The 20 Best K-pop Albums of 2023

K-pop hasn’t been this exciting in a long time and we’re not just saying that because this is our very first year-end roundup of the best K-pop albums here at Paste. Neither BTS nor BLACKPINK recorded albums together this year, yet K-pop has become more prevalent on the world stage than ever, even with the absence of new music from these reigning kings and queens (solo efforts aside).
2023 was the year where a seemingly endless influx of exceptional music from newbies and veterans alike broke new chart records in both the West and South Korea too. At present, only the biggest names like Taylor Swift have been able to fend off these K-pop giants in terms of sales, and even that could soon change if this year has been anything to go by. Clearly then, the future is K-pop, but what does that future entail exactly? It’s only by looking back at the best of the best this year that we can begin to understand what’s in store for Korean music, and music as a whole, moving forward.
Full disclosure: There’s every chance that your fave didn’t reach the top spot, and that’s because every single artist on this list is someone’s favorite. In fact, you could pick anyone at random and they’ll have a die-hard fan base willing to sell everything from their soul to their gran so their pick comes out on top. With that in mind, we think you’ll find that there’s plenty here to enjoy (and argue over), as we rank the 20 best K-pop albums of 2023.
20. SHINee: HARD
SHINee’s enduring success over the past decade-and-a-half needs to be studied by science and, honestly, we should be grateful that they’re still gracing us with their combined presence at all. That being said, the group’s eighth studio album, released to celebrate their 15th anniversary as a band, doesn’t rank as one of their strongest releases. Still, even a weaker SHINee effort is better than the majority of music released today, which is a testament to their skill rather than a reflection on the industry itself. The lyrics especially continue to be a strong suit with the usual high standards we’ve come to expect from SHINee. Now, if you just combine songs like “Satellite” with “Identity” and a few others, there’s a really special EP tucked away here in this longer tracklist.
19. fromis_9: Unlock My World
Despite having released bangers like “DM” and “Love Bomb,” fromis_9 were still a bit underrated prior to 2023. That all changed this year, though, with the release of their first full-length album, “Unlock My World.” It took five years, and Jang Gyu-ri—the most recognizable member of the group—even left during that time, but, thankfully, it’s still been worth the wait. With that title, it should come as no surprise that Unlock My World is more introspective than anything fromis_9 has released prior and nowhere is that more evident than on “Attitude,” both a mission statement and also a reintroduction to this new octet in the wake of so much change.
18. MONSTA X: REASON
It’s almost been a whole year already since MONSTA X released their 12th mini album back in January, but songs like the kinetic rap monster “Crescendo” and “Beautiful Liar,” with throbbing rock baselines, have been in constant rotation for us ever since. Special shoutout to Lee Minhyuk’s vocals on “Daydream” and pretty much everything the whole group does on “Lone Ranger,” a truly wild ride on an already interesting, ambitious album.
17. NCT 127: Fact Check
Picking your favorite NCT sub-unit is truly the Sophie’s Choice of K-pop, so we’re not here to pick favorites overall. Saying that, NCT 127’s second comeback of the year, continuing on from Ay-Yo in January, has to be 2023’s standout pick. Lead single “Fact Check” sets the tone with exactly the kind of catchy dance vibes you might expect from one of K-pop’s most innovative bands who combine synths and Afro rhythms here to addictive effect. The rest of the album plays with their signature sound too across tracks like “Space” and ‘Yacht,” yet nothing feels out of place still. In fact, this positions NCT 127 exactly where they need to be right now: more confident in their sound than ever.
16. Jimin: FACE
Following in the footsteps of fellow BTS bandmates RM and J-Hope, Jimin has crafted his most personal music yet with FACE, an EP that is anything but surface level. On songs like “Face-off”—an ethereal RnB opener—and “Set Me Free Pt.2″—an abrasively grandiose yet divisive hip-hop track—Jimin mines angst and self-torment to great effect. Throw in audio snippets from life on and off stage, plus a surprise cameo from Jennifer Lawrence, of all people, and you’ve got yourself one of the year’s most exciting and endlessly creative solo efforts.
15. ATEEZ: THE WORLD EP.2: OUTLAW
It’s rather fitting that ATEEZ landed their first #1 on Billboard’s album chart with the second chapter of The World album series—because they’re now entering a whole new realm in more ways than one. But while real life keeps getting better for them, the eight-piece have swapped out one dystopian world for another in this storyline that takes ATEEZ to an extremely intense place, sonically speaking. Angsty and despairing yet also rich and cohesive, Outlaw represents the group at the peak of their powers, yet we have a feeling that the best is still yet to come.
14. Taemin: Guilty
Taemin joined SM Entertainment at the age of 12, and since then, he’s worked non-stop, be it as a key member of SHINee, as part of the supergroup SuperM, or on his own extremely successful solo efforts. It wasn’t until Taemin recently completed his mandatory military service that he was able to take some time away from the industry for himself, but thankfully, his artistry has lost none of its shine in the interim. In fact, Guilty is one of his most cohesive releases yet. Beyond the grand theatricality of the title track, a song which soars thanks to its 30-piece string ensemble, the rest of Guilty reminds us why Taemin is essentially the blueprint at this point when it comes to dramatic yet gentle and even sultry K-pop.
13. ENHYPEN: DARK BLOOD
More sparkly Twilight than gory Blade, the first chapter of ENHYPEN’s “Blood” series embraces the romantic, gothic sex appeal of an Anne Rice novel in K-pop form. The result is a hypnotic, story-driven effort that sinks its teeth in with exactly the kind of addictive refrain that the group’s become best known for. “Bite Me” is the glittery centerpiece, a monstrous mix of teen vampire lore and late nineties/early noughties boy-band appeal. It’s far better than that combination has any right to be, and that also goes for tracks like “Fate” and “Sacrifice (Eat Me Up)” which combine to create ENHYPEN’s most mesmerizing body of work so far.