I know there will be pitchforks raised by people online since this ranking is bound to get a lot of attention, especially coming from Billboard and all. But they gave credits to really deserving artists that we haven’t seen them get credited as much from other platforms’ rankings. Not sure if Jaurim counts as K-pop per se, but LIFE! was a fantastic album and I love that they earned a spot on the ranking. Same goes for Chanhyuk’s EROS! An absolute masterpiece!
There are a couple of albums I would’ve liked to see included, but it’s all subjective at the end of the day, and overall I don’t have much complaints from this ranking they put out.
Here’s the full ranking and I’ll include the comments they wrote for each entry (link if you just want to visit the site instead):
25. PLAVE, Caligo Pt.1
A milestone for PLAVE and the burgeoning virtual idol scene, Caligo Pt.1 sold over 1 million copies worldwide — a first for virtual artists. But it’s not novelty that connects with listeners but PLAVE’s clear dedication to their music and storytelling. From the synth-pop dream of album opener “Chroma Drift” to their first English track “Island” and the dynamic, schizophrenic-sounding lead single “Dash” (the first songs by a virtual artist to enter the Billboard Global 200), PLAVE’s very real talents are evident with producing and writing across each song.
24. Hearts2Hearts, FOCUS
The debut EP from Hearts2Hearts distills SM Entertainment’s girl-group lineage—”Pink Blood”—into contemporary sounds. The house-driven “FOCUS” and sleek nu-disco “APPLE PIE” carry traces of Red Velvet and f(x), while “Pretty Please” draws on New Jack Swing with a nod to S.E.S. Their eight-member synchronization and chemistry recall Girls’ Generation, yet the project operates as reinterpretation. By internalizing a decade of K-pop evolution and translating it for now, FOCUS positions Hearts2Hearts as a convincing continuation of SM’s evolving narrative.
23. TWICE, TEN: The Story Goes On
Around a decade in, K-pop acts start to sunset — but not the nation’s girl group. With a bit of strategy, TWICE instead had a banner year: led by their inclusion in the megahit KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack, the real-world superstars released their own English album, followed by an anniversary project, Ten: The Story Goes On. The latter goes from strength to strength on its individual member tracks, as breakout solo star Nayeon kicks things off with the cheeky celebration of self “Meeeeee,” while further down, Chaeyoung’s glitchy “In My Room,” from collaborators of PinkPantheress and Shygirl, exhibits her eclectic taste. Even “Golden” co-writer EJAE lends her pen’s Midas touch. “Now we’ve found a happy ever after” leader Jihyo sings on the lead single, yet it’s all the more clear after 2025 that TWICE’s story is far from reaching its end.
22. RIIZE, Odyssey
If The Odyssey is humanity’s greatest, and twistiest, homecoming tale, RIIZE’s first studio album embodies that spirit of wandering. Up until now, the enigmatic boy group has tried a little of everything, but that journey feels more intentional than ever as they explore the furthest reaches of “emotional pop,” from the electronic storm clouds of “Odyssey” to the theater kid heights of “Fly Up.” “What if we could go back / To another life?” they wonder aloud on groovy slap bass closer “Another Life,” pondering how different life choices might have played out. Bringing up the question doesn’t necessarily mean dwelling on it, though. In an interview, Eunseok described their music as a fruiting tree; unlike Sylvia Plath’s fig tree, spoiling from lack of action, this one is ripe for the picking.
21. EVNNE, HOT MESS
This is a fun one from the Jellyfish Entertainment boy band. Fun, energetic, pop-heavy, this album is full of bright tunes with toe-tapping bass, drums and nostalgic guitar riffs. The light and playful “Birthday” makes you feel like you’re walking on air, while “Love Like That” is a hopeful, confident and flirtatious entry about falling in love that gives us One Direction vibes. The sound switches up with “CROWN,” a funky and powerful dance and pop-rock entry that showcases the group’s range. Back in 2024, the group was named Billboard’s K-Pop Rookie of the Month after a strong 2023 debut. With this album, we’ve seen what the group can do and can’t wait for more.
20. G-DRAGON, Ubermensch
The King of K-pop’s return is equal parts spectacle and introspection. Ubermensch is a record that reasserts his throne while offering quieter corners for more sentimental reflection. Songs like “POWER,” “Home Sweet Home” and “IBELONGIIU” deliver on GD‘s playful power-pop sound, while the Dianne Warren-assisted “Drama,” “Take Me,” “Gyro-Drop” and “Too Bad,” featuring Anderson .Paak, all have a more mature, timeless feel, rounding out a true career milestone project.
