#so im gonna see if i can maybe get a solo ver there :3 bc i really want an unforgettable photobook the more i think abt it

[mouseoho]

torn between going nuts over still not having my oneus album versus being excited for younite comeback

[mikuchae]

mikuchae's top 40 kpop releases of 2023

DISCLAIMERS: i did not include japanese releases, english versions, remixes, or korean versions of japanese songs. but kep1ers "i do, do you? was the best japanese release this year, FYI. also i'm sorry if your favorite album didn't make it on this list. i'm sure i probably liked a bside off of it or two.

40. A Dream of ILY:1 - ILY:1

ALBUM RANKING:

twinkle twinkle (title track)

tasty

secret recipe

thanks to

2024 will be the year ILY:1 breaks out of nugudom. mark my words. every track on this ep brings the sort of fairytale/storybook/christian horse girl feel back to kpop effortlessly. it also fits the members incredibly well and i hope its the direction their company continues to take with their music for a while.

39. TEENFRESH - STAYC

ALBUM RANKING:

i wanna do

not like you

be mine

bubble (title track)

first of all, we're way overdue for a full album. second of all, great ep. bubble is almost infectious, a sugary sweet, vibrant song that makes it almost impossible to be in a bad moon when you listen to it; which is why it's such a crime to make it less than 3 minutes long. anyway, i think stayc, for a group just 3 years old, have managed to create such a wonderful discography filled with gems and songs that can fit in any kpop stan's playlist

38. KILL MY DOUBT - ITZY

ALBUM RANKING:

bet on me

none of my business

bratty

psychic lover

cake (title track)

kill shot

i have so much fun when i listen to itzy. it's been an honor to support them since dalla dalla and see their discography grow into the catalogue it is today, no matter what some losers on stan twitter say. bet on me is probably my favorite song from by them to date, a cooler, more mature switch from their usual music. it's a perfect song to listen to while walking outside w friends at night, and the meaning behind it makes it even more special to take in.

37. FACE - Jimin

ALBUM RANKING:

like crazy (title track)

alone

face-off

set me free pt 2

interlude: dive

oh, hey! the first boy-group adjacent release! was wondering when we were gonna get to that. anyway, this releasing the same night as fall out boys album was life-changing for me. like crazy is, well, a crazy song. the instrumental following the first chorus grabs you by your ankles and drags you through the rest of the song. the somber feeling in alone and face-off feels like sinking into a pit of tar ( in a good way). i'm not even sure how to describe set me free pt 2, with it's bone-shattering instrumental and jimin's booming, commanding voice suckerpunching you through the song-- like he's demanding to be heard. a one of a kind solo debut from a one of a kind performer in the industry.

36. A Midsummer NMIXX'S Dream + expérgo - NMIXX

ALBUM(S) RANKING:

roller coaster

paxxword

party o'clock (title track)

love me like this (title track)

my gosh

home

just did it

young dumb stupid

yes im including both releases bc a midsummer nmixx's dream was too good to be used for just two songs and also its my ranking list and i'll do what i want. besides that, im glad that this was a better year for nmixx. it's been tough seeing the backlash they've had simply for releasing just more experimental music than other groups-- which makes me understand this switch for a more smooth, less "noisy" sound. at least for these two releases - soñar seems to have that "nmixx change up" concept back, and we love her for that. back to these two releases-- i loved roller coaster so much. fun song, fun mv, fun choreo, i love fun kpop songs.

35. OMG + Get Up - NewJeans

ALBUM(S) RANKING:

ditto

cool with you

super shy

new jeans

get up

omg (title track)

asap

eta (title track? idk all of these songs had mvs)

newjeans continues to blow me away with every release. the only reason this isnt top 10 despite every song being basically perfect is bc every song is way too short (what the fuck is ador thinking making get up less than a minute long and then saying "uhhhh maybe we'll release the full ver someday 🤫. anyway) . and, although it was released in dec of 2022, i cant pass up an opportunity to talk about ditto. a beautifully haunting song with a melancholy feeling perfect for the upcoming month of january. just perfectly produced songs with concepts executed effortlessly and further cementing the group as a force to be reckoned with even with just 3 official EP's.

