Songs of the School Year, 2025-2026
[This is part 1 of 2. Numbers 11-17, plus my Infinite Honorable Mentions List, will be in Part 2!]
Introduction
Somehow, we’ve made it to summer. I’ve graduated college, moved off-campus, said goodbye to my students. For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been entertaining myself through the end-of-year stress by shuffling songs around on this list, and now it’s finally time to commit and write this thing.
The real songs of the school year—songs that, though not released this year, became my theme songs of sorts—are “Long Year” by Audrey Nuna and “Nightmare” by Red Velvet. (Which, from the titles alone, probably tells you what I’ve been feeling like recently.) But, following my high-school tradition, my songs of the school year are songs that were released during my school year, between my first day of work and my last, the releases I imagine I’ll remember this year by.
I don’t think this has been a particularly good (school) year for music in general, but it’s been a very good year for my own taste in music. My time in college has seen a major rearranging of my top artists (though Bruce Springsteen and Alba Reche remain first and second) with my introduction to Repion and Saramalacara in my sophomore & junior years, and this expansion of my taste has been really positive for me. Both Repion and Saramalacara released full albums during this school year, so, despite how tired I’ve found myself most of the time, I’ve been as excited about music as ever. I can’t exactly explain it, but I think that overall, I’ve liked more interesting music in more interesting ways this year.
I’ve gotten the best of both worlds—I’ve finally made my peace with fifth-gen kpop (they’ve grown on me, damn it), but I spend just as much time feeding my recent obsessions, Repion and Saramalacara (and her crowd: Taichu and Rojuu, especially). (I just learned, by looking it up, that Rojuu is not actually part of Ripgang, I had just assumed so because of his many collaborations with Saramalacara.) So this list very much reflects my comfort with my faves, post-rearranging, but also all the exploration I’ve been doing (soooo many honorable mentions).
Side note: I discovered Lorde’s “What Was That” literally the day after my school year ended, and I absolutely adore it. I have a giant ramble about it in my journal, and maybe I’ll post all my thoughts at some point—BUT I’ve already rearranged this list enough, and this list is supposed to be for songs that impacted my school year specifically, so sorry, “What Was That,” but we found each other at the wrong time. (If you haven’t heard it, or given the lyrics a full listen, I would highly recommend it, though.)
Okay, let’s go! 17 songs for 17 years in school, all released between August 1, 2025, and May 28, 2026.
1. X -- Repion
I’m quite happy to call this my song of the school year. I really wasn’t sure what would end up here, but I’m glad it’s “X”—an anthem, not something sulky. (I’m lucky that Audrey Nuna’s “Long Year” is old, or it would be the sure #1, and that’s just sad… in fairness, it’s really good, but it’s like making “Hurt” your song of the year.) I mean, “X” is angsty, which kind of comes with the territory with Repion and is, of course, why I like them so much. But it’s like lightning, too, with that shock of beautiful voices in the chorus. It’s ferocious, dynamic, electric blue. And it’s Repion, who just keep impressing me, climbing their way up my favorite artists list, with track after track of stunning harmonies and heart-wrenching choruses.
Admittedly, the Spanish is a bit beyond me on this one. I can understand the individual words, but I can’t say I have much idea of what’s actually going on in this song. Is it about the fear of death, or of disappearing from this world like you were never here? Is it about the impermanence of life and legacy? Is it about being constantly plagued by anxiety? Is it all of those things? But they made the connection with me regardless, reaching something deep inside before I even started piecing together the lyrics with my iffy Spanish. It’s that guitar, it’s that little “hey!” before the last chorus, it’s their voices (the highlight of every Repion song, but “X” is something special even by their standards). I sing along to every word, especially: No te alegras por tu gente / No pensaste en tus amigas / Estás frustrado y se te nota / Eso no es culpa de nadie. I get that part, for sure.
In conclusion: Thank god for Repion. Especially because without them, my song of the year would probably be something soul-crushing like Bruce Springsteen’s “Gun in Every Home” or Dohvva’s “I Did Nothing, But Everyone Left.” Thanks to the Repion ladies, I can be sad in a fun way. Here’s to how many times I’ve played "X" in the car!
2. Plot Twist -- AtHeart
My k-pop song of 2025 was actually "Girl Next Door" by Irene & Seulgi (which is unbeatable), but AtHeart's debut won the second half of the year. Who knew that weird girl music could still be this good in a post-GWSN world?
I remember listening to this for the first time—maybe because someone on YouTube recommended it, but I don’t really remember—and being in awe (negative) of the production. How could someone try so little to make that stupid squeaky laser (?) sound more palatable? How could a song this catchy be so badly blended in its production? Where is the cohesiveness? Where is the effort?
