10 Big Things That Happened in Music the Week of October 24, 2025
Could this be a more packed New Music Friday?
It feels like this week, all of our favorite artists decided it was time to drop their biggest releases of the year, with everyone from Demi Lovato to Henry Moodie, Natalie Jane and more releasing unforgettable new albums—and that's just the start of it. If you're not sure where to begin your weekend listening, we're here to nudge you in the right direction. Just keep scrolling to discover the 10 biggest things that happened in music the week of Oct. 24, 2025.
(Photo credit: Jane Dylan Cody)
1. Rose Gray Expands on Her Story So Far With A Little Louder, Please
After releasing her debut album, Louder, Please, at the start of this year, English artist Rose Gray is back with its eagerly anticipated deluxe version, A Little Louder, Please. The new edition of the album more than doubles its original length with brand new songs—including "I Don't Speak French"—plus club remixes of the originals and captivating collabs to expand on Rose's story so far and imbue it with even more of her unique sound aesthetic.
"A Little Louder, Please has been such a joy to make," Rose said in a press release. "It's darker, lighter, clubbier and more delicate in places… the big sister to the LP. Honestly this time last year I had no idea how the album would land: it was such a labor of love, I had so much faith in the music but was feeling pretty let down by the industry. Fast forward a year though, and it's mad—I'm playing shows, connecting with people and everything I dreamed of is actually happening. Thank you to all the icons who were part of this deluxe, and everyone who's gone on this journey with me. Feeling things fall into place in real time is blowing my lil mind."
2. Ash Ruder Goes on the Journey of Young Adulthood in Miss California
Ash Ruder is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter with a lot to say, and she beautifully captures her journey so far, as both human being and an artist, with her debut EP, Miss California. It's a cinematic concept album that tells her story over the course of six sunkissed folk-pop tracks, recounting the push and pull we feel between wanting to grip onto the comfort and familiarity of the past and seeing the full potential of our unwritten futures.
"Miss California started as an inner monologue I couldn't keep to myself," Ash shared in a press release. "A wrestling with the tension of two opposing feelings: grief that I wasn't a child anymore and excitement to finally begin chasing the thing I dreamed of as a little girl. Every song is the embodiment of the real conversations I've had with myself and others along the way—what if I fail? what if I regret leaving? but what if I find myself?"
3. Delaney Bailey Reflects on Growing Older and Wiser in 'Far Away'
Artist Delaney Bailey is closing out this year and starting the new one with a bang. Next month, she's also headed out on her first-ever headlining tour across the Midwest, and her new album, Concave, is set to drop on Jan. 21 of next year. We got out first peeks at what's to come with songs "Lion" and "Wake Up," but our favorite so far has to be the new single, "Far Away." It's a moody yet upbeat indie-pop reflection on wisdom and how the more you grow, the more you realize just how much there is still to learn and discover.
"'Far Away' is about getting older and realizing that I know much less than I thought I did," Delaney explained in a press release. "When I was younger, I thought that the experiences I had and the things I went through taught me enough about the world. I had learned enough about myself, I had learned enough about the way I interact with the world and my opinions on certain things. As I grow older, I've become much less convinced that I know anything at all. Although this can be scary, I tend to view my lack of knowing in a positive light. It's nice to remind myself that there is so much left to experience. Meeting myself over and over again has become less painful as life goes on. I can't tell if that's because I like myself more the more I learn, or if it's because I've gotten better at handling change. Probably both. That's the good thing about your 20s, I think; change is the only consistent thing, so you learn to get used to it."
4. MR. FANTASY Wants You to Get Lost in the Music With 'Wayuwanna'
Is that KJ Apa? Viral artist MR. FANTASY has seemingly appeared out of nowhere and instantly enchanted listeners with his infectiously funky vibes. He just dropped his second single, "Wayuwanna," a disco-fueled dance pop that's all about letting loose and losing yourself in the energy of the music, with a dash of love and lust tossed in for good measure.
"The moment has finally come," MR. FANTASY shared in an Instagram post. "I love you all. Words simply cannot explain. I am obsessed with you all to a very, very concerning degree. I am also obsessed with this music video. Everyone give a round of applause to John, who has come such a long way… he did a wonderful job on this video. 'Wayuwanna' is all about moving your body. It is about the way you want to feel me tonight."
5. EJAE Bares Her Soul With Debut Lead Single, 'In Another World'
There's no denying that 2025 has been an absolutely unforgettable year for Korean American singer-songwriter EJAE. After nearly a decade as a trainee in the K-pop world failed to lead to a debut, she instead turned her talents to songwriting, and though she's had a number of hits since writing for other artist, her work writing most of the songs for the hit movie KPop Demon Hunters—and providing the singing vocals for the lead, Rumi—instantly put her on the map as one of the most sought-after stars in the industry. Today, she released her debut solo single, "In Another World," an emotional ballad that feels like a conversation between EJAE and her past self, which feels tailor-made to make us weep.
"The past few months have been a crazy ride… I mean I was just on SNL!" EJAE wrote in a post on Instagram. "I'm so humbled and grateful for the love I've received as a songwriter and the singing voice of Rumi from KPop Demon Hunters. Getting so much exposure so quickly has been strange, exciting, and truthfully a little scary. People keep referring to me as an 'artist' or a 'star'— which is everything 11 year old EJAE dreamed of, but over the years, I became comfortable behind the scenes and I didn't think I was meant to be an artist.
