The New Year Brings New Albums

Recently released singles offer tempting hints of records to come in 2025

- Mr. Richardson

The music year generally lasts from January through November, with December given over to sifting through and ranking albums from the previous 11 months. While it's always fun remembering everything you've heard and determining what resonated most and what you think will last, it's even more exciting to look ahead. Here are nine tracks that came out in late 2024 and will show up on key releases in 2025.

The first three songs are from three very different artists who have been at the cutting edge of pop. Two of these are among the most popular performers in the world, while the third is among the most critically acclaimed. First up is Puerto Rican singer and rapper Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, who issues his sixth album, "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," on Sunday. Bad Bunny became one of the biggest stars in music in this decade, riding a wave of interest in the hip-hop fusion style Latin trap while dabbling in an array of genres from the Caribbean and beyond. "Pitorro de Coco," named for a kind of rum cocktail, is a slow, winding number with gentle synths and syncopated drums that's characteristically colorful and inviting.