19. YEONJUN, No Labels: Part 01
On his debut EP, YEONJUN moves across hip-hop drive, abrasive rock textures and R&B undercurrents, bound by a refusal to be confined. Most striking is his vocal range, shifting between force and restraint, commanding a diverse genre spread. “Talk to You” lands with distorted guitar and raw delivery, while “Forever” drifts through looping synths, reflecting on impermanence and urging presence because nothing lasts. Debuting at No. 2 on Billboard‘s World Albums chart, No Labels: Part 01 positions itself as the opening movement in an unfolding creative path.
18. WENDY, Cerulean Verge
On her third EP, Red Velvet’s WENDY explores where softness and strength intersect. “Sunkiss” glows with buoyant arrangements and weightless melodies, while “Believe” strips back to piano-led restraint, allowing vulnerability to emerge. As one of K-pop’s most recognizable vocalists—defined by tonal character and technical command—she carries forward the lineage of label peers like Taeyeon through a personal lens. At this blue-hued threshold, WENDY advances through assurance, reaffirming her status as one of the scene’s most reliable vocal presences.
17. i-dle, We Are
i-dle has gone through major changes this year. The group has shifted their concept to reflect stepping into a new era, dropping the “G” in their name in May to signify a genderless, limitless concept. We Are is another step towards change, an impressive entry in the girl group’s lengthy discography with a diverse tracklist that is just as unique as the group’s members. The album is led by title track “Good Thing” that leans into the early 2010s K-pop sound with an upbeat electronic sound composed and arranged by the group’s lead rapper Soyeon. The standouts include “If You Want,” a soulful ballad meets R&B track that shows off the group’s vocals, moving away from their usual “girl crush” concept, and “Love Tease,” a catchy synth-pop track that is reminiscent of retro sounds.
16. JAURIM, LIFE!
Recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios that housed greats like the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush and Oasis, LIFE! reads like JAURIM’s new musical manifesto with muscular arrangements worked by Kim Yuna’s raw and flexible voice. Despite Kim battling a serious health crisis before this album, the legendary singer sounds more fired up than ever. “VAMPIRE” delivers a vocal-acrobatic showcase for Kim as she leaps from a sneering, rock-y performance into deep belts that sound almost operatic, proving a formidable range after decades. Meanwhile, a song like “KARMA” is packed with the band’s weathered wisdom since their 1997 debut: “What’s done can never be undone / Not even in death / Karma, karma, karma / I want my life back… / in this cruel game of life.” All making LIFE! feel both a moment of reckoning for the band and their promise to keep going harder.
15. Kwon Jin Ah, The Dreamest
Completed over six years, The Dreamest documents Kwon Jin Ah’s emergence as a producer. The album addresses ambition’s double edge—exhilaration and exhaustion—while expanding beyond the ballad framework that once defined her. Moving through pop, rock, R&B and folk, she opens with “Turning Page,” where refined production meets her clear vocal tone, before settling into the retro ease of “stillmissu.” Each stylistic turn anchors on vocal control and emotional clarity, demonstrating an artist interested in continual reinvention.
14. SEVENTEEN, Happy Burstday
SEVENTEEN is yet another boy group whose music we’ve always been impressed by. Their vocal line, led by Woozi, DK, Jeonghan and Joshua, always have us on our feet, while the rap line is equally strong. The group’s May entry, Happy Burstday, sees SEVENTEEN at their best after a decade together by showcasing members’ individuality through 13 solos.
Some of our favorites include Joshua’s jazzy “Fortunate Change,” along with the upbeat rock n’ roll track “HBD,” plus “Jungle,” the hard-hitting final track on Happy Burstday written entirely by S.Coups. The album serves as a reminder of SEVENTEEN’s success and longevity, enduring as a third-gen group despite the years that have gone by since their debut.
13. CLOSE YOUR EYES, ETERNALT
While most debut K-pop albums showcase a purely youthful aesthetic, CLOSE YOUR EYES opted to revive early-2000s R&B with silky-smooth harmonies and glossy production. There are dreamy harmonies in the pulsating opening ballad “Close Your Eyes,” while the remarkably mature lead single “All My Poetry” recalls the most vocally talented of the Y2K-era boy bands. Even up-tempo tracks like the ’80s synth-drenched “How to Dance” or the minimalist mix of playful raps and sparse piano production on “Laid Back” position the young septet as new torchbearers for retro-inflected K-pop.
12. ENHYPEN, Desire: Unleash
ENHYPEN pushed their world-building into even darker, more emotionally urgent territory on Desire : Unleash, earning one of the biggest K-pop albums of the year, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 5 on the year-end World Albums chart. From the turbo-powered opening track “Flashover” to racing rock gem “Helium” co-produced by Jay, Desire : Unleash is chock full of new fan-favorite B-side tracks that can stand strong alongside lead single “Bad Desire (With or Without You),” another ENHYPEN stunner produced by Cirkut that proves the top 40 hitmaker is at his most exciting when collaborating with the septet.
