Image via Complex Original
You’re probably sick and tired of hearing how K-POP IS TAKING OVER THE WORLD WOW IT’S SO COOL LOOK AT THIS CRAZY VIDEO DAMN THE GIRLS ARE SO HOT—and you’re most definitely sick and tired of “Gangnam Style.” And yet: K-pop is still very much a thing, it’s the rare music genre that’s on the uptick worldwide, and yes, we actually do listen to and enjoy it.
That’s why we came up with the genius idea of ranking The Best K-Pop Album Covers Of All Time. Well, at least we thought the idea was genius—until we actually started going through the archives to research this post. Most K-pop album covers, to be frank, suck pretty hard.
That said, we were still able to curate a definitive list of 20 K-pop album covers that we think stand out from the rest. To fill out the list, we had to cut some Complex faves (sorry 2NE1 and Jay Park fans) and replace them with a few choices off the beaten path. But don’t worry, dudes: Girl’s Generation is on here….
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20. PSY, PSY 6 (Six Rules) Pt. 1 (2012)
To most of the world, PSY may be a one-"Gangnam Style" wonder but he's no overnight celebrity in Korea. In fact, the song you can't get rid of was the first single from PSY's sixth album, which is also the sixth to feature a cartoon caricature of the rapper on the cover. A caricature of a caricature, huh? Meta.
19. Wonder Girls, The Wonder Years: Trilogy (2008)
Feels like it was just yesterday that the Wonder Girls were on top of the K-pop world. Actually, no—it feels like it was five long years ago. The group hit its peak with this album and the video concept for "Nobody," a campy nod to 1960s Motown. Sidebar: This was pretty much the exact moment when K-pop girl groups started wearing less clothing.
18. Yoo Seung-jun, Now Or Never (2000)
In the late '90s, Yoo Seungjun had it all. Already a platinum-selling artist, the Korean-American artist pushed 879,000 copies of his third album in its first week. But while it looks like he's jumping for joy on this cover, we actually think he's being pushed—out of the country, that is! You see, Yoo dodged South Korea's mandatory military service, which led to a permanent ban from the country in 2002. Now or never? Should've served when you could've, homey.
17. Girl's Generation, Genie (2009)
Controversy! The original cover of this EP featured a plane that looked a little too close to the ones used by Japanese kamikaze pilots in World War II—at least, a little too close for nationalistic K-pop fans, anyway. (The group's hat badges also reminded some of Nazi regalia.) SNSD's label, SM, hastily put out the fire by changing the model of plane (to a Korean T-50) and tweaking the badges for the final product. Honestly, we hardly noticed anything beyond the girls in uniform. You go, Girls.
16. Jinusean, The Reign (2001)
What, you thought Korea couldn't get icy? Rap duo Jinusean were on chill as they perched on iced-out thrones for its 2001 album, which was the first Korean release to feature prominent American rappers (Prodigy, B-Real, Chino XL). The album is also notable for introducing Koreans to the timeless hip-hop phrase "A-yo!"
15. T-ara, John Travolta Wanna Be (2011)
Another girl group, another retro concept: For its 2011 release, T-ara hopped into the K-pop Delorean to go back to some alternate universe with ’50s outfits, ’70s music, and...John Travolta. The end result looks like the poster for a movie we'd definitely want to see. At over 12 minutes long, the video for the monster single "Roly Poly" is damn near a movie, anyway.
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14. Han Hee-jung, Neoui Document (2008)
You're probably curious as to what exactly folk-pop singer Han Hee-jung is putting into her mouth. Is it food? Ice? Gum? Here's a hint: In English, the album title translates to "Your Document." So yeah, that's your tiny document she's about to engulf. Now sit back and enjoy her beautiful voice.
13. 1TYM, 2nd Round (2000)
1TYM prefers to do things as a collective. "One Love" is their biggest single, and "One Leak" is this cover's theme. Jokes aside, the quartet made considerable strides as Korea's first hip-hop idol band, opening doors for Big Bang and others.
12. BoA, Copy & Paste (2010)
Hard to believe, but K-pop mega-star BoA is still only 26, which means she was 23 when this album—a repackaged version of her sixth LP, Hurricane Venus—was released. Since most BoA album covers are heavily produced and kind of cheesy, we find this one to be refreshingly simple and sweet. So what if it looks like a rip-off of an American Apparel ad?
