Compared to 2021, this year definitely felt weaker when it comes to albums. Mini albums faired better than full-lengths, but apart from a few mega-standouts, most K-pop releases took a piecemeal approach to their music — too often stuffing tracklists with a horde of different producers rather than settling on one unique vision.
Like usual, my top ten list is cut in half, presenting the top five mini albums and the top five full albums. My eligibility criteria has widened just a bit to include a few important highlights:
- Mini albums must have at least four full tracks to qualify
- Repackages are considered the definitive version of an album (unless otherwise noted)
MINI ALBUMS
Honorable Mentions:
LE SSERAFIM – Fearless
Woodz – Colorful Trauma
SF9 – The Wave Of 9
TO1 – UP2U
ATEEZ – The World Ep.1: Movement
Chungha – Bare & Rare Pt.1
5. ENHYPEN – Manifesto: Day 1
2022 was the year when ENHYPEN’s music finally clicked with me, and Manifesto was a big influence on that. It’s a lean, four-song effort where every song works well. Shout out to the fantastic “Shout Out” — a bombastic summertime single that never was.
Standout Album Tracks: Shout Out, TFW (That Feeling When)
4. CSR – Sequence: 7272
I love when rookie artists burst right out of the gate with an identifiable concept. You could criticize Sequence as nothing more than a Lovelyz/GFriend cosplay, but the songs are strong and no one else is tackling this sound right now. Fans of bright, effervescent pop music will find plenty to love here.
Standout Album Tracks: Euratcha!, Toi Et Moi
3. Brave Girls – Thank You
Brave Girls retain last year’s third place slot with another all-killer, no-filler dance pop album that sees them in full mastery of their sound. Any of these songs could have been singles and there’s a consistency to Thank You‘s vision that makes it hang together well.
Standout Album Tracks: Can I Love You, Love Is Gone
2. CRAVITY – New Wave
So many of CRAVITY’s past albums felt like a grab bag of styles. New Wave stands out for its consistency. The group fully embraces a brighter sound palette, resulting in a string of tracks that compliment each other while standing apart as individual highlights.
Standout Album Tracks: Automatic, Colorful
1. Golden Child – Aura
Far and away my favorite musical project of 2022, Aura threatens 2018’s Miracle and 2021’s YES as my favorite Golden Child mini. Every song is excellent, but that opening trio marks a career highlight. The sounds on Aura are varied, yet pulled together by the group’s confident performance. And most importantly, the songwriting is just top-tier. Some of the industry’s best producers have highlights here.
Standout Album Tracks: Knocking On My Door, 3! 6! 5!, Miracle
FULL ALBUMS
Honorable Mention:
Dreamcatcher – Apocalypse: Save Us
5. Key – Gasoline
Though not as consistently great as his first album, Gasoline is still the work of an artist who knows exactly what he wants to do. Its highlights are plentiful and the music drips with style.
Standout Album Tracks: Guilty Pleasure, Villain, Bound
4. Oh My Girl – Real Love
Real Love‘s title track isn’t among Oh My Girl’s best, but the rest of the album makes up for this misstep. It’s a brilliant blend of quirky experiments and buoyant pop music, dripping with personality.
Standout Album Tracks: Blink, Replay, Parachute
3. DRIPPIN – Villain: The End
I anticipate this album will see a repackage soon, which may eventually raise its placement on this list. But even in its original form, The End holds enough highlights to make it a standout of the year. Some songs feel a bit too trendy for their own good, but the album’s dramatic, rock-fueled sound deepens DRIPPIN’s discography in a satisfying way.
Standout Album Tracks: Silence, Monster, Champion
2. PSY – PSY 9th
This album has been postponed more times than I can count, but the end result turned out to be worth the wait. PSY 9th plays like the coolest party in K-pop, inviting multiple high-profile guests to join in the fun. It’s incredibly varied and occasionally quite bonkers, but even the album’s more “out there” moments hold together thanks to the strength of PSY’s personality.
