My Top 10 K-pop Songs & Albums (2018)

To all the K-pop lovers or even non K-pop lovers reading this, I'm finally revealing my top 10 K-pop songs and albums! Wahh! It was extremely hard to pick my favorites, but I did it. This year, I'm going to include mini albums/EPs 'cause there were a lot of amazing mini albums during 2018 that were my favorites.

If you don't know what K-pop is, it's one of the most well-known music genre that is Korean pop or South Korean popular music that experiments with other music styles as well. If you want to know more about it and also how I got into it, go to this link:
http://whatsunsetsoundslike.blogspot.com/2017/12/my-top-10-kpop-songs-albums-2017.html
Also has my top 10 K-pop songs and albums of 2017.

Criteria:

Song - immediately loving the song for the first time, production, and lyrics

Album - production and concept

SONGS

Honorable Mentions

#10 Shine by PENTAGON

There were a few K-pop songs that I wanted to put on the 10th spot, but 'Shine' by PENTAGON was the first song that popped into my mind. 'Shine' has one of the catchiest tunes in K-pop music; the repetitive piano sound from the beginning already got me hooked then it continues with simple beats that you would instantly bob your head to. And what made this song even more addictive was PENTAGON's melodic voices and chants that their fans would definitely sing along to. This song is simply about spilling all your feelings to someone you like or love and finally admitting it to the person.

#9 BLACK DRESS by CLC

This has got to be my favorite comeback from CLC. 'BLACK DRESS' is this EDM edgy, badass song about girls dressing up and feeling damn good what they're wearing. I definitely like the trap beats and beat drops while this song is playing; the hook and chorus are my favorite parts 'cause of the percussion and awesome vocals from the members that I did not expect from them. 'BLACK DRESS' may have this common or generic sound to some people, but it's the kind of song I would definitely blast on speaker and crazily dance to while I'm in my room.

#8 Bad Boy by Red Velvet

Another badass song that interest me during 2018 was 'Bad Boy' by Red Velvet. By far, my favorite comeback from this girl group. It's definitely different than some of the candy pop songs they've released. 'Bad Boy' is not really the "in your face" badass song, it's more of the low-key badass song if that makes any sense about a girl who's playing hard to get to a guy she's interested in. From the start, the song has this entrancing beats that continuously progress 'til the end. I love how Red Velvet harmonized during the chorus; their vocals were smooth throughout the whole song. Their vocals and beats combined made it effortlessly one of my favorite K-pop songs.

#7 COCO BOTTLE by PENOMECO

The production of 'COCO BOTTLE' by PENOMECO was something that I immediately liked 'cause it was something original than the other K-pop songs I would normally listen to. The instrumentals are my favorite parts throughout the whole song. It has this lo-fi hip-hop vibe that I like and he incorporated the sounds of soda cans and bottles, sound affects of someone shaking, drinking, and pouring the soda which is pretty cool once you listen to it. Kind of confused with the lyrics because I think it's just about drinking soda or maybe alcohol with a person you're having fun with. Overall, PENOMECO produced a chill, playful r&b/hip-hop song that I enjoyed listening to.

#6 Blooming Day by EXO-CBX

'Blooming Day' by EXO-CBX is that K-pop song that I instantly grooved to on my first listen. It's always refreshing to listen to Baekhyun, Chen, and Xiumin; this subunit group gave us a pleasingly funky comeback that has disco sounds and addictive beats that I don't mind listening to everyday. And can I talk about how effortlessly smooth and strong the trio's voices are on this song!? Whew. 'Blooming Day' is about a guy who likes a girl and wants a relationship with her that eventually starts to grow; the english translation to this song is actually poetically sweet once you read it.

#5 Fake Love by BTS

This is the comeback that is on the top of my list from BTS. I'm a fan of their dark concepts like 'I Need U' and 'Blood, Sweet, and Tears', so that's why I fell in love with 'Fake Love' right away. I like how they combined alternative rock with trap beats; it's unexpectedly striking to listen to and also works well with the groups' vocals. The build up to the chorus is my favorite part and also when they sing, "I'm sick of this fake love" during the chorus 'cause it's like you're singing to someone you're angry to. The lyrics to this song relates to a lot of people who's been loving someone and trying to make this person happy, but during that process, you're losing yourself for who you truly are and not making yourself happy and not loving and putting yourself first.

