Bartek Music: My TOP 10 of the 2025 Tracks

Who would have thought? Who would have thought that the year-end summary of my fav tunes will arrive so quickly this year. 2025 has been a bit of a blur, to be honest, but the music has been my irreplaceable companion every step of the way. And for that I am forever grateful. Over the course of the year, I have discovered an abundance of amazing songs and amazing Artists. Some of whom I have had the pleasure to interview. Which, frankly, is a gigantic cherry on top. 

Here is my personal, totally subjective summary of the 2025 songs that impressed me the most. As always, my focus was primarily on the tracks that I have actually listened to a lot. So, I hope I will not upset anyone by not having included Taylor Swift’s “Elizabeth Taylor”. It just didn’t make the Top 10 cut. I apologise.

My Top 10 in the reversed order is as follows:

10. Amber Burgoyne “I Wonder”

This beautiful tune with a very simple arrangement has touched my soul as soon as I have heard the first couple of the opening lines. “The sky looks like it’s painted. I wonder who is painting it”. Far from being religious, but it somehow touch my spiritual side and made me think. Good songs tend to do that, don’t they?

09. GIVĒON “RATHER BE”

GIVĒON has an incredible talent in producing vintage soul sounds. Delicate, romantic, touching. That’s how “RATHER BE” sounds. And, without a single blink, I would place this record on the same shelf as Marvin Gaye. I hope that this is a huge opportunity for GIVĒON to go very far with his music, with his lyrics and the way he interprets and performs his songs. 

08. Pouvoir Magique “Give Me Your Power” feat. la Vilaine Gugu

When I first heard Pouvoir Magique’s album, “CYCLES”, I was simply mind-blown. A combination of world music and electronic vibes, somewhere between electronica and phonk. At least, that’s where I would place this hard-to-classify album. Each song here is a surprise, and “Give My Your Power” is a definite highlight.

07. Carisa Dias “Imaginá”

Carisa Dias is an amazing singer, multicultural, multilingual, rooted in Luxembourg. Her sound is a blend of world music with occasional electronic elements, making her approach fresh and quite unique. You can read my interview with Carisa here.

06. Niia “Throw My Head Out The Window”

With the album, simply titled “V”, Niia has outdone herself again. Bold lyrics, jazzy vibes and the extremely emotional load, all make her latest record a very special listen. And “Throw My Head Out The Window” is purely enchanting with its invitation to immerse the mind in this jazz fusion where saxophone competes with the vocals. A friendly competition, of course, and a very cool arrangement. 

05. Jack Garratt “Higher”

Jack Garratt has made us wait 4 years for his new music. But it was definitely worth the wait. “Higher” is my personal highlight from the “Pillars” album. Slightly sentimental but energising and empowering at the same time.

04. Cordless “When I Fall Asleep”

This Irish duo did their trip-hop homework perfectly. Their sound, rooted in the 1990s Bristol Sound, is enriched with the elements of dub. The result is trippy, mysterious and, quite frankly, very addictive. I am waiting for their full album, and I promise to shout about it here as much as I can. They are totally worth it.

03. The Last of the Fallen Angels “Concrete Jungle”

A mysterious project by a mysterious downtempo duo. “Concrete Jungle” comes from their first album, “2 Scorpions” which is a love story about a couple who runs to Berlin to start a new life in the proverbial “concrete jungle”. Cool track – an intriguing fusion of urban beats and stringed instruments. One of those tunes that gets stuck in your head and won’t let go.

02. Celeste “Could Be Machine”

I have been impatiently waiting for Celeste’s new album, “Woman Of Faces”. And when it finally arrived, this song has immediately stolen my heart. It is so different from other Celeste tunes. And I think, the first time around, I listened to it without breathing, trying not to lose any sound. “Could Be Machine” is incredibly dramatic, full of rock-induced energy and Celeste’s amazing, completely unique vocals.

01. Self Esteem “Mother”

I don’t think I have sufficient words to explain my fascination with both Self Esteem, and her album, “A Complicated Woman”, including this track, “Mother”. The lyrics are extremely honest, feministic to the core, and just simply incredible. And the music? A combination of indie electronica and dark house beats. Heavy bass, half-whispered vocals, and a minimalistic approach to the composition. All of it, blended together, has resulted in a song which I could not shake off for a very long time. It got stuck in my head, got me addicted and purely fascinated. Songs like “Mother” don’t come out every year, so I am extremely happy to have discovered it and to have shared it with you all. Song of the year!