It is quite a feat to keep track of plot developments in the ongoing story of this ever-changing thing we call “Nashville music” each year. Like every year, I owe a major debt of gratitude to a small army of freelance contributors and staff colleagues for their work across a broad spectrum in 2025 — and to you for reading our work. With that in mind, here is a highlight reel of happenings.

Rock ’n’ roll and its cousins keep contributing threads to the national and global conversation around local music. They also nourish multiple scenes around town, and have yielded another outstanding slate of releases. That includes the forward-leaning indie rock of Paramore leader Hayley Williams’ Grammy-nominated solo LP Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party (read more in our interview) and the pop-punk

See Full Page