Chinapoet is 1 of 1. I haven’t been this moved by someone’s beats in some time. Journal 9, one of my favorite albums of 2025, is not actually an album, it’s an 18 minute pack of beat clips released as a single track on SoundCloud, meant to showcase the producer’s wares. But I still ran that up all year like I did j dilla’s donuts in middle school and friendzone’s collection 1 in high school. I asked chinapoet the other day why he thinks rappers like his beats. He first laughed and said something like “i have no idea they’re unrappable” but then, after some thought, said it’s because they’re “geometric.” I love that description. It’s so cool to hear music that sounds otherworldly but also like sculpture, rules, axioms, the flow of nature. Slow down and take it in. Listen to chinapoet’s guest mix and interview on my radio show tomorrow at 7pm ET on @nts_radio
Back on @nts_radio this evening with a @swaya96 guest mix and interview. The New York underground sounds a lot like her rn. Really cool mix, lotta unreleased from her solo catalog, prod credits and assorted goodies from sessions at @nocnocstudios where she works with @tony_seltzer . We talked about our Dunkin orders too. 7 p.m. tonight tune in 🫡🔕
Back with another episode of the radio show tonight at 7pm et on @nts_radio . Made a rap/dance mix and I couldn’t stop cheesing the whole time recording it, I rly love doing this 🥲
Photo by @tappedtv I believe from the @finals_finals_finals x @laron.101 Generator show last month
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It was a landmark year for music. If I were a teenager I feel like this would be one of those massive brain-rewiring canon-expanding years (shit it still feels that way 🥲). As always, over at pitchfork.com, we dove headfirst into the noise and documented the very best music of 2025. For real some of the rawest most life-affirming music on these lists you’ll come across, I can’t believe we’re living in such bountiful times. Tap in this holiday season if you haven’t. Grateful to be able to cover music every day with the most thoughtful and passionate writers and editors. All design work by @chrispanicker and lead editors on each list are tagged.
We also published our Artist of the Year cover on @dijondijon_ earlier this month. It’s beautiful and so is the accompanying zine (sold out in a day 😭). Glad we were able to put out these physical issues along with our four cover stories this year. Now turning off my brain for 2 wks 🔕
Credits:
Written by @pxthompson
Photographs and videos by @julianklincewicz
Special thanks to @skinnybonesjoans personal stylist to Dijon
Design by @chrispanicker
