11 January 1 - 7, 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents 10 Best DFW Albums of 2025 Genre switch-ups, deeply personal storytelling and doing things the Dallas way made for some of our favorite projects of the year. BY DALLAS OBSERVER MUSIC WRITERS W e say it all the time (and aren’t likely to stop any time soon), but the Dallas music scene is criminally underrated. This year’s best albums only made that claim more certifiable. Sub-genres like the New Dallas movement further proved the city doesn’t get enough credit for influencing the future of hip-hop. The modernization of traditional country music that has dominated the music industry as a whole is reminis- cent of a sound that has long felt unique to Dallas’ urban cowboy ethos. Of course, with a pool of talent as big as ours, there’s a banger for just about every genre and every ear. These are the ones that gripped ours the most. Still Shinin - 4Batz 4Batz’s latest album emphasized his growth as an artist, proving that 2024’s u made me a st4r was not merely a fluke. On essential songs like “act xi: she ain’t no angel” and “act x: n da morning,” the Highland Hills native demonstrates a move beyond heartbreak, embracing a second chance at love. Mixing Southern charm with appearances from Leon Thomas, FLO, and fellow North Texan Zillionaire Doe, the album presents a distinctive story of young love, bolstered by his further-evolving blend of hip-hop and R&B. This album has signified that his greatest work is yet to unfold. Still Ain Nun Bigger - HeadHuncho Amir On Still Ain Nun Bigger, HeadHuncho Amir blends crafty wordplay, a passion for hustle and fierce momentum to show why he is the third head of the three-headed monster in the New Dallas movement. Anticipation for the album was driven by the hit track “Motivate The City,” featuring a remix with Zillionaire Doe and Montana 700 that pro- moted unity in the streets. Across 17 tracks, including fan favorites like “Booked Up” and “BBTN,” Amir addresses wealth security, avoiding street life pitfalls and staying fo- cused on the money. His latest album, October’s 50 Year Run, also marks a noteworthy milestone in his career, but it’s Still Ain Nun Bigger that truly showcases his artistic brilliance in 2025. Dollar A Day - Charley Crockett The tracks on Dollar A Day are filled with the hard-luck wan- derers that characterize the best of Charley Crockett’s work. The country crooner’s magic has always been rooted in the way he uses music to tell stories about the disenfranchised and downtrodden sons and daughters of the West, and the stories he spins on this newest album are some of his finest. Dollar A Day is epic in the purest sense, a 15-track re- minder of what we love about Crockett’s music. A testament to his skill as a songwriter and performer is how varied these tracks are in tone and composition, moving effortlessly be- tween more light-hearted offerings like “Tennessee Quick Cash” (an ode to a payday loan institution), the openly emo- tional, swooning “Die With My Dreams On” and the atmo- spheric man-on-the-run piece, “Santa Fe Ring.” We loved it when it first came out, and time has not diminished its charms. Life Behind Bars - Vandoliers With the brassy opening notes of “Dead Canary,” Vandoliers immediately announce themselves as modern torch carriers of alt-country. Inspired by lead singer Jenni Rose’s journey to sobriety and decision to come out as a transgender woman in the period leading up to the album’s release, “Dead Canary,” opens with “I was running from my shadow / Tried to hide it, but it followed,” which feels like a deeply personal premise for what follows. And what follows is a high-energy cavalcade of songs that blur the line between rock and country to delightful effect. In particular, “Jim’s Barn” delivers a rollicking pre- lude to the band playing a party at the titular barn that they expect to end in a riot. This album is an example of how a musician’s personal experiences can be channeled into art, creating something meaningful, emotional and resonant that can not only entertain listeners but also en- thrall them. I Hope You’re Happy - BigXThaPlug Regarded as his introduction to country music, I Hope You’re Happy is the most defining moment of BigXThaPlug’s ca- reer thus far. A shift to country might seem like an odd step for X, but the North Dallas native’s heartfelt storytelling and attention to the genre’s essence, combined with some of the biggest names in country, allowed him to shed the title of rapper and transform into an artist who can