34. I'VE MINE - IVE

ALBUM RANKING:

off the record

payback

either way

baddie (title track)

ott

holy moly

following their first full album in april (which is coming up soon!!), ive once again took over the kpop scene with their first official EP. baddie wasn't necessarily a concept i had imagined for ive, especially since i've typically thought of their concept as a more mature, modern version of iz*one's. but i was pleasantly surprised with the song and the music video. however, i definitely prefer both pre-releases, with off the record being my favorite of the three and of the album. i'm a sucker for kpop producers sampling older songs, so this song using "memory" from cats was no exception. ALSO LOOK HOW CUTE WONYOUNG IS IN THE MV W THOSE GLASSES ASJAKDJSDHJLE

33: 5-STAR - Stray Kids

ALBUM RANKING

collision

hall of fame

item

topline (ft. tiger jk)

super bowl

fnf

mixtape:time out

s-class (title track)

get lit

dlc

youtiful

you either get stray kids's music or you don't. thankfully, i do. or at least i really did with this album. idk. i know experimental, "noise" music isn't every kpop fan's thing but i don't mind it-- especially if its from a group that does it exceptionally well. if i were recommend a non-experimental skz song to someone, it would probably be collision- a nice step back from the loud, fast-paced songs on the album.

32. THE WORLD EP. 2: OUTLAW + THE WORLD EP.FIN : WILL - ATEEZ

ALBUM(S) RANKING:

dune

we know

wake up

crazy form (title track)

wake up

this world

matz (hongjoong + seonghwa)

outlaw

arriba

emergency

dreamy day

bouncy (title track)

silver light

it's you (yeosang, san, and wooyoung)

django

youth (yunho + mingi)

everything (jongho)

fin: will

ateez's "the world" series is probably one of my favorite examples of world building in kpop. from the references to actual art pieces in the "guerrilla" mv to the cool "choose your character" type teasers with bouncy and crazy form, this was truly a great era for their music. both albums are a ride from start to finish. with this world building you up for dune's electrifying chorus like a rollercoaster trudging up a hill. the eery synths in we know feel like you're being prepped for a boss fight, either against or alongside ateez. although this recent album was the last of their "the world" trilogy, i hope they do decide to incorporate the instrumentals that accompanied it in future projects.

31. READY TO BE - TWICE

ALBUM RANKING:

wallflower

moonlight sunrise

set me free (title track)

got the thrills

crazy stupid love

blame it on me

no, it definitely doesn't make me irrationally emotional that we've now switched to just one regular twice comeback per year, why do you ask? besides that, another solid album from them. wallflower quickly became one of my favorite bsides of theirs with it's sultry, cooler feel to the instrumental. also i rly like the part in the set me free choreo where they're all dancing in a circle during the post chorus. we love you twice.

30. ISTJ - NCT DREAM

(and fuck tumblr for putting a limit on videos 🖕🏻)

ALBUM RANKING:

yogurt shake

blue wave

istj (title track)

broken melodies

skateboard

poison

starry night

pretzel

sos

like we just met

i'm happy to say that this is the first time i've enjoyed an nct dream full album entirely. in terms of title tracks, i still dont rly vibe with hot sauce, and it took me a bit to warm up to glitch mode, but ive always enjoyed most of the bsides. istj, however, is probably one of the best examples of "good" experimental sm music. a loud, techno-ish instrumental but with plenty of amazing vocal moments so the song doesnt sound like they're yelling at you. yogurt shake takes the cake as one of the cutest boygroup bsides of the year, another track that makes it difficult to be in a bad mood when you listen to it.

29. I feel - (G)I-DLE

ALBUM RANKING:

queencard (title track)

paradise

lucid

allergy

peter pan

all night

2023 was finally the year i decided to bite the bullet and jump into idles discography, with queencard being the catalyst for it. queencard is pure fun and you're miserable if you dont like it. oh, you're not a queencard? your boob and booty isnt hot? get over it.

