There’s been so many great music releases this year, but we here at World Cafe wouldn’t dare try and rank them from best to … least best? Instead, we’re sharing some musical moments that brought us a bit of joy in 2025.
Some of these are personal, like the live shows that blew us away. Others are cultural, like our favorite memes or the music headlines that caught our eye.
Kendrick Lamar takes a victory lap at Super Bowl LIX
A great performance made even better because it was followed by a victory for my beloved Philadelphia Eagles. I probably played “Not Like Us” about 4 billion times in the weeks following that game, and I felt the thrill of that win every single time. To really put that into perspective: I’m from Toronto, which Kendrick literally makes fun of in the track. Doesn’t matter, it ruled. Go Birds. — Raina Douris, host
The Spotify exodus gains steam
I gave up on Spotify earlier this year around the same time a wave of high-profile artist departed from the platform, including Deerhoof and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. Guess what? I could still find and buy their music. (Thanks Bandcamp!) In a late-stage capitalist world where everything seems to funnel you into fewer choices, it’s reassuring to see artists reject the system that for all accounts treats them terribly.
Not every artist can make that call, especially those just getting started. For those that can and did, I salute you. — Stephen Kallao, contributing host
Keke Palmer codifies Wicked‘s status as a camp classic
The two-part Wicked film adaptation would not have been half of the cultural moment that it was without its, um, robust press tour.
We held space for the lyrics of “Defying Gravity.” Cynthia Erivo tapped her head. Ariana Grande cried, many times. But when Keke Palmer took the stage at the BET Awards to accept the award for entertainer of the year, it felt like Wicked broke containment. In that moment, for me personally, Palmer’s take on the iconic vocal run at the end of Elphaba’s signature song became the de facto version. — Miguel Perez, producer
Neko Case opens up in her memoir, The Harder I Fight the More I Love You
I’ve always really loved Neko Case as a songwriter and singer. Reading about her childhood and early days in the music industry, my jaw dropped more than once. I had a few tears from both sadness and laughter, and I came to the end of the book with a deeper sense of admiration for her as both a musician and as a person. — Kimberly Junod, senior producer
Limp Bizkit serves up a double dose of “Break Stuff”
Limp Bizkit was one of my first favorite bands when I was a kid, and getting to scream along with a huge crowd was something I never thought I’d get to do. They performed one of their most enduring hits not once, but twice, when they opened for Metallica in the pouring rain at Philly’s Lincoln Financial Field.
Here’s how it went down. Limp Bizkit’s set started during a huge rainstorm. They played “Break Stuff.” It was awesome. Then the rain calmed down and a bunch of people came back to their seats. To close out their set, they played “Break Stuff” again, and it was even more awesome. — Raina Douris, host
Finneas creates Apple TV‘s new audio logo
I’ll admit that I miss the original sound, which served as a nod to Macs booting up for decades, but I liked what Finneas did with it, even if the musical phrase doesn’t exactly resolve itself.
Soundscapes are musical ideas made by people who often go unrecognized, but the sounds end up becoming part of our lives. What I really liked about this audio logo is that Apple gave Finneas credit. Sure, he’s a big name, and that’s probably why they asked him, but it’s still an acknowledgment. Now, if I could only find out who made the new ringtones? They’re bangers. — Stephen Kallao, contributing host
Model/Actriz electrifies a tiny venue in Philadelphia
Like a nightclub in the second circle of Hell, the Brooklyn-based band’s live show at Johnny Brenda’s in Philly was sweat-drenched, euphoric, surreal and menacingly queer. Frontman Cole Haden’s charisma is off the charts, and the band is capable of pouring more showmanship into a 250-cap room with little more than a tube of lipstick and a long mic cord than some arena-level artists can deliver on their best days. Let us pray that they headline another tour soon. — Miguel Perez, producer
Pulp‘s Jarvis Cocker is on the line
I’m really lucky. I’ve worked on World Cafe for almost 25 years now, and I’ve loved Pulp for even longer. I rarely get super starstruck, but when Jarvis Cocker called me directly on my cell phone to troubleshoot some tech issues on a remote interview, I almost lost my mind. I proceeded to tell anyone who would listen, which now also includes you. — Kimberly Junod, senior producer
“Weird Al” Yankovic made us cry
Seeing “Weird Al” Yankovic live in concert for the first time in my life, I’ve never felt such unadulterated joy at a show. For two straight hours, I was either laughing out loud or crying happy tears. The costumes! The showmanship! The songs that I have memorized word for word! Maybe the best show of my life. — Raina Douris, host
Hannah Cohen’s harmonies on “Draggin’ ” whisked us away
This is my favorite song of the year, but there’s a point where it’s simply euphoric. All of a sudden, I feel like I’m in a Kenny Loggins song about the energy vampires in our life. That “such a drag” refrain just kills me. — Stephen Kallao, contributing host
Tempesta di Mare spotlights the female musicians of baroque Venice
Did you know that it was once considered obscene for women to play instruments in public? In 18th century Venice, orphaned girls were trained to become musical virtuosos, and they’d perform to big crowds completely obscured from view.
That’s why Tempesta di Mare, Philadelphia’s baroque ensemble, performed behind a sheer screen wall during one of my favorite live concerts of the year. “Hidden Virtuosas” paid tribute to these female musicians, and it blew me away. The cherry on top? The voices of Girard College’s student choir filling the halls of the cathedral. — Miguel Perez, producer
Lagartijeando mixes electronic and folkloric traditions in “Guinea Congo”
This is a rad song I stumbled across during some weekend listening. There seems to be almost zero press about the Argentine musician’s latest project, 7 Caminos. Though, frontman Mati Zundel did receive a bit of love from NPR back in 2012. If you like this, you should also check out “Cholula.” — Kimberly Junod, senior producer
“I’ll take some of that curry goat, rice and peas”
What happens when an EDM producer adds a soundtrack to a comedian who’s increasingly fired up about ordering curry goat with rice and peas? Pure magic. Dom Solesky and Quix ended up creating one of the great memes of the 2020s, and I’ve watched it hundreds of times at this point. — Stephen Kallao, contributing host