10 Big Things That Happened in Music the Week of January 10, 2025
There are so many exciting things on the horizon in 2025, but we truly haven't had to wait a minute for our favorite artists to wow us with their new music releases and kick off the year in style.
The last seven days were extra eventful, featuring everything from a vibey new Wallows track and dreamy collab between Julia Michaels and Maren Morris to WOOSUN's latest remix and so much more. Can't wait to dive in? Just keep scrolling to discover the 10 biggest things that happened in music the week of Jan. 10, 2025.
(Photo credit: Cloudy Thoughts)
1. Lutalo Examines a Situationship in 'I Figured'
After releasing their debut album, The Academy, in September of last year, singer-songwriter Lutalo is back with a moody new single, "I Figured." With fuzzy, almost dreamlike instrumentation and deeply rich vocals, the song reflects on the perils of a relationship going nowhere, with both parties clinging to the idea of staying together, despite evidence to the contrary. "'I Figured' is about a 'situationship' that likely should not be, yet still find themselves coming back to each other," Lutalo explained in a press release. "There is a bit of resentment and tension between both people, but when it comes to turning each other down they still end up falling for each other. Maybe it's love, maybe it's lust. Even going as far as seeing 'two 11' as a sign they should continue on this path."
2. zzzahara Faces Indecision on New Album Spiral Your Way Out
Singer-songwriter zzzahara's new album, Spiral Your Way Out is a unique project, managing to sonically capture the back and forth nature of indecision over its 10 hazy bedroom-pop tracks. It's sometimes effervescent, sometimes gloomy, as they find her own identity again in the wake of a relationship that forced them to mask their true self. "I decided to just let myself go," zzzahara said in a press release. "I think I finally came to this acceptance that I don't have to be perfect. I want to be a good role model to my fans and stuff like that, but I also don't want to hide who I am."
3. The War and Treaty Share What Love's All About With 'Save Me'
Husband-and-wide country duo The War and Treaty have left quite the impression on listeners everywhere, fusing sweet soul and country sounds to redefine a genre. their eagerly anticipated fifth album, Plus One, is set to release on Valentine's Day, and we just got another taste with their new single, "Save Me." The duet is a part-R&B, part-country ballad about true love, forgoing heaven and preferring to stay lost if they can't be together forever. The two will also be taking their new album on tour across North America starting in March, and this is one we cannot wait to hear live.
4. Aloe Blacc Calls for Togetherness With 'One Good Thing'
Aloe Blacc has been one of our favorite vocalists ever since we first heard his work collaborating with Avicii. With his next album, Stand Together, set to release on Feb. 28, he just shared his latest single, "One Good Thing." The entire project is built around the idea of togetherness and community, and "One Good Thing" couldn't be a stronger distillation of that message. It's an anthem for empathy, understanding and the importance of reaching out and building relationships with others, rather than becoming further divided. "This song is about the power of perspective—seeing the good in others and using that to create meaningful change," Aloe revealed in a press release. "It's a reflection of what we can achieve when we focus on empathy and connection, even in challenging times."
5. Evan Honer and Michal Leah Tell a Story of Love and Distance on 'Waiting Ain't Easy'
If you've ever been in a long-distance relationship, you already know all about the highs and lows one can bring, and we've never seen those emotions captured as succinctly and beautifully as on Evan Honer and Michael Leah's new collab, "Waiting Ain't Easy." The folksy track tells its story from two perspectives—him on the road for work, and her waiting for him at home—with both professing their love and dedication, counting down the minutes until they can be together yet again. "Michal has one of the best voices I've heard in person," Evan explained in a press release. "Been a big fan of her stuff for a while now. This song that we wrote and recorded together in my studio means so much to me. I've been in a long distance relationship for almost a year and it's a very real representation of how I've felt the last year. It's very simple production but I love it so much and I hope people like it."
