Review

2021 In Review: Day 16 – Concluding Remarks and the Roundup

By Jung Bae | January 29, 2022

2021 In Review

1. Introduction + Best Album Art
2. Song of the Year
3. Album of the Year
4. R&B and Soul
5. Rock and Alternative
6. Rap and Hip-hop
7. Dance and Electronic
8. Pop and Ballad
9. Folk and Country
10. Jazz and Blues
11. Crossover and World
12. Best Collaborative Work
13. Rookie Artist of the Year
14. Artist of the Year
15. Other Recognition
16. Concluding Remarks

Death, taxes, and the release cycle that never stops. Even as we wrap up the 2021 In Review, the music of 2022 (and December 2021) is giving us plenty to reckon with. Expect to see excellent work from Ive, Van Siian, Eunjeong Hwang, and much more adorning this space in a year’s time.

To close the series, as we do every year we take a brief look at what other outlets have been selecting to their own 2021 year-end lists.

The Roundup: What Others Have Picked

As we emphasize all the time, our series is not comprehensive, and some works are always going to fall through the cracks. A review of other publications’ selections can help fill in those gaps, and also show us what kind of works are getting widespread acclaim.

Below is a list of songs and albums that have been named to other publications’ year-end lists. Outlets included are IZM, MusicY, Tonplein, and the Korean Music Awards (when nominees are revealed in February). Bugs Music has unfortunately discontinued their Album of the Month series (which doubled as the year-end list) in May 2021. Weiv was included in our roundup until 2019, but did not post a year-end list in 2020; if they do post one for 2021 this post will be updated accordingly. Meanwhile, a few prominent outlets like Idology, Rhythmer, and the Korean Hip-hop Awards are not included as they focus on specific genres.

The selectors each have different systems. IZM picks the top 10 albums and singles, no order; Bugs picks just one album and song for each genre category; MusicY does an ordered top 10 for albums, singles and rookie albums, as well as nominees; Tonplein and KMA each do a full nominee list, with around five songs and albums for each category.

Works that did not appear anywhere in our 2021 In Review are listed in italics. (As in, not appearing in our “award” categories; doesn’t include Album Art or Other Recognition categories.) If a song did not get picked by us but the album containing it did, the song still gets italicized since it didn’t appear on its own merit.
Each entry also lists the publication(s) that selected that entry, and works that received multiple selections are bolded. If something is bold and italicized, you could say that we “whiffed” or deviated that much harder.
MusicY, Tonplein, and the KMAs publish nominees in addition to winners. We include the nominees at Tonplein and KMA, but not MusicY nominees (as the list would get quite a bit longer).

Most of the italicized works below were also considered for our list before ultimately being cut, but some were legitimately missed. We hope that you will check them out as well!

