Artists Selected for Billboard's 'Best K-pop Albums of 2026'

American music publication Billboard announced the 'Top 25 K-pop Albums of the First Half of 2026' on the 20th (local time), selecting Heart of Woman, Shownu X Hyungwon, Woozi, Kiki, and Exorb. Kakao Entertainment announced on the 23rd that artists under its labels—Woozi and Kiki (Jiyu, Isul, Suwi, Haum, Kiya), and Shownu X Hyungwon—were chosen. Kakao Entertainment manages labels including Starship Entertainment, Eden Entertainment, High Up Entertainment, and Antenna.

On the list, Woozi's 'Archive. 1' ranked 7th, Kiki's 'Delulu Pack' ranked 12th, and Shownu X Hyungwon's 'LOVE ME' ranked 14th. Heart of Woman placed 15th with their debut full album, while Exorb secured 6th place. Notably, Woozi and Kiki had previously ranked 1st and 17th respectively on Billboard's 'Top 25 K-pop Singles of the First Half of 2026' released on the 15th with '404 (New Era)' and 'CINEMA', further proving their musical excellence.

Billboard praised Woozi's 'Archive. 1', stating it 'boasts a vast sound composed of 17 tracks, evoking 90s experimental rock music,' and noted that 'Woozi has established himself as a solo artist focusing intensely on more powerful rock and crossover sounds than before, while constantly exploring new genres.' They also highly commended Kiki's 'Delulu Pack', saying 'Kiki, who created one of the best K-pop songs of the first half of this year, '404 (New Era)', captures the everyday instincts of the post-internet generation living amidst constant concept competition and weekly changing music trends.' They added, 'There is nothing forced about it. Her voice is free and the sound is slightly blurry, but that blurriness unusually highlights her generation.'

Regarding Shownu X Hyungwon's 'LOVE ME', Billboard stated it is 'a work that maintains Monsta X's strong vibe while expanding the spectrum with Shownu and Hyungwon's delicate and soft sensibilities.' Meanwhile, the Top 5 of Billboard's 'Top 25 K-pop Albums of the First Half of 2026' includes AKMU's 'Blooming', Baekhyun's 'Gongbu', NMIXX's 'Heavy Serenade', SHINee's 'Atmos', and Can't Be Blue's 'Prussian Blue'.