PopMatters' 20 Best K-Pop Albums of 2021

Synthpop, traditional Korean music, pop-rock, and experimental production marked the music of the best K-pop releases of 2021.

Source

# 1
Album • May 31 / 2021 K-Pop Dance-Pop
# 2
EP • Sep 27 / 2021 K-Pop Dance-Pop
# 3
EP • Jun 16 / 2021 Pop Rock K-Pop
# 4
EP • Jul 26 / 2021 K-Pop
# 5
Album • Nov 12 / 2021 K-Pop Dance-Pop
# 6
LILAC by IU
Album • Mar 25 / 2021 K-Pop Contemporary R&B
# 7
EP • May 10 / 2021 K-Pop Contemporary R&B
# 8
EP • Jan 11 / 2021 K-Pop Contemporary R&B
# 9
EP • May 26 / 2021 K-Pop Electropop
# 10
EP • Nov 09 / 2021 K-Pop Contemporary R&B Dance-Pop
# 11
EP • Feb 02 / 2021 Alternative R&B
# 12
Album • Sep 09 / 2021 Contemporary R&B K-Pop
# 13
EP • Mar 15 / 2021 K-Pop Contemporary R&B
# 14
EP • Aug 16 / 2021 K-Pop Contemporary R&B
# 15
EP • Oct 05 / 2021 K-Pop Pop Rap Trap [EDM]
# 16
EP • Apr 26 / 2021 Dance-Pop K-Pop
# 17
Album • Nov 16 / 2021 K-Pop
# 19
Soda by Song Heejin
Album • Jun 11 / 2021 K-Pop Dance-Pop