From tear-jerkers to mic-drops, NPR's music critics share the 2025 lyrics that made them laugh, cry and hit replay.

Which song lyrics from 2025 most moved our NPR Music critics?

The Beatles song that John Lennon used to signal his upcoming departure to his bandmates wasn't the first time he misled listeners.

I grew up on the pop icon's songs and ballads. But her later and braver lyrics about trauma resonated with me the most.

Indeed, the Grammy winner made some subtle revisions to her lyrics in "I Did Something Bad" and "Delicate," which were included in the version of Reputation with Dolby Atmos sound released by Apple ...

Oscars Best Original Song Commentary (Updated Dec. 11, 2025): With 15 songs angling for the shortlist, there’s reserved seating for the animated frontrunner — “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” — and ...

Cinemusic: Oscar-winning composer Daniel Blumberg talks about his latest score for Mona Fastvold’s The Testament of Ann Lee.

( KTLA) — Each holiday season, our ears are inundated with Christmas music — and though many songs have become beloved ...

3 ICYMI: Next On Stage: Season 5- Meet the Top 5 4 ICYMI: Meet the Next On Stage: Season 6 Finalists Midland Center for the Arts will welcome Close to You: The Music of The Carpenters to the ...

If you’ve heard “Winter Wonderland,” whether sung by Bing Crosby or a youth choir, you may recognize the name: “In the meadow, we can build a snowman, then pretend that he is ...

The rural market located north of Metro Detroit produced an adorable music video about being open on Dec. 25 about selling ...

The best songs of 2025 worked admirably toward the daunting task of attempting to describe what it feels like to be alive in the unpredictability matrix of the mid-’20s. Songwriters expressing pangs ...