11. ZEROBASEONE, Never Say Never
This is a quality entry from the Boys Planet-formed boy group that truly shows the group’s range. They’ve found their identity through this entry, honing their sound, landing in a diverse, energetic pop meets hip-hop space with tracks like “ICONIK” and “SLAM DUNK” balanced nicely with R&B entries like “Lovesick Game” and “Long Way Back.” The album landed on the Billboard 200 at No. 23 spot, marking a new high for the group. The album showcases emotional and powerful vocals with confident rap moments led by members Kim Gyuvin, Han Yu Jin and Park Gun Wook. It’s ZEROBASEONE‘s most cohesive album to date and gets us very excited for the group’s future.
10. BOYNEXTDOOR, The Action
While January single “If I Say, I Love You” became one of the year’s biggest songs in Korea and BOYNEXTDOOR‘s first entry onto the Billboard Global 200, The Action cements the KOZ Entertainment act’s transition from a breakout novelty into a storytelling band for audiences to take truly seriously.
As standard with the BND’s most recent EPs, the members have writing and/or composition credits across every track, with The Action really spotlighting their ability to be flexible across genres and to draw on clear international musical influences. There’s dreamy disco and Euro-jazz sounds in “Live in Paris” and suave, slinky swing in “Hollywood Action,” but undeniable heart in the ’90s-inspired pop-R&B ballad “As Time Goes By.” Despite all the inspirations and influences going into BOYNEXTDOOR, no doubt having a musical mentor like ZICO guiding them both musically and in the industry is a key factor in why The Action works so well as one of the year’s most satisfying listens.
9. JEON SOMI, Chaotic & Confused
With Chaotic & Confused, JEON SOMI steps past the brightness that once defined her, folding adventurous sounds into a mainstream framework. The record pivots around “CLOSER,” a stutter-house reinterpretation of Sean Kingston‘s “Beautiful Girls,” before branching into the declarative R&B of “EXTRA” and post-punk tension of “Escapade.” After more than a decade in the public eye, JEON SOMI examines artistic self-hood—embracing instability as a creative force.
8. Stray Kids, Karma: The 4th Album
Stray Kids has enjoyed widespread success since their debut in 2018 and their fans are exceptionally loyal. The eight-member boy group’s 2025 studio album, simply titled Karma, was no exception to their success. Standouts include the single “Ceremony,” an energetic EDM trap entry with aggressive an rap and unconventional rhythms, along with “CREED,” a dark rock-meets-hip-hop track that reminds us of Warren G mixed with Anti-era Rihanna. With experimental sounds and melodic moments, the album is classic Stray Kids, a blend of intensity and lightness.
7. CHAEYOUNG, Lil Fantasy, Vol.1
As the fourth TWICE member to step forward alone, CHAEYOUNG moves beyond the boundaries of her group identity. Lil Fantasy, Vol.1, which peaked at No. 3 on Billboard‘s World Albums chart, is a self-directed project: she writes and produces all 10 tracks and shapes the album’s visual world. Sonically, it forms a soft sanctuary where neo-soul, trip-hop and dream pop intersect. Her understated, textured vocals establish quiet immersion, removed from TWICE’s high-gloss brightness, pointing toward new possibilities for her solo path and the group’s artistic range.
6. SUNMI, HEART MAID
An album almost two decades in the making, HEART MAID is a theatrical full-length where SUNMI trades the safety of singles for emotional exposure across an entire project. While the star dons a maid-like outfit on the LP cover, the record is also a labor of love made from SUNMI’s heart. Every song across the 13 tracks was written by and co-produced by the superstar — a true rarity in the K-pop scene — anchored by the defiant lead single “CYNICAL” that proves the K-diva still retains her optimism and humor after all these years. Across the track list, there’s the surprisingly melancholy “Happy af,” “Bath” as a moody ode to self-care, and “Sweet nightmare,” a swirling synth-pop representation of chaotic dreams, all expressing different sides and shades of one of K-pop’s most alluring sirens.
5. Lee Chanhyuk, EROS
A musical cousin to his equally excellent debut solo record ERROR, Lee Chanhyuk‘s EROS once again leans into a warm, vintage 1980s palette but folds the retro gloss into more soulful, expansive arrangements.
Tracks like the unexpected breakout single “Endangered Love,” as well as album opener “SINNY SINNY,” introduce gospel-tinged choirs that lift the AKMU members’ productions into sweeping, cinematic spaces. Written entirely by Lee and co-produced with Millennium and Sihwang, the LP forgoes today’s trends for a musical ride all its own, making the listener contemplate the complexities of love through an ongoing, unassuming groove — a concept perhaps best represented by “Vivid LaLa Love,” which is accompanied by one of the best music videos of 2025. The final track on the LP, “Shining Ground,” sees Chanhyuk’s voice so processed to the point that it’s nearly impossible to make out what he’s singing: the bizarre, four-minute album closer ultimately inspires the listener to hit replay and experience it all again.
