“Left Hand Lane” works because Steve Mac McCullough knows exactly what lane he is in creatively, and he stays there. This is not a song pretending to be deep or cinematic. It is observational country done right. Sharp, funny, and grounded in real-life annoyance that everyone understands but rarely admits out loud. From the first verse, McCullough leans into humor without turning the song into a novelty track. That balance is harder than it sounds. His vocal delivery is relaxed and conversational, like he is venting to you from the driver’s seat rather than performing for a stage. The tone feels natural, not forced. He sounds like a guy who has actually lived this moment one too many times. Production-wise, the track keeps things clean and classic. Mid-tempo country instrumentation, steady rhythm, nothing flashy. That restraint is intentional. The story is the hook. The groove supports the punchlines instead of fighting them. It makes the song insanely replayable because it never overstays its welcome. Lyrically, “Left Hand Lane” succeeds because it respects the listener’s intelligence. McCullough does not overexplain the joke. He lets the scenario speak for itself. Anyone who drives highways regularly already knows the frustration. The song becomes a shared inside joke between strangers stuck in traffic together. The music video pushes the concept even further. Directed by Mitch Wallis, it feels self-aware without becoming corny. The visual storytelling mirrors the song’s tone perfectly. Lighthearted. Observational. Just exaggerated enough to make the point without turning into slapstick. It feels like a public service announcement disguised as entertainment. Culturally, this track matters because country music thrives when it draws on everyday life rather than chasing trends. In an era when many countries lean hyper-polished or overly dramatic, “Left Hand Lane” brings things back to simple relatability. It is for commuters, road trippers, delivery drivers, and anyone who has muttered under their breath while watching someone cruise at fifty-five in a passing lane. Steve Mac McCullough proves here that not every song needs to change your life to earn a spot on your playlist. Sometimes a song just needs to make you laugh, nod your head, and feel seen. “Left Hand Lane” does exactly that, and honestly, that might be its biggest win.

“God’s Up To Something” lands like a deep breath in a genre that often mistakes volume for conviction. Carson Beyer is not yelling his beliefs at you. He is standing in them. That difference matters.' The track opens with restraint. Clean production, warm instrumentation, nothing flashy. It sets the tone immediately. This song is about steadiness, not spectacle. Beyer’s vocal sits front and center, smooth without being glossy, confident without overselling the emotion. He sings like someone who has learned patience the hard way. Lyrically, the song leans into uncertainty instead of pretending it does not exist. Beyer does not claim to have answers. He trusts the process. That subtle shift makes the message hit harder. In a cultural moment where everyone is either spiraling publicly or pretending everything is perfect, “God’s Up To Something” offers a third option. Keep going. Stay open. Let faith be quiet but firm.' The production supports that message perfectly. There is space in this track. Space between lines. Space for reflection. Acoustic elements blend with modern country polish without turning into radio fluff. It feels intentional, not algorithmic. You can hear the Muscle Shoals influence creeping in, not as nostalgia bait, but as discipline. Less noise. More feeling. Beyer’s strength has always been his ability to bridge worlds. Traditional country roots, modern R&B smoothness, and a grounded spiritual core all show up here without fighting for dominance. His vocal phrasing carries soul, but his storytelling stays grounded in country realism. That balance gives the song replay value beyond one emotional hit. Culturally, this track arrives at the right time. Faith based music often gets boxed into either worship lanes or performative positivity. “God’s Up To Something” refuses both. It is for people navigating layoffs, loss, identity shifts, or burnout. For listeners who still believe in something bigger but are tired of being told to smile through the chaos. This song does not chase virality. It builds trust. And that is why it is sticking. Carson Beyer sounds like an artist who knows who he is, knows what he believes, and is comfortable letting the song do the talking. In a noisy landscape, that quiet confidence feels radical.

Frozen Inertia has always existed slightly left of the map, a band built on curiosity, experimentation, and a refusal to color inside the lines of traditional rock. The US-based duo, with roots stretching from San Francisco to Akron, blends baritone guitars, accordion, synths, and inventive percussion into a sound that feels both strange and cinematic. Led by Timothy Graves and Brad Palmer, the band has built a reputation for crafting indie experimental rock that bends toward the unexpected: college-radio charting releases, BBC Radio 6 airplay, soundtrack placements, and even a science song embraced by classrooms across the country. But 2025 marked a turning point. With Reflectivity , the band delivered what they consider their strongest and most cohesive artistic statement yet, a sprawling, genre-melding record that pulls from classical arrangements, big-band textures, electronic ambience, and prog-rock tension. The album features seventeen global collaborators, yet it manages to feel like a single, unified thought: eclectic, unpredictable, but unmistakably Frozen Inertia. Despite not dominating college radio rotation the way their previous record did, Reflectivity has found an unusual kind of success: every single track has gotten airplay somewhere. That alone says everything about the album’s long-tail impact, it may not be built for mass rotation, but it resonates deeply with listeners who stumble into its world. The record feels like a curated museum, each track its own exhibit, its own mood, its own odd beauty. Outside of the music, Frozen Inertia’s year was defined by visual experimentation. Using the AI-powered tool Neural Frames, they began creating music videos that blur the line between handmade and surreal. Their visuals carry a dreamlike quality, real but fake, polished but intentionally imperfect, mirroring the band’s sonic identity. While they’re vocal about AI’s flaws, Frozen Inertia has embraced it as a tool, not