28. Second Wind - BSS

ALBUM RANKING:

lunch

fighting (ft. lee young ji)

7pm (ft. peder elias)

i'd like to give a big shoutout to booseoksoon for releasing a song that manages to get me psyched up for work every single morning without fail. and not only that, but releasing an EP with a really cool concept; each track representing a different time of the day. ive listened to lunch many a time while waiting for 20 minutes in the line at qdoba. and i wouldn't have it any other way.

27. MY WORLD - aespa

ALBUM RANKING:

welcome to my world (ft. nævis)

thirsty

im unhappy

spicy (title track)

salty & sweet

til we meet again

would you guys be mad at me if i said i ultimately preferred this concept for aespa instead of the whole kwangya shebang? i hope not. on its own, i think the whole kwangya/alternate version concept is cool but the execution of it has been kinda meh since black mamba, but all the songs that came from it have been pretty good, dont get me wrong. plus i think it should have been just aespas concept all along instead of trying to tie in exos 10+ year old storyline into it, but whatever. anyway, incredibly strong bsides. also i <3 the blonde hair on karina

26. Love War + HATE XX - YENA

ALBUM(S) RANKING:

love war (title track)

wash away

hate rodrigo (ft. yuqi of (g)-idle) (title track)

wicked love

bad hobby

intro: wash away

and a big fuck you to kpop stans who lack basic media literacy to know that hate rodrigo is a satirical song about celebrity worship and an even bigger fuck you to yuehua for doing barely anything to protect yena when she was getting hate for the song. primal rage aside, very nice songs from her this year!! love war was an interesting concept change from her past two title tracks but that isn't a bad thing at all!! also yena + yuqi saiki k reference <3

25. The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION - TOMORROW X TOGETHER

ALBUM RANKING:

tinnitus (wanna be a rock)

farewell, neverland

devil by the window

sugar rush ride (title track)

happy fools (ft. coi leray)

my ult group makes their debut onto this list with their january EP. i thought of this album as a return to their softer concept seen in songs like "fairy of shampoo" or "blue hour", but with a more mature feel to the concept. tinnitus is an absolute gem in their discography, with the song and choreography (if you watch their performance) telling the story of using music as a coping mechanism. farewell neverland is one of txt's most underrated songs, in my opinion- another perfect song for winter. a brilliant start for boy group music this year.

24. D-DAY - Agust D

ALBUM RANKING

snooze (ft. ryuichi sakamoto and woosung of the rose)

people pt 2 (ft. IU)

haegeum (title track)

amygdala

huh? (ft. j-hope)

interlude: dawn

sdl

d-day

life goes on

polar night

when bts first announced their "chapter 2" back in june of 2022, i knew that yoongi's solo release was gonna be good. initially, daechwita was one of the only kpop songs i liked in 2020, and i patiently waited for him to produce another song using korean traditional instruments since it worked with his style so well. and my god, does haegeum deliver. using an instrument of the same name, haegeum is almost terrifying-- and the music video that accompanies it makes the experience all the more immersive. snooze is probably my favorite solo bside from a bts member this year-- an overwhelming yet inspiring track with a beautiful instrumental from the late ryuichi sakamoto, who had passed away a little less than a month before d-day's release, and kim woosung's wonderful vocals. people pt 2 was also an excellent pre-release, and has left me wanting at least 20 songs by yoongi with an IU feature. just a wonderful album overall that i regret not being able to see live every day.

23. Loossemble - Loossemble

ALBUM RANKING:

strawberry soda

newtopia

colouring

day by day

real world

sensitive (title track)

intro: searching for their friends

the second post blockberry creative freedom release, loossemble's self-titled debut EP is just a fun and easy listen. i also really appreciated them for releasing this on a friday so i didn't have to worry about going to work with less than five hours of sleep. from the jazz instrumentals reminiscent of red velvet's "birthday" in real world to the unapologetically cute intro title "searching for their friends", this album is pure kpop. i also think it was really sweet that yves, despite not being an official member of this unit, got to participate in the production of strawberry soda and make one of the sweetest b-sides of this year.

22. Howl - CHUU

ALBUM RANKING:

aliens

my palace

howl (title track)

hitchhiker

underwater

i am so unbelievably proud of jiwoo, especially as someone who's ulted her since 2018. her journey has been both heartbreaking and utterly inspiring. this ep is a wonderful solo debut and exactly how i envisioned it. aliens, an 80's-esque track, has aided me in several walks through campus, aka therapy. just an extremely solid ep that i also wish i could have seen live but alas had a final on the day she was going to be even remotely near me.