do it all. Genre heavyweights like Beyoncé, Morgan Wallen, and Luke Combs praised X’s arrival, as tracks like “All The Way,” “Cold,” and “Hell At Night” propelled the album to No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart upon its debut. Al- though a Grammy nomination eluded him in 2025, the me- teoric success proves he’s so far unstoppable in any genre he takes on. Tropicana - Joshua Ray Walker For his first album of 2025, singer/songwriter Joshua Ray Walker delivered a collection of songs in the tradition of classic country music. There’s a bonhomie to the finished product, a pervasive cheerfulness that makes it impossible to listen to the work without smiling. “I Don’t Wanna Be Alone” especially impresses, with a peppy declaration (“I don’t wanna be alone / I don’t wanna be alone tonight”) working its way up to full-blown ear- worm status as it repeats. The album’s closing number, “I Hope I Have Fun Dying,” is a similarly winning moment, recounting the narrator’s experience accidentally taking edibles. This might be the most fun album to emerge from Dallas this year, because even with the raw emotion be- hind, it’s delivered with wit and playfulness. Dirty Laundry: Unfolded - Dezi 5 Put on your marching boots, because Dezi 5’s latest album is a parade of bangers. The music on Dirty Laundry: Unfolded is funky, soulful and dreamy. Dezi 5 has tapped into some- thing pure with his sound, delivering tracks with the power to play you like a marionette; you can’t help but shimmy and groove to his beats when they ooze from a speaker. Highlights from the album include the title track, an upt- empo piece built around its titular metaphor, deployed as a double entendre, and “Missin’ Myself,” a softer, more intro- spective tune about someone realizing their life has gone off the rails. Mr. 14 Months - Zillionaire Doe Mr. 14 Months cemented Zillionaire Doe as the hottest new artist in DFW hip-hop. As the face of the New Dallas move- ment, he captivated listeners with his magnetic tone and hypnotic persuasion across 14 tracks, while honoring the lessons learned from his Southern hip-hop forefathers. The album includes the “Back To The South” remix featuring Yo Gotti, their first collaboration since Doe signed with Gotti’s CMG imprint. On his second effort with the label, he blends lyrical authenticity with gripping street stories in a way that allows him to establish success on his own terms. Joel Wells Jr. & The Revelers Hall Band On their self-titled 2025 album, Joel Wells Jr. & The Revel- ers Hall Band deliver a bracing mix of original compositions and covers that form a jazz-infused phantasmagoria. The songs captured on this album serve as a poignant reminder of what the venue’s musicians contribute to the cultural landscape of Bishop Arts. In particular, the group’s reinterpretation of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising” works quite well, as it leans into the lyrics’ more ominous implications, rest- ing as a moody, urgent warning. Similarly effective is “Back to Texas,” the album’s penultimate track, which uses Wells’ vocals to spine-tingling effect. The track is delightfully constructed, with the early portion carried by a piano, but slowly building to a roar with horns blasting and Wells at his full-throated best. Listening at full volume is the most spiritual experience you can have without being on holy ground. Alex O’aiza - Alex O’aiza It’s quite fitting that the newest release from Alex O’aiza would be a self-titled project, as the five-track EP often feels like the front-row view of an artist unlocking a pivotal mo- ment of self-assurance. Over the last half-decade or so, we’ve watched the Dallas indie-pop artist explore myriad soundscapes. On Alex O’aiza, he finds a throughline traced from vibrant, ‘80s-nod- ding pop (“Guayaba”) to lovetorn musing (“Let You Go”) and a Spanish-language heartbreaker (“YNMA”). If your Spotify Wrapped usually spans from The 1975 to Rauw Alejandro, you’ll find yourself adding these to the queue. The title track — if you’re following, that’s “Alex O’aiza” by Alex O’aiza on Alex O’aiza — lands like an anthemic the- sis for this decisive new perspective as an artist. He opens the song with “Asi que denle la bienvenida/ El estrella, el futuro / Alex O’aiza (Please welcome, the future star: Alex O’aiza),” in a way that feels less loaded with hubris, and more like an infectious manifestation. We’re inclined to be- lieve him. Island Records & Lone Star Rider, LLC Charley Crockett’s album Dollar A Day is an epic release. >> p12
