There’s been no shortage of excellent K-pop albums in 2022 and Billboard wants to know which full-length has helped define your year.
Though BTS remained on hiatus as the seven members prepare to start their mandatory service in the South Korean military, both RM and J-Hope delivered solo albums to keep ARMY happy. J-Hope’s Jack in the Box came first with its vintage hip-hop sound, colorful cover art by KAWS and concept inspired by Pandora’s Box.
Five months later, RM dropped Indigo, complete with a star-studded guest roster that included Erykah Badu (“Yun”), Anderson .Paak (“Still Life”), Tablo (“All Day”) and more.
BLACKPINK also came raring back with their full-length sophomore effort Born Pink while TOMORROW X TOGETHER dropped Minisode 2: Thursday’s Child and SEVENTEEN repackaged their fourth album, 2022’s Face the Sun, as Sector 17 with new tracks like “Cheers (SVT Leaders)” and “_World.”
As far as solo albums go, Lee Chanhyuk dreamed up Error, a concept album telling the story of someone who’s fallen into a coma and Heize enlisted the likes of Monsta X’s I.M, (G)I-DLE’s Minnie and Giriboy for Undo, her first album in more than three years.
HIGHLIGHT reintroduced themselves with Daydream — their first full-length since changing their name from Beast back in 2017. Lim Young Woong delivered on his potential after winning the 2020 Korean singing competition Mr. Trot with his genre-hopping debut Im Hero. And NewJeans established themselves as one of the genre’s most exciting new girl groups with their self-titled debut.
Vote for your favorite K-pop album of the year below!
