Top 10 K-Pop Albums of 2012!!

With 2012 at a close I have decided to start off the new year with my TOP TEN list of favourite KPOP albums from 2012. I went through about 42 albums [which include--and are mostly--mini albums] released anytime between January 1st to December 31st, 2012. I narrowed them down to the top 10 I found myself playing over and over.

I did base a lot of the ranking on how I liked the music but it also consisted of past work, lyrics, like-ability, repeat-ability and how much I like the artist!

The songs in the tracklist labeled in bold [next to album cover] are my favourites and the ones crossed out I just couldn't get into or just...do not like. :)
Enjoy!!

#10 - EVOL, "푹파해줘"

1. "푹파해줘"
2. "I'm Sorry"
3. "Magnet"
4. "우린 좀 달라"
5. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5"

EVOL, Effective Voice of Ladies or LOVE spelled backwards.
I first heard their song "We Are a Bit Different" and knew the title was more than accurate. They were. And I loved their style. After listening through a lot, I ended up deciding that "1, 2, 3, 4, 5" may very well be my favourite song on the album! 

#9 - Block B, "1집 Blockbuster"

1. "11:30"
2. "Interlude"
3. "닐리리 맘보"
4. "Mental Breaker"
5. "장난없다"
6. "Movie's Over"
7. "넌 어디에"
8. "로맨틱하게"
9. "Halo"

The absolutely addictive song, "닐리리 맘보" is what drew me to this album. However I was already a fan. They're quite possibly my favourite rap/pop group in the Kpop world. (Right after BIGBANG of course.) However, after listening through, I found out it wasn't the only song I loved. "장난없다" and "Mental Breaker" are always playing on my iPod. The only song I'm not a fan of is ,"넌 어디에" it's just too slow!

#8 - SHINee, "Sherlock"

1. "Sherlock (Clue + Note)"
2. "Clue"
3. "Note"
4. "Alarm Clock"
5. "The Reason"
6. "낯선자"
7. "늘 그자리에"

SHINee is the reason I got into KPOP in the first place. Their song "Lucifer" wormed it's way in my brain and has yet to leave. Therefore they will always be my bias group.
Now, onto this album [which was released after two darn years of waiting] I didn't love it immediately, but I liked it. Sherlock has one of the best dances and the live performance still makes me squeal like a fangirl. After hearing the songs, "Clue" & "Note" separate, I deduced that the album was kind of a rip off. But then they gave us "Alarm Clock" and all was forgiven. Just... Perfect!

#7. SISTAR, "Alone"

1. "Come Closer"
2. "나혼자"
3. "No Mercy"
4. "Lead Me"
5. "Girls On Top"
6. "널 사랑하겠어 [Hyorin solo]"

With so many bold songs, I'm a little surprised that it's not higher up on my list, but I also based it on quality and past songs. And this is the first album that I liked... let alone loved by SISTAR. I've always been a fan of Hyorin, but the group never worked for me. This album is so much fun and still being played all the time!

#6. EXO-K, "MAMA"

1. "MAMA"
2. What is Love?"
3. "History"
4. "너의 세상으로 (Angel)"
5. "두 개의 달이 뜨는 밤 (Two Moons) [feat. Key from SHINee]"
6. "Machine"

With so much hype around this group from SM I was sure I'd dislike them, but after the 23 teasers (way too many, IMHO) I started to fall into the hype and as soon as "What is Love?," "MAMA," and "Machine" were released, I was hooked. I hate that all of these boys are much younger than me. They're adorable and I love them. Favourite rookie boy group this year!

#5. miss A, "Independent Women Pt. III"

1. "남자 없이 잘 살아"
2. "Ma Style"
3. "If I Were a Boy"
4. "Madness [feat. Taecyeon of 2PM]"
5. "Time's Up"

Oh miss A.... They've always been a favourite girl group, probably my second favourite [right after 2NE1], but nothing they've released in the past has completely wowed me... and then I hear "남자 없이 잘 살아"  and wonder what the heck happened. But the rest of the album can't be as good right? Wrong! "If I Were a Boy" and "Madness" have been played just as much as their title song. However, "Ma Style" makes absolutely no sense, in English or in Korean! Confused by that!

#4. SPICA, "Painkiller"

1. "Painkiller"
2. "화"
3. "Up N Down"
4. "Russian Roulette"
5. "No More"
6. "일기장"
7. "독하게"

These girls blew me away with their song, "Painkiller" and then their harmonies and vocals in "독하게" were borderline magical. I have yet to tire of this album, especially "Painkiller". This needs little to no reason as to why it's fantastic. You just need to go listen to it yourself!
While listening through this to see where I wanted it on my list, I relearned about the song, "일기장" and have no idea why I haven't had this on repeat as well!!

#3. BIGBANG, "Still Alive"

1. "Still Alive"
2. "Monster"
3. "Feeling"
4. "Fantastic Baby"
5. "Bad Boy"
6. "Blue"
7. "빙글빙글"
8. "EGO"
9. "사랑 먼지"
10. "재미없어"

Oh man. BIGBANG.... I get these feelings that are feely feels that are feely. And I can only describe them as such. There is something about them that I can't quite pinpoint that's more perfect than any boy group in the history of ever. (Yeah... I said it.) I can't choose and stick to one bias in this group....They're perfect.
And so is this album. Except "빙글빙글." That song should have never happened. It's horrible in my opinion. I just cannot stand it. However every other one is perfect!!

#2. Andamiro, "Hypnotize"

1. "Hypnotize"
2. "Fever"
3. "I Don't Care [feat. Dani B. & Jonathan Carey]"
4. "Good Luck to You"
5. "주치의"
6. "말고 [feat. YDG]"
7. "Hypnotize (English version)"
8. "Hypnotize (Areia Balkan ver.)"
9. "Hypnotize (Club Extended Mix ver.)"
10. "Hypnotize (Club Extended Mix English ver.)"

There's always that song, artist, or album that surprises you. Whether you've heard about them in the past, or in this case, just now learning about them. There was absolutely no hype or promotion for this girl that I had heard of. I stumbled across "Hypnotize" and instantly loved her and her look. The song took some getting used to. And then I heard "말고" and knew I had to download the album, and to this day it is the most played album on my iPod. Especially the song "Good Luck to You". Her vocals are beautiful and fun. Each song is so different from the last. There's disco vibes, R&B, 90s, techno and just... perfect. I cannot wait to hear more from her in 2013 and hope she gets the recognition she deserves!

Drum roll please. . . . . . .

#1. G-Dragon, "One of A Kind"

1. "One of a Kind"
2. "Crayon" 
3. "결국 [feat. ?? from YG New Girl Group]"
4. "그 새끼"
5. "Missing You [feat. Kim Yoona]"
6. "Today [feat. Kim Jong Wan]"
7. "Light it Up [feat. Tablo & Dok2]"

There is only one word to describe G-Dragon, and that is "genius!" Every song he creates is quite obviously his heart and soul. Every minute and beat and lyric are planned perfectly to just the right amount. This album showcases his one of a kind [heh] style and how different he truly is from the mainstream Kpop, yet he is one of the most popular artists. Whether solo or in BIGBANG. "Crayon" won best song of the year, and I cannot disagree with that! I was a little apprehensive about this album, I didn't think it'd be as good as his first one, "Heartbreaker" but it ended up being better. Much, much, much, much, much better! I don't know who is the singer in "결국" but her voice is magical. I have a full review of this album, here!