Favorite 2021 Korean Album Releases
lee yerin — far away 2/2
lee yerin’s voice is so clear, so sorrowful, so intimate - it’s perfect for winter. in terms of production, i think it’s the most humble one out of the list but that doesn’t detract from its charm. no flares, no pomp, just honest to god songwriting - and coupled with that voice??? i’m reaching for my tissues. i played this album on speakers while it was raining and it’s enchanting.
gsoul — natural
gsoul: y-
me:
budung — let’s take a step to a brighter place
this album makes me wanna break my door open, run up to the nearest hill, and scream ‘i wanna be in loooooooove’!!! it has a gorgeous, vast soundscape that just makes one desire to explore this album forever with constantly changing favorites. just a gorgeous album to get lost in. highly rec ‘Fairytale’ for one of the wittiest switch-up of the year.
glowcean — essence
this is SUCH a fun romp! if you recognize the guest features, you know what you’re getting yourself into and this album delivers! chock-full of experimental r&b tracks that gets even more grandiose further into the album, almost like a labyrinthine journey. fave tracks are ‘Escapade’ and ‘Born’. need that remix album expeditiously!
sumin & slom — miniseries
this 00s r&b throwback and garage house-influenced album’s production is the epitome of sleek sophistication as the life and death of a relationship unfolds. sumin’s voice perfectly flounces to the beat, playing with the melody like a maestro. i think it’s an album that finally showcases her ability as a singer. an album with no skips, highly repeatable, guaranteed to be a club staple. AOTY
moonsun — TOM:貪
love a great neo-r&b album - the production has crunchiest bass and reverb up on a hundred. it goes to weird places - vocals ebbing and flowing like chewing gum, drums stretched tight and it ends on fade-out!!! in 2021!!! i gotta give props to that...it’s sexy as hell!
greenvilla — greenvilla
debut of the year! greenvilla knocks it out of the park with this wonderful dream-pop introduction to their band. it’s warm, vivacious, and glazy - inviting new listeners to join them in their adventure. for english speakers, this album is written entirely in english so accessibility isn’t an issue. a band with a future to anticipate for sure.
exn — [qqqqq]
so fresh, so airy! effortless in its execution, it’s so cool and confident. the use of tastefully processed voice forming synthetic details is amazing with the funk beat. highly recommend listening this album chronologically because the build-up from the first track as you adjust herself to her sound to the last where all cards are on the table is stupendous.
lang lee — there is a wolf
i adore this folk album: it is whimsical, hopeful and frank, deceptively simple yet infinitely complex. each track is well-crafted and interesting. im obsessed with the arrangement of the song ‘Conversation’ of overlayed vocals ala acapella, akin to people talking over each other, which is a stroke of conceptual genius. this album is like witnessing a master presenting her work and knowing it will be a benchmark in the industry. i cried over the song about bread like come on.....
♡ ♡ ♡
honorable mentions: younha ‘end theory’, lee hi ‘4 only’, jannabi ‘the land of fantasy’, evenif ‘it’s always in my mind and we’ll be all right’, kim sawol ‘drive’