Albums

Aespa – Savage [KMA]
Agnes – Hegemony Shift [MusicY, KMA]
AkMu – Next Episode [Tonplein, KMA]
Ambroxiak – Detritus of Elysian Creation [KMA]
Asian Glow – Cull Ficle [Tonplein]
Atom Music Heart – 망명자 이즘 (Exile of Izm) [KMA]
BoA – Better [KMA]
Bosudongcooler – 모래 (Sand) [MusicY, KMA]
Budung – 지지않는 곳으로 가자 (Let’s Take a Step to a Brighter Place) [MusicY]
Bu-young Lee – Love, Like a Song [KMA]
Cacophony – Reborn [Tonplein]
Chancellor – Chancellor [MusicY]
Changmo – Underground Rockstar [KMA]
ChoiLB – 독립음악 (Independent Music) [IZM, KMA]
Chungha – Querencia [Tonplein, KMA]
Chun Yong-sung – 수몰 (Drowned) [MusicY, Tonplein, KMA]
CL – Alpha [KMA]
Crux – Who Defines What’s Divine [KMA]
Drinking Boys and Girls Choir – Marriage License [Tonplein]
Dvwn – It’s Not Your Fault [KMA]
eAeon – Fragile [KMA]
Enhypen – Border: Carnival [IZM]
Glowcean – Essence [Tonplein]
Golden Swing Band – Golden Rules [KMA]
Haepaary – Born by Gorgeousness [Tonplein, KMA]
Haihm – Nowhere [KMA]
Hammering – Libera Me [KMA]
Heartcore – Heartcore [Tonplein]
IU – Lilac [IZM, Tonplein, KMA]
Jade – Hometown [Tonplein]
Jang Pill-soon – 페트리코 – 장필순 (Petrichor – Jang Pillsoon) [Tonplein, KMA]
Jannabi – 환상의 나라 (The Land of Fantasy) [Tonplein, KMA]
Jeon Ho-kwon – 코스모스 (Cosmos) [KMA]
Jerd – A.M.P. [KMA]
Jihye Lee Orchestra – Daring Mind [KMA]
Joyul – Earwitness [KMA]
Jung Cha-sik – 야간주행 (Night Driving) [KMA]
Jung Jaeil – Psalms [Tonplein]
Khundi Panda – MODM: Original Saga [Tonplein]
Kid Milli & Dress – Cliché [Tonplein]
Kim Hyun-chul – City Breeze and Love Song [MusicY, KMA]
Kim Il-du – 새 계 절 (New Season) [Tonplein]
Kim Ju-hwan – My Funny Valentine: Kim Ju-hwan Sings Richard Rodgers Songbook [KMA]
Korea Jazz Guardians – 우린 모두 재즈클럽에서 시작되었지 (We All Started in Jazz Club) [KMA]
Lang Lee – 늑대가 나타났다 (There Is a Wolf) [IZM, Tonplein, KMA]
Lee Jiyeun – 푸른꽃 (Blue Flower) [KMA]
Lee Joo-young – 발라드 (Ballad) [KMA]
Leesuho – Monika [KMA]
Lil Cherry & Goldbuuda – Chef Talk [Tonplein]
Los – Skandalouz [KMA]
Machaal – 마찰시험 (Friction Test) [MusicY]
Maria Kim – With Strings: Dream of You [KMA]
Mild Beats – Fragment [KMA]
Mind Combined – Circle [IZM, KMA]
Nam Yoo-sun – Things We Lost & Found [KMA]
NCT Dream – Hello Future [Tonplein]
Net Gala – 신파 (Shinpa) [MusicY, KMA]
Ohelen & Choisol – Pause [Tonplein]
Oh My Girl – Dear Ohmygirl [Tonplein]
Pakk – 칠가살 (Seven Types Who May Be Killed) [KMA]
Parannoul – To See the Next Part of the Dream [IZM]
Raai – Beautiful Moment [Tonplein]
Sagong – Optimist [Tonplein]
SB Circle – 유사과학 (Pseudoscience) [KMA]
Seventeen – Attacca [Tonplein]
Shinee – Atlantis [KMA]
Slant – 1집 (First Album) [KMA]
Sogumm – Precious [Tonplein, KMA]
Soumbalgwang – 기쁨, 꽃 (Happiness, Flower) [Tonplein, KMA]
SoundSupply Service – SCA1 (Side A) [Tonplein]
Spit on My Tomb – Necrosis [KMA]
Sumin & Slom – Miniseries [KMA]
Thama – Don’t Die Colors [Tonplein, KMA]
The Volunteers – The Volunteers [KMA]
Trap – Trap [KMA]
TRPP – TRPP [Tonplein]
TXT – 혼돈의 장: Freeze (The Chaos Chapter: Freeze) [Tonplein]
Unofficialboyy & Haifhaif – 그물, 덫, 발사대기, 포획 (Net, Trap, Launcher, Capture) [IZM, Tonplein, KMA]
Wendy – Like Water [MusicY]
Wings of the Isang – 희망과 절망의 경계 (The Borderlines between Hope and Despair) [KMA]
Yang Chang-geun – Wave [KMA]
Yang Jin-seok – Barn Orchestra [IZM]
Yerin Baek – Tellusaboutyourself [Tonplein]
Yerin Baek – Tellusaboutyourself Remixes [Tonplein]
Yongseok Lee – The New Old One [KMA]
Youra – Gaussian [IZM, Tonplein]
Zeonpasa – 억겁의 싸이-키 (Psy-che of Eons) [MusicY, KMA]
Zior Park – Syndromez [IZM, Tonplein]

