Episode 373: 2025 WRAP-UP “Reviewing the Year's Best & Worst in Music & DJing”

This week on @RoadPodcast we're joined by @Kazi, @Shwcase and @DJMarcoPenta to close out 2025 with a full wrap up of what actually mattered this year, breaking down Top 5 Club Bangers before diving into why songs are taking longer to connect, the lack of label support, and whether release dates should move back to Tuesdays so audiences can learn records before the weekend (14:13). The crew gives @Kehlani her flowers and talks about the success of “Folded” (19:33), then unpacks how rappers who once made club hits are now making gym or car music, GRWM and ‘vibey’ records, why “Whim Whammiee” feels like a novelty song, and how labels treat these tracks like penny stocks for quick money (31:10). A standout conversation follows on whether NYC DJs play edits or originals, genre flexibility in New York and what actually makes an edit better than the original (41:08). This leads into the Top 5 Edits (41:20) and a discussion on edit oversaturation after viral moments and why DJs lean on edits before developing their own style (51:32). The crew then reveals their Top 5 Editors of 2025 (1:23:01) and moves into Top 3 Overrated Tracks (1:39:40). The episode continues with Top 3 Artists (2:01:01), a wider Top Artists of 2025 conversation featuring Bad Bunny jokes, Drake talk, Beyonce’s unmatched versatility for DJs, and why legacy artists remain essential in 2025, ending with Crooked’s top three (2:18:03). They also cover Top 3 Back in Rotation (2:16:01), Crooked’s stories from @Moochie’s party at @RecordRoom in New York and why it stood out (2:47:00), Top Live DJ Sets (2:33:01), Favorite Moments from the year (2:53:01), and the most valuable lessons learned heading into 2026 (3:03:01).

This episode is sponsored by @SoundCollectiveNYC, an industry-leading music school, musical space and community located in downtown Manhattan for aspiring DJ’s, Producers, Musicians and more. Take private Ableton lessons, practice DJ routines, experiment with different audio equipment and reserve studio spaces for just the day, maybe a week or sign up for their monthly membership. Check www.soundcollective.com for more info and try their Online Classes free for a month by entering the code “ROAD”. If you’re in the New York area, visit them at 28 Broadway, New York, NY 10004 and tell them the Road Podcast sent you!!

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