Recently though, I realized I don't need to box myself into being the traditional view of an artist. To me, an artist is someone who uses their art to express themselves, and songwriting is my art. For years, writing has been my therapy, my way of coping, celebrating, making sense of the noise in my head. Along the way, I wrote some songs that never found the right home. I've decided I want my artist project to give life to those songs, so people can laugh, dance, or cry with me and the amazing collaborators who helped create them.
There's one song that feels like the perfect place to start. Writing this song helped me through a hard time, and I hope that sharing it can help others too."
6. Matt Hansen Sets His Eyes on the Future in 'Don't Look Back'
Singer-songwriter Matt Hansen is an independent artist with over a billion streams under his belt, and after releasing a string of viral hits, we think he has another instant classic at hand with the new single, "Don't Look Back." It's a shimmering, feel-good pop track about embracing new love and embracing what might lie in your future together, rather than clinging to the past. With its jangly guitar melody and Matt's resonant vocals, we already can't get it out of our heads.
"'Don't Look Back' is a nod of encouragement," Matt revealed in a press release. "It is all the things you want to say to your partner when you're falling in love. The 'let's do this, be my person' talk in song form. It's also a reminder to myself to keep leaning in and be accountable in all those same ways."
7. Natalie Jane Steps Into a World of Her Own Choosing With the world I didn't want
Natalie Jane is so much more than just a TikTok artist, and she's establishing herself as a serious pop artist with the release of her sophomore album, the world i didn't want. The new album traces Natalie's own path through young adulthood, starting in her hometown of New Jersey and the courage it took to leave that world behind and follow her musical dreams to L.A. Its 13 songs are infused with entrancing '90s dance sounds and propelled by Natalie's rich vocals as she gets more vulnerable than ever to share her true story.
"I've never made an album before. I've only made songs," Natalie explained in a press release. "This is the first time in my life I looked at a body of work as a whole and thought of every detail and direction it can go. I'm so beyond proud of this project. I explored emotions and topics I had felt too vulnerable to talk about in the past. I also started exploring a new sound that I really resonate with. This album is for the fans and I have never felt more excited to share music with them."
8. Henry Moodie Takes Us Through All the Moods of Growing Up With mood swings
English viral pop artist Henry Moodie has made a name for himself with emotionally evocative and relatable tracks, and he's at the top of his game with the release of his debut album, mood swings. Over 14 songs, the album is an exploration of figuring yourself out as you move into your 20s. It's a journey of self-discovery, reflecting on the childhood that shaped you and working through the insecurities that continue to guide the emotions that impact your life every day.
"mood swings was the perfect title for this album," Henry shared in an interview with Sweety High. "My late teens/early 20s have felt so chaotic for me, and the album is a culmination of all of the songs I wrote about those different experiences. When I was sat figuring out the title for the album, I remember my dad suggested 'mood swings' and it made so much sense to me. It ties so neatly into my surname 'Moodie,' and it suddenly meant all of these different emotions could fit under one umbrella. The title track was the last song I wrote for the album. I felt like I needed to introduce myself and lay the groundwork for who I am before we got into the different stories on the album. After I wrote that song, I knew the album was finished. 14 different stories. 14 different moods. I hope there's a song on here for everyone."
9. Giulia Be Opens Herself Up to Love With 'fool for love'
Brazilian pop singer-songwriter Guilia Be is an equally capable artist whether she's singing in English, Portuguese and Spanish, and we can't wait to see her talents culminate on her upcoming trilingual self-titled project, GUILIA BE. She just gave audiences a first taste with the release of "fool for love," an English-language, disco-infused track about allowing yourself to give in to all of the madness of love, even when it's not logical. It's buoyant and danceable, complete with a fanciful music video featuring a pajama party with an inexplicable end.
"I wanted to start this new chapter with a song that feels fun, light and made for dancing," Guilia shared in a press release. "'fool for love' brings back my original pop side—the same one from 'Too Bad'—and it speaks to my philosophy on love: not being afraid to look a little foolish, because loving is always worth it. It opens the series of English songs in the project, and to me, it was the perfect way to begin, especially because I fell in love with the choreography and all the energy it carries."
10. Demi Lovato Lets Loose With 9th Album It's Not That Deep
Over the years, pop superstar Demi Lovato has reinvented herself again and again, showing fans that she can do anything. After leaning into hard rock sounds on her most recent albums, she's stepped fully back into the world of glistening dance-pop with her ninth album, It's Not That Deep. Consisting of 11 tracks, including hits "Fast," "Here All Night" and "Kiss," it leans fun, high-energy tracks designed to get you on your feet.
"This album represents an exciting chapter for me which has been filled with joy, freedom and lightness," Demi shared in a press release. "Creating this album was the most fun I've ever had in the studio. Zhone is an incredible collaborator and it was so effortless working together to create a genuinely fun, celebratory album that is true to where I am now … It's Not That Deep is about letting go of inhibitions and bringing out the carefree energy that lives in all of us and makes us want to dance all night long. I'm so excited for you all to finally dance with me."
Missed our favorite tracks last week? Click HERE to check out our top 10 favorite releases for the week of Oct. 17, 2025.