I look forward to each month because that usually means a few artists in the K-pop industry make comebacks with new title tracks and albums. I listen to various artists and constantly play new albums on repeat on Spotify. I enjoy listening to the new and unique melodies and found myself trying to listen to new artists as new albums have been released. I wanted to share some recent albums that were released in each month since January.
January
Album: BAEKHYUN
Artist: Baekhyun
Release date: January 20, 2021
In this month, one of my favorite artists came out with new content. One of my favorite soloists, Baekhyun, from the group, EXO, came out with his album, “BAEKHYUN”. I really like this album because I enjoy listening to his melodic songs and find his songs really relaxing to listen to.
February
Album: Forever (Single album)
Artist: Aespa
Release date: February 5, 2021
A recent group that debuted last year under SM Entertainment, Aespa, released a single titled, “Forever”. They released their single album, “Forever” which is a soft, melodic song. They released their debut song, “Black Mamba,” in November 2020, and have gained a lot of attention as a new girl group in the K-pop industry. I am looking forward to their upcoming comeback later this year.
Album: Querencia
Artist: Chung ha
Release date: February 15
Another soloist I enjoy listening to, Chung ha, came out with her album, “Querencia”. She was known for being in the group, I.O.I, which was a group formed in 2016 through the reality show, Produce 101. She was one of the 11 members to make the group and went solo after the group disbanded. This album has a combination of funky, groovy, and melodic songs which I like to jam to on my outdoor walks.
Album: Don’t Call Me
Artist: Shinee
Release date: February 22, 2021
Shinee is back! Shinee came back with their latest album, “Don’t Call Me”. They finally got back together for a comeback album after not releasing content since 2018. Three of their members were enlisted in the army for two years so they couldn’t promote as a group but after they all came back, they began practicing and promoting more comebacks.
Album: ONF: MY NAME
Artist: ONF
Release date: February 24, 2021
Following Shinee, ONF (pronouced On N Off) came back with their album, “ONF: MY NAME”. This album came out after they were on the show “Road to Kingdom” with six other K-pop groups in 2020. I started listening to more of their music after the show because I enjoyed listening to their songs they performed in the program. I believe the members are so funny and have chaotic energy so they’re fun to watch.
March
Album: R
Artist: Rose
Release date: March 11, 2021
A new soloist that came out is Rose from the K-pop group Blackpink. She came out with her single, “On the Ground” and also has a song named, “Gone,” in her first solo album. The song has catchy lyrics and is sung in English. I was excited to hear her song because she is the second member to go solo in her group.
Album: LOVE or TAKE
Artist: Pentagon
Release date: March 15, 2021
Following this month, Pentagon came back with their album, “LOVE or TAKE”. I was excited to listen to this album because I enjoyed listening to their past work. They were also in the show “Road to Kingdom”, and I got to listen to more of their work during the show. They have a lot of melodic and upbeat songs which I like to listen to on repeat and also love their album, “WE:TH” that was released in October too.
Album: LILAC
Artist: IU
Release date: March 25, 2021
Another soloist that released another album is IU. She is both a singer and actress. She has been in a lot of famous K-Dramas including “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Hyeo”, “Hotel Del Luna”, and “Dream High”. IU has a lot of various songs under many genres and she has the best melodic and soft songs in my opinions. She has a beautiful voice and her recent song, “Lilac”, is perfect to listen in the spring! It’s a very catchy song and her other songs show off her other singing abilities.
Album: Bambi
Artist: Baekhyun
Release date: March 30, 2021
A soloist I mentioned before, Baekhyun, came out with a second album titled “Bambi” after releasing “BAEKHYUN” in January. This album definitely has a different vibe from his previous album. It feels more mysterious and more mellow which is something I really enjoyed.
April
Album: Atlantis (Single)
Artist: Shinee
Release date: April 12, 2021
Shinee not only returned this year with “Don’t Call Me” but also released a single titled, “Atlantis” after their album released in March.
Album: The Book of Us: Negentropy – Chaos swallowed up in love
Artist: Day6
Release date: April 19, 2021
Another group that came back this month is Day6. They are under JYP Entertainment and are one of the only K-pop groups who plays instruments. They came back with their album, “The Book of Us: Negentropy – Chaos swallowed up in love” last week. I listened to all the songs today and immediately added it to my playlist. They are always creative with producing their songs and I love the themes they always release with each album.
I have enjoyed listening to all these albums the past few months and definitely recommend others to try them out too. I have loved listening to the unique songs these artists have produced and I am ready for other groups to create comebacks later this year.