Well, it's that time of year again! After not posting on this blog for months for reasons I... won't bore you with here, it's finally the end of the road for 2020. And while I will be one of many who will be delighted to see this year getting kicked out the door and lit on fire like it deserves, one thing that 2020 delivered in spades was high-quality music. Seriously, the year-end lists this year are full of songs and albums that would be list-toppers for me any other year; this year, however, they're either lower down on my list or an honourable mention. Putting these lists together was shockingly hard.

There were surprises big and small, but K-Pop itself was putting out some of its best releases in years in 2020, despite the raging dumpster fire of the year it's been. Sure, it was a big year in different ways, but in a year where I made myself listen to a hell of a lot more music than I normally do, I'm delighted to say that it was worth it a thousand times over.

This is the first of three lists - I'll be ranking my 10 favourite albums, 25 favourite b-sides and 50 (yes, 50!) title tracks that were released this year. The ground rules aren't set in stone, but just know that everything in these lists is my opinion and I can't listen to everything (as much as I would love to). My taste is going to be different than yours, and that's okay - if anything, I hope you can find some recommendations in these lists for new songs, albums and artists that you never knew you needed.

Also, if you'd like to consume my year-end lists in playlist form rather than having to go through articles, I've made playlists for them all on Spotify should you want to give them a listen. I'll be linking each playlist in its corresponding article, so here's the playlist of my favourite albums from this year! (I only included title tracks, because if I put the whole albums in there, not only would ranking be messy, but we'd be there forever.)

In terms of honourable mentions, here's what I've got this year:

• NCT 2020 (엔시티 2020) - Resonance Pt.2
• NCT Dream (엔시티 드림) - Reload
• EVERGLOW (에버글로우) - -77.82 X -78.29
• Hwasa (화사) - María
• Alexa (알렉사) - Decoherence
• April (에이프릴) - Da Capo

With all of that out of the way, let's start things off by looking at the 10 albums that really grabbed me this year!

10. DAY6 (데이식스) - THE BOOK OF US: DEMON

While I've definitely listened to a selection of their title tracks in the past, I've never fully taken the dive into DAY6's wider discography, despite many people saying it's one of the best in K-Pop. But after being intrigued by the darker themes and concepts surrounding their previous comeback, I sat down to listen to both "Zombie" and The Book of Us: Demon as an album, and... Wow, y'all weren't kidding. It's safe to say that the hype is 100% real - not only does this album have its shockingly poignant points given the year 2020 has been, but it's also got ones of raw power and energy that completely blew me away. Seriously, that chorus in "Love Me or Leave Me" is one of the best this year, and "Stop" was just the raggedy, razor-sharp cut I needed from an album like this one. "Afraid" also made me cry, so there's that.

If you've never listened to DAY6, I'm not the best person to tell you where to start. But hell, if you're looking for a superb pop-rock album with some insane high points and incredibly moving lyrics, The Book of Us: Demon is a fantastic choice. I'll definitely be keeping more of a close eye on DAY6's discography going forward, because if all their music really is this high quality, then I definitely need more of that in my life.

9. KARD (카드) - RED MOON

This is an album I won't dwell too long on, since I did actually review it on the blog earlier this year (shocker, I know!). But I'll say this - nearly a year on since its release, Red Moon is still my favourite KARD EP. It's tight, it's catchy, and when I tell you this would set your speakers on fire, I mean it; this is KARD at their most powerful, churning out banger after banger after banger. The unit b-sides showcase a surprising amount of versatility, and while the mixing and production can sometimes let them down, this is an album that defines KARD's concept and image as a whole. It's still on repeat for me, and it should be for you too!

8. BTS (방탄소년단) - MAP OF THE SOUL: 7

What else is there to be said about BTS that hasn't already been said? Dynamite's been in the Hot 100 for weeks now (it's still going at the time of writing this), and they've gained an unprecedented level of popularity whilst breaking pretty much every record out there. If you think about it, Map of the Soul:7 was the album that really started their skyrocketing growth this year, and looking back on it, I can see why. 