21. <Version Up> - ODD EYE CIRCLE

ALBUM RANKING:

air force one (title track)

je ne sais quoi

my secret playlist

did you wait?

love me like

lucid

hey, that's three loona releases in a row! wacky! anyway, with how deprived i was of loona music and how often the boycott podcasts kept getting deleted off of spotify, oec could have released an album of them reading aloud from a cookbook and i would have streamed it like it was actual music. air force one is a masterpiece, a song that sounds like exactly what i would have expected to hear from odd eye circle if loona's subunits had continued to release music in official ot12 albums. the bsides are nothing short of perfect, from je ne sais quoi's hypnotic chorus to love me like's pep that motivates me when I go on the treadmill at the gym. also jinsoul with an eye patch was hot.

20. UNFORGIVEN - LE SSERAFIM

ALBUM RANKING:

eve, psyche, and the bluebeard's wife

flash forward

fire in the belly

no-return (into the unknown)

burn the bridge

unforgiven (title track)

fearnot (between you, me, and the lamppost)

source music thinks they're slick for calling it a full album and then making the half that i didn't rank just a "greatest hits" compilation. i see you, bastards. anyways, shoutout to epatbw for being my most-listened to kpop song this year. it's funny to think that the part of "the hydra" that was never released back in oct of 2022 would end up being one of the most stand-out, love it or hate it b-sides of 2023. overplayed? you could argue that. catchy as hell? you betcha. flash forward also stands out to me, not only bc it's just a really cute song, but sakura finally has lines!!! the world cheered!!!

19. Guilty - Taemin

ALBUM RANKING:

guilty (title track)

not over you

she loves me, she loves me not

blue

night away

... the rizzness

taemin, we are so happy a REAL performer is back. guilty, the styling, the choreography, and the bsides that accompany it are so unapologetically taemin. a perfect return to an extremely impressive solo career spanning what will now be ten years. also if i ignore the first sentence of the rizzness i can like the song. his power.

18. Good and Great - Key

ALBUM RANKING:

coolas

good and great (title track)

can't say goodbye

intoxicating

mirror, mirror

live without you

if i could sit down and have a conversation with any idol and talk about their creative direction, it would be kibum. i'd also like to be in a committed relationship with him but i digress. from the dystopian workplace setting in good and great to the campy 80's horror movie elements used in the gasoline concept photos, to the bowie-inspired space concept in bad love, kibum has cemented himself as a one of a kind artist-- and has made me secretly wish for him to work with my favorite groups in terms of styling and concept direction. coolas is electrifying-- tbh one of the few english songs to come out of sm that i've enjoyed. kibum is many things to me, but most of all, he is a STAR.

17. EXIST - EXO

ALBUM RANKING:

love fool

hear me out

let me in

regret it

no makeup

another day

private party

cinderella

cream soda (title track)

i was so deep into my zb1 hyperfixation in july that, although i listened to it the same hour that it came out, i didn't come back to exist as much as i thought i would. which i'm regretting as i type this and relisten to the album for the first time in a while. i unfortunately still can't really vibe with cream soda, and i'm upset with myself for not knowing why. but, rather than focus on the negatives, let's talk about the positives. it's an exo album. every bside here is handcrafted by jesus.

16. Circle - Onew

ALBUM RANKING:

circle (title track)

anywhere

no parachute

paradise

caramel (ft. giriboy)

rain on me

expectations

cough

walk with you

always

good lord he's done it again. after serving pure cutieful in dice and gut punching me with blue, jinki somehow does both with circle. i'll let you all in on a little secret; i'm a sucker for choirs being utilized in kpop (ex. this song, kind of dune by ateez, mama by j-hope). this song is already gorgeous on it's own, but the choir in the background of the chorus makes it all the more heart wrenching. the bsides are all excellently produced-- from the breezy track anywhere to paradise, which is heavily reminiscent of sunshine, one of my favorite bsides from his previous album.

