Albums Turning 25 in ’25

Joseph Macaulay on 27 February 2025

As the 21st century reaches the quarter-decade mark, its time for a look back at the albums that heralded in the new millennium and have left a lasting musical impact. Here’s five of the most important records that turn 25 this year!

Kid A – Radiohead

Between 1997’s OK Computer and Kid A you can hear a millennium sized sonic shift that left many Radiohead fans bewildered. This wildly experimental LP is a far cry from the Britpop sounds of their 90s releases, and it was with this album that the enigma of Radiohead was consolidated. Cited by many of your favourite electronic artists as their favourite album, it remains as intriguing as ever 25 years on. 

The Marshall Mathers LP – Eminem 

With his third release, Slim Shady is at the height of his lyrical powers. Ringing in the new millennium with the opening ‘Public Service Announcement 2000’, with an attitude as abrasive as ever and a vocabulary just as vulgar, Eminem cemented himself as the man ‘God sent to piss the world off’. Which he did.

Parachutes – Coldplay 

It’s hard to reconcile the intergalactic-arena-soundscape of modern Coldplay with their quieter beginnings, but their debut launched the band into instant stardom. Chris Martin’s tender voice and the bands heart-string-tugging composition marked a sonic departure in British guitar music, away from the bombast of Britpop and into a more emotional age. Parachutes remains their best-selling record to date and helped usher in a new age of indie music. 

Stankonia – Outkast 

Stankonia set the bar for 21st century hip-hop Olympically high with Outkast’s funk filled medley of eccentricity, brilliantly catchy pop, and some of the most highly acclaimed lyrical delivery of all time. This was a new sound for a new millennium, and one that can be heard in countless hip-hop records of the last couple of decades. Big Boi and André 3000 at their very best. 

Hybrid Theory – Linkin Park 

The astronomic success of Linkin Park’s debut saw nu metal reach dizzying heights as the millennium began. It’s hard to think of a more raw performer than frontman Chester Bennington, who put mental health battles in the spotlight in a very profound way. Following his tragic death in 2017, the band was on hold until late last year as they returned with their eighth studio album From Zero. Extending their immense legacy into the 2020s, Hybrid Theory was the record that started it all.

Written by Joseph Macaulay

Eminem Announces New Album: The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)

Jacob Payling on 15 May 2024

Written by Jacob Payling, Edited by Millie Cain

On April 26th, Eminem (Marshall Mathers), released a trailer on social media teasing his new EP ‘The Death of Slim Shady’. In the crime documentary-style clip, a reporter discusses the mysterious death of Eminem’s bleach blonde alter ego, Slim Shady. The reporter points to Shady’s ‘rude lyrics and controversial antics’ as the potential cause of his demise. He later adds: ‘the murder has become one of the most infamous cold cases in American history’.

The trailer also features a cameo from one of Shady’s most famous associates, New
York rapper 50 Cent who describes the ‘blonde anti-hero’ as ‘not a friend’ and a
‘psychopath’. At the end of the viral clip, Eminem is revealed as a murder witness as he leans out
of a pixelated part of the screen. Not only this, he has ran an obituary in the paper edition of The Detroit News, describing how “His complex and tortured existence has come to a close”.

The album’s French subtitle, Coup de Grâce, which translates as ‘a final blow or
shot’, has incited hysteria amongst fans. His closest followers fear this could be the
final release of an illustrious 36 year career. Eminem’s ‘Slim Shady’ persona first debuted on his 1997 release Slim Shady EP. The record sparked the interest of West-coast rapper and producer Dr. Dre but failed to achieve any real commercial success.

Two years later, Mather’s released the track ‘My Name Is‘ as a single from his album
The Slim Shady LP. Despite its controversial lyrical content, the record won Best
Rap Solo Performance at the 2000 Grammy Awards and propelled him towards
stardom.

Eminem went on to dominate the noughties, producing hits such as ‘Without Me’
(2002), ‘Mockingbird’ (2004), and ‘Not Afraid’ (2010). His brash attitude and
willingness to speak his mind captured the attention of teens across the world. His
intricate wordplay even inspired the likes of J Cole and Logic to pick up the mic and
spit.

Despite releasing some of the most recognisable rap verses of all time, recent years
have not been so kind to the Detroit native. A decade-long feud with rapper Machine
Gun Kelly involving several diss tracks has tainted his legendary status. Equally, his
surprise album ‘Music to Be Murdered By‘ (2020) received overwhelmingly negative
reviews.

Many internet trolls have decided he has ‘fallen off’, with some even calling for the
51-year-old ‘Rap God’ to put down the pen and retire.

The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) will be released later this summer.

Let’s hope we’ll be able to lose ourselves in the music.