2025 has felt like one big, messy and joyful dancefloor comeback. “Brat Summer” energy crashed into a huge country resurgence, creating a scene where the only real rule was to have fun. From glossy disco funk throwbacks to rowdy singalongs, this year’s pop charts have favored community and high energy instead of sadness. The tracks below ruled the Billboard Hot 100 and Global 200 and proved that after years of looking inward, we are finally ready to cut loose again.
1. Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter scribbled these lyrics in a French crêperie, aiming for “addictive” energy. Her editors actually fought the grammatical nonsense of the hook “That’s that me.” She kept it anyway. The gamble worked, landing her first top-five Hot 100 hit and defining the summer.
2. Hot to Go! – Chappell Roan
This cheerleader anthem fulfilled Roan’s childhood dream of being a majorette. She specifically designed the spelling dance to be interactive like the “Y.M.C.A.” It worked. Lollapalooza crowds swelled to historic numbers just to perform the synchronized moves with her.
3. A Bar Song (Tipsy) – Shaboozey
Shaboozey flipped J-Kwon’s 2004 hip-hop hit “Tipsy” into a foot-stomping country smash. He aimed to honor Black history in the genre while starting a party. The track historically topped the Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts simultaneously.
4. Birds of a Feather – Billie Eilish
Eilish usually leans dark, but this synth-pop track is pure optimism. The lyrics pledge love “til the day that I die,” a rare moment of security for her. It hit number one on the Billboard Global 200, proving happy suits her too.
5. Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan
Inspired by a night at West Hollywood’s The Abbey, this track captures the pull of the dancefloor. It details the tension between small-town roots and finding your people. Though released years ago, organic word-of-mouth finally pushed it onto the Hot 100 in 2025.
6. Beautiful Things – Benson Boone
Boone wrote this power ballad to describe the terror of happiness. He structured the explosive chorus to mimic a panic attack of gratitude. The song went viral on TikTok before it was even finished, eventually hitting number two on the Hot 100.
7. 360 – Charli XCX
This track defined the “Brat” aesthetic. The music video features internet icons like Julia Fox, cementing Charli as a cultural curator. It celebrates the chaotic energy of being chronically online. The slime-green campaign drove it into the UK Singles Chart top ten.
8. I Had Some Help – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen
Post Malone fully embraced the cowboy hat for this collab. Blending Wallen’s 80s synth sound with catchy melodies, they frame a breakup as a team effort. It debuted at number one and smashed Spotify’s single-day streaming record for country music.
9. Yes, and? – Ariana Grande
Grande channeled Madonna’s “Vogue” to shield herself from tabloid gossip. The title references the first rule of improv comedy: accept reality and build on it. It debuted right at number one on the Hot 100, proving unbothered is a winning look.
10. Houdini – Dua Lipa
Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker produced this psychedelic disco trip. It isn’t about heartbreak; it’s about vanishing if someone doesn’t know your worth. The extended edit became a club staple, topping the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart for weeks.
11. Million Dollar Baby – Tommy Richman
Richman used a VHS-style marketing campaign to make this feel like a lost 80s funk tape. He released it independently, relying on vibes over major label backing. It debuted at number two on the Hot 100, a rare feat for a newcomer.
12. Good Luck, Babe! – Chappell Roan
Roan calls this a song about “compulsory heterosexuality.” It serves as a biting “told you so” to a closeted ex-lover. Her vocal flip in the bridge drew heavy comparisons to Kate Bush. It secured her spot in the Hot 100 top ten.
13. Texas Hold ‘Em – Beyoncé
Beyoncé enlisted scholar Rhiannon Giddens to play the banjo, reclaiming the instrument’s African roots. It sparked a global conversation about genre exclusion. The track made her the first Black woman to ever top the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
14. Lunch – Billie Eilish
Eilish used this bass-heavy track to explore her sexual awakening. She admitted writing the lyrics before actually experiencing what she was singing about. It debuted in the Hot 100 top five, marking a bold shift from her “sad girl” era.
15. Training Season – Dua Lipa
After a string of bad dates, Lipa declared “training season is over.” She went into the studio the next morning to write this standard-setting anthem. A gravity-defying Grammy performance launched the track into the top ten in both the US and UK.
16. Talk Talk – Charli XCX
Produced by The 1975’s George Daniel, this track captures the frantic anxiety of a crush. It mimics the “social battery” drain of a party. A remix featuring Troye Sivan helped propel the song up the charts during the “Brat” summer peak.
17. Nasty – Tinashe
The hook “Is somebody gonna match my freak?” started as a viral tweet. Tinashe leaned into the meme to create this rhythmic R&B sleeper hit. It gave her a first solo Hot 100 entry in over a decade, rewarding her persistence.
Last Words
These 17 songs defined the soundscape of the year, proving that pop music is back in its most vibrant, communal form. Whether it was through a synchronized dance, a country crossover or a club anthem, these tracks invited us all to participate in the joy.