GL.25.15: Caseysimone Ballestas
GL.25.25: MATT JASINSKI
GL.25.26: Tom Flanagan
GL.25.27: Mary Pero
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Howdy y’all. I’ve been on a two-year hiatus. Where was I exactly? You’ll have to keep an eye out for my one-man play coming to a theater near you in the next 5–10 years. While that works as both a punchline to a joke and a confusing anecdote, it is partly grounded in reality. I'm currently writing an autobiographical play and taking improv classes at Boom Chicago, so buckle in buddy!
To anyone witnessing me from the outside, life has been a bit tough. This is probably not the right avenue for me to air my dirty laundry, but between a divorce, burnout with work, family deaths, a dictator taking control of the US, and the amount of money it takes to live in the Netherlands, I’ve been all over the place. Seriously, who knew how much money it requires to live in this country? Sorry, Ryan knew. Thanks for your support over the last couple of years in helping me land on my own two feet, ex-hubby.
All this to say that music has landed in the backseat this year. It’s safe to say if it wasn’t Taylor Swift, an animated movie showing kickass demon hunters, or Mother Monster, I didn’t listen to it.
Fully recognizing my blind spots, I’m going to share the top 5 songs of my 2025 "Holy Trinity": Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and the Gay Electives.
Taylor Swift
Please note: I didn’t explicitly include the album that came out this year. I really do love it and listen to it in full at least once a week, but this album has further supported my reasoning why it's better to be a full-on Swiftie than just dipping your toes in the Taylor Alison Swift waters. Showgirl is by no means what we were all hoping for, but you can pick and choose what you like from the album, combine it with songs you know you like from another album, and you have a full "paint-by-numbers" Taylor Swift tapestry at your disposal. For me, I loved Showgirl, but at the end of the day, it made me realize how much I actually loved Tortured Poets.
"Ruin the Friendship" – Taylor Swift
"The Black Dog" – Taylor Swift
"Wood" – Taylor Swift
"The Tortured Poets Department" – Taylor Swift
"Honey" – Taylor Swift
Lady Gaga
It’s so tough to rank this album. Surprisingly, I don’t love "Abracadabra," but it’s on the list to acknowledge its cultural impact. "Perfect Celebrity" reaches the top spot because I immediately think of Courtney Love’s "Celebrity Skin," giving it 10 bonus points. "Disease" is a tried-and-tested first single, "How Bad Do U Want Me" is Taylor-coded, and "Don’t Call Tonight" is just fun.
"Perfect Celebrity" – Lady Gaga
"Disease" – Lady Gaga
"How Bad Do U Want Me" – Lady Gaga
"Don’t Call Tonight" – Lady Gaga
"Abracadabra" – Lady Gaga
The Gay Electives
Ok, I lied, it’s probably not an elective if Ariana Grande and the K-Pop Demon Hunters make up the whole list. I think y’all are getting the gist.
"Golden" – K-Pop Demon Hunters
"Free" – K-Pop Demon Hunters
"Defying Gravity" – Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande
"Twilight Zone" – Ariana Grande
"Warm" – Ariana Grande
Music has always been an area I have been self-conscious about. Years ago, Aaron hinted at me including a list. Rumor has it I wrote one back in 2020 that is lost in Ryan’s iCloud somewhere. He hinted stronger in some years and then gave up for the right reason, but I’m happy to be making my Burn Your Hits debut.
I don’t want to shy away from what music represents in my life: it’s often focusing on feelings over lyrics, being biased for the pop girls that have supported me throughout the years, and jumping on trends five minutes after they are over. But usually, it gives me a chance to show my devotion to a certain artist (Taylor Swift), my open-mindedness for embracing things that some may laugh at (K-Pop Demon Hunters), and aligning with whatever brings the gay community together (Mayhem for Album of the Year).
I’m very thankful for reading these lists every year and reconnecting with those I have similar interests with. This is the energy I want to bring into 2026, and I hope you’ll rejoin me on this journey.
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