By now, Bias List readers know that I wasn’t thrilled with this year in K-pop, and part of that rests on the strength (or lack thereof) of albums. I could barely find any full K-pop albums I loved this year, meaning the structure of this countdown has changed a bit. I still think it’s unfair to compare a four track mini album to a ten track full, but I’ve decided to mix categories this time so that I can spotlight more of the albums I actually listened to rather than arbitrarily fill spots.
With that in mind, only one criteria remains important in 2023: to be eligible for this countdown, an album must include at least four full songs.
Honorable Mentions:
CRAVITY – Master:Piece
Lee Chaeyeon – Over The Moon
NewJeans – Get Up
SHINee – Hard
Vanner – Veni Vidi Vici
10. ZEROBASEONE – Youth In The Shade
ZEROBASEONE debuted with a crystal clear sound across this tight, atmospheric mini album. Opener Back To ZEROBASE may be their best showcase yet, and it’s immediately followed by two fantastic dance tracks the keep the energy brisk and exciting.
Standout Album Tracks: Back To ZEROBASE, New Kidz On The Block
9. WOODZ – OO-LI
WOODZ’s musical consistency and gritty voice will be missed while he’s on enlistment hiatus. He’s had stronger collections of songs than this, but as usual the album is filled with little idiosyncrasies that help it stand out.
Standout Album Tracks: Busted, Who Knows
8. fromis_9 – Unlock My World
Unlock My World is the rare 2023 full-length that impressed me all the way through. No single moment sticks out too far beyond the others, but the album’s blitz of stylish, classy pop music works well as a whole.
Standout Album Tracks: Attitude, Don’t Care, Eye Contact
7. B.I – To Die For
The lack of a defined title track makes B.I a little under-represented in my other countdowns, but I wanted to be sure to spotlight this creative, exciting body of work. I love the vast genre terrain he covers in this suite of songs.
Standout Album Tracks: Die For Love (ft. Jessi), The Island Misfit of Toys, Beautiful Life (ft. Crying Nut)
6. Just B – ÷ (Nanugi)
This is the first time a Just B album has landed on my countdown, and it gets here with ample input from the members themselves. They’ve proven themselves great writers, and this skill gives Nanugi a tonal consistency that makes it a pleasure from start to finish.
Standout Album Tracks: Drama, Paper Plane, Youth
5. Treasure – Reboot
Title track Bona Bona is actually a red herring on this album. The rest of the songs embrace a catchy, second-gen sound that takes advantage of the vocalists and rappers in equal measure. I’m really impressed with how consistently solid Reboot is – even if it’s more of a sonic sidestep than a full reinvention.
Standout Album Tracks: I Want Your Love, Run, G.O.A.T
4. TAN – TAN Made
“TAN Made” is a clever title, and I hope it’s accurate because if this is the sound the group wants to aim for I fully support their efforts! From the brittle funk of Violet to the catchy synths of Tarzan to the anime rock of New Days, the album is one thrill after another.
Standout Album Tracks: Violet, Tarzan, New Days
3. The Wind – Beginning: The Wind Page
I’m sad that, at four tracks, this will be the longest work ever release by a seven-member iteration of this group. Luckily, all four songs are fantastic. From the galvanizing pace of opener Sirius to the belt-it-out sentiment of Do It and With Us, the guys knew exactly which K-pop sub-genre they were aiming for. The industry just doesn’t have enough of this robust, melodic style at the moment.
Standout Album Tracks: Sirius, Do It, With Us
2. The Boyz – Phantasy Pt.1 – Christmas In August
That title is a mouthful and I don’t buy the whole “Christmas in summer” schtick, but this may be The Boyz’ best album yet. I’m a sucker for summertime concept albums, as they’re usually bolstered by a series of upbeat dance tracks. This one is no different, as the guys race through a series of funky sounds while touching on elements of synthwave and hip-hop. It all ties together to craft a delightful listen.
Standout Album Tracks: Fire Eyes, Fantasize, Passion Fruit
1. NINE.i – New Mind
This was far and away my favorite K-pop album of the year and easily my most played. New Mind is a blast of bright energy through and through, though you may not guess it from the subdued opening track. Songs like Power Up and Hurt have a permanent place on my playlist, and that’s without even mentioning the album’s centerpiece: my favorite title track of the year, Turn It Off. With New Mind, NINE.i have perfected the bright boy group song template while imbuing the music with a personality all their own.
Standout Album Tracks: Power Up, Hurt, Like Crazy
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I mix mine up always, but even I agree it’s been a singles year rather than an albums year. I’m counting repacks because I can.
Here are some I liked.
fromis_8 – Unlock My World
NCT Dream – ISTJ and Candy
SHINee- Hard
Taeminnie the emo elf – Guilty
Key – Keylar
NCT 127 – Ay-yo
The Wind – The Wind Page
Purple Kiss – Cabin Fever
Peak Time Champions of the World Vanner – Veni Vedi Vici
WayV – on My Youth
Ren – Ren’dezvous
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Oh, and the TAN and NN.sign and Crush albums were good. Also, Subway Daydream made a perfect classic midwestern 70/80s power pop album and they are like 20 and from Japan.
ALSO! Hiromi’s soundtrack for the jazz anime Blue Giant! Probably my top overall album this year. A massively great version of Coltrane’s Impressions, strong post-bop originals, and quirky and charming incidental music.
