Looking back at 2025 and thinking about things that stood out to me, in no particular order:
VISUAL LIT LIST
The series I had the lowest hopes for that ended up being so good that I ended up watching it front to back 3 times: Alien Earth. I was skeptical. I thought for sure, if they can’t get the franchise right after multiple bajillion dollar attempts (Aliens was the last watchable one, ok, we can go so far as Alien 3) that a series would just be so unwatchable that they could potentially even ruin the first and second one. But I was wrong and I couldn’t be happier about being wrong about anything in my life ever. Don’t get me wrong, it’s overly gross in parts, but there is a really cool subtext about AI, humanity, will, soul, and spirit that asks a lot of intriguing questions if you’re interested, and if not… it’s hella cool to look at either way and the acting/production is top. I love that there is an analog quality to it and it references Alien and Aliens in a subtle and satisfying way.
The series I had the highest hopes for and it actually delivered higher than my highest hopes: Andor 2. I mean this show rocked my casbah. What would you fight for and how hard would you press? I didn’t think it was possible to top Luthen Rael’s monologue about sacrifice in season 1 and I was wrong… multiple times. There are so many good moments in season 2 that I don’t want to spoil with links. Just trust me. Check it out from season 1 if you can.
Movie I stumbled upon that rocked my world upside down and around and haunts me daily: Weapons! Oof, I can only describe this in onomatopoeia. Brrr. Ch-ch-ch. Scritch. Pluhff. Ugh. Gerk. Ñañaras to the max! Never sleep again. Yikes. Yowsah. HALP!
AUDIO LIT LIST
Best new album I would’ve never in a million years found if it wasn’t thanks to a homie: Sgt Papers. Two brothers from Sinaloa Mexico. Not sure what to say about this other than, check it out!
Best new album for anyone who doesn’t like posthumous releases and they are sad because they mourn that their favorite artist is dead and can never put out another album, but one of their best albums gets remixed by the person they originally collabbed with and it works because the producer is dope: Madvillain: Madvillainy 2 - The Madlib Remix
New discovery of a band I thought I’d never listen to but someone gave me the vinyl and it’s hella dope to my happiness: $uicideboy$, I Want To Die in New Orleans
180, 72, and 360 degree bitch slap of the year: Just when I thought punk was dead, the Lambrini Girls came along and kicked me in the guts… and I liked it :D
Best new album from someone who’s put out a million albums and every time I think, ‘ok this is the one that is gonna let us all down’ but instead they just keep turning it up: Atmosphere, Jestures AND the vinyl has a die cut record sleeve which is really cool like that Rolling Stones album, Through the Past Darkly. Slug’s storytelling and wordplay just gets better and better, I srsly don’t even know how that’s humanly possible but he defies all logic. Ant’s beats are just as thick and rich and mind bending as you could ever want or hope for. Always cutting deep with words and rhyme but dam, straight up, this shit makes me happy.
Best new single that I discovered randomly listening to internet radio and I couldn't stop singing it and had to find it because it's the perfect modern dancehall track and I challenge you to listen to it without shaking your hips, it's impossible not to move when you hear it: “Shake It To The Max” by Ghanaian-American artist Moliy. Produced by Jamaican Silent Addy, and Miami’s Disco Neiladv. This track drips and drops, just like any good dancehall track should do!
Best new DJ discovery that randomly happened somehow even though I wasn’t looking for a DJ and I really can’t even remember how I found her. The Large. Seriously, she is a proper selectah. And she loves a good sound system. I really can’t think of anyone that could even go up against her in a soundclash. She would annihilate them. Here’s her NTS radio shows and she has a substack too that I like alot and discover new things all the time!
Best Live Show I saw this year but I had to pay too much money for it because they were the opener for someone big that I don't even like and we left right after they played and I was mad because it was so expensive but they were so good that I got unmad about it: MSPaint
(Dis)honorable mention: It was at a crappy venue too, but parking was easy.
SPORTS LIT LIST
My once favorite, Premier League player that I liked a lot, but I don’t know anymore because he made the biggest boner move in the universe this season even though it led to the awesomest goal of the season by Harry Wilson (Fulham) but that kinda pissed me off even more because, dude… wtf: Guglielmo Vicario - Tottenham Hot Spurs. Seriously dude, stay in the box! Your forte is not passing! Launch that shit out of there and stick to your post!
(Dis)honorable mentions: Destiny Udogie but he gets a lifetime immunity pass no matter how many mistakes me makes because he has the best name ever which should be an award in itself
Premier League player that I couldn’t stand, but now I like him because, well… fans are fickle and I reserve the right to turn on my heels that’s part of the deal lol: Murillo from Nottingham Forest, he’s solid and built like a brick shithouse and even though his team is sucking this season he’s still holding the line. Somehow he’s able to be in the right place at the right time and I don’t understand how he’s able to move that fast in those loose ass gangsta shorts.
(Dis)honorable mention goes to Darwin Núñez from Liverpool since he was part of Liverpool at the beginning of the year before he went to Saudi Arabia, so I can’t watch him anymore b/c I only watch Premier League, it’s as much as I can invest my time in otherwise I’d never leave the house. At the beginning of last season, he was my least favorite because I couldn’t decide if he was a brilliant player capable of terrible mistakes or a terrible player capable of brilliant mistakes. But then I thought, no this guy is a chaos maker and I like chaos a lot. Plus he looks like the V for Vendetta guy.
READING LIT LIST
Most interesting article I read this year about the mountains of Chile and a cocaine fueled supermodel 70s snowmageddon survival story… in furs
The epic, never-before-told story behind possibly the greatest fashion emergency in history and a daring, near-deadly escape.
Here’s the blog where I first read about it, special bonus… GIANT MODELS! https://ironicsans.ghost.io/the-supermodel-snowpocalypse-was-insane/?ref=ironic-sans-newsletter
SHOPPING LIT LIST
Best discovery that I like a lot, but I'm suspicious because it seems too good to be true and I won’t be surprised if I learn in the future that they are funded by a supervillain that lives in a golden volcano: Organic cotton towels from Quince. There I admitted it. Please don't crucify me, they are really fluffy.
New brand I discovered that I thought I was going to hate, but I actually don’t and I’m embarrassed to even add it to this list that’s what I’m saving it for the end, but I’m doing it anyways because some of the stuff they’ve released this year is so absurd that it’s got to be a joke and I like funny things: Skims, they’ve done some decent collabs this year. What really sent me tho is these panties that have fake fur in the front, like a yeti. It comes in different colors and textures and sold out in seconds which I think is hilarious!
That’s it. Looking forward to more random shit in 2026, send me your recos!
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