Standout Album Tracks: Now, Everyday, Dear Me
1. Girls’ Generation – Forever 1
Girls’ Generation understood their mission with Forever 1, and they succeeded beyond the shadow of a doubt. The album plays like an extended victory lap, bounding through genres that reference the group’s various eras. The front half is particularly strong, with highlights like Lucky Like That, You Better Run and Villain painting the group in different musical colors. And of course, it all kicks off with the blazing title track — one of the most effusive openers in Girls’ Generation’s history.
Standout Album Tracks: Lucky Like That, You Better Run, Closer
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I enjoyed N.Flying and Kihyun’s EPs, as well. Plus, LUCY’s Childhood really clicked with me around the beginning of November (so, a drastic listening habit change right when Spotify stoped tracking, as is tradition 😉 ). Helps that I’m starting to understand the lyrics on my own a bit!
LikeLiked by 2 people
my faves this year are FOREVER 1, FEARLESS, YOUNG-LUV.COM and The ReVe Festival 2022 – Feel My Rhythm. I’m really liking NCT DREAM’s newly released Candy EP too.
LikeLike
I haven’t even given the whole Candy album much attention yet because I’m so stuck on “Candy” itself—the production is just glorious 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
it’s definitely good! but I still prefer the original. the album is all I’ve been listening to since its release, you should give it a proper listen
LikeLike
My fave albums this year :
Ateez’s Guerilla Album (For once a whole album from Ateez and a the bsides actually managed to catch my attention!! ❤❤)
Le Sserafim’s Anti Fragile Album (Excellent album and I loved all the songs in this!)
Xdinary Heroes Test me Album (The bsides are low-key more amazing than the title! Strawberry Cake and Sucker Punch are probably my favorites!)
HM : P1Harmony’s Do It Like This Album, SKZ Maniac Album (Venom, Charmer and Freeze are real highlights!)
LikeLiked by 3 people
im sorry but onlyoneofs instinct pt 2 eats everything here up by MILES for me. i love industrial type stuff and experimental pop/r&b (in particular i ADORE machine girl iamx portishead crystal castles and jpegmafia) so that being said its prolly the only kpop release this year i completely loved from front to back it just ticks SO SO many of my personal music boxes and it rlly sounds like nothing else in kpop rn aaaaaaa i love that mini so much
(that being said ultimate bliss is easily my top bside of the year)
LikeLiked by 3 people
I’m getting into (and really liking) Jpegmafia, and although I don’t adore OOO’s mini as much as you do, I still quite like it.
What’s your favourite album from him?
LikeLike
easily veteran! the production is unlike anything ive ever heard before. its….how do i describe it…..the auditory equivalent of one of those creepypasta videos where it glitches to some cryptic disturbing image for a millisecond every 20 secs or so. and ofc u got peggy himself the mans delivery is incredible
his other albums are a lot more toned down in that aspect imo so theyre a bit harder for me to enjoy
LikeLiked by 1 person
csr and golden chikd’s albums are the fucking goat, deserved those spots
anyway nick, if you’re going to review loona’s comeback on january (you probably shouldn’t for morality’s sake), DO NOT LINK THE ORIGINAL MUSIC VIDEO. try to find some reupload on youtube which doesn’t give revenue to their company, since the more money thats given to BBC, the more they’ll continue to exploit the members
LikeLiked by 5 people
Would a reupload of the music video on YT still give revenue to BBC, as it contains the copyrighted music? Probably best to not link anything at all in that case.
LikeLiked by 1 person
oh in that case, downloading the MV as an mp4 and uploading it to a file sharing website could work
LikeLike
My favorite EPs are NewJeans (4 perfect songs), Fifty Fifty (3 perfect songs marred by the last track, which I pretend isn’t there), and Le Sserafim’s two. Favorite album is Dreamcatcher’s Apocalypse: Save Us. If OnlyOneOf combined all the Underground Idol tracks into one EP, that would be far and away my favorite EP.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ugh; should have read, “Besides GolCha’s Aura, my favorite EPs are…”
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have a weird sense that the Underground Idol songs will be combined into a repackage of some sort next year. This is based on nothing but my hopes and dreams, of course…
LikeLiked by 3 people
I have your honorable mentions on heavy rotation since a few weeks, so I guess I’m in agreement with all of this haha.