Sure, it's got its dull moments - the Persona songs tacked onto the beginning to boost the streaming numbers make it run overly long, and there are still some songs here I really don't like (looking at you, "Respect") - but by god, when it's good, it's good. "ON" has the exact kind of raucous energy I adore from BTS, the member b-sides like "Filter" and "Moon" are incredibly memorable and fun, and once again, the sheer amount of variety on offer here is staggering. "Louder than bombs", "00:00 (Zero O'Clock)" and of course "UGH!" are absolute standouts not just from this album, but BTS' discography for me.

When I heard the final chorus of "ON" for the first time, I got incredibly hyped for this album, and it turns out I was very much right to be. By the small chance you haven't listened to this yet, do yourself a favour and go do so. While it's got its flaws, there is bound to be something here that you'll enjoy, whether you enjoy K-Pop or not.

7. BLACKPINK (블랙핑크) - THE ALBUM

It turns out BTS wasn't the only internationally popular group to release a full album this year - we finally, FINALLY got somewhat of a full-length project from BLACKPINK. And while expectations were tampered a bit seeing only eight tracks on the record itself, I really do believe that THE ALBUM was worth the wait. In this case, it really is a case of quality over quantity, because while there's only eight songs here, most of them are excellent. Sure, there are some minor duds - even though I'm more of a fan than "Ice Cream" than most - but this album really does have some of Blackpink's all-time best. Take one listen to "Pretty Savage" and "Lovesick Girls" and you'll see what I mean. I also didn't know I needed to have the girls take on a creepy concept, but by god, turns out "Crazy Over You" was exactly what I wanted from them this year.

Just like MOTS:7, there's a very small chance you haven't heard this, but if you haven't, you're severely missing out. THE ALBUM really ended up being worth the wait for me, and I can only sincerely hope it shows signs of the direction Blackpink are going in moving forward - we're in for one hell of a ride if that's the case.

6. MAMAMOO (마마무) - TRAVEL

Now, if you know me, you probably knew that this album was going to end up here. MAMAMOO are my ult girl group, I'm a hardcore MooMoo, and I'm very rarely disappointed with their music. But even though I may have rose-tinted glasses on sometimes, I really do feel like Travel is deserving of its spot here, personal bias aside. 

While it's not the trend-setting phenomenon "HIP" turned out to be, "AYA" is the return of fiery, confident MAMAMOO from the likes of "Egotistic" that I've so sorely been missing. The album itself isn't light on variety either - "Diamond" is a bit clumsy yet ridiculously sexy, "Chuck" is catchy and memorable as hell with its unique genre fusions, and "Dingga" is the fun retro throwback MAMAMOO have always excelled at. They're in their comfort zone here, but they still shine and manage to excel with what they've got. It's a really nice little album, and while it's not a standout in their discography, it's absolutely still worth your time if you need something fun to cheer you up heading into the new year.

5. DREAMCATCHER (드림캐쳐) - DYSTOPIA: THE TREE OF LANGUAGE

Dreamcatcher have been a hallmark of quality for many people in the K-Pop industry since their re-debut in 2017, and with the release of their first full-length album this year, it's easy to understand why. Not only are the girls incredible performers (even when they're missing a member), but their edgier, rock-inspired concept stands out from the crowd and really makes an impact. That doesn't mean they don't go outside of their comfort zone every now and again, though! While there are some more familiar songs like "Tension" and the amazing title track "Scream" that showcase their well-known rocky side, Leez and Ollounder hit the experimentation jackpot here. There's jazz, EDM, pop, funk and even some metal influences scattered throughout the album, which means you're not going to be bored for a single second listening to what's on offer here. 

If you're looking for talent, variety and excellent music in general, Dreamcatcher should be your group of choice every time. I've been a fan of them since debut, and The Tree of Language absolutely blew my expectations out of the water - it's an excellent album from an excellent group who are worthy of every ounce of hype they've had surrounding them.