But, obviously, we’re here now. That I guess I might’ve tripped and fell in love got stuck in my head and brought me back for a second listen, and then I found myself coming back again and again and again, until I could finally admit the truth—I love this song.
It’s hyperpop, for sure, but it’s really not as produced-in-two-seconds as it seems on the surface. The vocal production is so beautiful here: layered, nuanced, ethereal. It’s a surprisingly careful song, for how messy it appears at first. It reminds me a bit of “La Posada” by Sebastián Cortés and my beloved Alba Reche, a song which remains one of my favorites of hers, balancing relentless air horn sounds with beautiful harmonies. “La Posada,” believe it or not, is considerably more subtle than “Plot Twist,” but I do appreciate how “Plot Twist” leans into its contrasts, those fairy-like vocals against that heavy bassline. I think AtHeart makes the best use of that signature fifth-gen vocal style, simple and feathery. They sound more consciously restrained than weak and immature, which I very much appreciate.
So, what an accomplishment! "Plot Twist" is as impressive as it is addictive, which isn’t always what you get with nugu girl group anthems. I have high hopes for this group, especially after the release of their LOONA-esque “Butterfly Doors” this spring.
3. Quiero más -- Repion
More Repion! For better or worse, this is the last Repion song on this list, because I just couldn’t find space for the beautiful, haunting “Me sabe a poco” or the classic alt-rock “Otro día será” on here. Let me just say that “Quiero más” is fucking awesome. Compared to “X,” it’s a slower build, not quite so electric, but it works just as well as a vocal showcase—that delicate vocal run before the second chorus is such a beautiful centerpiece. Put this back-to-back with El Mató’s “Medalla de oro” for prime catharsis.
4. Despacio -- Saramalacara
Be ready for more Saramalacara. I told you—Repion and Saramalacara have both solidified their spots in my top 5 favorite artists list in the past few years, and it’s really obvious. (I've been hooked on Sara in particular since Heráldica in 2024.) For "Despacio" in particular, I love how industrial this production gets, capturing that out-of-body feeling—or like a liminal space. I feel the unending gray walls around me, the empty air, the isolation. It really captures the horror of growing up in a drug-fueled haze, of being you but barely knowing anything about yourself. Lyrically, this song isn’t unusually dark for Saramalacara, but the production here is really something special. It's atmospheric, but it functions as the inverse of the digital-wonderland escapism of my favorite Saramalacara songs, of “Darksouls” and “Aura talk” and “Más Feliz.” All the magic is turned horrifying, and apparently, I love it either way.
5. Crescendo -- NMIXX
It really says something about the quality of NMIXX's music that I, petty bitch extraordinaire, keep loving their songs. I, who still hold the bitterness of all the headaches "Dice" caused me when it was all over every k-pop YouTube video and Instagram post, love NMIXX. (I reserve the right to remain bitter about "Dice," though. Vocal production somehow designed to simulate the experience of my brain being stabbed with a fork. Every. Single. Time. I truly believe that song was created just to cause me pain, because no one else seems to get headaches from it the way I do.)
Anyway, last year's Fe3O4: Forward was awesome. "Ocean" and "High Horse" helped me get through my very shitty fall 2025, which I very much appreciate—and then there was "Papillon," a stunning fan-favorite b-side. "Papillon" creates this sense of awe and expansiveness, like looking down from a cliff at an infinite sea, and the vocal layering is beautiful. This year's pre-release "Crescendo" does kind of the same thing, while going more symphonic than hip-hop with it. And "Crescendo" did exactly what "Papillon" did for me, leaving me shocked on first listen (that "oh my god, out of control" messed me UP) and instantly wanting to hear it again, and again, and again.
“Crescendo” is a such a beautiful meeting of production and vocals—it wouldn’t be as dramatic and breathtaking as it is without the much-admired vocalists of NMIXX (especially Lily, whose voice has been adored basically since their debut, if YouTube fandom is anything to go by), but the production accentuates the drama in a way that makes this song so special. All the different pitches of dings and clangs, like a very strange chorus of bells, add momentum and keep it interesting on repeat listens.
So, yep. Wow. NMIXX. I like "IDESERVEIT," too, and "Different Girl" is so interesting, and "Caution" brings the f(x) energy in an absolutely delightful way. I understand I have snubbed the Blue Valentine album here, but if it's any consolation, it will get one honorable mention. What a year for this group! I hope they take a break sometime soon, though, because they've been doing a lot.
