The Contenders, Vol. 24: JADE, S.G. Goodman, Cleo Reed, more

With the end of 2025 in sight, we pause to update our running list of the year’s best songs. Our latest adds include the (possibly twisted) dance pop of JADE, a brutal but affecting story song from S.G. Goodman, power pop from the band Liquid Mike and more. But we open with a question: Benson Boone... kinda awesome?

Featured artists and songs:

1. Liquid Mike: “Double Dutch,” from ‘Hell Is An Airport’

2. Cleo Reed: “Always the Horse, Never the Jockey (feat. IWEWE),” from ‘C**try’

3. JADE: “Plastic Box,” from ‘THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!’

4. S.G. Goodman: “Snapping Turtle," from 'Planting by the Signs’

5. Ken Pomeroy: “Stranger,” from ‘Cruel Joke’

Weekly reset: A breezy, Sunday morning in a small town

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