Did you think you were free from year-end content just cause I was done? Of course not, because everybody loves lists and shit, man.
——
Worldwide Lists
Rolling Stone: 50 Best Albums
#46 – TXT – ‘The Chaos Chapter: Fight Or Escape’
NME: 50 Best Albums
#38 – TXT – ‘The Chaos Chapter: Freeze’
New York Times: Jon Caramanica’s 20 Best Albums
Honorable Mention – Aespa – ‘Savage’
Honorable Mention – NCT 127 – ‘Sticker’
BPM: 50 Best Albums
#22 – Kyary Pamyu Pamyu – ‘Candy Racer’
#48 – TWICE – ‘Formula Of Love’
Billboard: 100 Best Songs
#40 – BTS – “Butter”
#89 – TWICE – “Alcohol-Free”
Rolling Stone: 50 Best Songs
#16 – BTS – “Butter”
#40 – Epik High (Feat. CL & Zico) – “Rosario”
#50 – TWICE – “The Feels”
NPR: 100 Best Songs
#84 – STAYC – “Stereotype”
NME: 50 Best Songs
#10 – BTS – “Butter”
#45 – Aespa – “Next Level”
Los Angeles Times: 100 Best Songs
#47 – NCT U – “OK!”
Honorable Mention – BTS – “Butter”
Esquire: 30 Best Songs
BTS – “Butter”
K-Pop Lists
The Bias List: 50 Best K-Pop Songs, 40 Best Album Tracks, 5 Best K-Pop , 5 Best K-Pop Albums, 10 Best K-Pop Artists, 10 Best K-Pop Rookies, 10 Best K-Pop Producers, 10 Best K-Pop Music Videos, 10 Best K-Pop Choreographies
Seoulbeats: 3 Best K-Pop Albums, 3 Best K-Pop Minis, Top 5 K-Pop Music Videos, 5 Best K-Pop Choreographies, 5 Best K-Pop Comebacks, 5 Best K-Pop Rookies, 5 Best Indie Artists
Time: 10 Best K-Pop Albums & 10 Best K-Pop Songs
Harper’s Bazaar: 15 Best K-Pop Albums
Nylon: 10 Best K-Pop Albums
SCMP: 25 Best K-Pop Albums
IZM: 10 Best K-Pop Albums
Idology: 10 Best K-Pop Albums
KPOPALYPSE: 30 Best K-Pop Songs
KPOPALYPSE: 30 Worst K-Pop Songs
Billboard: 25 Best K-Pop Songs
DAZED: 40 Best K-Pop Songs
NME: 25 Best K-Pop Songs
Marie Claire: 20 Best K-Pop Songs
Teen Vogue: 54 Best K-Pop Songs
The Ringer: 10 Best K-Pop Songs
SCMP: 20 Best K-Pop Songs
Pop Wrapped: 21 Best K-Pop Songs
Paper: 40 Best K-Pop Songs
IZM: 10 Best K-Pop Songs
Idology: 10 Best K-Pop Songs
Teen Vogue: 21 Best K-Pop Music Videos
Rolling Stone India: 21 Best K-Pop Music Videos
J-Pop Lists
Make Believe Melodies (1/2/3/4): 100 Best Japanese Albums
This Side Of Japan: 100 Best Japanese Songs
The Bias List (1/2/3): 50 Best J-Pop Songs
This Side Of Japan: 100 Best J-Pop Songs
——
Difference of opinion with something as subjective as music is inevitable, but regardless, I value lists that put in the effort. They’re useful to find stuff I may have overlooked, or even just to gauge what people liked. The part about effort is key, and it’s always funny to me when publications do stuff like have 95 obscure indie artists and then just throw in 5 of the most mainstream songs from the most popular groups from Korea or Japan or whatever. I’m not saying it’s for sure lazy or disingenuous, but it feels that way.