K-Pop Artists with the Best Japanese Discographies

A new and improved ranking and review of the top 17!

#17: Dreamcatcher

2022 Ranking: 15th

Reason: Dreamcatcher’s pop-rock lane guaranteed their J-pop/anime-rock crossover would be seamless! The group’s anime OSTs and other Japanese songs stay in their wheelhouse - just at a faster clip, with several instrumental layers always working together smoothly and at an exhilarating pace.

Underrated Track: “Don’t Light My Fire,” which blends pianos and guitars with EDM undercurrents and eerie echoes for a hauntingly good time!

Standout Music Video: “Breaking Out,” which literally and metaphorically weaves an interesting tale about intertwined fates and a desire to control one’s own destiny. Red strings and an all-white setting are all it takes to bring its message home.

#16: ITZY

2022 Ranking: N/A

Reason: ITZY’s Japanese songs and videos ooze confidence! “RINGO” is the catchiest and most empowering of them all, and it’s the fast-paced soundtrack for a video that flips a fairy-tale trope on its head. Even when appearing to emphasize style over substance, their Japanese videos send an important message. With vivid color schemes, surreal surroundings, and countless makeovers, the spectacles double as indirect reminders to live life loudly and proudly. This group is all about uncompromising self-assurance, and their Japanese eras are no exceptions.

Underrated Track: “Sugar-holic,” an easygoing “Treat yourself” reminder!

Standout Music Video: The aforementioned “RINGO.”

#15: CIX

2022 Ranking: N/A

Reason: While the Pinky Swear era has cute and candy-colored surprises, CIX’s other Japanese eras share the strong suits of their dark and dramatic Korean videos. “My New World,” naturally, takes place in an alternate dimension where time seems very futile, as another planet draws closer to a collision. But the song’s message is hopeful and essentially “The darker things get, the brighter the stars look.” This optimism is in “Revival,” too, which addresses the potential to ironically find fulfillment through sacrifice: “I’ve stopped making it all about me / This world is about give-and-take.” Living selflessly and in community is a gift, represented through each member’s placement in “Revival.” Using cloth as a prop, they leave their separate settings and come together to visually represent their bond.

CIX’s Japanese eras both hone in on an ethos that stays part of their story regardless of language and enables the band to try new things narratively and aesthetically.

Underrated Track: “With you,” which has a gentle and layered instrumental paired with lovely, soft vocals.

Standout Music Video: “Revival,” which adds twists to tried-and-true symbolism through smart filming choices. Times when the camera tilts a scene sideways, pivots from widescreen to full-screen or vice versa, or presents a symbol in an artificial form (for example, the fire that appears via digital screen) all open up extra avenues of interpretation.

#14: IZ*ONE

2022 Ranking: 14th

Reason: This group’s cute and colorful Japanese eras embody what people miss about them! The girl group added a bubbly quality to everything they touched, be it a “Vampire” storyline or a travel theme like in the “Buenos Aires” era. Songs like “Love Bubble” mix bouncy beats with catchy choruses and quirky, arcade-game-ready noises, provoking nostalgia and youthfulness that suits their bright visuals.

Underrated Track: “Fukigen Lucy,” which ought to be listened to with high-quality headphones to recognize all of its cool spatial qualities!

Standout Music Video: “Beware,” an aesthetically pleasing story that takes place within an adorable, miniature world!

#13: EXO

2022 Ranking: 13th

Reason: COUNTDOWN is what dance parties are made of! It is hard not to rock out while listening to jams like “Run This” and “Drop That.” A song being fun to listen to is not a guaranteed hit without great vocals to go with it, though, and EXO have those in spades!

Underrated Track: “Run This,” which features multiple build-ups, jump-worthy choruses, and cheeky awareness of the spell it casts on listeners (“Let’s do it one more time;” “Let’s bring it back again”)!

Standout Music Video: “Electric Kiss,” which visually represents its uncontainable energy with topsy-turvy camerawork, neon lights, and ambiguous props. The confusion is the point; the song and video do not take themselves too seriously!

#12: ENHYPEN

2022 Ranking: 17th

Reason: With swords that have minds of their own, dark rituals, and flames galore, the “Future Perfect (Pass the MIC) [Japanese Ver.]” music video amps up the cinema of the original video. The hefty doses of drama are balanced out nicely with doses of sweetness and levity through the group’s Japanese original songs, especially with “BLOSSOM” and “Always.”

Underrated Track: JAY’s well-done genre-hybrid with Japanese rock icons GLAY, “whodunit.”

Standout Music Video: The aforementioned “Future Perfect (Pass the MIC) [Japanese Ver.].”

#11: Red Velvet

2022 Ranking: 11th

Reason: Red Velvet are as cute as can be in the visually stimulating videos for “#Cookie Jar” and “SAPPY,” and they bring that sweet charm to “WILDSIDE” too - until the video changes to a “Bad Boy”-era-esque wardrobe and plot! Their deftness at duality presents itself sonically, too. In Bloom, they amp up the attitude in one song and sound soft and angelic on the next one.