a substitute, using it to expand narrative possibilities that were once out of reach for a small, independent band. Looking ahead to 2026, they’re gearing up to release a new EP centered around reimagining and transforming previous material, including a reworked version of “Remember the exit may be located behind you,” a Dan Duszynski remix of “Red Sky at Noon,” and a newly resurrected, harder-edged cover of Kate Bush’s “King of the Mountain.” It’s a project rooted in evolution: revisiting past work not to repeat it, but to discover what else it can become. Frozen Inertia’s advice to artists mirrors their own ethos: keep creating what makes you happy. Follow the curiosity, embrace the weird edges, and build the worlds only you can see. That’s what Reflectivity represents, and why it stands as one of the year’s most compelling experimental rock releases. Reflectivity is the release you chose for BUZZMUSIC’s Best of 2025, and you’ve said it’s your strongest album to date. What new creative muscles or risks did you explore on this project that you hadn’t pushed this far before? The album started because of a new baritone guitar I got, from there we played around with a lot more key changes and weird time signatures  than before.  Also, we had to write sheet music for some of the parts which was a new experience.  The album blends everything from classical to big band to electronic to prog rock, plus features seventeen collaborators around the world. What did collaboration bring out of Frozen Inertia that wouldn’t have existed in a smaller, more contained process? At its core, Frozen Inertia is just two people, which creates limits based on what we have access to - so when you open it up to others, it brings in new exciting possibilities.  It doesn’t really change the song itself but it allows for extra layers and fun sonic surprises.  Like, I love the sound of an upright bass, but I never had the physical space to own one and it’s not a sound that can be digitally replicated very well so we got really lucky to be able to collaborate with Tim Lefebvre who laid down a stunning bass track for “It’s just the beginning of something new”.   Even though the record didn’t move heavily through college radio rotation, every single track has received some type of airplay. Why do you think Reflectivity connects in such different pockets, and what does that say about the album’s eclectic nature? Yeah, I think there’s a song for everyone on this album but there’s not one or two that everyone can agree on, so there was a bit of a splintering on what college stations chose to play.  To me, the entire album works as a set, but there’s quite a lot of genre shifts, so given that, we’re happy with the diversity of choices they picked and pleasantly surprised that some of the more abstract ones like “You had no new messages today”, which featured an Oboe and spoken word, found a home. Frozen Inertia has always lived in a weird, beautiful space between indie experimental rock, soundtrack ambience, and intellectual curiosity, down to having your Periodic Table song used in classrooms. How do you define your audience at this point? Oh, that’s a tough one I haven’t thought about.  Honestly, they’re probably just as diverse as our music.  Maybe they listen for the same reason we create music, to enjoy having music take them on a journey and being open to a sense of humor & abstractions along the way. You experimented heavily with AI visuals this year, using Neural Frames, moving from cartoon storytelling to dreamlike, partially real, partially unreal sequences. How has this new visual world changed the way you think about the band’s identity? The music is still the most important priority, so I don’t think it’s changed our identity.   A challenge for us is we’re a recording band that is located in opposite ends of the country, so we unfortunately don’t have the ability to perform live. So, the visuals allow us to create a different kind of performance to go along with the music.  A lot of artists fear AI, but you’ve been using it as a tool rather than a shortcut. How do you decide when AI enhances the art, and when it crosses into something that doesn’t serve the music? That’s such a great question and it’s a topic I could spend hours talking about.  I think anytime there’s big shifts in technology or the way things are made, folks get scared. Rightfully so to a certain degree, when MTV was launched there was a balance of embracement and backlash from established musicians, but it also brought in a new generation of artists that thrived creatively balancing great music with innovative visuals. I think The Eurythmics were amazing at that, the visuals enhanced the already amazing songs (not comparing ourselves to The Eurythmics, they are in their own universe of awesome!).   With AI, my thought is it needs to be additive to the creative process not a replacement, like I experimented with a couple videos where the AI was entirely creating the visuals, but it was still very easy for it to veer in a completely different direction than I intended and I ended up deleting a couple videos that I didn’t think represented the song in a unique way (i.e. just making generic visuals).  AI feeds on everything that’s already out there, so it’s not original, so you have to give it new things to make it unique.  Like now, all my videos start with my own images, and I’m using AI to animate them with text of what I’m daydreaming about, which makes it more of the helper and keeps me as the producer.   Your 2026 EP transforms older material, remixes multiple tracks, and even resurrects a lost Kate Bush cover with new vocals. What does revisiting and reimagining older work reveal about where Frozen Inertia is heading next? There were a couple songs off Reflectivity that we felt still had something to say, one off the new EP is “Remember the exit might be right behind you” which the original was this abstract instrumental that we rewrote into a pretty heavy, moody rock tune.  This set the stage for the rest of the EP having a sense of urgency to it musically, and allowed us to revisit a few older songs that fit the mood.  One of which was Kate Bush’s “King of the Mountain” which I recorded the source guitar and vocals (in a small Chicago apartment) shortly after she released the song in 2005!  I thought I’d lost that track, but recently found a way to split out the source recording and add some new stuff to it.  I’m not sure what’s beyond the EP that we’re releasing in January, but we’re excited to get these new/old songs out there.