11. f(x), Electric Shock (2012)
You may know f(x) from the group's memorable Funny or Die video alongside Anna Kendrick, but you should also be aware of the quintet's penchant for catchy singles. (Peep the new joint, "Rum Pum Pum Pum.") We're not exactly sure what is happening on the cover of f(x)'s 2012 EP, but it feels like something that belongs on this list.
10. Drunken Tiger, The Great Rebirth (2000)
Making cute babies wasn't on Drunken Tiger frontman Tiger JK's agenda until years after the release of The Great Rebirth. However, DT's sophomore album did impregnate the Korean music scene with authentic hip-hop. (Zing!) Some high-level bigwigs in Korea weren't having it though, as shortly after the album's release, JK was accused of selling (and using) drugs. He tested negative, but still served a month in jail. A lot of your favorite American rappers would have a hard time if they were Korean.
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12. 9. H.O.T., Resurrection (1998)
The five members of seminal boy band H.O.T. wore loud outfits, rocked hairstyles straight out of an anime movie, and performed music that always seemed angry about something. A yellow bird growing out of a metallic dome might not make sense to most people, but to a million-plus screeching "Eh-Cho-T" fans, it meant everything.
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8. G-Dragon, Heartbreaker (2009)
At this point, the leader and most popular member of boy group Big Bang could indiscriminately rub fingerpaint all over an album cover and his fans would eat it up. (Over 1.1 million followers on Instagram can't be wrong, right?) Thankfully, GD continues to push the envelope with his art, including the cover to his debut solo album. It low-key reminds us of something else, actually.
7. Seo Taiji, Issue (2004)
The godfather of modern K-pop, Seo Taiji wanted to express the emotional roller coaster of his life via nu-metal and punk rock. Being stuck with nails from head to toe looks painful, doesn't it? That's kind of like if you secretly married an 18-year-old girl who later became a famous actress, but you still tried to keep things on the hush-hush, until the media broke the news, ultimately leading to a painful divorce. Oh, right.
6. W(Where The Story Ends), Where The Story Ends (2005)
This cover makes us long for the days of nursery-school coloring books. Just look at all the details: smiley faces, babies, stars, rabbits, aliens...oh my. Complicated as this cover may be, the male trio's music is actually pretty simple and easygoing—try "Shocking Pink Rose," which became famous off of popular K-drama My Lovely Kim Sam Soon. Now pass the Crayons.
5. Dynamic Duo, Band of Dynamic Brothers (2009)
Right before rappers Choiza and Gaeko were forced on hiatus to fulfill their mandatory military service, they released this album. The cover is actually an accurate depiction of Dynamic Duo's military experience, as the duo served as "entertainer soldiers," rocking shows in different camps and outposts. Sweet gig, right? Maybe a little too sweet, as the Korean government recently ended the "entertainer soldier" designation.
4. S.E.S., Choose My Life-U (2002)
Sexiness and skin are not always synonymous—in fact, often times, the more left to the imagination the better. And...we'll just leave it at that.
3. Jang Gi Ha and the Faces, Jang Gi Ha and the Faces (2011)
Jang Gi Ha and the Faces are known for their lo-fi, alternative folk music and subtle social commentary ("Cheap Coffee"). It is a melange of sorts, just like this hodgepodge of colors, colliding in perfect harmony. Artful, isn't it?
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2. MukimukiManmansu, 2012 (2012)
There's nothing more Korean than bonding in a public bathhouse, which makes punk duo MukimukiManmansu's album cover such an awesome concept. It's not titillating or tawdry—just endearing and real (the inside art is great, too). Check out the Dalpalan-produced opener "Andromeda." And go support your local jjimjilbang.
1. Deux, Deuxism (1993)
Alongside Seo Taiji and Boys, the duo of Lee Hyun Do and Kim Sung Jae, better known as Deux, were pioneers of urban dance music in K-pop. (To you K-pop newbies, consider them the equivalent of a G-Dragon and Taeyang, circa ’93.) In fact, Deux was ahead of its time in many ways: During an era when corny album covers were the norm, the art for Deux's sophomore effort, Deuxism, clearly exhibited superior taste.