Top 10 Albums of 2025: Greg Schultz

There was so much great new music released in 2025 and are here a few of my thoughts about 5 of my favorites.

Thirty-Six-year-old Havana born singer/composer Rita Donte was introduced to music at an early age by her piano playing grandmother and soon shifted her focus from dance to music. Her latest album Ritual combines the passion, cultural and rhythmic beats of her native Cuba with a modern, innovative and yet still traditional sound you might expect to hear from her new home in Baja Sir California, Mexico. This record is nothing short of a work of art and why it landed #1 on my Top 10 Albums for 2025.

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Brennen Leigh’s latest Don’t Ever Give Up is straight-up my favorite country record of 2025 and establishes her as a major force in today’s world of country music. With six self-penned and six co-writes Leigh explained that part of the inspiration was making this album free of harmony singers much like Ernest Tubb did back in the 60’-70’. There’s plenty of rollicking honky tonkin’ (Don’t Ever Give up on Love), rousing drinking and cheating songs (Reason to Drink and Dumpster Diving) and a few classic Western Swing tunes such as Alone in the Lonestar. Brennen Leigh is the real deal!

Gabi Hartman’s latest release Le femme aux yeux de continues to validate her path to stardom in today’s crowded world of international jazz. With songs sung in both English and French the Paris based singer/songwriter/producer wrote or co-wrote all but two of the fourteen compositions and cleverly combines jazz and world beats along with modern soul and pop sounds culminating into a lovely collection of beautifully crafted songs. This album is so damn good and while listening to it you might imagine yourself strolling late night down a Parisian Street in the rain.

Sweet Megg’s Never Been Home follow-ups her stellar 2024 release Bluer Than Blue with yet another impressive collection of original songs rooted in country, rock and jazz. Check out the catchy Celtic-country-rocker My Irish Ex, the hard driving Bridge and Tunnel and the country ladened Heartaches. At 22 years old Megg moved to Paris to study jazz in Paris then moved back to her native NYC and evenrtually relocated to Nashville where she continues to write and perform country and jazz music all around world. I see nothing but big things for Sweet Megg in the future.

Back in May I interviewed 40-year-old Chilean singer/songwriter/guitarist and producer Camila Meza and we chatted about her latest album Portal. Fresh off her performance at Carnegie Hall Meza spoke of growing up in a household filled with music and art then soon discovered her love for the guitar and the music of Joni Mitchell and Pat Metheny. Comprised of all new original material this amazing collection of work blends Meza’s impeccable virtuoso guitar style along with elements of jazz, Latin and American folk, pop and fusion beats. Just a beautiful record from start to finish.