Some artists spend years trying to find their voice, but Songbird has been writing hers into existence since she was fifteen. The 25-year-old pop singer/songwriter turned 2025 into her biggest year yet, doubling down on her work ethic, her storytelling, and the emotional honesty that’s become her signature. From festival stages to airport crowds, songwriter showcases to streaming milestones, she built her success the same way she’s always done it, one song, one show, one risk at a time. And at the center of it all sits Dry Land, the haunting, metaphor-rich single that has quickly become her defining release of the year. Inspired by her favorite animal of sharks, the song spirals into something bigger than its concept. It’s a story of toxicity, survival, and the emotional predators we face in every chapter of life. Co-written with Austin and Jake, Dry Land quickly took on a life of its own, with listeners interpreting it through their own lenses: heartbreak, mental health battles, inner demons, and every invisible monster we try to outrun. Songbird didn’t just write a narrative, she opened a space for people to feel seen. And the response proved it: tens of thousands of streams, playlist wins, fan messages, and a growing momentum she earned entirely through her grind. Beyond the releases, Songbird’s 2025 reads like a highlight reel: a spotlight performance at Launch Music Festival, SXSW songwriter showcases, a film soundtrack placement with All The Way, viral playlist success, a wedding song she wrote for her own big day, and 73 shows, yes, seventy-three, played across the year. Add in multiple radio interviews, two new music videos, and major semifinalist placements in international competitions, and it’s clear she didn’t just show up in 2025, she put in real miles. With her eyes on crafting a full album, leveling up her writing circle, learning guitar, and breaking toward a label deal in 2026, it’s obvious Songbird isn’t slowing down. She’s building something brick-by-brick, belief-by-belief, and song-by-song. This year proved one thing: she doesn’t just carry the name Songbird, she earned it. “Dry Land” resonated in so many unexpected ways for fans. What was the moment you realized this song had grown far beyond its original shark-inspired concept? Honestly right after we finished writing and I was showing my family. My husband, parents, cousin and aunt were on the writing trip with me. At the time u only had the demos of the songs. When I played it they all asked what the song was based off of. Not one person gave the same answer and that’s when I knew this song was bigger than I thought. You played 73 shows this year. Which moment onstage in 2025 changed you the most? I would say when I played at Launch music festival in PA. I performed “Pink Pony Club” on the outside stage as a spotlight artist this year. The whole street was singing along and after clapped for a good 2 minutes! It was so awesome. You’ve openly said you want listeners to feel heard through your music. Which messages or fan reactions this year hit closest to home? My song “Dry Land” I feel hit the most. I’ve had so many different people ask what the songs about and no one has had the same answer. It’s cool to think my song is getting people talking and connecting. Between SXSW, Launch Fest, and even Newark Airport, your performance spaces were wildly different. How did those environments shape your confidence as a live artist in 2025? It’s always good to play different spaces. They are all vastly different but the same in some ways. I feel that performing for all these different people and some staying some walking away, it doesn’t matter. I’m doing what I love and I’m confident in my art! I’m just glad people want to stay and listen! You had some major wins in songwriting competitions this year. How has stepping deeper into the songwriter community influenced your creative direction? Going deeper into the songwriting community I feel it’s taught me so much. Getting ready to write an album it makes me think of how to make my music stand out. I’m excited to experiment and work with as many songwriters as I can! Your 2026 goals include writing an entire album. What themes or emotions are already pulling you toward that next era? My 20’s is a huge part of this album. I want to share my life experiences that I know so many have also gone through. You wrote your first song at 15 about your now-husband, and you wrote another for your wedding this year. How has love shaped your artistry from then to now? The songs I write about love I feel have grown so much. My first song was all on my own and again my first song. I feel I have grown so much as a songwriter. Working with so many different songwriters and working with different instruments. I love how my love for my husband also correlates with my music growing stronger and better!

In the ever-evolving landscape of modern rock music, few songs have experienced such a dramatic resurrection as Ghost's "Mary on a Cross." Released initially in 2019 as part of a seven-inch single accompanying the album "Seven Inches of Satanic Panic," the track spent years in relative obscurity before exploding into mainstream consciousness. This unexpected journey from underground favorite to viral sensation illustrates how social media has fundamentally transformed the music industry's traditional pathways to success. The Quiet Years: A Hidden Gem When Ghost first released "Mary on a Cross," the Swedish rock band was already well-established within the metal community. Known for their theatrical performances, anonymous masked personas, and provocative religious imagery, Ghost had cultivated a devoted fanbase that appreciated their unique blend of heavy metal aesthetics with pop sensibilities. However, despite the band's growing reputation, this particular track initially flew under the radar of mainstream audiences. The song showcased a departure from Ghost's typically heavier sound, featuring a more melodic, almost Beatles-esque quality with its jangly guitars and catchy chorus. Yet for nearly three years, it remained a deep cut appreciated primarily by die-hard fans who recognized its craftsmanship. The lyrics, steeped in religious symbolism and double entendres, exemplified Ghost's signature style of combining the sacred with the profane. For those seeking to understand the layered meanings within the track,   mary on a cross  offers insights into the song's complex lyrical landscape and thematic depth. The TikTok Catalyst: When Algorithms Meet Artistry The transformation