The 100 Best Albums of 2024 So Far
A ranking and review of the best releases from Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Thai artists!
Things to Know First
Because these lists have been in the works for weeks, and because they are meant to focus on the best of the first half of the year only, anything released after June was not eligible.
To qualify as an album, a release had to have at least 3 songs on it.
EPs/mini-albums were considered the same as full-length albums.
#100: Lim Hyunsik, The Young Man and the Deep Sea
Lim Hyunsik sticks to a clear theme but in expansive ways. He uses figures of speech like “come hell or high water,” and he implicitly uses similar framing when talking about everything from being gently pushed in the right direction to facing life’s roughest waves. “Navigate” is a great example of how his metaphors can also be thought of literally! Its vivid lyrics and swelling sound make it suitable as the soundtrack for a sailor’s voyage! The Young Man and the Deep Sea tells an interesting fictional story while speaking to universal human emotions.
#99: JUD, JUD 1st EP
JUD 1st EP is a mix of solo demos and Netflix OSTs, allowing JUD to win over TV and music fans alike. Regardless of the song’s intentions, each one is graced with JUD’s alluring, breathy voice. Danceable grooves and ballads alike fit her like a glove, and her constant “Whatever” demeanor makes the sassier lyrics all the more humorous (like the standout “How Does It Feel,” in which she sarcastically cries for someone dealing with much-deserved bad karma!). The occasional psychedelic touch is yet another way that JUD 1st EP proves her potential to take on more just-for-her material in the future.
#98: Min, Prime Time
Prime Time is half sour and half sweet! After two clubby, unapologetic songs about declaring right now Min’s “PRIME TIME” are two softer songs that pay tribute to Min’s grandmother. “M.A.W” gets its title from one of her grandma’s catch phrases, “Might As Well.” MIN then expresses love for her grandma directly in their conversation, “HAPPY PLANT (A Call from Grandma).” The finishing touch that connects the EP’s halves is Min’s laughter, which is mocking in “SHIMMY (Skip)” but rings sweetly in “HAPPY PLANT.” Prime Time is like two releases in one, the first embodying Min’s carefree energy and the second pleasantly paying tribute to the woman who helped her cultivate that confidence.
#97: YUKI, SLITS
Like the slit on the side of a dress or skirt, this album exposes YUKI’s bare feelings. They first spill out of her through a series of dynamic synth-pop jams: “Now Here,” “Amayadori,” and “Ryusei slits.” They reach a culmination of sorts in the live-band-ready ode to individuality that is “Hello, it’s me.” The second half takes a heavier turn, with slower songs and rawer vocals. However, the second half stays just as full instrumentally as the first, and the energy is brought back up for the grand finale, “Kazeninare.” SLITS bookends its serious chapters with uplifting and engaging first and final ones, a smart way to maintain listeners’ interest and to satisfy with a full-circle story.
#96: XAI, WAVES
This dexterous EP includes a little of a lot! The eccentric tone is set by “To the mothership,” which combines pitches, volumes, and instruments in indescribable yet curiosity-stoking ways. The memorable opening is followed by a more crowd-pleasing pop bop in “JINX.” “Waves” aspires for the atmospheric, with some words sung as if from far away and others said in hushed tones, as if close to the listener’s ear. These hushed lines are hurried ones, interrupted suddenly by guitar strumming. The pattern between throwing listeners for a loop and returning to dependable territory continues with “Rain Bird,” which follows up the disjointed “Waves” with a streamlined piano ballad. Overall, WAVES’s exploratory instincts pay off.
#95: DJ Sparrow, BLUE
This cohesive, condensed collection of R&B/soul songs is severely underrated. The mood stays relatively mellow but wanders enough to keep things interesting, thanks to the distinct collaborators. Moneva brings R&B-girl-group energy all on her own to the sultry “IDWBU,” ilipp brings some autotune flavor that isn’t overkill to the hip-hop-tinged “Lemonade,” and NASON and Rovv deliver smooth vocals on the groovy “Acting Like That.” BLUE is high-quality in a relatively understated way.
