Top 30 Albums of 2025 to Drink Tea To

Hello hello!

Welcome to this year's annual list of the best albums to drink tea to!

Over the past year, many artists have stepped up their game, as the music industry has had a better year in music compared to last year. With this, there have been many incredible works of art that pair well with tea to help with meditation and your overall well-being. However, this year's list is the most diverse list that I've released to date, with music genres that span the entire musical globe. With that being said, below are this year's best 30 albums to drink tea to!

Note: The albums below may/may not be critically acclaimed, as this isn't a list for the best albums of 2025. This list is just for the vibes that carry emotion and help with tea and meditation.

(Image: Album Cover Art, photo by Heji Shin for Virgin by Lorde, 2025, property of Universal Music New Zealand Limited)

Top 30

30

Album: F*CK YOU SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!! <3

Artist: Skrillex

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Fresh Sheng Puer, Black Tea, White Tea

Description: Everyone's favorite middle-school artist is back with one hell of a EDM album that's more of a DJ setlist than anything. Skrillex's album is his absolute best work to date, and is a non-regrettable listen. For the EDM lovers out there, this album is a chaotic banger to sync tea time with.

29

Album: Addison

Artist: Addison Rae

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Shou Puer, White Tea, Oolong Tea

Description: Tiktok and YouTube star Addison Rae dropped her debut album this past summer, and released an album that defied expectations. Addison's album is perfectly moody, as her Lana Del Rey-esque album sets a meditative aesthetic for your tea session.

28

Album: Afterglow

Artist: St. Motel

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: White tea, green oolong, puer tea

Description: A modern-take on indie pop-rock that's room filling, with heavy U2 influences, is a room-filling llush album that cuts like butter. This album will have you soaring in outerspace with your next teas session.

27

Album: The Pyre

Artist: The Last Dinner Party

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Rock Oolong Tea, Black Tea

Description: Alt-rock band The Pyre stuns with another consistent atmospheric album that's chill, cozy, and is smooth for any tea time.

26

Album: I Don't Want to See You in Heaven

Artist: The Callous Daoboys

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Sheng puer, black tea, shou puer, rock oolong

Description: This experimental metal-bands album conjoins hard-rock, jazz, and electro elements that makes this heavy-handed metal album an emotional rollercoaster, while sounding new and fresh.

Top 25

25

Album: Pirouette

Artist: Model/Actriz

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify 

Tea Pairing: Black tea, dancong oolong, shou puer, sheng puer

Description: This experimental alternative-rock album is nothing short of an emotional journey. This album beautifully captures tension and build-up with consistency,and will you feeling emotionally spent by the end. While not being your typical alt rock album, this album's unconventional sound is what makes it shine.

24

Album: EUSEXA AFTERGLOW

Artist: FKA Twigs

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Sheng Puer, White Tea, Shou Puer

Description: FKA Twigs released two albums this year. The first album is Eusexa, and the follow-up is called Eusexa Afterglow. While both albums are separate projects, AFTERFLOW is the more elevated and meditative counterpart. This laid-back soul-inspired electro dream-pop ascends to the clouds above, while elevating your next tea time.

23

Album: Glory

Artist: Perfume Genius

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: White tea, sheng puer, aged white tea

Description: Perfume Genius managed to release another career-defining masterpiece. This alt-rock singer/songwriter infused album draws elements of classic rock, while holding space for soft-yet heavy moments that are sobering, and will keep you emotional and grounded.

22

Album: Happiness is Going to Get You

Artist: Allie X

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: White tea, sheng puer

Description: Allie X's new album is a somber, yet smooth pop hit that dig deep into the well of heartbreak, and finding happiness again. The 80's inspired quirkness and laid back synths help carry this album along to help create an atmosphere of being happy, yet content.

21

Album: Silver Deliverer

Artist: Aly & Aj

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Shou puer, aged sheng puer, aged white tea

Description: This heavy, yet light-hearted pop-rock album with blues and folk influences, focuses on the beauty of aging, living life to the fullest, and filling your life with the people who matter the most to you. This is something you'd expect to hear on the patio at your favorite local neighborhood bar.

Top 20

20

Album: THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY!

Artist: JADE

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Green tea, sheng puer

Description: One of Little Mix's breakout stars released her ambitious debut album. With timeless Britney Spears's influenced futuristic-pop, JADE tells all in this groovy night-club banger of an album. While having a consistent vibe through-out, she digs deep to sing about truama endured from the hands of being on the UK's The X-Factor, and trauma from Simon Cowell.

19

Album: Petty Idea

Artist: Amber Mark

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Sheng puer, shou puer, hei-cha, white tea

Description: Amber Mark's new soul-pop album is sensual, moody, and atmospheric. As one of the smoothest albums of the year, Amber's vocals mixed with her ability to write a hook, as well as tell a story, is more than mesmerizing -- It's queen shit.