began in 2022 when TikTok users discovered the song and began incorporating it into their content. What started as a trickle quickly became a flood, with the track being used in everything from nostalgic montages to horror-themed videos. The platform's algorithm, designed to surface engaging content, propelled "Mary on a Cross" into millions of feeds worldwide. This phenomenon wasn't merely about a song going viral, it represented a fundamental shift in how music reaches audiences. According to  Billboard , TikTok has become one of the most powerful discovery tools in the music industry, capable of reviving decades-old tracks or launching unknown artists into stardom overnight. The platform's unique ability to create cultural moments through user-generated content has democratized music discovery in unprecedented ways. By late 2022, "Mary on a Cross" had accumulated hundreds of millions of streams across platforms, with Spotify reporting exponential growth in daily plays. The song climbed charts it had never approached during its initial release, proving that timing, context, and platform matter as much as musical quality in today's fragmented media landscape. Bridging Generations: The Appeal Across Demographics One of the most fascinating aspects of the "Mary on a Cross" phenomenon is its cross-generational appeal. Younger listeners discovering Ghost for the first time found themselves drawn to a band their older siblings or parents might have dismissed as niche or obscure. The song's retro production values and melodic accessibility created a bridge between classic rock sensibilities and contemporary tastes. The track's vintage sound, reminiscent of 1960s and 1970s rock, resonated with Gen Z listeners who have shown increasing interest in analog aesthetics and retro culture. This isn't coincidental, studies from music researchers at  USC Thornton School of Music  suggest that younger generations often gravitate toward music that evokes eras they never experienced, finding authenticity in sounds that contrast with modern overproduction. Meanwhile, longtime Ghost fans and older rock enthusiasts appreciated the renewed attention to a band they'd supported for years. This convergence of demographics created a rare cultural moment where different generations could share appreciation for the same piece of music, albeit for potentially different reasons. The Power of Mystery and Theatricality Ghost's commitment to anonymity and theatrical presentation has undoubtedly contributed to the mystique surrounding "Mary on a Cross." The band's lead singer, known only as Papa Emeritus (with various incarnations numbered I through IV, and later as Cardinal Copia), maintains character both on and off stage. This dedication to persona creates an immersive experience that extends beyond the music itself. In an era of hyper-transparency where artists share every aspect of their lives on social media, Ghost's approach feels refreshingly enigmatic. The mystery invites speculation, interpretation, and engagement, all factors that fuel viral content. Fans dissect lyrics, debate meanings, and create theories, generating organic conversation that algorithms reward with increased visibility. Commercial Success and Critical Recognition The viral success of "Mary on a Cross" translated into tangible results for Ghost. Concert venues sold out faster, merchandise flew off shelves, and the band received mainstream media attention that had previously eluded them. Festival bookings increased, with Ghost transitioning from mid-tier slots to headlining positions at major events. This commercial breakthrough came without artistic compromise. Ghost didn't chase trends or modify their sound to court viral success, the success came to them. This authenticity resonates with audiences increasingly skeptical of manufactured viral moments and industry plant controversies. The organic nature of the song's rediscovery lent credibility to both the track and the band. Lessons for the Music Industry The "Mary on a Cross" phenomenon offers several insights for the modern music industry. First, catalog value has increased exponentially in the streaming era. Songs don't expire after their initial promotional cycle; they can find new life years or even decades later through unpredictable pathways. Second, social media platforms have become as important as traditional radio for breaking songs. Artists and labels must think beyond conventional release strategies and remain open to unexpected opportunities for their music to connect with audiences. Third, authenticity and artistic integrity can coexist with commercial success. Ghost never compromised their vision to achieve mainstream acceptance, instead, mainstream audiences eventually came to appreciate their unique artistic voice. The Lasting Impact As "Mary on a Cross" continues to introduce new listeners to Ghost's catalog, its legacy extends beyond streaming numbers and chart positions. The song represents a case study in how music discovery has evolved, how viral moments can transform careers, and how great songs can transcend their initial context to find new meaning with different audiences. The phenomenon also demonstrates that rock music, often declared dead or irrelevant by cultural commentators, retains the power to captivate when it reaches the right audience through the right channels. Ghost's success suggests that genre boundaries are increasingly meaningless in an algorithm-driven discovery environment where quality and connection matter more than categorical definitions. Conclusion: A New Model for Success The journey of "Mary on a Cross" from overlooked B-side to cultural phenomenon illustrates the unpredictable nature of success in the modern music industry. It proves that patience, artistic integrity, and a bit of algorithmic luck can combine to create breakthrough moments that traditional promotion could never guarantee. For Ghost, the song's unexpected success has opened doors while validating their commitment to theatricality, mystery, and uncompromising artistic vision. For the music industry, it's yet another example of how the old rules no longer apply and how audiences, rather than gatekeepers, increasingly determine what deserves attention. As streaming platforms and social media continue to reshape how we discover and consume music, the "Mary on a Cross" phenomenon will likely be remembered as a defining moment, proof that in today's fragmented media landscape, any song, regardless of age or initial reception, can find its moment in the sun.