6. Moonchild Sanelly Shares a Piece of Herself With Debut Album, Full Moon
South African artist and dancer Moonchild Sanelly should be on everyone's radar in 2025, particularly with the release of her unmissable debut album, Full Moon. With its 12 striking tracks, this album is designed to give listeners a look at the full picture of Moonchild's experiences thus far. The story unfurls through her arresting vocals and a genre-defying sound that combines Afro-funk sounds with Kwaito elements, hip-hop and pop. "My album Full Moon is a culmination of everything that I needed to experience to get to this point, every emotion I had to feel, everything I went through…" Moonchild wrote in a post on Instagram. "This project has it all, from beginning to end. The fights, the sadness, the getting back up, the letting go, the forgiveness, the acceptance. There's a sense of mental and spiritual togetherness that comes with forgiveness and it makes you whole. So here I am, a Full Moon."
7. Actor and Musician Ben Barnes Drops Debut Album, Where the Light Gets In
As longtime fans of Ben Barnes as an actor, we've loved discovering he's also a talented musical artist, and his prowess as both a singer and songwriter has never been more apparent than with the release of his debut album Where the Light Gets In. The album is soul-pop at its best, consisting of a dozen theatrical, heartfelt tracks taking us through the roller coaster of emotions that is love. "I was thinking about the theme of us all being the sum of our experience," Ben shared in an interview with Sweety High. "It seems to eke its way into my songs no matter what I set out to write about. My friend had told me about a word in his language that meant 'good luck coming in through scratches or imperfections' and then when we wrote the song 'Where The Light Gets In' with the Maroon 5 lads, I knew it had to be the title."
Also read about: Ben Barnes Reveals the Meaning Behind His Soulful Debut Album, Where the Light Gets In
8. WOOSUNG Continues the Story of 4444 With Woosung 4444 Remix Project — 4444: Reborn
WOOSUNG may be best known for his work with Korean rock band The Rose, but he's proven himself as a powerful soloist as well with solo albums Genre and 4444. This week, the story of 4444 got even bigger with Woosung 4444 Remix Project — 4444: Reborn, revisiting some of the album's most beloved tracks and rebuilding them into something wholly new with the help of talented producers from all over the globe. Its eight tracks show the versatility of WOOSUNG's performances with an electric variety of electronic approaches, courtesy of remixes by Raiden, Lame Impala, Mathame, IÖN, KC Lights, AJ and Radio garçon. "The electronic music scene has always been a huge inspiration for me," Woosung shared in a press release. "4444: Reborn isn't just a celebration of my album but a reflection of the incredible artists and styles that shape the genre today. It's been amazing to see how each collaborator has brought their own vision to my music."
9. Julia Michaels and Maren Morris Join Forces for 'Scissors'
Julia Michaels and Maren Morris first proved themselves as the ultimate powerhouse musical duo on "cut!" last year, and they're back at it again in 2025, bringing their individual sass and energy to "Scissors" to make it an instant earworm. The R&B-tinged pop track is all about cutting off awful exes and other stupid boys, instead celebrating singlehood and the freedom of letting go of toxic people. "So proud of this video and getting to create this song with some truly incredible people," Julia wrote in a post on Instagram. "@marenmorris, I am so in awe of you, your voice, your talent, the woman you are. What an honor it is that I get to sing with you AGAIN. I hope you like this video as much as we enjoyed making it and that it captures a little of the magic and beauty that is Altadena foothills ❤️"
Also read about: Everything You Wanted to Know About Grammy-Nominated Singer-Songwriter Julia Michaels
10. Wallows Stun With 'Your New Favorite Song'
Alt-rock trio Wallows is starting 2025 with style, dropping their irresistible new single "Your New Favorite Song." The track creates a dreamy, hazy mood with delicate instrumentation and hushed vocals as singer Dylan Minette weaves a story about writing a special song for someone who might never hear it. And they're right—this is certainly a new favorite for us. The guys also just announced more dates for their Model & More 2025 tour, which kicks of on Feb. 6 in Omaha, Nebraska before heading all across North America and finally to the U.K.
Missed our favorite tracks last week? Click HERE to check out our top 10 favorite releases for the week of Jan. 3, 2025.