25 is a landmark birthday, encouraging you to look back on the first 1/4 century of your life, where it has led and what you have learnt. But it can also leave you stranded between childhood and adulthood, split between social escapism or settling down forever.
Our collection of songs about turning 25 covers it all, whether you’re excited for the age, transition and its potential, or wondering how you’ve made it this far in the first place.
Songs About Turning 25
1. The Pretty Reckless – 25
The Pretty Reckless’ sleek melodic rock track, 25, offers an artistic yet sombre take on the topic of growing up. TPR weave a gradual count upwards through the ages of a relationship, detailing each annual instance of faithfulness and fulfillment;
“Year one was lots of fun but nothing lasts forever in my dreams, and two, I followed you because you knew the way or so it seemed, and three, I still believed that we would be becoming destiny, and four, I wanted more but you were moving on to better things.”
Alongside a brutal illustration of pre-teen hope crushed by the bitter reality of adulthood, 25 anchors its message in true shock at remaining alive after a mounting number of personal tragedies depleting the narrator’s optimism for the future;
“At twenty-five and still alive, much longer than expected for a man, at twenty-five all hope has died, and the glass of my intentions turns to sand, and shatters in my hand.”
2. G Herbo – Turning 25
G Herbo pads his 2021 hip-hop release, Turning 25, with a lush beat carrying the owllit midnight ambience set by his intro throughout the entirety of the piece, “It’s G Herbo, I’m in New York right now man, my birthday at midnight, n**** about to be 25.”
Turning 25 captures one of the most profound elements of ageing in an addictive, relatable style, Herbo’s lyrics illustrating some of the darkest phases of his life in stark comparison to the accomplishments earned through lessons learnt along the way;
“S*** really feel like a century, it’s just a quarter century … Now a n**** rich, all the fans see a n**** lit, remember days I was finna quit, lonely nights on the sip, war time hopping in the whip, on the block with it on my hip.”
3. Tatiana Manois – 25 Doing Just Fine
Tatiana Manois’ vibrant pop track, 25 Doing Just Fine, takes an optimistic approach to starting a new era of life, refusing to let the bleaker moments of the past colour the prospects of a happy future.
25 Doing Just Fine anticipates brighter years ahead, no matter what misery the past entailed, whilst translating the carefree nature of youth to standing strong and carefree against the strain of adulthood;
“Dear old me, don’t look back, there’s so much that you have ahead of you, I never thought it’d go the way it’s going now, I learned to love the way you stand out from the crowd.”
Tatiana’s most stunning sentiment is the contrast between childhood expectations and adult reality, composed from a positive, free-spirited perspective rather than languishing in resentment for unfulfilled dreams;
“Thirteen, dreaming of a wedding ring, can’t wait to throw a bouquet, fast forward, I don’t know anything, but I say, ‘I’m doing okay’ … Growing up’s really messing with my mind, but everything will be alright.”
4. Niki Demar – 25
This contemporary pop track by Niki Demar submerses its morose lyrical message beneath distracting harmonic optimism, disguising itself as a bubblegum pop track whilst illustrating the feeling of worthlessness during what should be one of the best eras of your life.
Demar is fearless about her insecurities, flooding her lyrics with comparisons between herself and her peers, mimicking the stress of feeling out of place within an age group where everyone is staggered at different stages;
“Half of my friends have kids and half of my friends are still doing things we did, pretending like it’s 2010 again, I don’t know where I fit, I’m still writing songs on the floor of my apartment and I find myself missing things that I didn’t think I’d miss .”
Backlighting the peer-pressure of settling down, Demar highlights parental stress caused by generational comparisons and mismatched expectations that come hand-in-hand with landmark birthdays;
“My mom talks about how she was already married and my age when she had me, I know her intentions are good, but they mess with my head.”
5. The Murderburgers – Turning 25 Was S***
The Murderburgers’ 2013 pop punk track, Turning 25 Was S***, captures the reckless energy of the last years of true youth, crafting an anthem for those retaining their teenage sense of worthlessness well into their 20s;
“I crawled back into bed after an hour today, because the feeling of failure hadn’t gone away, but my list of things to tick off is getting long and there’s only so much good that can come from writing a song.”
Turning 25 Was S*** is about feeling like a child, choiceless and dragged through life by the collar, drawing upon the worst aspects of ageing into a life you could never envision;
“I’m damned whatever I do and I’m doomed if I don’t, I don’t know what’s going on, before the setting of the sun I can’t get anything done, but still the day seems too long … I’ve lost the feeling that I’ll ever get some kind of balance.”
6. Benny Afroe – Twenty Five
Benny Afroe’s R&B/pop track, Twenty Five, devotes its lyrics to envisioning the ideal life at age 25. Afroe’s narrator gazes into the future, showcasing blinding levels of optimism for his own potential.
However, once the blatant narcissism of this track is removed, a message of gathering unparallelled confidence is revealed, inspiring success in every year ahead;
“At twenty five, twenty five, we gonna be top of the food chain, we gonna be rocking them gold chains, we gonna be top of the race though, we gonna be back in a Range Rover, we ain’t stopping till the game over.”
Afroe’s theme of making optimistic long-term plans is motivated by the desperate need to move on from your current reality, grow up and evolve into the person you’re destined to be, affirming a song for anyone striving to have better by the age of 25;
“This life ain’t normal, everything seems so strange … Trying to make ends meet, tryna pay fees, tryna graduate and make my momma proud, but at twenty five I’m gonna make her even more proud.”