The K-pop industry is highly focused on one release. EP, LP, Deluxe version, greatest hits or anything in between, K-pop artists tend to define their releases with one central song. But now, thanks to how listeners curate their own playlists and curate social media moments of music stars, the single isn’t the only song on the release to get attention.
In addition to K-pop having more global eyes than ever before, today’s listening habits demand more material and higher quality material from artists, which equals expensive investments and heavy promotional pressures.
Fortunately, the 25 artists below have created bodies of work that deserve further study, not just on their title tracks and singles, but beyond flashy music videos. From TVXQ!’s Max Changmin, BTS’ J-Hope, and Red Velvet’s Seulgi, who took listeners into new parts of their psyche with their solo efforts, to AKMU’s Lee Chahyuk, his concept album took on an entirely new character. Errorand RM created a music museum to celebrate his twenties Indigo, there was a lot to dig into this year. Meanwhile, unexpected viral sensations came from B-sides by (G)I-DLE, TREASURE and ENHYPEN, which ensured that artists could further connect with fans by packaging their records with songs and messages.
From satisfying short EPs to deep full-length albums, each of these releases stand out because the artists achieve something more than just a quick hit single. read b BillboardCrew picks the best K-pop albums of the year.
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