Best Australian Songs of 2025 So Far

My poor blog – it’s been sitting gathering dust all year while I give all my attention to other things. She must feel so abandoned. But I’m here to take her out for ice cream, and try in vain to make it up.

There has, as always, been a fantastic array of Australian music this year so far, and this post is a quick run through a bunch of my favourite songs from the first half of 2025. It’s a mix of great new talent and old faves, and there’s plenty that I couldn’t squeeze in here. Let’s dive in.

10. 'Maybe I'm Just A Freak' by The Rions

It feels weird to say The Rions have matured – they already felt pretty damn mature when they won Triple J’s Unearthed High competition back in 2021. But this is yet another step up, a band that sounds incredibly self-assured, even as they croon about feeling insecure and lost.

9. ‘Cathode Ray’ by Folk Bitch Trio

Atmospheric, moody, and downright haunting, Folk Bitch Trio’s stunning vocal and depth of lyricism craft a transcendent experience akin to an acoustic Portishead. Will send shivers down your spine and spiritual tendrils into your soul.

8. 'Catalonia Dreams' by The Terrys

An ode to adventures and misadventures overseas for the reformed Contiki miscreant (yours truly included) – Gerringong boys The Terrys come through with a tune that’s infectious, nostalgic and big-hearted. Packed with their usual larrikinism, but also bizarrely, unexpectedly gorgeous.

7. 'PEACEKEEPER' by Baker Boy

After a few lean years for one of Australia’s most exciting MCs, ‘PEACEKEEPER’ is the most exhilarating Baker Boy has sounded in yonks. It’s a return to the rapid fire, intricate rhymes, the funky as heck beats, the unique use of cultural language and music, and Baker’s Boy signature magic.

6. 'Disco Cowgirl' by G Flip

G Flip really doesn’t miss. In less than a decade, they have established themselves as Australia’s single biggest musical star. ‘Disco Cowgirl’ is a shift away from the rockier Drummer towards retro, synth-led disco pop, but it’s another home run (and is not, as the title might suggest, in the vein of the awful country pop that briefly engulfed the charts). Your newest road trip staple.   

5. 'Bad Dreams' by Fool Nelson

Fool Nelson are primed for the breakout I thought was coming after last year’s ‘Level’. Propulsive guitars, howling vocals and rumbling drums, they’re a swirl of vivid colour wrapped in a surf rock skin. In the vein of Old Mervs and Beddy Rays, but with their own undeniable velocity and charm.

4. ‘Yougotmefeeling’ by Parcels

Pure, unadulterated good vibes. This is an inescapable electropop hit that you’ll never want to escape, like a labyrinth on a tropical island. It’s bright and bubbly and beautiful – the sadness of the lyrics is overwhelmed by its sheer boppiness. Toxic positivity never sounded so good.

3. ‘Centrelink Summer’ by Suzi

Singer-songwriter Suzi has always reflected the realities and anxieties of a generation with sardonic humour and cutting vulnerability, and has become outspoken about the challenges of trying to live as an artist in Australia. This is an anthem for anyone struggling to make ends meet, and making the best of it anyway. Packs a chant at the end that is crying out for a live crowd.

2. ‘Thickest Thieves’ by Adorn

Just when you think there is nothing unique left to do with indie rock, Adorn comes along with something fresh and new and compelling – something of a throwback to the early-2000s garage scene of The Strokes and Interpol, mixed with the modern art rock of Everything Everything and Bombay Bicycle Club. The rare rock song that keeps you guessing at every turn.

1. ‘Clothes Off’ by aleksiah

This is the most unforgettable pop banger of the year so far – it has been rattling through my brain ever since I first caught on the radio, and it hasn’t lost its shine even at all. It’s sexy, relatable, absurdly catchy, and just so much fun. It’ll have you dancing, singing and wanting desperately to tear that special someone’s clothes off.

And a bunch of others:

‘Don’t Go’ by Old Mervs, 'Kiss Me Like You're Leaving' by Jem Cassar-Daley, 'Please Don't Move To Melbourne' by Ball Park Music, 'Running On Empty' by The Tullamarines, 'Sacred' by Parkway Drive