A New Pop Order: The 2025 AMAs Crown a New Generation of Stars

The 2025 American Music Awards marked a seismic shift in who holds the reins of popular music. While a few familiar names held their ground, the real story was the coronation of a new wave of pop titans and genre benders who are reshaping the cultural canon.

With Jennifer Lopez hosting the evening with poise and a few welcome jabs at industry vanity, the AMAs felt like less of a ratings grab and more of a referendum on the future of music. And if the fans—who vote for the winners—are to be trusted, that future is in good, if not wildly experimental, hands.

Let’s start at the top: Billie Eilish was crowned Artist of the Year, a title that feels both well-earned and a signal of her continued ascent as a generational voice. “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” her Album of the Year winner, was a high-stakes artistic risk that paid off in layered vulnerability and sonic sophistication. Billie Eilish has made the kind of pivot that pop legends do in their third acts—but she’s only just entered her mid-twenties.

Then there’s Chappell Roan, a true breakout whose The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess wasn’t just nominated for Album of the Year—it also propelled her to win New Artist of the Year, and land multiple nods across categories. Chappell Roan feels like the avatar of this post-pandemic pop generation: emotionally maximal, aesthetically unbothered by genre boundaries, and resolutely queer in her lens.

The AMAs have long had a reputation for echoing popularity rather than pushing taste, but this year they did both. Kendrick Lamar, despite leading nominations, took home fewer wins than his dominance might suggest. Yet “Not Like Us”, his blistering diss track-turned-anthem, still clinched Hip-Hop Song of the Year, underscoring how even Lamar’s most combative moments transcend rap beef to become pop culture currency.

The Song of the Year category, typically the most conservative in terms of chart-friendly picks, was refreshingly adventurous. From Hozier’s “Too Sweet” to Shaboozey’s viral “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”, there was a clear trend toward songs that felt lived in—tracks with texture and a pulse rather than shiny studio polish. Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” and Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” walked the tightrope between vulnerability and mass appeal, with Teddy Swims also nabbing a Pop Song nod.

On the collaborative front, there was something faintly nostalgic—and yet surreal—about seeing Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars win for “Die With A Smile,” a track that could have easily existed in the early 2010s but feels just as impactful now. Add in Taylor Swift and Post Malone’s “Fortnight,” and the AMAs unintentionally mapped the growing influence of crossover collaborations that blur pop, trap, and country with increasingly seamless fluidity.

Speaking of genre-blurring: Post Malone’s surprising presence in the Country categories, including a win for “I Had Some Help” with Morgan Wallen, was a signal that we’re well past the era of genre purism. He’s not just dipping his toes—he’s cannonballing into Nashville’s pool, and the fans are swimming with him.

SZA, perhaps the night’s emotional lodestar, was rightly recognized in the R&B categories, especially for her “Saturn” era that continues to balance intimacy with interstellar ambition. SOS Deluxe: LANA is more than a deluxe reissue—it’s a statement of artistry.

Then there were the quieter, equally telling wins. Rosé of BLACKPINK breaking into the Collaboration of the Year list, and Tyla taking home Favorite Afrobeats Artist, prove that global sounds are no longer niche. They’re defining the mainstream.

Across the board, the 2025 AMAs didn’t just reflect music trends—they reinforced them. Pop is no longer a genre; it’s a language spoken in dialects from R&B to Afrobeats, from Midwest queer glam to trap-country fusions. This year, the fans weren’t looking for the safest choices. They were chasing emotion, identity, story—and, most of all, change.