The 43rd Best Album of 2025
Man I really probably should have just done a top 50. Ah well it's too late to change now. Looking back at my list it feels like the 40s are mostly made up of big names tbh, though whether they're big online or IRL may differ I'd imagine all of these albums are pretty high on a lot of people's lists. And in some cases, like this one, I had higher expectations than what ended up being delivered. At #43, JID's God Does Love Ugly.
JID is a lyrical mastermind and his 2022 album The Forever Story was really great, one of my favorites of the year. So of course I was looking forward to his new drop this year. But even the singles I felt fell a little flat compared to the quick, cutting verses on the Forever Story. They weren't bad, but after such a compelling release they just seemed to lack the same shine. And that feeling followed the entire album. I should probably listen again to be fair, try harder to look at it not in comparison but as a standalone thing. But the weight of expectations proved too heavy for this album imo, and while it's a worthwhile listen it feels like a step back.