Some artists make music. Broke in Stereo builds worlds, then shreds right through them with a guitar solo that could peel paint off a dive bar wall. The California-born, Berklee-trained, South America–wandered, Brooklyn-hardened, LA-refined force of nature, known offstage as Cabell Harris, spent 2025 doing what he does best: refusing to fit anywhere neatly. His alt-blues-rock universe is gritty, experimental, beautifully unstable, and somehow still anchored by melodies that hit like emotional sucker punches. There’s no glossy PR polish here. No “brand-friendly persona.” Just a lifelong musician who’s been writing, producing, and performing since age five, chasing the next honest line, the next dangerous chord, the next thing worth saying. And this year, the standout was clear: “Trouble’s Comin.” A track that cuts right into the uncomfortable, unfixable truth about love, the fact that it’s risky, messy, and occasionally a full-contact sport. Harris doesn’t romanticize it; he tells you straight-up that letting someone close is terrifying, that even healthy love leaves bruises, and that fighting for connection is part of the deal… unless it crosses into abuse, and then the only fight worth having is the one to get out. It’s raw, self-aware blues-rock storytelling delivered with the unfiltered honesty of a guy who spends more time composing than talking about himself. Outside the studio, Harris kept things simple this year, writing orchestral and jazz compositions under his own name and staying laser-focused on the one thing that’s never let him down: the work. As he heads into 2026 with plans to release music monthly and return to the stage, Broke in Stereo is embracing growth, reinvention, and a life with fewer apologies and more distortion pedals. And if there’s one piece of advice he’s carrying into the new year, it’s this: stop letting other people’s opinions poison your art, and broaden what you consume if you want your creativity to actually breathe. “Trouble’s Comin” feels brutally honest about how love can wound you even when it’s good. What moment or realization pulled that song out of you, and what part of yourself were you finally ready to say out loud? I was playing around on the guitar, and when that riff came out, the words immediately came to me. It jumped out of my mouth, and it just made sense. After singing it a few times, I reverse-engineered what that meant to me. Freudian, maybe, but it just came right out. The music and the lyrics just came right out and fit together. That riff is basically representing dissonance…but it’s alluring, not a turn off. Everyone likes cat and mouse so this is the next level of love. Catty back and forth. You’ve always kept a foot in experimentation,  alt blues, rock, orchestral work, and jazz composition. What sonic itch were you scratching in 2025 that you hadn’t touched before? Well the similarity is that I always follow what feels good first…after that: I stopped asking, “Does this make sense?” and started asking, “Does this make people’s eyebrows raise?”. I scratched the itch to be uncomfortable, my favorite genre. People (especially the music industry) are desperate to give criticism, and I kinda closed the door on it, and don’t worry if it fits perfectly in a box. I think it’s got enough ground to stand on where it’s still pretty digestible. The general audience is more open to new than the industry allows them to be. I worry less about the boundaries and more about if it feels right. So I don’t think there are many specifics I can point to, but maybe keeping more “mistakes” and “polishing” less. Between Ear Art, Outer-Net, Auditory Artifacts, and now “Trouble’s Comin',” there’s a clear evolution but also a thread of emotional unrest. Do you feel like your music is getting closer to who you are, or further away on purpose? I know it’s not further, that’s for sure. I don’t know if I’m closer either, though. I think each release represents where I am when I’m there. That’s not meant to be a cop out. I just think if I avoid being disingenuous, then I’ll be ok. I think the evolution might be that the style of the music is more aimed at. When I play live, I think it’s far more cohesive, but production always offers so many production decisions that it can push the styles a bit further apart between releases. I’ve tried to constrain the instrumentation to restrain that a little bit. You joked that outside of music, life feels like “a hassle,” but you’ve lived one of the wildest artist journeys: Berklee, Argentina, Brooklyn, LA. What kept you committed through the years when nothing felt rewarding except the work? I don’t think it was hard to say committed. Unfortunately; this answer is very straight forward. I stayed committed because it was the only thing that kept me getting out of bed…also, I’m probably OCD. You mentioned “stop taking criticism at a certain point.” Was there a specific moment or person who made you realize other people’s opinions were poisoning your process? After a couple of years of sitting on the tracks, I had a few different good people work on the music. I listened back to the original stuff and just loved how it sounded. People can have a lot of criticism to try and help “fix” what’s wrong so the music can “fit in”. The algorithm has certainly made it worse. The more they fix it, the less it sounds like how you want it. So it’s just hitting a wall of realizing that it makes you feel misunderstood and misrepresented. It’s not a unique struggle. I definitely attempted to make my music fit in a bit more, but even still, it will have that issue. The moment was circling back, and I realized I nailed it before I got help. I did work with a handful of folks who were helpful, occasionally engineering vocal recordings. I just know to ignore opinions and focus on my instincts. You plan to release music monthly in 2026,  a huge shift in momentum. What does “revival” look like for you right now, and what part of yourself are you trying to resurrect? Hmmm, I have to reshape habits to do things I don’t normally want to do. I enjoy being on social media a bit, but releasing monthly is a different type of job. If I can manage to artistically represent myself in a visual format it will serve that part of the artist identity and help the audience. So I suppose it will give birth as oppose to resurrect. I did have a visual persona before but I think regularly doing it is adding a different component to the art. You said writer’s block only happens when people consume a narrow slice of life. What unexpected art, culture, or experiences fed your creativity the most this year? This year I listened to a lot more vinyl. Reading the vinyl covers and listening to stuff that sometimes isn’t online for streaming. A lot of history falls between the cracks. Also, I listen to a lot of history, either podcasts or short-form videos. This year, I got a huge amount of inspiration from history. In Jan 2025, I was in Peru and Ecuador (I’m in Ecuador often, actually); I spent time learning about the Inca and indigenous. Sometimes it’s hard to pin point how it influences come into music. But it certainly keeps the brain turning, and I don’t ever feel a sense of writer’s block.