4. TWICE (트와이스) - MORE & MORE

Yyyyyeah, this isn't going to be the TWICE album most people put on their year-end lists, but hear me out. 

While Eyes Wide Open was a good album, sure, and I enjoyed the retro throwback tracks for what they were - the title track was great, and songs like "Shot Clock, "Go Hard" and "Hell In Heaven" really stand out - there's something about More & More that keeps me coming back for... well, more! It just feels like a tighter, more well thought-out album to me, and not once was I bored going through its tracklist for the first time. I still feel like the title track got way more hate than what it deserved, and honestly, the b-sides here are some of my favourite this year! "Oxygen" and especially "Shadow" are excellent examples of what TWICE can do, and just how close to pop perfection they can come. 

It may be the underdog of their releases this year, but please don't forget about More & More. It's an excellent album from the girls that really solidifies their growth as a group, and one that relentlessly hooked me from the first listen and hasn't let go.

3. ATEEZ (에이티즈) - ZERO: FEVER EP.1

Going back to albums that you probably could've expected to be on this list, it's not a surprise to anyone that ATEEZ are near the top of my list again this year. I've said it before and I'll say it again - their discography is one of the best K-Pop has seen in a while, and it's absolutely one of the best of the 4th gen so far. However, with the end of the Treasure series, I'd be remiss to say I wasn't nervous to see where they would go next; how would their sound change to match any new concepts they tried their hand with?

Well, it turns out I should have had more faith in them, because I mean it with my whole heart when I say this is ATEEZ's best album. It would have topped my list in any other year. I don't quite think I realised how refreshing it would be when Leez and Ollounder changed up their sound for these boys ever so slightly, and even though "THANXX" is the ATEEZ title track I know and dearly love, "Inception" has slowly become one of my most listened-to songs this year. It's grand, it's sweeping, and it's got this gorgeously poignant sense of emotionality and drama that grabs you by the heart strings and never lets go. That bridge is angelic.

The other b-sides are no slouch, either; "To The Beat" is the best non-NCT NCT song we've got this year, "Good Lil Boy" has the exact kind of upbeat energy ATEEZ excel at delivering, and "Fever" feels like the perfect way to start a new chapter in this group's discography. And man, I would be lying if I said that "One Day At a Time" didn't make me cry like a baby upon first listen, because it did. This year has been rough, and if there's anyone who can sell a convincing "it'll all be okay" song, it's ATEEZ. Where the hell are my tissues?!

Fever is a thrill from start to finish, and it has on the edge of my goddamn seat to see where ATEEZ go with their music from here. It honestly feels like they levelled up moving from the Treasure series from this one, and I don't quite know how they can improve. I know they'll keep finding new ways to absolutely blow me away, but until then, this album is an absolute gem that you should have already heard and fallen in love with. If you haven't, do yourself a favour and treat yourself by giving it a listen - it's incredible, and I really do mean that.

2. ITZY (있지) - IT'Z ME

It's all well and good talking about a group who I already know and love, but what about when a group takes me by surprise? What about when a group or artist releases a project that I didn't expect to love, but suddenly it's at the top of my Spotify library? That is exactly what happened early this year when ITZY released IT'z ME, which is hands-down their best project yet, and one of the best albums to come out of 2020. 

Iconic is an interesting word. Arguably, it's one that gets thrown around a lot, and overused even more so. However, if you're going to ask me what I'd consider an iconic comeback from this year, it's got to be "Wannabe" - Ryujin's intro alone has been the defining moment of K-Pop in 2020 for me in 2020. "Wannabe" itself is a powerhouse of a song, with Galactika thankfully righting their wrongs from "DALLA DALLA" and giving ITZY a strong and energetic but deliciously fun title track. It's my most listened to song of the year, and for damn good reason!