15. HARD - SHINee

(he's so fine)

ALBUM RANKING

10x

juice

identity

satellite

the feeling

like it

insomnia

hard (title track)

gravity

sweet misery

going on 16 years into their career and not a single miss. going on 16 years into their career and still being innovative. going on 16 years and still having an impeccable discography that still holds up TO THIS DAY.

14. LOVESTRUCK! - Kep1er

ALBUM RANKING:

happy ending

why

lvly

back to the city

giddy (title track)

bet u losers didn't think kep1er would show up here. THINK AGAIN, FOOLS!!!! kep1er once again releasing an incredibly high-quality EP only for it to go completely under the radar of kpop stans thanks to their shitty company. this concept was executed wonderfully, from the beautiful concept photos to that indie-film style trailer dropped before the album that apparently just never got brought up again. this album even has some of my favorite vocal moments of 2023, from the melancholy post-chorus in happy ending to chaehyuns spectacular high note in giddy.

13. MELTING POINT - ZEROBASEONE

ALBUM RANKING:

take my hand

melting point

kidz zone

good night

crush (title)

zb1 gave us the best boy group debut this year and then said "watch us do it again" 4 months later. ANOTHER perfect album for winter. also, for a group not even a year old yet, kidz zone feels nostalgic enough to make you feel like you've known these boys for years now.

12. I've IVE - IVE

ALBUM RANKING:

cherish

blue blood

not your girl

hypnosis

next page

heroine

lips

shine with me

i am (title track)

kitsch

with starships track record of literally just single albums in 2022, i honestly thought it was gonna take years before we even got rumors of a full album for ive. so imagine my surprise when they gave us one in april. this album is one of a kind, with powerful bsides like blue blood and hypnosis to cuter, more bubblegum pop tracks like cherish and not your girl.

11. SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN - SEVENTEEN

(cannot find a gif of god of music anywhere for some reason so here's a gif from home run)

ALBUM RANKING:

diamond days

monster

god of music (title track)

back 2 back

yawn

headliner

woozi you fucking genius you. a spectacular album to end the year with. from the callback to their literal first song in diamond days to the haunted house-ass instrumental in monster, another masterpiece from seventeen to fawn over until they release the next masterpiece.

TOP 10 HEYOOOOO

10. FML - SEVENTEEN

(woozi pls pick me)

ALBUM RANKING

dust

i don't understand but i luv u

f*ck my life

super (title track)

april shower

fire

hey speaking of seventeen here's the masterpiece they gave us before god of music. when super comes on i become the physical manifestation of "bro thinks he's on the team." FUCK YEAH SEVENTEEN, I LOVE MY TEAM AND MY CREW!!!

9. Chill Kill - Red Velvet

ALBUM RANKING:

knock knock (who's there?)

underwater

bulldozer

iced coffee

nightmare

will I ever see you again?

chill kill (title track)

one kiss

scenery

wings

it's a red velvet full album. do the math. every song is gonna be perfect. now don't make us wait 6 years for another one again i swear to god @/smtown.

8. Layover - V

ALBUM RANKING:

slow dancing (title track)

rainy days

for us

blue

love me again

just insane production. slow dancing is one of the prettiest solo songs from a bts member, teased originally as a 70's style song about dancing with your lover-- that had me hooked from the beginning and i hadn't even heard the song yet. i mean of course i would know all about that considering me and taehyung are in a fully committed relationship haha i mean what lolololol

7. the billage of perception: chapter three - billlie

ALBUM RANKING:

nevertheless

enchanted night ~ white night

euonia (title track)

extra-ordinary

various and precious (moment of inertia)

lionhearted (the real me)

my favorite release from them to date. billlie are on their way to crafting one of the most intricate, unique discographies in the industry. but honestly, the final chorus of nevertheless alone is enough to say that they've already achieved that. kpop groups are playing checkers. billlie is playing chess.

6. ok im gonna be honest i still havent listened to kiss of life's full debut album yet but i really like sugarcoat and i think that song is good enough to deserve it's own spot in the top 10. we love you natty. we're proud of how far you've come.