#94: MUSM, MUSM op.6
MUSM op.6 is a rainbow of musical colors. “NPC” kicks things off with a melancholy but mellifluous delivery, making the second song, “Mr. David,” feel extra jolting by comparison. The franticness of “Mr. David” is smoothed into more predictable synth waves that crash throughout “Pink Cloud,” and the instrumental movement is transferred over into the next song, “MILKSHAKE.” Continuing the pattern of borrowing an element from the preceding track but giving it a makeover, “WhisperSound” takes on the hushed vocals of “MILKSHAKE,” while slowing down the BPM. “My Wish” is an R&B and piano-focused song that maintains the cool-down-period mood of “WhisperSound.” “LIER” (intentionally misspelled) gets that it’s time to switch things up and adds a darkness and echo to the soundscape. Lastly, “Like me” turbo-charges the momentum that has been slowly rising again in “LIER” and is a celebratory finale. The songs on MUSM op.6 engage in an ambitious game of tag that pays off far more often than it does not.
#93: Ohashi Trio & THE CHARM PARK, Trio & Charm
Trio & Charm is shaped by many smart musical instincts, one of them being the chosen length. Nine tracks is enough to familiarize listeners with the styles and strong suits of Ohashi Trio and THE CHARM PARK both separately and together, and it is lengthy enough to prove these artists’ synergy is solid and sustainable. But the runtime is short enough to avoid redundancy and to entice new fans to go explore more from both artists’ catalogs. Second of all, the mood stays relatively mellow but does undergo subtle shifts, making Trio & Charm cohesive but not one-note. Lastly, Trio & Charm strikes a good balance between new and old material. A few of the songs are self-covers, and just like their take on “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel, the covers leave the foundations of the originals intact while tweaking them enough to be worthwhile.
#92: UNIS, WE UNIS
In a surprising detour from the cryptic debut teaser videos, UNIS’s “SUPERWOMAN” video exists in an adorable, uber-pink realm! The fake-out previews indicate that despite opting for a tried-and-true K-pop girl group concept, this group has many tricks up their sleeves! In other words, “SUPERWOMAN” avoids seeming like a generic K-pop debut release thanks to the element of surprise, and switching things up remains the name of the game throughout WE UNIS. The mini-album includes an empowering Afrobeats single (“SUPERWOMAN”), a second confident anthem (“Whatchu Need”), songs with cute lyrics that use butterfly and rainbow analogies (“Butterfly’s Dream” and “Dopamine(UNIS Ver.)”), and a ballad about lingering doubts and fears (“Dream of girls(UNIS Ver.)”). Softness, sweetness, and strength coexist and allow UNIS to uniquely shine.
#91: WOOAH, UNFRAMED
“I’m cheering me on!” is the key lyric in “POM POM POM” that summarizes WOOAH’s point: They have learned to live by their own rules and feel validated enough just from doing that. After the anthemic “I’ll Tell You,” “POM POM POM,” and “POLAROID,” the rest of UNFRAMED goes back to the old WOOAH, with shyer, crush-themed songs. However, this mid-album pivot makes a good point, reinforcing how WOOAH treat their “UNFRAMED” label as a badge of honor; they refuse to check off just one box per comeback. Read the full review here!
#90: ENHYPEN, DARK MOON SPECIAL ALBUM <MEMORABILIA>
As detailed at length previously, ENHYPEN is a very conceptually specific group that tells an ongoing, multimedia story about part-vampires who are also reincarnated knights. The sprawling fictional universe forms the foundation of everything from song lyrics to short films, and now a Webtoon soundtrack too! <MEMORABILIA> is a way to become even more immersed and invested in DARK MOON. From bemoaning a blood craving to contemplating the cons of immortality, the songs cover topics that only ENHYPEN can, both due to their unique talent and because of their need for context! The songs are also simply high-quality and let the members convey new sides to their characters through first-time subunits. <MEMORABILIA> is a natural extension of an already sweeping story, and ENHYPEN can handle the tall order that is doing that extension justice.
#89: HIROMITSU KITAYAMA, BET / THE BEAST
“THE BEAST” is a bizarre song that pairs a choir with rugged rapping, and the other songs are also much more dramatic than necessary! The sense of “Where is this going?” remains throughout the listening experience; it is hard to predict what vocal filters, instruments, sound effects, and pacing changes are on the horizon. The best B-side is “Violet,” which has an unexpectedly dramatic lead-in before turning into an EDM banger. BET / THE BEAST can most succinctly be summarized as a whole lot of fun, untamed energy! Read the full review here!
