#40: Formula Of Love by TWICE

Making their name with the kind of unapologetic bubblegum that’s often scoffed at, Formula Of Love is TWICE at their most effervescent, bouncing between Korean and English for a 16-track pop explosion that dominated the charts for weeks. It not only boasts a great, synthy title track, but a great line-up altogether, ranging from tropical pop (Moonlight) to disco (F.I.L.A.) to full-on ballad (Cactus). And The Feels feels (hah!) like a call back to the sounds that birthed them, making the album a celebration of all things TWICE.

#39: Venus by SHINHWA

SHINHWA are legendary in the k-pop industry (literally; their name means “legend”), and this album is a microcosm of all their strengths. As befits its name, The Return marks fifteen years of SHINHWA in the industry, and while it still keeps the foundations that made their classic LP Perfect Man so great, it adds a sparkling layer of synths and a heavy dose of heart, both for the fans and each other. Single Venus feels tailor-made for a dance-floor in the same vein as Kara’s Lupin or SHINee’s Ring Ding Dong, while bsides Be My Love, Red Carpet, and On The Road feature classical flourishes, sharp disco, and soundtrack-worthy acoustic guitar. Overall, I think that it’s the strongest of their albums.

#38: Connection by Onew

I admit I’m very biased when it comes to Onew’s Connection, not only because I love SHINee, but because its single goes for one of my all-time favorite sounds: the slowly building, dawningly hopeful power ballad. It’s at times heartbreaking and cathartic, and Onew pulls it off so well. This little EP would have been a solid package even without it, but all together, dabbling in funk (Boy), gospel (Promise You), and classic pop (Manse), it’s hopeful and heartwarming and just feels like a hug.

#37: Depth by Yuta

At 7 tracks, Yuta’s Depth toes the line between EP and LP, but either way it’s a very strong collection that holds its own even among NCT’s other great solos. All in his first language of Japanese, it dips into anthemic rock (Bad Euphoria), piano-led power ballad (Last Song), and even full-on screamo metal (Off The Mask), and also features previous single Butterfly, albeit with a glossy pop-rock makeover. Melding K-pop and J-pop hallmarks for what’s a very unique (and very Yuta) exploration of music and vulnerability, it sets him up for what’s sure to be an electrifying, rock-guitar-driven solo career that I can’t wait to witness.

#36: Holiday Night by Girls Generation

Girls’ Generation is known for grand returns, but even for them, this 10th anniversary marker stands out. Perfecting the crying-on-the-dancefloor feels, Holiday Night goes from celebratory to melancholy, and right back, and, in my opinion, is the album that captures “k-pop” as a genre best. Its double title tracks take the dancefloor in different directions; Holiday has a sunny beat right off of a Broadway stage while All Night takes a more minimalistic approach. As for the bsides, there’s citypop Fan and jazzy Love Is Bitter, and you can’t do much better for a hidden gem than the anthemic Girls Are Back, which I think perfectly captures the magic of SNSD.

#35: History Of Kingdom IV by The Kingdom

While The Kingdom is known for their historical concept, their fourth EP Dann, being based on Korean myth, feels the most comfortable. With two singles that tell the story of a falling kingdom from both a grandiose, war drum led side (Ascension) and a piano-led doomed love story (Promise), it incorporates traditional instrumentation like flutes, percussion, and fragile strings, and melds them with EDM in a way that shouldn’t work but absolutely does. And the rest of the album is just as strong, from the monumental-feeling intro (Palace) to a song tailored for summer (Blinder), hanging together despite its range of genres.

#34: Wonder World by The Wonder Girls

Be My Baby is Wonder Girls’ second full album, and though it’s not as popular as some of their later work, I wholeheartedly believe it’s their strongest. From jazzy girl power (Girls Girls Girls) to Lady Gaga esque vogue pop (Nu Shoes) to dancefloor anthems (Girls Night Out), there’s not a bad track in the bunch, and that’s without even mentioning the great title track. It’s really the pinnacle of the good of 2nd gen kpop girl group music, and trust me when I say that I don’t say that lightly. Do yourself a favor and go listen to it yourself.

#33: The Firstfruit by Mark Lee

Divided into four sections based on the four cities who have defined him as a person—Toronto, New York, Vancouver, and Seoul—Mark Lee’s debut album The Firstfruit is an intimate, personal reflection on faith, fame at such a young age, and the many different forms of love. Ranging from Raincouver’s coffeeshop nostalgia and jaunty piano to 200’s 90s boyband pop-rock to Too Much’s painstakingly gentle hook, it’s one of those albums that stays with you long after it’s over. Mark said that he hopes people listen to the album through from start to finish, and give him a chance, and the best compliment I can give him is that I did do that, twice: once to write my review, once lying down, eyes closed, headphones on, just to feel.

#32: Dual by The Rose

Separated into two halves, the darker, more serious and loud Dusk side and the brighter, more hopeful and upbeat Dawn side, Korean rock band The Rose’s album Dual is a masterclass in opposites. On the one hand, there’s stage-bound angsty rock anthem Back To Me and the string-led, gentle Eclipse, and on the other there’s the off-beat, groovy Alive and the grandiose album closer Wonder, which remarks on the power of music and identity. It covers mental health, heartbreak, and everything in between, managing to do in 11 tracks what it takes some careers to.

#31: Unforgiven by Le Sserafim

Combining early career hits like the minimalistic, confident Fearless and the elegant, hazy Impurities with several new tracks, Le Sserafim’s first full album Unforgiven takes Le Sserafim out of the empty rooms common in kpop and into a Wild West ghost town as fallen angels come down from the heavens. From the Spaghetti Western influences in single Unforgiven to the spoken-word, language-hopping Burn The Bridge to the out-and-out Salsa in Fire In The Belly, it’s surprising and surprisingly great at every turn, and is the thing that made me into a very proud fan.