Some artists drop music. Jerard Rice drops perspective. In a year where so much of the industry leaned into surface-level trends and algorithm-chasing singles, Rice did the exact opposite; he made a 10-track project that actually says something. Love Shouldn’t Cost A Thing isn’t just his debut; it’s the clearest picture yet of who he is as a human being, an activist, a neurodivergent creative, and an artist who’s done shrinking his story to make other people comfortable. 2025 was turbulent for Rice: grief, mental exhaustion, and the long-overdue decision to step back and take care of himself. But somehow, in the middle of that chaos, he delivered his most emotionally expansive and genre-fluid work. The project moves through hip-hop, R&B, world influences, blues textures, and pop accessibility without losing its core: an artist trying to heal in real time. Tracks like “Petty Love,” “C’est La Vie,” and “Starvin” dig into heartbreak, loss, and survival with no sugar-coating. “Popeye” hits like a manifesto — a socially aware gut punch calling out the systems that overlook marginalized voices. And “Blog It” flips narrative control on its head, reminding listeners that Rice isn’t here to be misinterpreted; he’s here to be understood. The album’s success, including charting on Amazon, is impressive, but what makes Rice one of the Best Releases of 2025 isn’t numbers. It's impact. His music carries the weight of someone who’s lived through trauma, activism, autism advocacy, and public pressure, yet still believes art can save someone, sometimes even the person making it. His live performances, whether at Fenway Park or Veterans Stadium, carry that same energy: connection over polish, truth over perfection. Heading into 2026, Rice is hungry for expansion, more shows, more visuals, more collaborations, more space to speak openly about mental health and self-worth. If this year proved anything, it’s that Jerard Rice isn’t just building a career; he’s building a legacy rooted in honesty, resilience, and cultural awareness. And Love Shouldn’t Cost A Thing is the foundation he’s standing on.

Some artists make songs. TT17 makes confessions, the kind that come from lived experience, the kind that hit you in the chest because they’re the truth, not the polished version of it. At only 22, the Los Angeles pop/rock artist has already built a reputation for turning pain into purpose, fusing hip-hop, emo, alternative rock, and pop into a sound that feels like a diary cracked open. With more than 2 million streams, multiple breakout albums, and features on major platforms, TT17 has positioned himself as a defining voice in the next wave of genre-fluid, emotionally raw music. But 2025 wasn’t just another year for him; it was the year he confronted his past head-on. It was the year he survived, healed, and finally told the story he almost didn’t live to share. That story became Suicidal Drive , the release chosen for BUZZMUSIC’s Best Independent Releases of 2025. More than a song, it’s a document of a turning point. A track that recreates the events of November 8, 2024, when he nearly ended his life. Visually, sonically, emotionally, the project is a blueprint of what it looks like to come back from the edge. TT17 released it exactly one year after his attempt, not because it was easy, but because he needed to prove something to himself: that he survived, that he grew, and that telling the truth would not break him. The fear was real. He worried about judgment, about losing fans, about disappointing the young people who look up to him. But the opposite happened. The story resonated. Listeners connected. One comment, “Don’t ever try to give up on me again,” became the kind of reminder that stays with an artist forever. It proved something he’d forgotten: vulnerability doesn’t weaken impact. It amplifies it. Outside of music, 2025 was filled with major life decisions and personal wins. TT17 dropped out of college, started a full-time job, and committed to a health transformation, losing 20 pounds in 10 weeks. It was the first year he didn’t obsess over goals, and ironically, it became his most successful and peaceful year to date. He rediscovered clarity, purpose, and himself. Going into 2026, he isn’t chasing charts, streams, or comparisons. His only goal is to keep telling the truth, to make another song that hits like “7 Years” or Suicidal Drive, something that makes listeners feel seen, understood, and less alone. And in a landscape full of artists trying to sound like someone else, TT17 leads with the one thing nobody can replicate: himself. Suicidal Drive is the release you chose for our Best Independent Artists of 2025 list, a song rooted in one of the darkest and most life-changing days of your life. What was the turning point that made you decide to turn that trauma into a story you were ready to share with the world? “Suicidal Drive” was by far the most emotional and inspiring song I have ever released. I wouldn’t say there was so much as a “turning point”; it was more of a personal healing journey. November 8, 2024, was the scariest day of my life, but it took until around August of 2025 for me to truly find myself and find my inner peace again. Once I did that, I started thinking about how my story can inspire others, and how no one knew the horrors I went through. Originally, I was going to call the song “November 8,” but I don’t think that would truly help my fans be able to relate to me and what really happened. While writing the song, I thought “Suicidal Drive” would be fitting, and once I was okay enough with myself to write and sing about that day, I decided I could be vulnerable and release it for the world to see. You’ve always been known for emotionally honest, genre-blending music, hip-hop, pop-rock, emo, and alternative. How does “Suicidal Drive” differ from previous personal tracks like “7 Years,” and what did you discover about yourself while making it? I feel like “Suicidal Drive” and “7 Years” are sibling tracks in a way. “Suicidal Drive” feels like “7 Years" older brother. When I dropped “7 Years,” I was able to get as deep and as vulnerable as I did because I had realistically no pressure. I didn’t have a fanbase whatsoever, and I didn’t have anyone who looked up to me. I felt like a nobody. “7 Years” was sort of a cry for help, without having anyone to cry to. I was a senior in high school, and this was during the COVID pandemic, so my school was fully online. I basically became the talk of my high school after dropping “7 Years,” and I went from nobody to a superstar. Fast forward 5 years, and the pressure switched. I have pressure on every song I release, because I have an audience really listening now. When I decided to create “Suicidal Drive” and get the music video in production, I knew I would have people watching. It had to be perfect. I think the main thing I discovered about myself is that I can do literally anything I set my mind to, and truly create anything I want to, while inspiring others. You said you were terrified to release this story publicly. What internal conversations did you have with yourself in the weeks leading up to pressing “publish,” and what did that moment ultimately mean for your healing? The biggest internal conversation I had to have with myself wasn’t so much being scared to release it, but more that I didn’t want people to treat me differently after the fact. I didn’t want people to get confused and think I was still feeling that way. The first person I told about the plan for the song was my Mom. I remember we were driving, and I brought it up to her about how I was feeling last year, and it was a lot for her to take in. I told her how nervous I was and how this release could literally make or break my whole image. How would I be viewed after the fact? I’ve tried so hard to become this person everyone looks up to, and now, will