Ones To Really Watch In 2025
While we wait to see if Grammys are gonna do right by Beyoncé, here's who, what and where I'm checking for this year.
This January felt about 65 days too long. As the days drudged on, the urgency to drop “2025 Artists/Movies/TV Shows/Creators To Watch” at the top of the month has lost almost all its potency for me. In a year that holds many tests of resolve and endurance, I’ve opted to take my time gathering my lists.
There are some obvious contenders for big breakthroughs this year. Alex Cooper has officially made everyone in the podcasting industry her sons with a $100 million move from Spotify to SiriusXM. The Call Her Daddy host is set to debut a whole slate of shows, including a music channel, in February. In music, Sexyy Red secured her pop crossover in January; “Fat Juicy & Wet” with Bruno Mars. A debut album is definitely on the horizon, raunchy rage-bait included. Also on the road to a lauded debut album is Doechii. The Swamp Princess is up for three Grammy nominations thanks to her mixtape – yes, we’re still doing “mixtapes” … kinda – Alligator Bites Never Heal. No matter what happens at the Grammys on Sunday, all eyes are going to remain on her this year.
But aside from names already bolded and bolstered in pop culture, this list is about gassing up the fringes. After all, I’m a composite of all the DJ sets, think pieces, sample sales, streaming series and speculative fiction I’ve devoured and I’m here to share the wealth. Some of these recs are hyperlocal to New York City, some are just a few screen or keyboard clicks away. While we wait to see if Grammys are gonna do right by Beyoncé, here's who, what and where, big or small, EYEEE forecast will really go this year. Start the clock.
Faces
Ayo Edebiri
After stealing every scene on The Bear for three seasons straight, I’m very intrigued to see Ayo step into her starring role in Opus. Due out in theaters this March. Written by Mark Anthony Green. Produced by A24. Already reminding audiences of the cult of personality that fueled Kanye’s Cody, Wyoming days. Ayo’s delivery of the cynical journalist allergic to celebrity worship will most definitely bless us with memes and tributes to Black women’s intuition and hopefully raise her price!
Qing Madi
Similar to the way some Black American artists get classified as rappers without their consent, the conversation around what is and isn’t Afrobeats rings off as stale and limiting when it comes to covering music from Africa’s youth. Qing Madi’s debut album, I Am The Blueprint, is categorized as Afrobeats on streaming platforms, but one play of the 13-track project proves its a rebellion from genre altogether.
Eem Triplin
The beatmaker-turned-fried-vocal-artist pipeline is booming right now. Ever since heartbreak anguish expressed on 2024’s “Stephanie” I’ve been locked in. Triplin drops his debut album, Melody of a Memory, Feb .17.
Places
Damballa
The cliche is true: The beauty of New York is there’s always something new. And with the hi-fi, listening bar trend going strong all over the city, the owners of Bushwick’s Cafe Erzulie are standing on business with their new bar, named after a Haitian Voodoo Spirit. Erzulie is always a time. Will Damballa be a grown-n-sexy, lounging counterpart to Erzulie or are the dance-off body parties gonna spill over from the first location a.k.a literally, across the street?
The New Museum
A staple of the Bowery’s art world, the New Museum has been closed since early 2024 and people have had thoughts about it. When the museum announced plans for a building expansion and shared mockups of the final form, denizens were not feeling it. Words like “Awkward”... “soulless”... “monstrosity,” were thrown around.
In the midst of a museum boom in New York, the New Museum has always been one of my favs because of its location, AC and curation. I even remember going to some dope DJ sets there back when I was broke and would go to any even with full catering. Now that the space is set to re-open and unveil what $82 million can get, I’m curious to see if the magic remains intact.
Spaces
Hearing Things
With music journalism getting more diluted every day, Hearing Things is doing it differently. The website was launched last year by former Pitchfork writers and is very much giving “music media for the people by the people.”
Unlike the majority of media destinations now, advertising is not the main objective. Hearing Things is subscriber-funded. Readers buying into the experience means the work can be more passion driven than click-baity. So far, they’ve dropped the kind of work that excited and inspired me as a young journo. I’m locked in for where this site grows next.
Book Club Radio
Even if it’s on an acute level, the vast majority of us are fighting social media’s grip. For example, using your phone and infinite scroll as a crutch can (and will) perpetually ruin a night out. The antidote to this in recent years has been the rise of phone-free parties. I’ve been to a few events branded as phone-free or “offline” and nobody is doing it better than Book Club Radio.
Founded by sibling DJs Tinzo + Jojo, the rules of Book Club are pretty simple: Face each other instead of the DJ, don’t have your phone out on the dancefloor, dress on theme. The mixes are weird and euphoric. The themes are specific and outta pocket in the best way possible: Florida Man, Robot Uprising, Y2K Vampires. Over the past two years, it’s grown to be the best IYKYK move New York has to offer and it’s at the tipping point where I’m excited for it to grow but at the same time nervous that the next level could kill the original vibe. Here’s hoping the scales remain balanced.
One more thing:
Thanks for reading this sub_stance post of cultural suggestions! If you want more suggestion-based posts like this, let me know in the comments. If you become a paid subscriber, you’ll get even more exclusive recommendations. I promise to keep cooking as long as you keep reading.