And the b-sides. MY GOD, THE B-SIDES. "24HRS" shows that Sophie really needs to produce more K-Pop, "I DON'T WANNA DANCE" will be stuck in your head for weeks, and "TING TING TING" is pretty much my perfect song. It's everything I've ever wanted from an EDM/K-Pop fusion, and is one of the single best songs to get released this year. This album is an absolute showstopper from start to finish, with little to no exceptions. It's the best kind of rollercoaster.

While I was initially doubtful of ITZY given how JYP were handling them and their discography, IT'z ME has proven that I am, in fact, a dumbass and should have known better. This is one of my favourite K-Pop albums ever, not just from 2020, and you are honestly doing yourself a disservice if you haven't heard it. Sure, I didn't enjoy Not Shy as much, but I'm okay with this being a flash in the pan. It was the perfect way to end the IT'z series, and I pretty much want this album's cover art printed on my gravestone, thanks.

But what beat it? I did say that 2020 was an incredible year for music, and I meant that. But what could beat an album as good as IT'z ME? Well, while some may consider this cheating, I... honestly don't really care.

Because I need to scream about K/DA for a hot minute. 

1. K/DA - ALL OUT

Is this cheating? Maybe. But damn it, K/DA were made to be a K-Pop group. That's been Riot's intention with them from day one. Call it what you will, but there is a space for this kind of thing when you do it right. 

But what I didn't expect was for the music to be this good, because gUYS. GUYS. THIS IS IT.

I'll be honest, I had little to no expectations from this album. I didn't really expect it to be good, or stand out; I just thought it would be a pretty average pop album to promote K/DA and the whole idea of a virtual K-Pop group. And looking back on it, maybe I was wrong to think that. "POP/STARS" did take over the internet for a while after its release, and I did like it a lot when I reviewed it on here initially. So sure, I could've expected this album to be at least okay, but I DID NOT EXPECT IT TO BE THIS GOOD.

Where do I start? Well, you could start with the fact that Riot decided to give each member of K/DA their own song on this album, to better show what they're about and flesh out their personalities, if you will. "The Baddest" belongs to Akali, "Villain" belongs to Evelyn, "Drum Go Dum" is Kai'sa's and "I'll Show You" is Ahri's. Trust me when I say that every single one of these songs is incredible. I'm not going to try and dance around the fact that they're produced by Bekuh Boom, who is a... shitty person, to put it lightly. But goddammit, let's separate art from artist just this once and appreciate the amazing music on offer here. 

While it didn't sit right with me initially, "The Baddest" is slick as hell, and works way better as an intro to the album. "Drum Go Dum" has some of the most intense production I've heard all year, and would be incredible in a car or something of the sort. "I'll Show You", while it may seem like a generic pop song at first, is a stunning synthpop anthem with enough glitter and pizzazz for at least seven bath bombs. 

And "Villain"? Don't start me on "Villain". We'll be here all day. I have precisely five words: holy shit, yes. MORE PLEASE.

Let's not forget about the title track, "MORE". I'm sure it doesn't quite stack up to "POP/STARS" for many, but for me? It's better. It's probably not as wild, wacky or out-there as its predecessor, but if anything, it seems like Riot really know what they want to do with K/DA, and the music is backing that up. It hits hard, the chorus is earwormy and incredibly catchy, and it's the exact kind of spectacle I love in K-Pop.

I haven't even talked about the vocal performances! Soyeon and Miyeon return as Akali and Ahri respectively, at least for a few of the songs, and they absolutely kill it - Soyeon especially, which should be no surprise. But hey, the non-K-Pop performers are great too, with Madison Beer's beautiful vocal timbre suiting Evelyn perfectly, and Wolftyla honestly making a really great fit for Kai'Sa. And y'know, there's also a TWICE feature on this album with some of the best vocal production they've had in years. No big deal.