they stop looking up to me? My mom told me to remember where I started and remember who I make music for: myself. From that moment, I knew I wanted to release it. On November 8, 2025, at 8:15 pm, I was in a random parking lot, alone, almost having a panic attack when I hit “post.” However, everyone completely supported me, and I got the most love I’ve ever gotten on a release. You’ve become an inspiration for a lot of middle and high school students over the past few years. When sharing something this personal, did you feel a pressure to “be strong,” or did releasing the truth shift your understanding of what strength actually looks like? I definitely felt like I had to keep this image of being strong, especially now that I am 22 years old. However, I think I have always thought of being “strong” as holding in and hiding your emotions. It took a while, but I realized, being “strong” is having the courage to do what no one else will. Being “strong” is truly being confident enough in yourself to get out of your comfort zone. That is being strong, and that is exactly what I did with “Suicidal Drive.” After dropping out of college, starting a full-time job, and focusing on your health, you said 2025 became the clearest year of your life. How did stepping back from music help you become a better artist once you returned to it? Stepping back from putting 100% of my focus into music helped me grow tremendously as an individual. I have a new understanding of what it means to work hard and work towards something. Dropping out of college and going into the “adult world” really matured me more than I was ready for, and I truly think that is why I was able to put together such a great catalog of music for 2025. This year was truly the clearest year of my life, and I’m ready to make 2026’s vision even clearer. You’ve talked about not wanting strict goals for 2026 because letting go brought your biggest year yet. What does creative freedom look like for you right now, and what kind of song do you feel yourself moving toward next? My creative freedom is the same as it has always been, the only difference being, now I can actually use my creative freedom and create what I want with it. 2 years ago, I would never have been able to put out such a compelling and inspiring video as “Suicidal Drive” . I feel like I want my next “huge” drop to be a closure of that song. Closing my past depression out of my life for good, a final part to the trilogy of “7 Years” and “Suicidal Drive.” You give powerful advice about not copying idols and being your own blueprint. What moment in your career taught you the importance of trusting your individuality, especially in a genre where comparisons are constant? I think the biggest moment in my career that taught me to trust my own individuality was after I released “Heartbreak Hotel” in 2023. A lot of people compared me to Juice WRLD on that track, and as much as I love being compared to my idol, I want to make my own lane. I want to be TT17, not anyone else.

Some albums are sonic statements. Sarah Shafey ’s Paper Bag Princess is a full-on declaration of war on stereotypes, on conformity, on the exhausting expectations women carry into every room. Released in 2025, the project marks a radical shift for the LA-based, Canadian-Egyptian artist: stepping away from the classical piano roots that defined her earlier work and stepping directly into the flames of grunge, distortion, and pure, unfiltered rebellion. Shafey didn’t just write this record; she fought for it. She picked up the guitar, leaned into the grit, and used a historically masculine space to reclaim her voice on her own terms. The album, co-produced with heavy-hitters Kyle Ashbourne and Grammy/JUNO talent Michael Hanson, pulls from the spirit of the Robert Munsch book that inspired its name. But this isn’t a retelling. It’s a transformation. A grown woman’s reclamation of agency. A refusal to be shrunk, judged, or packaged into palatable boxes. If there’s one track that embodies this ethos, “New World Disorder” stands tall: a fiery call to burn down old narratives and build something truer from the ashes. 2025 was a year of personal and professional shifts for Shafey, relocating from Toronto to Los Angeles, taking on national leadership roles in equity and inclusion for women in tech, and fearlessly expanding her creative world. But The Paper Bag Princess feels like the anchor: the album where she stepped fully into herself. It’s loud. It’s vulnerable. It’s disruptive in all the right ways. And as she heads into 2026, preparing a new EP blending Futuresynth, Metal, and Grunge, planning to storm West Coast stages, and forming new partnerships, the energy is clear: this is an artist done with compromise. An artist building her world brick by brick. An artist making noise with purpose. For anyone who’s ever felt underestimated, boxed in, or told to tone it down—Sarah Shafey made this record for you. 2025 marked a huge shift for you. From relocating to LA to releasing The Paper Bag Princess. What personal experiences from this year shaped the energy of the album the most? This past year brought a significant shift toward self-acceptance and free expression. Relocating provided the final necessary push. Releasing The Paper Bag Princess was a bold statement of my identity, marking my complete creative and personal sovereignty. I felt more bold and free at the onset of 2025; a change you can hear in the album. Looking back, what was the defining 2025 moment that pushed you toward grunge as the vehicle for your message of rebellion and self-worth? The defining moment was when I chose to actively silence the mental noise and clutter that was stifling me. That happened pretty early on in the year. I use grunge as the vehicle because channeling the guitar's energy and vocal prowess provides the immediate release I need to achieve that core sense of peace. This peace is the source of a more effective rebellion, far beyond disorganized rage. You led several national equity and inclusion events for women in tech in 2025. How did that work fuel your confidence and perspective while creating this record? I'm so glad you asked; the parallels between parity for women in music and women in STEM are impossible to ignore. My work advocating for women in tech, focusing on their confidence and self-advocacy, directly fueled my perspective for the record. This cross-industry passion translated into powerful lyrics that are all about standing up for yourself, no matter the field. How did the move from Toronto to LA in September 2025 affect your mindset, your sound, or the way you see yourself as an artist entering a new era? 100% new era energy! Relocating to LA was a successful mission, driven by the desire for access to this city's intense creative power. I've started to set the groundwork to make magic in 2026, which ensures a massive level up to the next, hyper-charged version of my grunge-electronic sound. I am excited. You’ve called this album a declaration of independence. What part of yourself were you finally ready to unleash that past projects didn’t showcase? This declaration of independence is simply the consequence of getting older, wiser, and clearer on my purpose. I no longer have the patience for hiding. Where past projects used more lyrical riddles, I am now more committed to approaching my lyrics and sound with candor. You’re merging Futuresynth, Grunge, and Metal for your next EP. What emotional world are you trying to build with that fusion? Neon Dreams. 80s Night Drive Escapism. Femme Fatale Power. Big Hair. Surf Waves. Zero Subtlety. If another woman artist felt boxed in, underestimated, or stripped of her narrative, what truth would you want her to take from The Paper Bag Princess? Let being underestimated become your fuel. Your story, your truth, and your voice are the only authority that matters.

