Songs are history. They ground us in a time and place. And that could be felt acutely in 2025.

So let’s celebrate some great art and some banging jams from the past year.

“Anxiety,” Doechii

How’s this for a couple of 2025 bars? “Court order from Florider/What’s in that clear blue water?/No limits, no borders/What’s in that new world order?” It’s just one choice rhyme in Doechii’s (theme) song of the year. Using a “Somebody That I Used to Know” sample as the backbone, breakout hip hop star Doechii’s song recalls 2019 (an anxious age with parallels to our own). But her tune has an infectious hook, social message, cool-but-tough club thump, and zeitgeist vibes galore.

“Audacious,” Franz Ferdinand

Let’s swing from anxiety to audacity. When you feel the year, the world, the universe, “the fabric of existence come unspun,” as band leader Alex Kapranos sings in this track, he advises you, “Don’t stop feeling audacious, there’s no one to save us, so just carry on.” As per the usual, the Scottish band triangulates art rock, punk, and disco for a think-while-you-dance track. This time around the thinking is deeper, the dancing is more furious, punk energy comes with a shout-along chorus, and the hook is every bit as righteous as “I Will Survive.”

“Ridin’,” Cuco

Gen Z’s Marvin Gaye is a 27-year-old skater from Southern California. Cuco is a rising soul star who mixes the genre with  dreamy synths, hip hop touches, and a dash of psychedelic Tropicália. All of the “Ridin” LP is excellent and, not surprisingly, the title track is a great place to start. The slow jam feels like Motown filtered through trip hop and bedroom pop. And it’s a great feeling.

“Lonesome Drifter,” Charlie Crockett

On this chugging, twangy-filled tune, great American troubadour Charlie Crockett sings, “Lean on me brother, ’cause I understand/You got that nine-pound hammer, swingin’ in your hand.” Crockett knows the power, pain, and tragedy of folk hero John Henry. Crockett knows what it’s like to swing relentlessly against the horrors of modernity. So much meaning in his work. So often overlooked because the singer-songwriter is a first rate country outlaw — every bit as talented as Johnny, Dolly, or Willie — with tunes so tight you forget to consider what they are about.

“Straight Line Was a Lie,” The Beths

The Beths filled album “Straight Line Was a Lie” with so many curves. Those twists and turns are welcome. But it’s nice to have one direct path back to the sound that made millions fall in love with the New Zealanders a few years ago. The title track has a familiar punky, power poppy, indie rocky approach with harmonies, big guitar, and hooks on hooks on hooks.

The Beths (Photo Frances Carter)