I selected the five best R&B albums of 2025, as part of Echoes Magazine’s yearly round-up of the best albums of the year in black music.

End of year lists tend to get people all worked up - after all, with so much new music released over a 12 month period, boiling it down to a chosen few is always going to create a bit of contention.

In 2025, hip-hop has taken a pretty hefty hit to its reputation (and chart presence). Nas and DJ Premier have served up a welcome antidote to the trap overdose with Light-Years. This album adds to recent efforts from other old school vets this year, including Mobb Deep, De La Soul and Ghostface Killah. It’s a perfect Christmas present to true rap fans everywhere!