4. Various Artists, KPop Demon Hunters Soundtrack
This wouldn’t be a cohesive list without mentioning the cultural phenom that was, and is, the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack. From Billboard Hot 100 smashes like “Golden” and “Soda Pop” to anthem-esque numbers like “Takedown” and “What It Sounds Like,” the full-length film soundtrack spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, not a small feat given that this K-pop girl group is fictional. The album has received widespread love, reaching over nine billion global streams by August. The Netflix soundtrack received multiple Grammy nominations in 2026, specifically for the track “Golden.” The soundtrack is a cultural moment with a slew of diverse tracks that capture the essence of what makes K-pop, fictional or otherwise, so great.
3. JENNIE, Ruby
JENNIE’s global resonance rests on a rare duality: commanding spectacle at the highest level shaped by BLACKPINK’s maximalist precision while maintaining a closeness that feels candid and human through her public persona. Her first solo album, Ruby (named after her full stage name, Jennie Ruby Jane), gives sonic references to the multi-layered images and a spectrum of identities she has accumulated over the years.
The album moves through an expansive creative network including Amy Allen, Tayla Parx, Diplo, Mike Will Made It and Rob Bisel, alongside collaborators such as Kali Uchis, Dominic Fike, Doechii, Dua Lipa, FKJ and more. The throughline is not genre but parity: a meeting of artists operating at comparable levels across both alternative and mainstream spaces.
Sonically, Ruby traces an internal landscape rather than a linear arc. Tracks move between self-possessed confidence (“like JENNIE”), neon-hued desire and volatility (“Love Hangover”), reflective intimacy (“Seoul City”) and quiet reckoning of bonds eroded by time (“Twin”). If BLACKPINK embodies intensity at its peak, Ruby expands outward, showing range, restraint, and emotional variance. The result is historic, making her the first Korean female solo artist to place three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 in the same week. At its core sits “ZEN,” an assertion of authorship and self-governance. Informed by Shakespearean references (As You Like It), Ruby claims narrative control, positioning JENNIE not as an artist in transition, but one for whom evolution feels intentional and inevitable.
2. NMIXX, Blue Valentine
NMIXX‘s long-awaited full album, Blue Valentine, is a long-form declaration and dedication to the group’s genre-splitting insights, now poised to thrive in a full-length experience. The 12 tracks take the group’s signature “MIXX pop” style to deliver everything from emotional rock-pop in the stunning title track “Blue Valentine” to Baile funk, melancholic synth-pop and spirited boom-bap in fan-favorite “SPINNIN’ ON IT.” But perhaps most crucially, it also offers a moment for more personal input from the group: Lily co-wrote the LP’s glitch-pop English track “Reality Hurts” alongside rising pop enchantress Sophie Powers, while leader Haewon helped pen the stadium-sized reggaeton power-pop anthem “PODIUM” as well as the breezy “Crush on You” with bossa nova and jazz persuasions.
Blue Valentine is also a moment of recognized reward for those who believed in NMIXX’s vision from the beginning. The LP closes by officially splitting their debut single “O.O” into the two original tracks it was mashed up from: the trap-heavy Baile funk of “O.O Part 1 (Baila)” and the teen-pop rock “O.O Part 2 (Superhero).” It’s recognition that even when the songs aren’t in their MIXXed-up forms, they still stand as strong pieces of music.
NMIXX saw Blue Valentine and its title track break new ground for them as a group commercially, finally scoring massive hits on the K-pop charts and returning the group to the Billboard 200. But in the larger K-pop culture, Blue Valentine shows the importance of using the album template to prove that sticking to a vision from the start can pay off in the long run. When an artist finally reaches a musical milestone like their first full album, celebrating with a project that honors the early days while showcasing a broadening of skills, styles and sounds is something for only the most talented and ambitious of groups — two qualities which are overflowing within the six members of NMIXX.
1. MARK, The Firstfruit
For those of you who aren’t familiar, MARK is a member of the largely successful SM Entertainment boy group NCT, so going solo meant he had to produce something big, something that would make him stand out from the whopping 25 members the group has as of 2025. The Firstfruit is a deeply personal album, drawing on the Toronto-born rapper’s experiences from taking flights to home sickness and missing his mother. “1999” serves as the album’s lead single, a strong upbeat pop number with funky guitar riffs and unique falsetto vocals. It’s vastly different from the rest of MARK’s entries like the sincere and nostalgic “Toronto’s Window,” arranged by Code Kunst, and the piano-heavy “Mom’s Interlude.” The album will take you on a journey from start to finish through MARK’s eyes.
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