I don’t know if you’ll mention it because it qualifies as Jpop but Twice Celebrate has turned out to be one of my standout albums this year. There’s a cohesive vibe, and some kind of maturity in the lyrics. The whole thing matches the cover so well haha.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My album picks this year are:
(Minialbums)
Fighting by Rolling Quartz- incredible rock songs, Jayoung’s voice is insane. My fav songs are Azalea, Holler, and Delight
Thank You by Brave Girls- So I just love everything they do, apparently! Lush synthy dancepop perfection. My fav songs are literally all of them
Feel my Rhythm by Red Velvet- This was such a Pretty album, they all sound so good and I love the orchestral sounds. Ny fav songs are Bamboleo, In My Dreams, and the title track
Memem and Geekyland by Purple Kiss- I’m forever impressed by how much lyric-writing and composition they do, and both their minis were excellent this year. My fav songs are Cursor, Hate me Hurt me Love me, and Love is Dead
Between 1&2 by Twice- Twice’s alhums continue to get stronger and stronger! This felt like a perfect marrying of both their pre and post-Fancy work. My fav songs are Talk That Talk, Trouble, and Queen of Hearts
28 Reasons by Seulgi- Seulgi slayed this, quite simply. My fav songs are Crown, Los Angeles, and Dead Man Runnin
Lethality by Kwon Eunbi- A measured and lethal (ha!) execution of pop that delves into some interesting styles along the way. My fav songs are Croquis, Simulation, and Underwater
(Full albums)
INVU by Taeyeon- I am SO here for dance!Taeyeon, I love her voice so much and this is her best album by far. My fav songs are Toddler, Siren, and INVU
Lowlife Princess: Noir by Bibi- I am completely obsessed with Bibi’s work and artistry, and this was an absolutely killer first album. My fav songs are Animal Farm, City Love, and Jotto
Horn by Apink- I recently (finally!) got into Apink and this was such a good album, I’m so glad they’re so active nearly twelve years into their career. My fav songs are Dilemma, Red Carpet, Single Rider, and My Oh My
Bare and Rare pt. 1 by Chungha- this is a full album, not a mini! While I patiently wait for part 2, I appreciate her lyricism on this and the variety of sounds. My fav songs are Love Me Out Loud, Crazy Like You, California Dream, and Goodnight My Princess
Forever 1 by Girls Generation- there is an alternate universe in which SNSD didn’t release this and instead had one boring ballad released, and I am SO glad we do not live in it. My fav songs are the title track, Villain, and Lucky Like That
LikeLiked by 3 people
just a bunch of albums and eps I liked, not really in any order but the NCT monolith made some nice things so they are kind of camped at the top. I put in anything else I like besides K-pop.
NCT 127 – 2 Baddies (the title was a stiff,but the rest of the album is great).
NCT Dream – Beatbox
Golden Child – Aura
UP10tion – Novella and Code Name: Arrow
Tempest – it’s me, it’s we and Shining up
Onew – Dice
TAN – 1TAN
Kinoj2sly – Act!
Da-Ice – Reversi
Ayumu Imazu – Pixel
DPR Ian – MIITO
KAI – Peaches
Nine-i- New World, I (Pt1)
Yena – Smiley
TripleS – Access
CIX – OK Not
PSY – 9th
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yes, and that ATeez ep, Movement was excellent as well.
LikeLike
2 Baddies is a great album – and I like the title track too 🤪.
Although, I don’t like PSY’s album, and would rank that in one of my least favourite albums of the year (despite liking ‘Now’).
LikeLike
SNSD at the top of the list and releasing a solid full album although they’ve been in the industry for fifteen years we love to see it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There were so many great albums this year. Key, I love Twice with all my heart and soul and both of their albums are the best things ever, Onew’s Dice, NewJeans, Le Sserafim’s Anti Fragile, Nayeon has every single little bit of my heart, I really love RM’s album, SNSD are never not great, ditto for Red Velvet, I also really loved Stayc and Kep1er, and Stray Kids are the best. I loved so many releases this year. I think if forced to chose Key’s Gasoline is probably my favorite but its very close.
