Mood Ring Radio: Curating 2025’s Soundtrack of Emotion
Every month, Mood Ring Radio curates a playlist that reflects the mood of the moment—whether it’s the shifting seasons, cultural waves, or the energy of major events.
Co-curated by Tricia Chérie and Reilly Marie, this column bridges generations, mixing the new, the nostalgic, and the unexpected. Unlike algorithm-driven lists, we go beyond trends, pulling from any era to fit the vibe.
Because when it comes to music, feeling is everything.
2025 was defined by emotional whiplash. Genre-hopping between protest rap, hyperpop, house, and indie felt as instinctive as toggling between breaking news and memes. Together, our picks form a sonic record of how 2025 actually felt.
“It’s gold, and it’s glory, after the battle lines. And you’ll love too soon, too soon it’ll be removed.”
Band Promo Photo Shoot Dublin 2021
This hidden gem on Open Wide cries out to those navigating the complexities of emotional cycles. It has never been performed live, yet it nestled its way into my top song spot of 2025, amassing 2,505 listens. I’d call that impressive and possibly even concerning. I can’t pinpoint why this song stands out, especially among tracks like “Your House” and “Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah).” It possesses a looping quality polished by heartbreaking lyricism, clean, groovy beats, and fragile, longing themes. It simply doesn’t get old.♡Reilly Marie
We Hug Now: Sydney Rose
“You’re just thinking it’s a small thing that happened. The world ended when it happened to me.”
“Am I guilty? Am I sorry? Do I miss you at the party?”
Role Model emerged as this year’s most devastating and devotional artist. His album Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye) marks the end of a chapter, documenting the emotional complexities of romantic fallout with podcaster, influencer, and businesswoman Emma Chamberlain. The lyricism grapples with the painful process of moving on, despite the lingering glow of a once-beautiful connection. He captures persistence and misplaced care with aching clarity, accepting that he remains, in a sense, a protector, even if no longer directly hers. ♡Reilly Marie
“Looked at your picture and cried like a baby. Speak up, don’t leave me waiting.”
Gray has never shied away from musical vulnerability. Lyrically, the song reads like an unsent letter, steeped in the exhaustion, passion, and impulsivity of a messy relationship. It unfolds over synthetic pop production, punctuated by intimate details that underscore the story’s weight, including the line “February 4th through the 16th of May.” He captures a communication imbalance between two people, marked by thousands of unsaid words and a violent sense of lingering unease. ♡Reilly Marie
Baby Steps: Olivia Dean
“I’ll be my own pair of safe hands. It’s not the end; it’s the making of.”
Often, we overanalyze life’s most despairing moments, trapping ourselves in cycles of feeling that keep us stuck. Dean’s anthem speaks to those who are terrifyingly afraid of what’s ahead, yet still hopeful that things will fall into place. Through refreshing lyricism and soulful beats, “Baby Steps” offers a blueprint for self-love, hard work, and rebuilding. It radiates hope, a throughline across her catalog, and serves as a security blanket for anyone persevering through adversity. Sometimes, it really is the baby steps that lead to better things. ♡Reilly Marie
“party 4 u” — Charli XCX
“1,000 pink balloons, DJ with your favorite tunes, birthday cake in August but you were born 19th of June”
Written in 2017 and officially released in 2020, “party 4 u” found new life in 2025 when it flooded TikTok once again. First came lip-syncs and dance trends, followed by cinematic heartbreak edits built around its a cappella breakdown.
After Charli XCX performed it for roughly 125,000 people at Coachella, the song became unavoidable. Having somehow missed my playlists for years, it turned into one of my most-played tracks of 2025. A modern Gatsby tale from the it girl’s perspective, it made me grieve younger versions of myself who tried to contort into someone else’s expectations. Mostly, though, it made me cry for no particular reason at all. ♡Tricia Chérie
“End of Summer” — Tame Impala
“I know I can seem uncaring in moments like these/I just hope it’s enough to say my words don’t come with ease”
“End of Summer” marked Tame Impala’s first solo release since 2020 and became a steady undercurrent in my rotation. Its four-on-the-floor pulse feels unmoored from any clear beginning or end. Dusty drums and looping synths stretch across seven minutes like a hazy sunset, slowly catching up to emotions long postponed. It’s introspective house that trades euphoria for clarity, a reminder that time is finite and tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. ♡Tricia Chérie
“Start A Fire” — The Neighborhood Kids ft. Damag3
“Eating the rich ’cause we dying of hunger pains/Swear that we living inside of the hunger games”
My pressure-release valve song of 2025, it sounds like bottled frustration finally finding a way out. “Start a Fire” stomps forward from the first beat, restless and urgent, built to keep you moving when sitting still feels impossible. The vocals favor intensity over polish. Chants stack, bars cut clean, and the energy feels collective rather than competitive. It’s EDM-punk in spirit and protest rap in execution, capturing the moment when anger stops spiraling and starts pushing back. ♡Tricia Chérie
“Where’s My Head At_” — Basement Jaxx & 100 gecs
“Don’t let the walls cave in on you/We can live on, live on without you”
Collage Credit: Tricia Chérie
If 2025 needed a dissociation anthem, this was it. 100 gecs’ rework transforms Basement Jaxx’s rave classic into a relentless loop of dubstep pressure, trap bounce, and hyperpop chaos.
First unleashed as the opener to their Boiler Room set in 2023, it felt less like a remix and more like a nervous system reset. By the time XL Recordings officially released it, the track had already lived a thousand lives online. Loud, disorienting, and oddly comforting, it became my most-played track of the year. ♡Tricia Chérie
“Oh, I love it when it feel like this/Heart made of 7 UP, soda pop fizz”
My absurd, sugar-rush song of 2025, “Smoochie Girl” lives in the tension between being a lover girl and slamming the emotional brakes, all set to hyperpop chaos engineered for peak club delusion. Fast, glossy, and a little unhinged, it turns vulnerability into something you can dance through rather than overthink. Proof that protecting your heart doesn’t mean you can’t still lose your mind on the dance floor. ♡Tricia Chérie
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