5. GOLDEN - Jungkook

(ok i know this technically isn't kpop bc every song is in english but have you considered i love jungkook)

ALBUM RANKING:

standing next to you (title track)

closer to you (ft. major lazer)

somebody

yes or no

3D (ft. jack harlow)

seven

shot glass of tears

too sad to dance

hate you

the last bts member to release an album this year, golden is modern pop perfection. standing next to you booms with it's high pace and it's almost as if you can feel jungkook's stage presence even if you're just listening to the song.

4. Unlock My World - fromis_9

ALBUM RANKING:

attitude

my night routine

#menow (title track)

prom night

what I want

eye contact

in the mirror

don't care

wishlist

bring it on

it's hard to rank an album when all of it's songs are perfect, as has been the problem with a lot of these releases, but with fromis_9 in particular. i've said this before on twitter, but fromis are one of the very few groups to have an extremely seamless, graceful transition into a more mature concept since their debut in 2018. i can only hope and pray that pledis does more to promote them this year, especially after the success of unlock my world, and continue this gorgeous transition.

3. The Name Chapter: FREEFALL - TOMORROW X TOGETHER

ALBUM RANKING:

skipping stones

dreamer

growing pain

happily ever after

chasing that feeling (title track)

blue spring

deep down

back for more (txt ver)

do it like that (ft. the jonas brothers)

coming in at bronze is txt's third full length-album, which managed to do the impossible; make a rock song released by a kpop group NOT sound corporate. skipping stones is guttural, a song reminiscent of day6's music that, if i were just a tad bit more mentally unstable, would make me fall to my knees and clutch my chest in any public setting if i were to hear it. dreamer feels like a big sister to their older r&b track, 20cm, and just might be better than it. a solid full-length album from my ult group that i will treasure for a while.

2. Magic Hour - Kep1er

ALBUM RANKING:

the door

love on lock

tropical light (yujin, yeseo, youngeun, and xiaoting)

tape (chaehyun, mashiro, dayeon, hikaru, and hiyyih)

galileo (title track)

YOU THOUGHT I WAS DONE PRAISING KEP1ER??? YOU'RE TALKING TO HEAD KEPLI1AN HERE. this EP almossttt topped doublast for me. almost. magic hour, although i will defend kep1er's "noisier" music until the day i die, is the concept i admittedly think wakeone should have given them from the start. the softer, more elegant feeling exhibited in tracks like the door and tropical light fit each member down to a t and, if this is the path they will take until july of this year (except they're NOT DISBANDING they're gonna EXTEND THEIR CONTRACT UNDER A DIFFERENT COMPANY MARK MY WORDS), i am extremely excited for what's to come.

and.. without further ado...

YOUTH IN THE SHADE - ZEROBASEONE

ALBUM OF THE YEAR RANKING

in bloom (title)

new kidz on the block

always

back to zerobase

our season

and i

where do i even begin? this year saw the birth of the 5th generation of kpop, and i truly think there was no better song than in bloom to start it. refreshing and whimsical and sampling Aha's "take on me", in bloom is a masterpiece from start to finish. "my day starts and ends with you" rings throughout the song, promising the listener that they will stay with them. let's dissect the rest of the album. back to zerobase, the intro, is both mysterious and welcoming, ushering the listener in with a warm smile but holding something unknown behind it's back, evident in the album trailer it was originally teased in, with possible easter eggs to potential *matpat voice* LOOOREEE. new kidz on the block is fun and cool, telling other groups in the industry to look out, because here they are. and I shows off their cuter side, with lyrics perfectly crafted to fit the y/n fantasies of any zerose. our season is their standard thank you to the fans, we'll promise to stick by your side track except IT'S SO FUCKING GOOD AND THEY'RE GENIUSES FOR LISTING THE SEASONS IN THE SONG IN THE ORDER THAT WE MET THEM IN. finally, always, hao's solo song, is a sweet, vibrant song, carried by hao's beautiful vocals.

and there you have it. a very solid year for kpop for both boy groups and girl groups. this year was probably my favorite for kpop since 2018. now, with the releases already slated for january and the upcoming debuts of some groups, i'd say that 2024 already looks extremely promising be just as good as 2023-- if not better.