#4 Good Evening by SHINee

Coming in #4 is another groovy song that I was instantly amazed by was 'Good Evening' by SHINee. This boy group made a positively unique disco pop song that I truly enjoyed listening to. My favorite part is the pre-chorus 'cause it's clear you can hear their strongly smooth vocals. There are layers of deep house music, 90's pop, and disco that's magical when you listen to it. The combination of the instrumentals and SHINee's harmonic voices complement each other so much. This lyrics to this song is so poetic and I believe it's about how it is more intimate at night with the person you love.

#3 Baby Don't Stop by NCT U

Can I just state that this is ONE OF THE SEXIEST K-POP SONGS I'VE EVER LISTENED TO. (haha) That statement deserves to be in all caps. Also, this was my #1 song on my top songs of 2018 playlist on Spotify, so of course it has to be on my top 10. Ten and Taeyong from NCT are my favorite K-pop duo and should do more comebacks like 'Baby Don't Stop'. This song was hot, like pleasantly addicting to listen to; just listening to Taeyong's grungy rap, Ten's satisfying voice, and that damn seductive whisper in the background made this song everything I never knew I needed. The hypnotic synth beats mix with hip-hop sounds work really well together. This song is about being so entranced when they see someone that they can't stop staring and want something more.

#2 What is Love? by TWICE

TWICE debuted during 2015 and every comeback they released were okay, just decent and I wondered will I ever like one of their songs someday, and 'What is Love?' came out and I fell in love with it right away. I'm not a huge fan of bubblegum pop, so it was unexpectedly enjoyable listening to this. I think the reason why I love this song than the others is not only it has a catchy chorus, it's because it's more tone down and not over the top pop, and the way they recorded this one felt like the group genuinely enjoyed what they're singing about. It's a love song that describes a girl who wants  the kind of love the she sees in the movies or in the books she reads and hopefully meet the person someday.

#1 Serendipity (Full Length Edition) by BTS (Jimin)

This shouldn't even be on my top 10 of 2018, but all of a sudden, BTS had to release the full length version of 'Serendipity' on their Love Yourself 'Answer' album and here we are. Sorry that I'm being biased here, but I have a soft heart for 'Serendipity'. Not only it's one of the best K-pop songs, it's one of the best songs that I have ever listened to in my opinion. How dare BTS release half of this song last year, and not release the full version! This song was #1 for 2017, it's going to be #1 again this year. How simply well produced this was is the reason why I love it in the first place. I will never forget how beautifully angelic Jimin's voice is on this record. The second half of this song that they did not release last year has the same contemporary r&b sounds with Jimin hitting more of his high notes and runs plus with more verses. It's pretty much the same, but still amazes me how beautiful this was produced. The lyrics describing how two people meet because of fate and no matter what happens, they'll still be together in the end always warms my heart.

ALBUMS

Honorable Mentions

#10 LOOΠΔ - [+ +]

LOOΠΔ finally debuted during 2018 and their first mini album/EP, '[+ +]' was a good start. The fans have been waiting for this girl group for almost two years to debut. Yes, we've seen and heard their pre-debut stuff and we anticipated a lot for LOOΠΔ and they finally gave us this and I expected more from them, but I also wasn't disappointed. A big reason why this is on my top 10 is because I enjoyed listening to their uniquely upbeat and cheerful pop tracks. Their company just didn't promote '[+ +]' well.

In my opinion, 'Perfect Love' or 'Stylish' should've been their debut song than 'Hi High' 'cause that track was the weakest when it came to the production and I bet K-pop fans would like those tracks more. Overall, their first mini album was giving me a taste of what's coming soon for LOOΠΔ and I can't wait, but don't let us wait for too long. 

Rating: 7/10 

Fave tracks: favOriTe, Perfect Love, Stylish

#9 Monsta X - Take.1 Are You There?

Do you need an album that you want to work out to or intensely dance to, listen to Monsta X's second album 'Take.1 Are You There?'; it's an album that has music elements of EDM, hip-hop, pop, and trap music. This boy group is known for their intense beats and powerful voices and raps that I've always been a fan of and this album exactly gave me that. I love how they produced catchy, intensified beats in some of their tracks that compliment their vocals and rapping, also used a lot of percussion throughout this album as well which I don't mind. 