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Oh and Cravity.
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Thanks for adding CRAVITY in! I have never seen people talk about CRAVITY in these type of pages or web sites.
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Nick has reviewed a lot of Cravity tracks – some of which make it to his 2023 best ofs.
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Running to go check out this Subway Daydream album
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I laughed so hard at Taeminnie the emo elf =))))))
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We’re pretty in sync with our albums lists. The only one I have to add right now is Onew’s Circle.
My list in roughly this order:
1. SHINee – IDENTITY
2. ONEW – Circle
3. WOODZ – OO-LI
4. NINE.i – New Mind
5. fromis_9 – Unlock My World
6. B.I – To Die For
7. Treasure – Reboot
8. ZEROBASEONE – You in the Had
The Wind’s ep was also nice though it was mostly just With Us on repeat for me. Haven’t listened to Just B’s album yet, but Medusa is decent so I’ll be checking that one out.
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Not you in the had ..joke😭🤣lol
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my favorites (in no particular order):
IVE – I’ve IVE
ZEROBASEONE – YOUTH IN THE SHADE
ZEROBASEONE – MELTING POINT
TOMORROW X TOGETHER – The Name Chapter: FREEFALL
Red Velvet – Chill Kill
THE BOYZ – PHANTASY Pt. 1 – Christmas In August
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wow, fromis_9 only female act. my own list looks something like:
1. dreamcatcher – apocalypse: from us
standouts: propose, demian
2. twice – ready to be
standouts: wallflower, crazy stupid love
3. gidle – i feel
standouts: lucid, paradise
4. ive – i’ve ive
standouts: hypnosis, blue blood
5. ateez – the world: outlaw
standouts: dune, this world
6. onlyoneof – seoul collection
standouts: mirage, blueblueseoul
7. h1key – seoul dreaming
standouts: magical dream, lowkey scared but h1key ready
8. lee chaeyeon – over the moon
standouts: i don’t wanna know
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I haven’t really listened to a lot of albums this year aside from my biases, but here are my favorites:
– SHINee – Hard
– IVE – I’ve IVE
– ZB1 – Youth In The Shade, Melting Point
– RM (BTS) – Indigo
– Key (SHINee) – Killer (Assuming we count the repackage as a release of this year lmao), Good & Great
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my faves, no order:
SHINee – Hard
Onew – Circle
WayV – On My Youth
Key – Killer, Good & Great
Ateez – The World: Outlaw
Lee Chaeyeon – Over The Moon
fromis_9 – Unlock My Word
Loossemble – Loossemble
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My favorite album was by far DoJaeJung’s (though that probably counts as a mini album rather than an actual album?). Out of the 5 songs, there’s only one I skip and all the others have been consistently part of my playlists.
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Circle by Onew doesn’t even get a mention??
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No mystery what my favorite was: Get Up EP by NewJeans. As I mentioned yesterday, my favorite listening experience, a fantasy EP if you will, was combining recent Sweetune songs (last years’ Nonstop & Icarus, this years’ Turn It Off & Melody), with Infinite’s 13egin EP. It’s like the greatest Infinite EP never made. (I tried adding Golden Child’s 3 song EP to it, but they don’t really pair together; and I find the rest of NINE.I’s album to be very different from Turn It Off.)
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A little surprised To Die For is so low, but glad to see it at the very least. Hooray for Nine.i winning though! I’d also like to note a K-Pop-adjacent favorite of mine from this year; So!Yoon!’s Episode1:Love is a really solid collection of shoegze-esque rock.
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For me(Top 10)and favourite song of the album
1.Wayv(On my youth)-Rodeo, Moonlight,Poppin love
2.Zb1(Youth in the shade)-Back to zerobase,Our Season
3.Zb1(Melting Point)-Kidz zone,Crush
4.Aespa(My world)-Im unhappy,Welcome to my world
5.Aespa(Drama)-Hot air balloon,Drama
6.Ive(I’ve MINE)-Holy moly,OTT
7.Newjeans(Get up)-Cool with you,ETA
8.Red Velvet(Chill kill)-Knock knock(who’s there?),Chill kill
9.Txt(The name chapter: Temptation)-Tinnitus,Sugar rush ride, Devil by the window
10.Txt(The name Chapter:Freefall)-Back for more, Chasing that feeling,Deep down
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I have no time, so there’s that.
IVE – I’ve IVE – I AM, Mine
IVE – I’VE MINE – Holy Moly, OTT, Playback
Red Velvet – Chill Kill – Chill Kill, Nightmare
NINE.i – New Mind – Turn It Off
BLACKPINK (omg, this feels illegal but growed on me) – Kill This Love (even MORE shocking dfntly) – Don’t Know What To Do
Not K-Pop
FINNEAS – Blood Harmony – Break My Heart Again
Steps – Step One – Last Thing on My Mind
Laufey – Bewitched – From The Start, Lovesick
Ruth B. – Safe Haven – If This Is Love
Bjork – Post – Hyperballad
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ALSO Mitski – The Land is Inhospitable And So Are We – I Don’t Like My Mind
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I would have made CHILL KILL at least an honorable mention…it sure has been growing on me. It might sound even better a year from now…?
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