Underrated Track: “Marionette,” which samples The Nutcracker and represents Red Velvet’s visual and sonic aesthetic realms perfectly.

Standout Music Video: “WILDSIDE,” a dramatic jewelry heist that lets Red Velvet play up their fiercer, darker personas.

#10: NCT 127

2022 Ranking: 8th

Reason: The best word to describe NCT 127’s Japanese songs is simply “fun”! From “Chica Bom Bom,” whose lyrics include “Eeny meeny miny moe, everybody’s beautiful,” to the rowdy “Kitchen Beat,” goofiness is always allowed! Further expanding their palette is the industrial “Chain,” a noisy encapsulation of what makes a song an NCT 127 one. Powerhouse vocals and a busy background layer set the scene, and TAEYONG raps like his life depends on it!

Underrated Track: “100.” Each segment is anticipatory in its own ways, from the murmured introduction to the energizing pre-bridge build-up.

Standout Music Video: “Chain,” full of swoon-worthy stares and flexes with power tools!

#9: Girls’ Generation

2022 Ranking: 12th

Reason: Girls’ Generation’s Japanese music videos are charismatic nesting dolls; their stories unfold within other stories. They appear via TV screen within the “FLOWER POWER” music video, come to life as members of a toy circus in the Japanese version of “Genie,” and do not break into a performance of “PAPARAZZI” until after they play different roles in a theatrical production’s opening number. Aside from the visuals that are gifts wrapped in several layers, their Japanese singles show off cool choreography and inherent star power.

Underrated Track: “Karma Butterfly,” a nostalgic dance floor gem.

Standout Music Video: “PAPARAZZI,” which holds greater meaning in hindsight because of the many ways younger SM Entertainment artists have built off of its show-within-a-show premise.

#8: SHINee

2022 Ranking: 10th

Reason: From beautiful ballads highlighting their signature harmonies to delightfully playful jams like “SUPERSTAR,” SHINee’s Japanese earworms are as varied as they come.

Underrated Track: “Become Undone,” a song that makes sense both in and out of the “pop ballad” category; it is pop ballad material with a classically SHINee spin!

Standout Music Video: “Get The Treasure,” a quirky and campy story of a frozen-in-time, supernatural house party with a literally explosive ending!

#7: BoA

2022 Ranking: 4th

Reason: The word “iconic” is overused, but no other word fits as well when describing BoA’s Japanese debut. BoA’s Japanese breakthrough is a milestone in K-pop’s history, and her unprecedented acclaim has been maintained throughout nine - and counting! - Japanese promotional eras. Checking out any of her Japanese albums makes it easy to see why; her timeless girl-next-door image and dance-pop hits are cyclically trendy. Simply put, BoA’s songs never go out of style!

Underrated Track: “AGGRESSIVE,” which works seamlessly beside Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now” on a playlist.

Standout Music Video: “Jazzclub,” in which BoA turns her bitterness towards someone who has moved on and gotten engaged to someone else into fuel for a nonstop dance party!

#6: BTS

2022 Ranking: 5th

Reason: With profound lyrics and stirring instrumentals, BTS’s Japanese songs are the embodiments of emotions at their purest: unfiltered pain, nostalgia, triumph, contentment, and so much more. For example, “Stay Gold” epitomizes calm and contentment. “Lights” is another standout for being the sonic equivalent of gratitude. BTS always know how to make just the right soundtrack for a specific feeling or memory.

Underrated Track: “Don’t Leave Me.” Jung Kook’s smooth, piano-backed vocals make for a compelling contrast to Jimin’s electronic angst.

Standout Music Video: “Film out,” for its many Easter eggs and cinematic video stills that match the drama of the song itself.

#5: TXT

2022 Ranking: 6th

Reason: While it can be nice to see K-pop stars try out new looks for their Japanese eras, it is appreciated that TXT’s Japanese eras stay in the same thematic realm as their Korean ones. Even the album titles stay summative of their story’s ongoing, overarching themes: STILL DREAMING, Chaotic Wonderland, SWEET, CHIKAI (meaning “Close”)… These key phrases epitomize the group’s epic and emotional tales that reside where the abstract is given visual forms and where whimsy and mayhem coexist. The magic mixed with the messy and the mundane forms TXT’s storytelling foundation regardless of language.

Underrated Track: “Everlasting Shine,” which insightfully addresses the shades of gray that leave “no clear distinction between angels and devils,” the pessimism of “finding fault, pretending [to not be] broken,” and the eventual determination to stay strong (“Let’s turn these tears into hope”).

Standout Music Video: The Japanese version of “Blue Hour,” which is even more fun than the original version, with dancing bushes and flying machines!