What confused me a little though was the flow with a few tracks 'cause some starts to have a strikingly loud bass then it slows down then it goes loud again which doesn't work for me. But, I liked how they dived into more pop sounds that I certainly enjoyed listening to. Monsta X never fails to add a new element to their music, but still remain the same with their style.

Rating: 7.5/10

Fave tracks: Underwater, Shoot Out, Heart Attack, Oh My, Spotlight

#8 EXO - DON'T MESS UP MY TEMPO

One thing I will always admire from EXO is that they are always versatile every time they release an album. Their fifth album, 'DON'T MESS UP MY TEMPO' gave me a diversely EDM r&b/pop vibe. Of course they did not disappoint with their pleasingly powerful smooth vocals. There were a few tracks like 'Gravity' and 'Damage' that were all over place and did not flow well in my opinion; I've said this before with their previous album in terms of consistency.

But sometimes, I'm a fan of that because they never give us generic sounds, they always add flair to their music which is a good thing. 'Tempo' was definitely a great pick for the lead single 'cause it felt like all the musical elements were there and defined the whole album. All in all, EXO gave me another uniquely EDM pop album that exceeded my expectations. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Fave tracks: Tempo, Sign, Ooh La La La, 24/7, Bad Dream, Oasis

#7 The Rose - Void (mini album)

In the K-pop industry, there are hardly any boy bands, like I know Day6 and that's it. But finally, one of my friends suggested The Rose to me and I instantly fell in love with their music. This alternative/pop rock band is the Korean version of The 1975. Two reasons how I got into this band so quickly, one, I was immediately drawn to the lead singer, Woosung's voice because it's uniquely raspy and also serene too, and two, it's satisfying that each band member is insanely talented with their instruments.

Their first mini album/EP, 'Void' has five tracks with three instrumentals that talks about love, lust, and heartbreak that will definitely make you feel something even though you won't understand it. Some tracks will give you a fun flirtatious pop rock sound, others will give you a chill night alternative rock vibe, and also a ballad. 'Void' is a great start to know what this band sounds like and hopefully 2019, they'll have a bigger fanbase 'cause they deserve to be huge in the K-pop world.

Rating: 8/10

Fave tracks: Candy (so good), Baby, I.L.Y., sorry

#6 BLACKPINK - SQUARE UP (mini album)

It's been two years since BLACKPINK debuted and still no damn full album which frustrates me, but their third mini album/EP 'SQUARE UP' proves that they are still one of the hottest top charted girl groups in the K-pop world. Here's the thing about this mini album, not only K-pop lovers will love it, international or western fans will also enjoy listening to it. If all of their four songs on this EP were in english, for sure western fans will like it; these tracks still screams K-pop, but it's also westernized when it comes to the instrumentation.

A mixture of pop, r&b, and hip-hop sounds that give us beats that you would listen to on repeat. Each track has a catchy and addictive hook and chorus that I would definitely sing along to, also their rap verses that I could not get out of my head. YG, you better give BLACKPINK a full album in 2019 'cause I'm hungry for more music from these girls and I know they won't disappoint. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Fave tracks: DDU-DU DDU-DU, Forever Young, Really, See U Later *all of the tracks*

#5 GOT7 - Present : YOU

GOT7's third album, 'Present : YOU' was something different, but also familiar that this boy group has been previously giving us. Different 'cause they experiment and play with more of the percussion and also music styles, but still remain the same. The tracks have music elements of synthpop, hip-hop, and pop that is super upbeat and futuristic, there are some tracks that are tone down too. I appreciate that their comeback song or lead single, 'Lullaby' has four different languages which is difficult to do, but it warms my heart that they did that for their fans which wasn't necessary, but still sweet.

What I also love about this album is that each member has a song of their own and give us a taste what their music style is like. It wasn't entirely an album that I would listen to all the way 'cause there are some tracks I just didn't vibe to, but it makes me appreciate GOT7 more 'cause they've worked tremendously hard for what their fans wanted to hear and they did not disappoint. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Fave tracks: Lullaby, Save You, No One Else, I Am Me, Made It, My Youth, Nobody knows, Fine

#4 SHINee - 'The Story of Light' Epilogue

I have to give a round of applause for SHINee. Due to what happened over the past year, I'm incredibly and emotionally proud of them that they've shared and released their music for us. Their sixth album, ''The Story of Light' Epilogue' is a compilation album of the three mini albums/EPs they've released during 2018 and added another track which is, 'Countless'. This whole album has this retro concept I like with layers of 90's pop, electropop, r&b, disco, and deep house music that definitely gets me grooving. There are also ballads that are genuinely heartwrenching and touching while listening to the songs and reading the english translation of the lyrics at the same time.

