In 2025, Musicians Keep Making Music for Their Inner Child
CHICAGO, IL — In 2025, a growing wave of musicians is turning inward, making music not just for fans but for their inner child. Across genres from experimental electronic to indie rock and EDM, artists are embracing innocence, playfulness, and youthful wonder as guiding forces in their creative process.
Disiniblud: Playfulness and Pain in Equal Measure
The experimental duo Disiniblud, made up of Rachika Nayar and Nina Keith, embody this trend most vividly. Their self-titled debut album brims with music box melodies, glitchy synths, and expansive soundscapes that feel like stepping into a storybook. Songs like Serpentine and My Flickering Gift to You balance beauty with intensity, layering vocals under waves of electronica that nearly overwhelm their collaborators Cassandra Croft and Tujiko Noriko.
For both Nayar and Keith, revisiting childhood is not a simple escape into innocence. As trans women, they frame the process as a way of healing and reclaiming lost parts of themselves. Nayar explained at a listening event that the child self “has so much to teach you about what parts of you you were told to injure and cut off and eject, but are always still there”. Their music invites listeners to open those same doors — to re-enter the imaginative landscapes we were once told to outgrow.
Horsegirl and the Joy of Simplicity
Chicago’s own indie trio Horsegirl also tapped into their inner child while recording their sophomore album Phonetics On & On. Departing from their shoegaze-heavy debut, the band stripped down to minimalist arrangements, aiming for something “fun, intuitive, and innocent”.
This return to simplicity reflects a desire to create music free from the weight of expectation. Instead of catering to trends, Horsegirl embraced instinct and joy — echoing the same playfulness that inspired them to form a band as teenagers in Chicago’s DIY scene. Their approach resonates with fans craving authenticity in a time when much of music feels calculated for algorithms.
Ninajirachi and the Sound of Adolescence
Australian EDM artist Ninajirachi approached the theme more literally on her album I Love My Computer. Unlike the genre’s typically festival-driven anthems, this record is unusually autobiographical. Tracks like Sing Good and iPod Touch recreate the sounds and feelings she experienced as a 12-year-old falling in love with electronic music.
By channeling her early fascination, Ninajirachi crafted songs that feel both nostalgic and futuristic — a bridge between the raw excitement of first discovery and the polished skill of an established producer. For fans, it is an invitation to remember the thrill of discovering music for the first time, when every beat felt new and limitless.
Black Country, New Road and Storybook Whimsy
Not all artists set out to explore childhood explicitly, but the influence is evident. English band Black Country, New Road leaned into storybook imagery on their new album Forever Howlong, weaving knights, witches, and adolescent language into songs that carry deep emotional weight.
Songs like Besties ask questions that blur the line between youthful play and adult longing — “Do you wanna play forever?” can mean both the innocent fun of schoolyard friendship and the deeper yearning for lifelong connection through music-making. Their work shows how childlike themes can carry profound resonance when reframed in adulthood.
Why the Inner Child Matters in 2025
The resurgence of childlike creativity in 2025 reflects broader cultural desires. In a fast-paced, commercialized industry, these artists resist overthinking and career-driven formulas. Instead, they embrace wonder, vulnerability, and play — values often lost in adulthood but essential to genuine artistry.
For fans, this movement is an invitation as much as it is a trend. Music made for the inner child encourages listeners to reconnect with their own younger selves, revisiting the feelings of awe and discovery that first drew them to music.
At a time when the industry can feel dominated by metrics and algorithms, these musicians remind us that music’s most powerful magic lies in its ability to make us feel free, open, and alive — just like kids again.
For more stories on the artists redefining today’s music, visit ChicagoMusicGuide.com for updates, features, and reviews.