#88: ENJIN, Inception
Inception is J-pop but filled with K-pop title-track staples: ad-libs, melodic layers, suspenseful pre-choruses leading into earworm choruses, and turns for the dramatic that don’t overdo it. “Major” proves to be the right choice for a focus track, and the Latin-pop sound vibes with the fiery, red-filled music video. The hot streak continues with bouncy and brassy numbers like “Dreamland” and “Superb Love.” While the songs tend to stick to pop formulas, making the surprises only last for so long during the album-listening experience, ENJIN do make the most of them, putting an attention-grabbing opener at the beginning of each track. Inception is a colorful collection of J-pop songs that K-pop fans will love!
#87: iScream, Selfie
Now is the best time to get into this J-pop girl group; Selfie is a smorgasbord of their sonic styles. There is classic J-pop appeal in songs like “Pom Pom Pop,” songs that will please ballad fans like “Kuchiyakusoku,” an alternative sound to songs like “iSyyy like that,” and a digital focus to songs like “Koisuru Planet.” They additionally show they are in lanes of their own making through songs like “Catwalk,” which seems to travel in multiple directions at once; “Yumeiro Tear Drops,” which takes an alternative approach to ballad construction; and “Love Me Better,” which moves from an electronic sound to a guitar-focused one that makes for a nice lead-in to the last two songs, which are pop-rock standouts (“Rock Steady” and “The Finest”). iScream take a one-of-a-kind approach to making every song, making the album-listening experience feel much shorter than it actually is and giving listeners plenty of reasons to stay hooked long after the final notes.
#86: Loossemble, One Of A Kind
“It’s a choice, not a chance, that determines your destiny,” Loossemble say in the One Of A Kind intro. That “Take matters into your own hands” message sets the tone for the album, which celebrates the limitlessness of dreams through synth-pop bops like “Moonlight.” They decide to make the first move towards a crush in “He Said I Said,” give a defiant send-off to an ex in “Boomerang,” and insist they will be fine charting their own new paths from now on in “Truman Show.” Loossemble’s songs are just plain pop fun, but they also have endearing messages of encouragement for those wary of spreading their wings. Loossemble’s determination to be their own life stories’ protagonists is inspiring, and the floral-heavy aesthetics for this era certainly don’t hurt its appeal!
#85: SEOLA, INSIDE OUT
SEOLA tackles the concept of loneliness in novel ways. In “Let’s Talk (Loneliness),” she objectifies loneliness, describing it as a shape-shifting force that keeps pulling her. She fears the return of that force in “NO GIRL,” but “Without U” shows that she will not let the fear of being alone cause her to stay in an unhelpful relationship any longer. The growth in self-awareness throughout the mini-album is seen in the “Without U” music video… SEOLA’s lyrics and video both show how much bigger and freer one’s world can look after reframing independence as worth embracing. Read the full review here!
#84: j-hope, HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1
HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1 speaks to j-hope’s effectiveness as a springboard off of which other artists can thrive, and his mix of newer and more established collaborators proves his flexibility in seamlessly pairing music of the past with the present… The EP can best be summarized as “j-hope through the years” and shows j-hope can be counted on to stay true to his roots while uplifting the messages of others. Read the full review here!
#83: SUPER★DRAGON, New Rise
This short but intoxicatingly sweet EP is like one long, shape-shifting EDM banger! Raps, singing, and instruments all share a relentlessly high energy level. Each song further flexes title-track potential with the perfect finishing touches: a tambourine shake here, some flute notes there… instrumental add-ons are generously used, rising to the challenge of sustaining such high momentum. New Rise presents a key side of SUPER★DRAGON’s musical image in three inventive formats.