Most jazz albums do not begin with violence. Cody Steinmann did. The Minneapolis-based guitarist, composer, and improviser is not interested in turning pain into a mythologised origin story for an artist. Stray Bullet Blues  is a fully instrumental body of work shaped by something far more immediate. A violent moment that shattered any illusion of safety and forced everything into sharp focus. On October 7, 2023, a stray bullet tore through Steinmann’s home. No one was physically harmed, but the psychological impact lingered. Instead of retreating inward, Steinmann picked up his guitar and let the emotion speak for itself. What emerged is a volatile blend of jazz, blues, metal, and rock that mirrors the unpredictability of trauma. The album moves like a sequence of emotional states. It opens with “I Feel Like We’re Bleeding,” a slow-burning eruption that captures shock and hyper awareness. That unease escalates on “I Feel Like We’re Dying,” an eight-minute spiral through fear, adrenaline, and mental overload. By the time the title track “Stray Bullet Blues” arrives, the album begins to reclaim the moment rather than relive it. “Who Am I” leans into vulnerability, using restraint and space as emotional tools. Tracks like “Fleeting Moments” and “Patience And Understanding” soften the edges without losing weight, tracing a gradual return to clarity. The record closes with “They Are You” and its companion track, reinforcing the project’s core message of empathy and connection when it feels hardest to reach out. Steinmann assembled a formidable lineup to carry that weight. JD Allen on tenor sax, Solomon Parham on trumpet, Chris Bates on bass, and Abinnet Berhanu on drums all bring restraint, fire, and intention. The entire album was recorded in six hours. No overdubs. No polish. Just five musicians responding to the same emotional current in real time. Despite its intensity, Stray Bullet Blues  is rooted in forgiveness and empathy. It does not explain itself or soften its edges. It simply tells the truth, without words, in a language that cuts deeper than explanation. This is not a record designed to comfort. It is designed to wake you up and maybe help you feel again. That moment the bullet entered your home, how did the shock settle into music instead of silence? At what point did you know this experience had to become a full album? I think the next day is when it hit me. I didn’t know how to process it. I was in such shock as to what happened and how much damage a single stray bullet could do. I felt blessed, because it could have been much worse. But I didn’t really have words to describe how I felt. I just knew I had a yearning for connection at that point. All I could really feel was energy and it came to me as music. I was almost a sort of bystander in the whole process.  This project pulls from jazz, metal, blues, rock, and improvisation in a way that feels almost volatile. How did the emotional state you were in shape the sonics of each track? I’ve always been influenced by a wide variety of music. I never really saw the difference between genres, they’ve always been music to me. I did feel strongly about certain types of music at certain times, but no matter what “mask” I put on as a kid I actually did enjoy all styles of music. I’m neurodivergent, so I have a different angle on all of this. The volatility probably comes from the loops of emotions I felt throughout the coming weeks and months after the event. It was truly an emotional rollercoaster for me. Each of the tracks represents a different emotional state somewhere in that cycle.  You recorded this entire album in six hours with an elite lineup. What did that session feel like? Were you all tapping into the same emotional current, or did each musician interpret the moment differently?  Yes, it was great! I did a lot of learning making this record. It felt intense, I feel we were all on edge due to the times we’re living in. Everyone absolutely crushed it though. We all knew the story and they were in communication with me during or shortly after the event, so I think that energy permeated the room. We all knew we only had one day in the studio to make it happen too, so we were very focused.   You’ve said you hope this album teaches people empathy and forgiveness. What part of the creative process pushed your own understanding of those concepts the most? Yes I do hope the album teaches people to empathize with one another and helps us to forgive each other and ourselves. I feel like we’re all too hard on one another. The creative process taught me how to forgive people, and how to truly let go. It led me to James Baldwin interviews that affirmed my perspective and also taught me to see others more deeply as part of myself too. Which in turn led me to having a better and more kind relationship with myself. I had a lot of hate in me after this, I learned to let it go completely. I learned all safety is an illusion. I had a clearer idea in my mind of how to hold others accountable and forgive, while not socially isolating them.  Your work is always pushing genre boundaries, but this album feels like a deeper evolution. After Stray Bullet Blues, what does “jazz” even mean to you now? I don’t know, I honestly don’t think about it much. Jazz is a four letter word. Depending on the context, to me, it refers to a particular approach to articulation, rhythm, form, phrasing and space that is inherent in the tradition of Black American Music. More personally, I agree with Wayne Shorter that Jazz means “I Dare You”. I believe what I enjoy about this music the most is the swing and the freedom. I’m eternally grateful that I get to participate in creating and making the music I do today. I hope others will continue to step out without a net and put their work out there.