This group gives us passionately powerful harmonic vocals throughout this album. They've written some songs that's very sentimental and also sings about love, grief, and hardships. It's definitely an album that made me feel emotional and sappy. Onew, Key, Minho, and Taemin did a phenomenal job on putting their heart and soul on this record. As 2018 was their 10th anniversary, this album was an amazing gift for me, for the fans, and for Jonghyun. Thank you.

Rating: 9/10

Fave tracks: All Day All Night, Countless, Good Evening, Our Page, I Say, Drive, I Want You, Undercover, Tonight, You & I

#3 BTS - Love Yourself 'Tear'

Every time I listen to an album from BTS, I feel different kinds of emotions. Listening to their sixth album, 'Love Yourself 'Tear'' from the beginning 'til the end, I felt lost, relaxed, sappy, and energetic. Like who gave you the right to make me feel a lot? This album was gloomy, but also upbeat as each track was progressing. Some tracks seem westernized when it came to the hip-hop and latin pop sounds from 'Airplane pt.2 and 'Anpanman' which I absolutely love 'cause western fans might like that also.

They have music elements of hip-hop, r&b, EDM, and pop that will definitely make you dance. I love how intensified the members' voices and raps are on the entire album, like they're pouring their heart out while recording this album 'cause if you read the english translation to all of the tracks' lyrics, those songs talk about pain, anxiety, insecurity, and self-love that you might relate to. Overall, a dark concept album that gave me whirlwind of emotions.

Rating: 9/10

Fave tracks: Intro: Singularity, FAKE LOVE, The Truth Untold, Love Maze, Magic Shop, Airplane pt.2, Anpanman, Outro: Tear

#2 Sam Kim - Sun and Moon

The simplicity of Sam Kim's album, 'Sun and Moon' made me fall in love with Sam more as a Korean artist. This album is the kind of album not only K-pop fans would enjoy listening to, but non K-pop fans as well. His powerfully silky angelic voice automatically makes me swoon. My heart is filled with emotions when he starts singing with each track especially his ballads 'cause his voice is just so damn smoothly delicate and powerful at the same time; I can tell he was genuinely singing from his heart while recording this album.

These tracks talk about falling in love and falling out of love that has instrumentals of contemporary r&b, a spice of jazz, pop, and acoustic music. I like that Zico and Crush are featured on this album 'cause I'm a big fan of those two Korean artists. I also love that he shows his guitar skills which makes it more authentic. If you're a fan of Ed Sheeran or Michael Buble or early 2000's r&b, you should start listening to this guy and this album 'cause you will definitely like his music.

Rating: 9.5/10

Fave tracks: Sun and Moon, It's You, Make Up, Sunny Days Summer Nights, The One, Would You Believe, The Weight, If *all of the tracks*

#1 EXO-CBX - Blooming Days (mini album) 

EXO-CBX'S 'Blooming Days' was such a smooth ride. Their second mini album/EP is such a positively feel-good and laid back album that I would listen to on loop. This deserves to be #1 'cause it was a well-produced album that gave me a heartwarming and positive emotion until the end. EXO's Baekhyun, Chen, and Xiumin gave us melodic evocative sounds that is so pleasantly pleasing and addicting to listen to; this subunit group sings about lust, infatuation, and love filled with groovy, funky, seductive r&b and disco instrumentals that just melts my heart because of their insanely talented harmonic vocals.

These seven tracks were well thought out and well balanced based on how they kept the rhythm and vocals going with every track. If you haven't listened to this mini album yet, you're missing out. This album will definitely make your day and also make you want to chill and groove.

Rating: 10/10

Fave tracks: Monday Blues, Blooming Day, Sweet Dreams!, Thursday, Vroom Vroom, Playdate, Lazy *all of the tracks*

And those are my top 10 K-pop songs and albums. What was your favorite K-pop song and album of 2018? Was your favorite/s on my top 10? Comment below. Thank you for reading.