#4: Stray Kids

2022 Ranking: 9th

Reason: Stray Kids’ trademarks remain firmly intact throughout their Japanese albums: their everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach, their back-and-forths between boisterous declarations and vulnerable confessions, and the quirky ad libs and sound effects that complete each colorful picture. Their post-2022 Japanese releases are no different, and if anything, their quality is even higher. They have dabbled more often with anime-rock and J-pop sensibilities, both on the personality-packed album GIANT and through collaborations with LiSA (“Social Path,” “ReawakeR”). When it comes to singing about their music reverberating globally, Stray Kids have been both talking the talk and walking the walk!

Underrated Track: “Saiyan,” which humorously uses play-on words in its emboldening message about never letting anyone dim one’s inner flame.

Standout Music Video: “GIANT.” While the members’ characters seem to be on disparate missions, they pass a golden object amongst each other, which turns jewel-encrusted after they come together for a magical ritual. Faces that crack open and a giant, lurking shadow are just some of the other visuals that give viewers the experience of watching a movie trailer.

#3: TAEMIN

2022 Ranking: 2nd

Reason: At times pained and breathy, at times loud and commanding, TAEMIN’s chameleonic vocals always astound. Not only are his Japanese releases no exceptions, but they include some of the strongest songs in his entire discography. His voice takes listeners on emotional roller coasters made even more vivid with EDM twists and other turns away from a stereotypical pop formula. Songs like “Goodbye” and “Exclusive” stay as invigorating in lyric-less moments as they do when TAEMIN’s voice re-enters. His eponymous album, as well as Flame of Love and FAMOUS, emphasize his remarkable ways with words and music notes alike, and the corresponding videos prove his visual instincts are just as sharp.

Underrated Track: “HOLY WATER,” which highlights both extremes in his vocal strong suits: the power and the fragility his voice can convey.

Standout Music Video: “Sayonara Hitori,” which contrasts colors and characters to tell a three-dimensional story in more ways than one. TAEMIN fluidly, mesmerizingly dances between parallel worlds.

#2: TWICE

2022 Ranking: 3rd

Reason: In addition to many original Japanese singles and full-length albums, TWICE have released several Japanese compilations of their Korean hits. Plus, their cover of “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5, made to be an OST for the Japanese adaptation of Sensei Kunshu, keeps the original song’s essence while still sounding true to TWICE.

As for their post-2022 releases, they have outdone themselves! The DIVE era has both style in spades and commendable commentary, and the subunit MISAMO creatively differentiates itself from the full group’s image. MISAMO has an “art about art” premise. Whether appearing engraved on a rock in the “Identity” video, posing like sculptures in “Do not touch,” or showing off designer pieces in “NEW LOOK,” the trio pays tribute to various physical forms of art by turning into art themselves!

Underrated Track: “Here I am,” which makes a creative and convincing case that people can see themselves while simultaneously not really seeing themselves at all.

Standout Music Video: “Doughnut,” which uses a metaphor in ways both silly and serious. They compare feeling stuck in a “love loop” to a doughnut, and the jelly oozing out of a doughnut becomes representative of a crime scene’s “blood”!

#1: SEVENTEEN

2022 Ranking: 1st

Reason: Like all SEVENTEEN releases, their Japanese eras are carefully curated so each component ties into one cohesive theme. “Fallin’ Flower” is a great example. The group’s choreography mimics the look of flowers unraveling their petals. The song’s fast beat and rapping collide with a sudden mood drop as they sing about petals falling to the ground, and the lyrics expand on the metaphor of fearing the love that one is receiving is wilting away as surely as the seasons are changing. The story resumes a hopeful tone as they sing about sprouts emerging where flowers once wilted, and as JOSHUA repurposes those old flowers into an accessory. The uses of symbols besides flowers have the same sentiment, like when members become mere outlines of people, shadows yearning for the moment they can regain the closeness to others they once thought was permanent.

Just like “Fallin’ Flower” turns a seemingly straightforward theme - a flower’s life cycle - into a profound, personalized analogy, “CALL CALL CALL!” shows that a phone call can mean so much more than that. “24H” symbolizes the word “time” in both subtle and overt ways. The key word “DREAM” stays the focus of the video and song of the same name; the members turn their imaginations into their realities in real time. “Ima -Even if the world ends tomorrow-” has a self-explanatory premise and represents connections’ elusive nature through many fleeting images: hands being held and then letting go, a phone left dangling from a chord… Lastly, “Shohikigen” (“Expiration Date”) keeps its story rooted in a “Not a second to waste” mentality; their actions revolve around communicating with people as much and in as many ways as possible. The overall lesson of “Shohikigen” is one taught through SEVENTEEN’s Korean videos, too: The act of reaching out to others matters more than the specifics of the attempts.

Overall, the themes of new beginnings, boundless dreaming, and the camaraderie that makes both possible and worthwhile remain cornerstones of SEVENTEEN’s music, and their Japanese eras thoughtfully apply those themes in new ways.

Underrated Track: “Sara Sara,” an as-sweet-as-can-be song with flower metaphors and words of encouragement.

Standout Music Video: “DREAM.” The fantastical yet relatable narrative that SEVENTEEN spent the year unfolding gets the satisfying conclusion it deserves.

Paying subscribers can view the Honorable Mentions here!