY chart.

90. FKA twigs - Striptease | 166 points

My absolutely favourite FKA Twigs song

Why thank you, I'm glad you had plenty to enjoy here <3

I unsurprisingly never get bored of 'The Subway' either and wish it had hung around a bit longer in the official chart!

'High Fashion' is quite an underrated favourite, nice! It did make my weekly chart at least, particularly love that left-field production, doesn't sound a million miles away from something James Blake would do.

I remember seeing 'Midnight Sun' all the time on social media last summer so obviously quite friendly for my algorithm just needed that 'Lush Life' / 'Stateside' momentum in the end to capitalise on, so glad it's properly broken through to the masses now.

Fingers crossed 2026 gives us new music from both Lana and The Marías!

Not sure if the BRITs will be too keen on repeat performers but I'd love to see JADE do 'Plastic Box' on that stage, was great at Glastonbury <3

BuzzJack officially crowning MAYHEM its favourite album of last year in the Awards! I wouldn't quite go that far, but it was still great and 'Garden of Eden' proves that Gaga can still work her magic with a strong pop hook.

Oh yes I noticed sombr really high up in your EOY chart *.* so infectious and I was bound to love Addison in the video too.

thank you for commenting

On 30/01/2026 at 20:15, PeteFromLeeds said:

Just giving the last section of your recap video a play for the songs I've missed - certainly a lot of synths in there! Londontown sounds pretty catchy so nice to see that crack your Top 5, Nettles is quite different to a lot of the songs up there and that's sounding quite good as well. I don't think I paid too much attention to Headphones On when it was in the chart but it sounds quite nice as well, even if there's clearly a lot of pain in the lyrics.

Thanks as always for taking us through this Jade, gets me listening to songs I wouldn't have otherwise!

.

Thank you for taking the time to watch some of the recap! Haha, I may love a good synth. 'Londontown' got vetoed in BJSC this month so I wonder how it would've performed there, very catchy indeed. 'Nettles' does stick out like a sore thumb in that top 10, along with 'The Sofa' too I guess, just undeniably beautiful for me. Glad you're liking the sound of 'Headphones On' as well! That trip-hop influenced production really stood out in the U.K. top 40 for me.

thank you for following along