Another year. Another crop of extraordinary hip-hop and R&B albums from South Korea. To keep things simple (and as a challenge to myself), I decided to consolidate these lists into one ultimate list of Top 10 albums from the country. So without any more preamble, I give you my list!
Honorable Mentions
Obviously there were going to be some honorable mentions. These are just a few of the albums that I couldn’t go without mentioning this year!
Junoflo – Statues
The title track alone was enough to land him on my list somewhere. Every time I think Juno can’t get any better, he roundhouse kicks me in the jaw. He continues to get better with every release. Showcasing just how dexterous an MC he is.
Nuz – Island Songs
This was a surprising album for me. While Nuz has made a name for himself sitting in the neo-soul pocket, he released this piece of moody fare and threw me completely off guard. It’s dark. Boding. Heavy. Something thick and intense I wasn’t expecting.
SOMA – SEIREN
She’s teased us with EPs for the past couple years. Finally SOMA gifted fans of her smoky voice a full-length album. It’s what we expect from the sultry songstress. Sensual. Playful. Gorgeous music!
Now really. Here’s my Top 10 list!
10. SHIROSKY – The Seed
SHIROSKY is the type of producer that intends to make you feel things you weren’t expecting to in the middle of the day. She brings warmth, sensuality, immense pleasure to her sound. “The Seed” is lush. A sort of decadent feast for the lover of music. Her blend of R&B and jazz conventions is like pouring a finger of brandy on a cloth of silk lying on your belly. It tickles and excites. Really a gorgeous piece of music that had to be in my Top 10.
9. EPISODE – EPISODE 1
First of all, who allowed all this soul to come out of South Korea like this?! At this point in my journey with music from the peninsula, you’d think I’d have expected something like this. But, of course, your girl is a fool sometimes. Horim is an absolute gem. Vocally he recalls all the neo-soul of my childhood without any of the gimmicks of some of his peers. It’s just pure, natural, beautiful R&B without frills. He’s able to tell a story with just his vocal work! Gorgeous and unexpected discovery for me. Also thank you, Mother Earth, for the beauty of “Badu”! (Shout out to Mrs. Ann One for the rec.)
8. Yeo Journey – Paradise
Yeo Journey is an enigma. His music is shrouded in this overbearing darkness. He separates himself form most R&B artists who use the genre to wallow in love (or love-lost) feelings. Yeo Journey instead uses the heavy undertones of the genre to bring out the parts in us cloaked in mystery. Paradise is a thick, warbly creature that creeps into your psyche and latches on tight. It both intrigued me and left me unsettled.
7. BewhY – The Movie Star
“GOTTASADAE!” ‘Nuff said. If you want to know any more than that, you’ll have to listen to this masterpiece yourself. Believe me, it is a work of art. Constructed within an inch of its life. BewhY is truly a master of the long-form aural metaphor.
6. MFBTY – Dreamcatcher
There’s no way you can have an MFBTY release in the year and not include it on your Top 10 list. These are the veterans of the game, and every time they release something, it demands your attention. The album’s title track is exactly what you’d expect from the trio. Reckless music. Heavy beats. Utterly nasty lyricism and flow. You can’t go wrong with the legends Bizzy, Tiger, Yoonmirae.
5. Jimmy Brown – Re:
I don’t know what I was thinking sleeping on this man for so long. Yes, I’d heard his work here and there the last couple years. It wasn’t until this year’s “Re:,” however, that I realized what an absolute gift this man’s voice is. Sensual, melodious. Jimmy Brown‘s EP is quintessential R&B. Straight from the root of the genre. His voice absolutely melts me every time I listen to it. Shame on me for waiting so long to be spoiled like this!
4. Golden – Hate Everything
All I can say is thank everything holy that G.Soul is back. Yes, he’s rebranded himself as Golden. Quite frankly, the name is apropos. Everyone and their grandmother knows this man has a voice like the richest honey, the smoothest silk. I’ve missed this. The vocal dexterity. The utter and absolute heartbreak. More than anything, I’ve missed hearing an artist put their entire gut into a song, no matter the subject matter or the musical composition. Golden he may very well be. But his voice is absolutely priceless.
3. Lim Kim – GENERASIAN
This. Chick. Right. HERE! I don’t believe I’ve been so soundly smacked in the face! Snatched within an inch of my life. This woman came through like a hurricane with one job. Seek and destroy. Lim Kim is the hero we didn’t know we needed. She’s fearless. Loud. Powerful. I’ve said it a million times: I love me a woman with a big mouth. Ms. Kim puts it to devastating use, proclaiming with her entire chest just who she is. If “Yellow” didn’t leave you speechless, “Digital Khan” swooped in with a mace and knocked all your teeth out. If you want an example of female power: GENERASIAN!
2. Samuel Seo – The Misfit
Anyone who knows me saw this coming. At this point, I’ve talked about these albums enough that any more words would do them injustice.
I’ve said it a million times, and I’m determined to say it a million more. Samuel Seo does not make bad albums. He’s just incapable of it! The Misfit is an absolute feast for fans of music. Every corner of this album is constructed with care and precision.
1. Crush – From Midnight to Sunrise
But at the end of the day, Crush takes the crown. From Midnight to Sunrise is… If you couldn’t tell from my review of the album, I’ve never been this moved by an album from the country. Samuel Seo comes pretty damn close every time he releases something. DEAN has a tendency to punch me in the gut from time to time. But this album…? This was an absolute and utter work of unfettered art. Talk about a gut punch. This thing wrapped its warm fingers around my heart and squeezed from first note to last.
Damn, was 2019 a year full of music! As always, this isn’t an exhaustive list. I also always moan about how painful it is to make these! There were so many albums that just missed my Top 10. In the end, however, this is how everything fell. What were some of your favorite albums this year?