Best K-Pop Albums of 2018

2018 has finally come to a close, and we have ushered in a new, hopefully even better, 2019. Despite that, we must not forget the past. As such, I think it is time to look back, and take a look at some of the amazing releases that came out in my list of Best K-Pop Albums of 2018, and give them one final hoorah before the new year.

I will not be going through this list in any particular order besides the order that my mind thinks through all of the music I’ve listen to this year. This list is also not going to be all inclusive, and it could also not include one of your favorite albums. If there is one you loved that you do not see on this list, let me know down in the comments below! There is always a chance that I haven’t heard it or just forgot about it.

BTS Love Yourself: Answer

I think this one gets added to this list without any sort of further explanation. Love Yourself: Answer was the finale that all ARMYs were waiting for in 2018, and it did not disappoint. The storyline was beautifully laid out from start to finish, and every single song on the album had some sort of deeper meaning. The album’s story is a journey many of us go through as we learn to love and care for ourselves, and you don’t even have to speak Korean to understand it. All you need to do is listen to the music. BTS really did an amazing job here, and I cannot think of any reason why this album wouldn’t be on the Best K-Pop Albums of 2018 list. You can read my review and see what comes with the albums by clicking on the links above.

BOA Woman

If I could put both of BOA’s albums on here from 2018, I would. From start to finish, both albums are very well curated, but I have talked about BOA quite a bit this year, I believe as she truly is a queen. As such, I figured I would give a little bit more press and talk about how great the album is. Honestly, this album is great from start to finish. The album is sexy, powerful and extremely feminine. Every track on the album is different from the previous album and it has a good groove to it. She really makes you want to dance. If you want to read more about this album, check out my review and see what comes with it.

BTOB Hour Moment

Although this album is just a mini-album, every ballad on it is great from start to finish. On top of that, every ballad sounds different and they really managed to get the emotional feel across on every single track, which is more easily said than done. I was quite impressed with the whole thing. If you are looking for a great set of really heart wrenching ballads, no need to look any further. BTOB has put them all on one album for you. If you want to read more about it, Check out my review and what comes with the album.

NCT127 Regulate

I know that we are getting a lot of albums from the last month or two of the year, but a lot of great stuff came out towards the end this year, including the repackage of Regular-Irregular. Sometimes repackages can be hit or miss, as they have the power to ruin the integrity of the original album when they aren’t done well. This time, fortunately, all the repackage did was make the original so much better. The 3 added tracks, Simon Says, Welcome to My Playground, and the Korean Version of Chain make an originally great album, amazing. If you want to read more about it, you can check out my review of Regular-Irregular, as well as what comes with the album. You can also check out my thoughts on the added tracks in Regulate as well as the album contents.

Mamamoo Red Moon

Mamamoo came out with 3 wonderful releases throughout the course of 2018 that really just hit the nail on the head when it comes to music. If I could, I would put all three albums in this list. That wouldn’t be fair to all other artists though. As such, I will put my favorite out of the 3 on here: Red Moon. Red Moon was the epitome of sexiness and latin flair. Heck, the music video even has Solar spinning around on a stripper pole! It was awesome. Here are my thoughts on the album as well as what comes with the album.

iKON New Kids: Continue

Yet another mini-album from 2018 that was quite good. iKON did a lot in 2018, and picking one of their works from the year is hard. Since I have talked about Return very thoroughly, I figured I should give Continue some more love. Honestly, 죽겠다 (Killing Me), and it amazing minor chords made the summer for me. It was completely different from everything I had heard for basically the entire summer and it made me so happy. If you want to read more, check out my review of Continue as well as what comes with the albums.

EXO Don’t Mess Up My Tempo

If anyone reading this post right now has been following my blog closely, you probably already know that EXO is just the bee’s knees, and they could put their face on a pile of manure and I’d buy it, and put it all through the flowers in the backyard. It would be very fragrant, and I’d anticipate monstro-flowers once they soak in the nutrients. Anyways, Don’t Mess Up My Tempo is an absolutely amazingly well-done album from start to finish. It’s like a steak cooked to perfection.

They made us wait so long for it, but when it came out, man, was it amazing. Love Shot is just as good, but I don’t have my copies of the albums yet to add a picture, so you are getting the non-repackaged one. If you would like to read my reviews, here is Don’t Mess Up My Tempo and Love Shot. Also, here is what comes with the album.

Sunmi Warning

Throughout the course of 2018, Sunmi made a huge impact. She took her time producing her music, and when it was finally released, every sone was on point. This album features 3 songs that we all know, and should love: Gashina, Heroine, and Siren. The latter of the two came out in 2018, so I’m cheating slightly. Despite that, Sunmi really excels at making extremely catchy music that you can’t stop singing. If you want to read what comes with this album, you can do so here.

Super Junior Replay

I post about Super Junior a lot, but it is for a very good reason. Super Junior is not just amazing performers and part of the original generation that started the Hallyu Wave, but they also produce good music. Once they began taking part in Latin Pop, beautiful things happened. Lo Siento was such a hit and the whole album, from start to finish is very well curated. This includes my favorite, the most addictive song I’ve ever heard, Super Duper. If you want to read my thoughts on the album, you can do so here. This is what comes with the album.

Heize Wish and Wind

This mini-album by Heize blew me away this past year. This soulful sister managed to bring jazz into the modern era while still maintaining the integrity of the genre. It was a great album that still sticks in my head. On top of that, the album comes with a mini Jenga game! Heize has begun to change the music game with her experimental take on music. She also can rap and sing, and can embrace a variety of musical styles, which is impressive. This girl will never be a one-trick pony! If you want to read more, you can read my review as well as what comes with the album.

Final Thoughts on the Best K-Pop Albums of 2018

Although this list isn’t all inclusive of all of the AMAZING music that came out in 2018, I think it highlights a number of the great albums that were released in the past year. It sets a high standard for 2019, and makes me very excited to see what I have to look forward to in the upcoming year.

What albums were your favorites in 2018, K-Nuggets? Let me know in the comments below!

사랑합니다!

–Rachel