18

Album: Never Walk Alone

Artist: Blond:ISH

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Sheng puer, shou puer, black tea, white tea

Description: Blond:ISH's debut EDM album draws inspiration from afro-beats, Latin America, and even psychedelic pop-rock (with Empire of the Sun's frontman lending their voices to the album's intro). This electronic album is a vibe that you can grove and meditate to, while feeling familiar yet fresh at the same time.

17

Album: All is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade

Artist: Of Monsters and Men

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: White tea, swheng puer, shou puer

Description: Of Monsters and Men took over half a century to release their fourth album, which goes back to their Icelandic pop-rock and folk roots. However, this album is calm, sobering, moody, and emotional throughout.

16

Album: A Matter of Time

Artist: Laufy

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Shou puer, black tea, aged sheng puer

Description: Iceland made it on this list twice this year! Islandic pop-artist Laufy brings forth a very old-school version of pop -- a 1950s-1960s version of pop, to be more specific. She skillfully brings old old-school back into the limelight, with Disney-esque production that has many memorable moments that will make you think: "Is she from this century?"

Honorable Mention 1

This year's honorable mention almost made the list. The only reason why this album didn't make the cut is that it's a shorter EP that would last throughout half of a tea session (only 20 minutes). However, this small EP can still contribute to an amazing tea session and is worth noting.

Album: Fancy That

Artist: Pinkpanthress

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Any

Description: Pinkpanthress's 3rd album came out swinging. While she might sound like some Gen Z TikTok star (which is because she is), the best way to describe this album is as if Charli XCX dabbled in low-fi EDM while somehow sounding more British. Despite the album's short runtime, this album's laid-back vibe added to its consistent aestheticism, making this album perfect for a shorter tea session.

Top 15

15

Album: Man's Best Friend

Artist: Sabrina Carpenter

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Green oolong, white tea, sheng puer, green tea

Description: Man's Best Friend deals with a break-up in a hilarious yet vulnerable way. Despite being heavy-handed at times, this album's consistent production makes this an excellent album for an enjoyable tea time. Maybe it's Sabrina's cheekiness and wit, or light country influences that are glittered onto this album? Something about it reminds me of Dolly Parton. I couldn't tell you why; it just does.

14

Album: Tsunami Sea

Artist: Spirit Box

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Fresh sheng puer, green tea, black tea

Description: Spirit Box's new album is by far their best and is also one of the best metal albums released all year. The vocal performance, as well as the heavy metal production (which sometimes showed a faint pop influence), was enough to create a moody atmosphere, and enough to get lost in the music with your cup of tea in hand.

13

Album: Virgin

Artist: Lorde

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Sheng puer, white tea, sheng puer, oolong tea

Description: Lorde's 4th studio experimental electro-pop album is a vulnerable re-awakening. While transcending the idea of time, love, and what it means to be a woman, and reconnecting to your inner child. With influences of Imogen Heap and Kate Bush, Virgin's rawness and vulnerability are healing and self-reflective, which is the perfect combination for tea time.

12

Album: Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party

Artist: Hayley Williams

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Shou puer, oxidized oolong, rock oolong, black tea

Description: Paramore's front-runner released another solo album that is moody, emotional, and smooth as butter. Hayley's soft-rock singer-songwriter-infused album is heavy while being chill and relaxing. Listening to Hayley Williams write lyrics like she's reciting her diary to us is a humble reminder to be open and vulnerable.

11

Album: Teal Dreams

Artist: Yazmin Lacey

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Shou puer tea, black tea, taiwanese oolong, scented tea

Description: This soulful R&B/Pop/blues fusion will take you back to the 90s with a modern pop twist, which is enjoyable to help set the perfect mood for any tea time, with a voice that's as rich as butter. Yazmin is virtually unknown, and yet, she released an album that's so well crafted that you'd assume she's a mainstream artistic veteran. To make it all more on-the-nose, Yazmin released a tea blend after her album, and it can be purchased on her website (more artists really should do this).

Top 10

10

Album: The Art of Loving

Artist: Olivia Dean

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify 

Tea Pairing: Sheng Puer, Shou Puer, Rock Oolong/Oxidized Oolong

Description: Olivia Dean's sultry R&B-pop infusion is moody, fresh, romantic, and aesthetically pleasing to the ear. The Art of Loving is such an easy album to meditate to, and transports you to a time of Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston. Smooth, sexy, and meditative; This album is perfect for tea time.

9

Album: EURO-Country

Artist: CMAT

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Black tea, white tea, oolong tea

Description: This country-pop album is fun, chaotic, and room-filling. Irish-born singer CMAT's ability to create a catchy hook with ease and heavy emotion makes this one of the best female country-pop albums since Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves. The highs are high, and the lows are emotional and somber. Despite being pop-heavy, it somehow reminded me of a Fiona Apple album in some regards (call me crazy if you want, but it's there). The vocal layers that create a choir effect, as well as going all-out on every song, make this album a fun and memorable tea time.

8

Album: Everybody Scream!