Songs

Aespa – Next Level [IZM, MusicY, Tonplein, KMA]
Aespa – Savage [Tonplein]
Ahn Da-young – 걸작 (Masterpiece) [Tonplein]
AkMu – 낙하 (Nakka) (Feat. IU) [IZM, Tonplein, KMA]
Alive Funk – To-Kyo (Feat. Samuel Seo) [IZM]
Ash Island – 멜로디 (Melody) [IZM]
Atom Music Heart – 망명자 이즘 (Exile of Izm) [MusicY]
Badlamb – 정오의 순간 (Noon Moment) [MusicY]
BewhY – Celebration [Tonplein]
Bibi, 88Rising – The Weekend [IZM]
Bill Stax – 420 Flow (Feat. Lobonabeat!) [KMA]
Brave Girls – Rollin’* [IZM]
BTS – Butter [MusicY, KMA]
Budung – 씬이 버린 아이들 (Guess Who?) [IZM, MusicY]
Changmo – 태지 (Taiji) [Tonplein, KMA]
Chun Yong-sung – 보리차 (Barley Tea) (Feat. Kang Mal-geum) [KMA]
Chun Yong-sung – 붉은 밤 (Das Erhabene) [Tonplein]
Chungha – Bicycle [Tonplein]
D-Hack, Pateko – Ohayo My Night* [IZM]
Doildoshi – Forest Illumination [KMA]
Don Mills – 대박인생 (Daebak Life) (Feat. Northfacegawd, Uneducated Kid) [KMA]
Enhypen – Drunk-Dazed [Tonplein]
Eobchae – 희망아기의 노래 (Song of Hope) [KMA]
Glowcean – Pure [Tonplein]
Gong Joong Geu Neul – 모래탑 (Sand Tower) [Tonplein]
Guinneissik – Ionisation [Tonplein]
Haepaary – 경포대로 가서 (Go to GPD and Then) [KMA]
Haepaary – 소무-독경 (A Shining Warrior – Heartfelt Joy) [Tonplein]
Heartcore – 60 BPM [Tonplein]
Hiko – 시간이 지나서 (Time Goes By) (Feat. George) [KMA]
IU – 라일락 (Lilac) [KMA]
Jang Pill-soon – 숲의 레퀴엠 (Forest Requiem) [Tonplein]
Jang Pill-soon – 페트리코 (Petrichor) [KMA]
Jaurim – Péon Péon [Tonplein]
Jeon Yoo-dong – 숲으로 (To the Forest) [MusicY]
Kang Asol- 사랑을 하고 있어 (I’m in Love) [Tonplein]
Kid Milli & Dress – Cliché [Tonplein]
Kim Jae-hyung – 중독 (Addiction) [MusicY]
Kirara – HRT [KMA]
Kisewa – Rocky Hollow Log Ride [Tonplein]
Lang Lee – 늑대가 나타났다 (There Is a Wolf) [MusicY, Tonplein, KMA]
Lang Lee – 환란의 세대 (The Generation of Tribulation) [KMA]
Leaves Black – 책이여, 안녕! (Farewell, My Books!) [KMA]
Lee Hi – 머리어깨무릎발 (H.K.S.T.) (Feat. Wonstein) [KMA]
Lee Joo-young – 눈이 내린다 (It’s Snowing) (Feat. Earip) [KMA]
Lee Mu-jin – 신호등 (Traffic Light) [KMA]
Lee Seol-ah – 보물찾기 (Wonder Road) [Tonplein]
Lee Seung-hwan & Sunwoojunga – 어쩜 (How Could You) [MusicY, KMA]
Leenalchi – 여보나리 (Please Don’t Go) [Tonplein]
Los – Blue Lemonade (Feat. Hwaji) [KMA]
Minwhee Lee – 당신의 사월 (Yellow Ribbon) OST [Tonplein]
Moonsun – Tom [KMA]
Numnum – 말이 먼저 나는 새 (Birds Fly Talk First) [Tonplein]
Ohelen & Choisol – 마음 (Maum) [Tonplein]
Oh My Girl – Dun Dun Dance [Tonplein]
ONF – Beautiful Beautiful [IZM]
Since – 봄비 (Spring Rain) (Feat. Rakon)
Sogumm – Baennorae (Busan & Tongyeong) [Tonplein]
Soumbalgwang – 기쁨 (Happiness) [Tonplein]
Soumbalgwang – 춤 (Dance) [KMA]
Starex – 돈내놔 (Rob) [Tonplein]
StayC – ASAP [IZM, Tonplein, KMA]
Sumin & Slom – 곤란한 노래 (The Gonlan Song) [KMA]
Sumin & Slom – 여기저기 (Yogijogi) [Tonplein]
Synsnake – Saturn in the Loop [MusicY]
Thama – Blessed (Feat. G.Soul) [KMA]
Trap – 일각 (A Moment) [KMA]
TRPP – Pause [Tonplein]
TXT – 0X1 = Lovesong (I Know I Love You) (Feat. Seori) [KMA]
Wabi King – Rock & Roll Night (Feat. Shin Young) [KMA]
Weeekly – After School [KMA]
Wendy – When This Rain Stops [MusicY, KMA]
Wonstein – 적외선 카메라 (Infrared Camera) [Tonplein]
Yerin Baek – Lovegame (Kimhanjoo Remix) [Tonplein]
Younha – 오르트구름 (Oort Cloud) [Tonplein]
Youra – 미미 (Mimi) [KMA]
Youra – 분홍 (Pink!) [Tonplein]
Zeonpasa – 거짓말 (Lie) [KMA]

*While it is well-understood why “Rollin'” and “Ohayo My Night” were selected at IZM, they don’t meet Hellokpop’s inclusion criteria as these were released prior to 2021.

Header album art (Hyxe – The Lie: Palette) from Bugs Music.

Read our past series: