This year, I’m breaking my “Top Albums” list into two: one focused on full-length albums and one focused on minis. For the mini album category, things get a bit repetitive because many of the year’s strongest acts released multiple projects and I don’t limit myself to spotlighting just one.
As far as qualifications, I consider anything with at least four full tracks a “mini album.”
HONORABLE MENTIONS
AHOF – Who We Are
BOYNEXTDOOR – No Genre
ILLIT – Bomb
ITZY – Girls Will Be Girls
izna – Not Just Pretty
NEXZ – Beat-Boxer
NOWZ – Ignition
&TEAM – Back To Life
10. H1-KEY – LOVESTRUCK
Longtime readers will know how much I love a summer-themed album and we didn’t have many of those this year. However, H1-KEY’s short-but-sweet EP hit the spot with a variety of upbeat summer fare. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it delivers exactly what you’d hope it would.
Standout Album Tracks: Good For U, Let Me Be Your Sea
9. AHOF – THE PASSAGE
I liked both of AHOF’s albums this year but I’ll give the edge to The Passage because in general the b-sides felt a bit stronger. I love that they’ve carved their own lane and stuck to it. Many of the songs feel more indie rock than idol pop, but the members’ personality gives it that colorful sheen.
Standout Album Tracks: Everything Is Love, Run At 1.5x Speed
8. KICKFLIP – MY FIRST FLIP
KickFlip’s albums kept getting better this year, and My First Flip‘s generous tracklist was the best yet. They’ve got a classic boy group sound that’s a little rough around the edges in all the right places. I especially enjoy how heavily they’ve pushed into power pop and rock.
Standout Album Tracks: Crush, 404: Not Found
7. CLOSE YOUR EYES – ETERNALT
This was definitely one of the year’s biggest growers, as I’m much more biased toward up-tempo material and ETERNALT is surprisingly subdued. However, the melodies and vocal blend are utterly gorgeous and there’s a wistful mood throughout the entire album that proved addictive in the long run. I have a feeling I’ll be playing this one for years to come.
Standout Album Tracks: How To Dance, Subtitled
6. ZEROBASEONE – BLUE PARADISE
Following up last year’s career peak Cinema Paradise album, Blue Paradise feels like a semi-sequel. Or, you could simply pair them together to craft the kind of all-killer, no-filler full album ZB1 deserves. Unit tracks offer a bit of sonic diversity, but the ultra-funky Devil Game steals the show.
Standout Album Tracks: Devil Game, Step Back
5. CLOSE YOUR EYES – SNOWY SUMMER
Snowy Summer is half as long as Close Your Eyes’ debut “mini,” but it gets a ton of bang for its buck. It’s a slightly off-kilter summer album, playing around with more upbeat (yet still laidback) sounds. Its brevity and consistency seem designed for replays, with the two b-sides every bit as strong as the promoted tracks.
Standout Album Tracks: You, Bubble Tea
4. NOUERA – NEW IS NOW
Now we get to the boring part of the countdown — at least if you hate repetition. The music isn’t boring at all. In fact, NouerA’s debut instantly stamped them as a rookie to watch. Of course, the title track is fantastic but the b-sides present a diverse array of classic K-pop styles, from the bubbly pop of Jet Stream to the noise rock of MU to the nimble funk of Bring The Crunk (in which no actual crunk is brought).
Standout Album Tracks: Bring The Crunk, Jet Stream
3. TWS – PLAY HARD
At this point, I pretty much know a TWS album is going to hit with me. They’ve got a nearly-perfect batting average within a variety of styles. Tying it all together is their youthful spark and ultra-melodic approach. Play Hard is led by its two promoted tracks, but I also want to shout out the brilliant EDM of Overthinking. If they could have somehow promoted three songs, I think this song would have targeted a completely new audience beyond those of us who are already diehard fans.
Standout Album Tracks: Overthinking, Here For You
2. NOUERA – N (NUMBER OF CASES)
Though its title track wasn’t as strong as their debut, NouerA’s second album built on their first in wonderful ways. It bounds out of the gate with the absolutely brilliant Myself, then brings the funk with songs like Warning! and Make You Move. I’m even fond of the slower tracks that close the album. This received a ton of plays from me over the summer, and deservedly so.
Standout Album Tracks: Myself, Warning!
1. TWS – TRY WITH US
Try With Us was my most-played mini album of the year, and that’s not too surprising. It’s TWS doing what they do best, delivering a continuous jolt of bright energy and killer hooks. Even the songs that didn’t hit me at first (Freestyle) won me over through their sheer verve. Random Play feels like a new summer anthem, while the bombastic Go Back hinted at what would come later in the year with Overdrive. It’s good vibes through and through — the kind of album you can put on any time and guarantee your spirits will be lifted.
Standout Album Tracks: Random Play, Go Back