Artist: Florence + The Machine

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Aged sheng, aged white tea, black tea

Description: Florence + The Machine's most recent masterpiece explores the idea of premonition, heartbreak, and Florence's near-death experience after a miscarriage caused her fallopian tube rupture, which almost caused her to bleed to death. While coming back from the loss of her unborn child, loss of a relationship, and staring death in the face, Florence's new album is the most mature piece of work she's ever put out. While having room-filling bangers, this album keeps you grounded by reminding you that, behind being mythical, is an all-too-real human experience...

7

Album: Femme Fatale

Artist: Mon Laferte

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Black tea, sheng puer, aged white tea

Description: Chilean artist Mon Laferte brings forth a French-inspired jazz album that will make you believe that Amy Winehouse, Edith Piaf, and Adele were all 3 in the recording studio with her. This musical feat carries a heavy punch while also showing vulnerability. Her vocal performance was jaw-dropping and and once-in-a-generation talent. Tea with this album will only send chills down your spine, and will stop the air in the atmosphere around you.

6

Album: Through The Wall

Artist: Rochelle Jordan

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Sheng Puer, Black Tea, Shou Puer

Description: Rochell Jordan's new album 'Through The Wall' is a buttery and sensual soul-pop album that walks the line of being disco-inspired. Rochelle's vocal performance, as well as the smooth and laid-back glittery production, make this album a fun and groovy soundtrack for your next tea time.

Honorable Mention 2

This year's 2nd honorable mention almost made the list. The only reason why this album didn't make the cut is that it's a shorter EP that would last throughout half of a tea session (only 20 minutes). However, this small EP can still contribute to an amazing tea session and is worth noting. It would be a crime not to mention this album somewhere on this year's list.

Album: After EP 2

Artist: After

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Any

Description: After's 2nd EP is best described as an EP that traveled through a time machine from the year 2000, and ended up in 2025. This old-school Moby/Vanessa Carlton-inspired electro dream-pop/rock album sounds nostalgic, yet somehow manages to sound fresh. While you'd expect music from this album to end up on an early 2000s romcom, it somehow managed to make its way to the present day and makes for an amazing tea pairing.

Top 5

5

Album: Nobody's Girl

Artist: Amanda Shires

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Sheng puer, shou puer, aged white tea

Description: Indie country singer-songwriter brings us the heaviest country album of the past decade. Amanda Shire's raw vulnerability is everything that country should be, and is something Loretta Lynn would be proud of. Despite being country, this album's strength lies with its relatability and gorgeousness, while showing every shade of sadness and recovery.

Disclaimer: Do not listen to this album if you experience depression -- it'll push your mental health over a cliff.

4

Album: If You Ask for a Picture

Artist: Blondshell

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Black tea, oolong tea, white tea, sheng puer

Description: Blondshell's sophomore album came out strong. Blondeshell's new soft alt-rock album utilizes enough pop hooks and nonsensical emotional lyrics that'll leave you questioning if she's related to Phoebe Bridgers. While creating a language of her own, Blondeshell's songwriting is catchy and fresh, while reminiscent of early 2000s pop-rock. This album will make you feel comforted during tea time.

3

Album: Let God Sort Em Out

Artist: Pusha T and Malice

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: [This tea pairing is culturally inappropriate]

Description: After nearly 15 years, Pusha T and Malice rejoin to create one of the best rap albums of the 2020s. This album opens up to the mourning of a huge loss while exploring the grief of losing a parent, while continuing to explore themes of feeling guilty for making it out of generational trauma, while watching loved ones stay stuck in the same rut. While being largely produced by Pharrell Williams, and with guest features from Kendrick Lamar, John Legend, Tyler, the Creator, and others, this album stays fresh throughout. This makes for one helluva tea and music pairing.

2

Album: LUX

Artist: Rosalia

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Any

Description: Lux is one hell of an album. Spanish artist Rosalia sang this album in 13 different languages while recording with the London Philharmonic Symphony. Rosalia's production is grand, while somehow still being vocally vulnerable. This album was masterfully crafted and will instantly transport you into another dimension. When this masterpiece ends, you'll be standing up at your tea-table -- ready to applaud Rosalia for the otherworldly journey she just took you on.

1

Album: Blue

Artist: Galdive

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify

Tea Pairing: Sheng puer, shou puer, black tea, hei-cha, aged white tea

Description: Galdive is a relatively new Hong Kong duo that's everything a tea-album pairing should be. This album has progressive and refreshing low-fi beats while incorporating R&B influences with jazz instrumentation. The vocal performance in this album is utterly flawless and will keep you relaxed while head-bopping through your tea session. This ranks as the chillest album on the list, and is everything a tea-album pairing should be.

(Photo: Album Artwork by Tisha/ Kubo for Blue by Galdive, 2025, property of Mom + Pop)

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Do YOU recognize any of the albums in this list? Join the discussion HERE on instagram!!

Happy listening, and happy sipping!

~ Cody

aka The Oolong Drunk

"Blissfully Tea Drunk"