LikeLike
following up on my first comment, news recently came out about the loona members’ contracts
basically, any revenue that is earned through loona is split between 70% for BBC and 30% for the members
however, expenses that go into activities are split 50:50 between both the company and the members
let’s say 100,000 krw was generated and costs were 70,000 krw
bbc: 70,000 – 35,000 = +35,000
loona members: 30,000 – 35,000 = -5000
which means for every activity that’s done, the loona members are going further and further in debt
in conclusion, FUCKING BOYCOTT THIS COMEBACK, DO NOT DO ANYTHING THAT PUTS FURTHER MONEY INTO BBC’S POCKETS
LikeLiked by 1 person
10) *Seulgi – 28 Reasons*
1. 28 Reasons
2. Anywhere But Home
9) *NewJeans – New Jeans*
1. Attention
2. Hurt
8) *fromis_9 – Midnight Guest*
1. DM
2. Escape Room
7) *fromis_9 – from our Memento Box*
1. Rewind
2. Stay This Way
6) *Golden Child – Aura*
1. Replay
2. Miracle
5) *Yena – Smiley*
1. Pretty Boys
2. Smiley
4) *Le Sserafim – Fearless*
1. The Great Mermaid
2. Fearless
3) *Le Sserafim – Antifragile*
1. Antifragile
2. Impurities
2) *viviz – summer vibe*
1. Love Love Love
2. #FLASHBACK
1) *CSR – Sequence: 7272*
1. Pop? Pop!
2. Manito
Other good albums:
NCT 127 – 2 Baddies
Prsnt – Crazy Driver
Girls’ Generation – Forever 1
Key – Gasoline
Red Velvet – Feel My Rhythm
SF9 – The Wave OF9
Kim Areum – Ocean Wave
OnlyOneOf – Instinct, Pt. 2
Eunbi – Lethality
LikeLike
I am so happy Cravity put out some good music this year. Both releases were solid and Automatic and Boppin are two of my favorite B-sides this year.
You also reminded me to dive into Key’s album. I need to cross that off the list before the year is over.
I think my favorite release of the year was Nayeon’s debut mini album. It stayed on repeat for me for weeks, and I really don’t think it had a weak song on it.
Other highlights for we were Red Velvet’s Reve Festival-Feel My Rhythm, Tempest’s debut mini, Winner’s Holiday and Le Sserafim’s Antifragile (The Hydra is one of the best intros to an album I’ve heard in a long time!).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Manifesto : Day 1 is not my most favorite album of Enhypen (I still prefer Border : Carnival). But I admit that the tracks from this album is very stable, even Walk The Line and Foreshadow are so good just to be an intro and outro. It’s been two years since Enhypen’s debut and they always feel novel and experimental for each comeback, kinda get why people always have different opinion and taste for them, it’s often controversial (lol). Given-Taken is an alluring, graceful mysterious song that describes their Vampire lore. Drunk-Dazed, the dance type of song that makes you wanna dance along with it in the darkness. Feeling the energetic and refreshing side of them in Tamed-Dashed. Started Y2K concept in 2022 with the cool Blessed-Cursed, but then comeback with Future Perfect that seems futuristic & passionate. I’m very excited to see their new side for the next comeback!
LikeLike
is there a way to disable pingbacks from other sites? there’s been a lot of “okay-pop” copycat posts on recent posts
LikeLike
There is, and I have them disabled. But for whatever reason, it’s not working. I may go in and manually delete some from these EOY posts because you’re right… they’re kind of taking over.
LikeLike
1. Golden Child – Aura
2. Seventeen – Sector 17
3. Enhypen – Manifesto
4. Nine.i – New World and Part 1
5. MonstaX – The Dreaming (I know it was Dec2021, but I consider it a 2022 album)
LikeLike
Onew, Ateez, Seulgi, CSR and Key make out the top 5 albums for me. Shocked that neither Onew nor Seulgi made the honourable mentions *insert aggressively surprised smiley*
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’d put Seulgi’s in top 5 mini albums too
LikeLike
even though I didn’t like Hot as a title track much, Seventeen’s b-tracks were amazing. Special shout out to Don Quixote and March. hands down my personal fave of the year.
LikeLike