#82: UVERworld, Eye’s Sentry
Filled with twists and turns that defy genre labels, Eye’s Sentry is emblematic of UVERworld’s unique sound. Fast drumming and a saxophone make for unlikely but delightful partners in the title track, and the saxophone returns with new counterparts in “High Light!” The stomp-along-ready EP’s climax blends EDM and rock influences and lasts the perfect length; “High Light!” ends after enough sonic exploration to feel worthwhile but before the loop-de-loops can get too dizzying! Listeners ought to feel similar satisfaction when listening to “uber cozy universe,” which quickly goes from subdued to anything but. Eye’s Sentry is a chameleonic musical blitz that does not overextend its welcome.
#81: CRAVITY, EVERSHINE
Fittingly, EVERSHINE is a testament to CRAVITY’s everlasting appeal! Each song has a distinct flair, although the most can’t-miss tracks are the EDM “Mr.” and the psych-rock-inspired “Worst Thriller.” Their willingness to dabble in different sounds suits the “Love or Die” music video’s sense of unpredictability. Anguished rapping and a fast BPM rate exacerbate the high stakes the group sings about feeling. Read the full review here!
#80: CHUU, Strawberry Rush
Dreams unfolding in front of CHUU is the overarching theme of Strawberry Rush. She reveals what’s in her imagination, which includes “Dancing dolphins,” unicorns (“the imagined horse with horns”), a talking cat, and anything else she dreams up and draws or writes about (aka “The words hidden deep in the drawer” that she mentions in “Chocolate”)! Strawberry Rush celebrates the stuff of literal daydreams in uber-upbeat, adorable ways! Read the full review here!
#79: ZEROBASEONE, You had me at HELLO
You had me at HELLO offers easy explanations for ZEROBASEONE’s massive appeal. It is a short but sweet sampler of what the boy band is capable of, in terms of both genre influences and vocal skills. Between energizing songs like “Solar POWER” and “SWEAT” are other mood-boosters that dabble in a UK garage sound (“Feel the POP”), R&B (“Dear ECLIPSE”), and more. The mood boost mellows out with a harmonious ballad for an ending, although the group proves to dislike slowing things down for long by tacking on a sped-up version of “Feel the POP” afterwards! You had me at HELLO displays the promise and potential of these super rookies and is an exciting preview of what’s to come.
#78: YooA, Borderline
While there is always something to admire in releases that show both an artist’s more confident and vulnerable sides, there is nothing wrong with a release solely focused on the former! YooA shows relentless confidence throughout Borderline… “So what if not everyone loves it? / The uniqueness I possess / I love it,” she sings in “Love Myself.” And in “Shooting Star,” she sings about lighting up the world: “The black night becomes silent / But I’m shining bright.” YooA celebrates being a confident “little bird” in likable and unexpected ways! Read the full review here!
#77: BREIMEN, AVEANTIN
AVEANTIN is a fearless album that makes it obvious the members had a blast making it! Regardless of the musical family or origin of an instrument, they play around with each one in countless ways. BREIMEN take full advantage of the potential in every sound they use, and the result is a colorful and compelling musical cornucopia. The standouts are “TPP,” for serving as a nice chaser to the equally playful “LUCKY STRIKE,” and “JUGEMU,” for its frenetic but fun murmuring and saxophone-playing. The songs’ exaggerated nature has a visual match in the music videos, especially the retro-game-show-esque “BREAKTHROUGH.” AVEANTIN is endlessly entertaining and benefits from the band not taking themselves too seriously.
#76: MAZZEL, Parade
Some songs on Parade are instantly catchy, like “CAME TO DANCE” and the funky “Ain’t no fun,” while others are acquired tastes and better off for it, like the rambunctious “Parade” and the song with the most unexpected layering, “Love Letter.” Bouncy beats and bass are plentiful, but so are digital sound effects, volleys between rappers and singers, and unexpected dramatic touches in songs like “Fire.” MAZZEL enjoy experimentation that avoids sounding try-hard, since songs like the re-recording of “MISSION” prove they have vocal chops; they make some out-there choices sonically because they want to, not out of necessity. Read the full review here!
Subscribe here to find out what’s on the rest of the list as soon as it’s revealed!
More of the year’s best new music so far:
The Best K-Pop Music Videos of 2024, No. 50 - 26
The Best K-Pop Music Videos of 2024, No. 25 - 1
For even more music recommendations, revisit the “Best of 2023” lists!
The Top 100 Albums of 2023, Part Two