I could yell about this album all day, but I'll leave it at this: if this is the kind of effort Riot are going to be putting into K/DA going forward, consider me a hardcore BLADE. This was a fucking incredible album from start to finish, and I am now unironically hoping for a full-length album. It's the best thing I've heard all year, and in a year like 2020, that is an insanely high amount of praise to heap onto anyone or anything. 

Now, excuse me while I go blast "Villain" for the 14th time today.

Alright, time for the big one - my top 10 songs of 2019.

Not going to muck around for too long, so just keep one thing in mind - I'm putting a limit of one title track per artist on this list. Otherwise, the list would be made up of the same two or three groups, and I really don't think that's fair.

As well as that little side note, I have another huge list of honourable mentions! Apart from one or two exceptions, they're in no particular order, as always.


HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
CLC (씨엘씨) - Me, Devil ("Devil" is the main exception here - if there's any song on my honourable mentions list that I would add to the main list, it would be "Devil"! It'd be my number 11; it got pushed off the list last minute by another song.)
(G)I-DLE ((여자)아이들) - Uh Oh, Lion (..."Lion" would be my #12. 😅)
Hyosung (전효성) - Starlight
Red Velvet (레드벨벳) - Psycho
Sunmi (선미) - Noir (누아르)
R.Tee x Anda (안다) - What You Waiting For (뭘 기다리고 있어)
BLACKPINK (블랙핑크) - KILL THIS LOVE
Jung Daehyun (정대현) - Aight (아잇)
Hyorin (효린) - youknowbetter (니가 더 잘 알잖아)
Chungha (청하) - Snapping
3YE (써드아이) - OMMM
SuperM - Jopping
Seventeen (세븐틴) - Fear


With those out of the way, let's actually start the list properly, because there's some amazing stuff here I can't wait to talk about!

10. DREAMCATCHER (드림캐쳐) - DEJA VU (데자부)

9. HINAPIA (히나피아) - DRIP

8. EVERGLOW (에베글로우) - ADIOS

7. TWICE (트와이스) - FEEL SPECIAL

6. MAMAMOO (마마무) - HIP

5. KARD (카드) - DUMB LITTY

4. ATEEZ (에이티즈) - WONDERLAND

3. RED VELVET (레드벨벳) - ZIMZALABIM (짐살라빔)

2. CHUNGHA (청하) - GOTTA GO (벌써 12시)

1. EXO (엑소) - OBSESSION

Time for list number two - and arguably my favourite list out of the three! I've really grown to look forward to listening to b-sides, which is not something I would have said about K-Pop a few years ago. But now, now that I know how much potential they hold for greatness, I love going through them.

So much that I have a sizeable list of honourable mentions to go through first! These are in no particular order (even though I have put my absolute favourites in bold - think of them as must-listens), but I will be sorting them by group.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
ITZY (있지) - Want It?, Cherry
Dreamcatcher (드림캐쳐) - Diamond
(G)I-DLE ((여자)아이들) - Give Me Your (주세요)
MAMAMOO (마마무) - Bad bye, Universe
BTS (방탄소년단) - Dionysus
TWICE (트와이스) - Strawberry, Trick It
ATEEZ (에이티즈) - Promise, Aurora, Thank U
Red Velvet (레드벨벳) - Love is the Way, In & Out
Chungha (청하) - Chica, Flourishing
Somi (소미) - Outta My Head

Alright, with that out of the way... let's actually look at my 10 favourite b-sides from this year. And there's some great songs to get through. 😊

10. (G)I-DLE ((여자)아이들) - PUT IT STRAIGHT (싫다고 말해)

9. DREAMCATCHER (드림캐쳐) - SILENT NIGHT

8. EVERGLOW (에버글로우) - HUSH

7. CLC (씨엘씨) - LIKE IT

6. BLACKPINK (블랙핑크) - HOPE NOT (아니길)

5. MAMAMOO (마마무) - MY STAR

4. EXO (엑소) - TROUBLE

3. TWICE (트와이스) - LOVE FOOLISH

2. RED VELVET (레드벨벳) - LP

1. ATEEZ (에이티즈) - UTOPIA

Well, here we go. My year-end lists begin with my 5 favourite albums of the year. Fair warning, I'm not going to be going into full detail on each album - I haven't actually covered most of these yet. (Trust me, that will be fixed soon!) But trust me when I say that even when I didn't cover them on the blog, these albums are ones I've listened to thoroughly, and I can safely say that I adore all of them. 2019 was a fucking amazing year for K-Pop music wise, and this is just the first of my 3 lists that aim to show that.