6. Romeo Must Die -- Namasenda
Glorious. This is exactly what I wanted from this album, after the pre-releases “Cola” and “Bad Love.” It’s addictive, vulnerable and clever like “Cola,” and it’s incessantly sparkly like “Bad Love.” The buildup here is great—not anything crazy, just a perfect pop song. I’ve spent the whole month singing I’m undecided / since late 2021. It’s my favorite bit of sticky lyricism, which is funny because it’s not even part of the chorus, it’s actually the opening to the second verse. Not that the post-chorus (Oh what’s love got to do with it? / I just say to hell with it) isn’t a really good main hook, too. I love that for all its electronic drama, for all the catharsis of the post-chorus, “Romeo Must Die” is an anthem about not doing anything. It’s this strong declaration about not holding on to something that you were already not very interested in, anyway. It’s about making an inevitable decision, following a transition from indifferent to more confidently indifferent. I’d say the longing here is for romantic relationships in general, or maybe just for freedom from the accumulated stress of a years-long “complicated” relationship. What’s love got to do with it? I kind of hate to say it, but apparently a slightly bitter nothingness anthem, a song about finally accepting what you’ve kind of always known, is exactly what I want right about now. (Wait, that's like exactly what Audrey Nuna's "Long Year" is, too. Well, I'm so glad this stupid year is over.)
7. Good Goodbye -- Hwa Sa
Perfect timing, Hwa Sa! I appreciate getting a song like this during my senior year of college. I listened to this one quite a bit while walking through the university’s campus at sunset, in the month before I moved out. I… don’t even mind that it’s yet another 80’s synth throwback, because “Good Goodbye”’s weirdness really works in its favor. The thing that makes it off-putting at first—that odd transition from percussive guitar verses to spacey synth chorus—saves it from “oh, this again” mediocrity. After just a few listens, I was totally captivated. Hwa Sa’s talent as a vocalist really helps, of course. Her sense of rhythm here, combined with the song’s slight groove, really stands out to me. "Good Goodbye" is classic but not boilerplate, nostalgic but just strange enough, too. Anyway, you should check out her song “LMM,” which similarly feels like an instant classic, like it’s been around forever after just a few listens, or, if you like the growly ballad thing, check out “Bless U.”
8. Señal de Dios -- Saramalacara
I have no idea when my Saramalacara phase will end, but Mataderos really has not been helping. “Señal De Dios,” a pre-release single, came out at the end of September 2025, and then became my second most-listened song of the year in December (behind only ANOTHER Saramalacara song, “sin mirar,” that came out on January 1). I like the shuddering beat; I like the restlessness of cada avión que tomo / siempre me hace pensar en vos; I like her insecurities here—fears of being a copy of herself, or of who she used to be. That rings true for a second album like this one, and I just love stories about discontent. I instantly connect with people who “should” be happy, people who feel like they should be happy, but just can’t seem to actually get to the part where they feel happy. The discontent in this album is strong, and “Señal De Dios” stands out as both especially vulnerable and especially well put-together. Also, the cover of the single is my favorite album cover of the year. (Not the cover of Mataderos, specifically the cover of the single “Señal De Dios.”) It’s hilarious. It’s brilliant. I love it.
9. QQ -- Taichu, Rojuu
I can’t decide if I want to label Hotcore as a mediocre album or not. The beginning is a solid D-, but it really does improve after you get through the first few songs, though it never fully rights itself. I like “IA v5,” and “Los Angeles,” and “Pulso,” and “Garota Fav” (though that one in particular depends on the day). And I really like “QQ.” It’s a tried-and-true Taichu song, heavy house beat with an incessant growl of machinery, and the way it revs up into that chorus? Wonderful. Aespa fans will enjoy this one.
10. Hasta el cielo -- Saramalacara
Well, here’s the last Saramalacara on this list. (Three really isn’t so bad, see? I’m normal!) It’s actually really hard for me to write about Saramalacara, in the way that it can be hard to talk about things that are so close to your heart—why do I like her music so much? I don't know, I just do. Some individual songs stand out more than others, being especially sparkly, or vulnerable, or atmospheric, but really, her music just works for me. We must be on the same wavelength, somehow, and what sounds good to her makes my brain really happy. It’s not easy for me to describe exactly how, or why, because I just get so lost in the feeling.
Um… but… the two-track release of “Esa Hoe” and “Hasta el cielo” was delightful, glitzy and trashy and angry in a way that really comes out in “Hasta el cielo”’s chorus, which I was, in fact, singing all the time throughout the fall. I agree with her choice not to put these on the album, because they work so effectively as a short release, a shot of energy. They also have a sense of (albeit trashy) glamour that wouldn’t have fit on Mataderos, which is a much duller album—not to say that it’s boring (obviously, as I’ve been listening the hell out of it), but it’s purposefully dead-eyed and hopeless, its energy messier, more dissatisfied and restless. “Hasta el cielo” is too distilled, too purposeful. I think this really goes to show what a great year Saramalacara had, in terms of exploring a lot of different ideas and developing her musical identity.
