There’s no better feeling than when two (or more) of your favorite artists link up and create an undeniable hit as a result. 2025 was full of moments just like this, and after a lot of deliberation and decision-making, we’ve managed to compile the best of the best.
Here’s our list of the 10 Best Collaborations of 2025, and the reasons we picked them.
10. Gunna & Burna Boy, “wgft”
It’s simple. If you know what the acronym stands for, you know what the song is all about. Gunna has always been able to tap into a smooth R&B pocket, and he showed his range yet again on this one.
Throwing Burna Boy on the track just added more fuel to the fire. The sample provides a laid-back, vibey canvas for Gunna and Burna Boy to set the mood, making “wgft” one of the waviest collabs of the year.
9. Fred again.., Skepta & Plaqueboymax, “Victory Lap”
The moment the beat drops on this one, you know you’re in for a banger. The bass doesn’t take a second off, slapping listeners in the face and blowing speakers left and right. If you want to know who’s partially responsible for this hit? It’s Fred, yet again.
But Plaqueboymax and Skepta add their flavor to the mix. Max transformed the more dance-heavy elements into something more trap-inspired, and Skepta’s flow took it international. “Victory Lap” is possibly a fitting title, since the track is up for a Grammy this year.
8. Metro Boomin, Quavo, Breskii, YKNIECE & DJ Spinz, “Take Me Thru Dere”
Metro’s A Futuristic Summa album is full of hot-weather anthems, but none of them are bigger than “Take Me Thru Dere.” The entire track feels like the nostalgia of going out in the city in mid-July, with white tees and short shorts at every corner.
There was only one goal in mind when creating A Futuristic Summa: to make people move. Metro wanted to bring back the club vibe, especially in Atlanta, and he did just that.
7. Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist, “Lemon Pepper Steppers”
Honestly, damn near every track on Alfredo 2 could have taken this spot on the list, but “Lemon Pepper Steppers” squeezed out the victory. The Freddie & Al pairing comes in many different forms, sometimes smooth and laidback, other times, highly animated. But the menacing sound is the most underrated.
No hook, no bridge, no games, Freddie smokes this beat while detailing what a day in his life is like. And the Alchemist creates the dark chaos that matches the moment.
6. Ken Carson, Playboi Carti & Destroy Lonely, “Off The Meter”
Ken Carson & Destroy Lonely have been going up all year, and on this one, their mentor pulled up to the party. Any time these 3 are in the same place—just like the Antagonist Tour—you know it’s gonna be a movie.
“Off The Meter” has every element you would expect from an Opium link-up of this magnitude. Chaos? Check. Rage? In spirit. Swamp Izzo? You know it. Carti, Ken Carson, and Lone went crazy on one of the biggest collabs of the year.
5. Playboi Carti & Skepta, “TOXIC”
As the biggest album of the year, and a project with 10+ features and 30 songs, of course, a few MUSIC tracks would make the list. This time, Skepta comes through to flex with Carti for yet another international banger.
No matter what the situation, Carti wants to make one thing clear: he has too much profit. He’s copping Jeeps, AMGs, and SRTs, and Skepta is collecting millions in worldwide currency. The delivery on the hook makes it one of the catchiest tracks this year as well.
4. Young Thug & Future, “Money On Money”
We talked about this one before on our Top 10 Songs of the Year list, and for good reason. After the RICO trial and all of the YSL back-and-forth, Thugger came out swinging on his first UY SCUTI single. And he tapped in with the other Atlanta heavy-hitter, Future, for the festivities.
The two picked up right where they left off on their list of crazy collabs. This one sits up there with “Relationship,” “Sup Mate,” and “No Cap.”
3. Offset & JID, “Bodies”
If you’re looking for the most energetic rap song of the year, that’s also full of bars, look no further than what Offset and JID cooked up on “Bodies.” It’s the perfect mix of moshpit and mental gymnastics that JID has become known for.
The standout element of the track, a sample of “Bodies” by Drowning Pool, really takes the song’s energy over the top.
2. Clipse & Kendrick Lamar, “Chains & Whips”
One of the most highly anticipated collabs of the year came by way of Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out. After months of teasers and leaks of the verse, Kendrick’s feature on “Chains & Whips” took timelines by storm when it dropped. His decision to follow a “gen” rhyme scheme mirrored his verse on Pusha T’s “Nosetalgia,” another of his most acclaimed features.
But the reason the song itself is so high on the list? Push and Malice did anything BUT get washed by Kendrick on the track. Throughout the song—and the album in its entirety—Clipse delivered lines that could serve as highlights, even beside what some are calling Verse of the Year.
1. Playboi Carti & The Weeknd, “RATHER LIE”
Playboi Carti and The Weeknd can’t miss. After linking up on The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow track, “TIMELESS,” they doubled back for one of the best songs on MUSIC, “RATHER LIE.” People often associate Carti with raging, which is reasonable, but it overlooks his much more melodic side. “RATHER LIE” is a perfect balance between the two worlds.
Over a futuristic, atmospheric beat, Carti offers his best vocal performance yet. He incorporates every flow we’ve heard from him so far. Between these experiences, The Weeknd delivers the hook, detailing the complex life he leads as a star and how he’d rather keep it away from his girl to keep things simple.
Whether that’s the right approach to take is for you to decide, but it damn sure sounds good. Good enough to be the best collab of the year for 2025.