Alright, let's do this shit.

5. CLC (씨엘씨) - NO.1

4. ATEEZ (에이티즈) - TREASURE EP.3: ONE TO ALL

3. RED VELVET (레드벨벳) - THE REVE FESTIVAL: FINALE

2. MAMAMOO (마마무) - WHITE WIND

1. TWICE (트와이스) - FEEL SPECIAL

With K-Pop, I never really listen to full albums outside of the ones my bias groups release (as horrible as that sounds). But every now and again, I'll listen to an album because I'm curious, or I love the title track a lot... or because I know it's going to be everywhere, and I want to know what all the undeniable hype is going to be about. Sometimes that hype is going to be unfounded, but going into TWICE's comeback with "Fancy", I was 100% ready to give this album a chance.

TWICE's title tracks have had a shaky history in terms of my opinions on them. To me, they've had some absolutely phenomenal songs - see "Knock Knock" and "Like OOH-AHH" - and others which are... some of my least favourite K-Pop songs. Looking at you, "Cheer Up" and "Dance The Night Away". (Remember, THAT'S JUST MY OPINION. I know those songs are loved but ooooh man I can't listen to them without cringing.) But with all the rumours swirling about "Fancy" being a pivot in concept for TWICE, I couldn't help but think that this album might just be worth my time.

And after a solid two and half to three weeks of listening to it and forming my opinions (because I need SOMETHING to do during finals study)... yeah, wow, it really was worth my time. This album surprised me in a lot, and I mean a lot of ways. I had no clue what to expect going in, but I was very pleasantly surprised on the other side of it all. Vagueness aside, let's actually take a look at what I mean and break down TWICE's "Fancy You"!

1. FANCY [TITLE]

Right off the bat, we have the title track, "Fancy". I won't deny that I was nervous whilst listening to this for the first time, but... man, THIS is how you do a concept change in my eyes. It's by no means a huge shift from TWICE's previous material, but it's got enough distinctiveness to really make it stand out. It's almost like an evolution of "YES or YES" - which I loved, for the record - but with a slightly more mature pop sound. And I LOVE IT.

A lot of the girls are predominantly singing in their lower/middle range here, which... they really need to do more, because they all sound phenomenal. It also makes the higher-pitched chorus hit a lot harder. Aside from the girls' performances, the instrumental is a goddamn treat. The synths are predominant but not overwhelming, the subtle melodies in the background add so much to the main vocal line, and it's got this undeniable sense of boppiness to it that you can't quite ignore. It starts off relatively simple, and then builds upon itself to turn into a monster of a pop song by the end of its runtime. I have absolutely no idea how Black Eyed Pilseung went from making "Cheer Up" to... this. But I am very fucking okay with it. I feel like sophisticated is a good word to describe "Fancy"; it's a goddamn gorgeous song with a really good sense of bounce and progression.

So not only have we got a slight change in sound for TWICE in the song itself, but the lyrics honestly back up this concept shift as well! Instead of falling into the typical bubblegum pop trap of "oppa I love you, please love me back," the girls are much more forward with their romantic advances. They make the guy come to them this time. And yeah, you could say that's been run into the ground with girl crush concepts at this point, but "Fancy" isn't quite girl crush to me. It's more of a mature pop song, and those confident lyrics give it a great lift overall.




Great song? Check. Somewhat interesting lyrics? Check.

My new favourite choreography TWICE have done? DOUBLE FUCKING CHECK.