Best Asian Albums of 2013 Thus Far
 

Since we're almost halfway through 2013 now, what have been your favorite Asian releases of the year? What are you most anticipating for the rest of the year?

I've been making 'best releases' lists for each month of 2013 which you can find here if you're interested, but the best albums of the first half of 2013 for me have been:

1. Koda Kumi's Color The Cover
2. Girls' Generation's I Got a Boy
3. TBD
4. TBD
5. TBD

1. GILLE - GILLEsound vol. 1
2. miwa - Delight

Other good, but not perhaps list-worthy albums from this year include Kalafina's Consolation, Sakanaction's Sakanaction, MISIA and Mami Kawada's best-of albums and Ayu's LOVE again. Still waiting for some more albums to really knock me out the way GILLE and miwa did. I'm pretty excited for yanaginagi and Ikimonogakari's albums coming in July, but other than that, can't recall any albums I'm expecting this year.

Bonus: Favorite singles this year - Every Little Thing's ON AND ON, BoA's Only One, yanaginagi's Yukitoki and Nami Tamaki's REAL. :)

Definitely Color the Cover is one that first comes to mind.

1) BREAKERZ's guitarist AKIHIDE - debut solo album Amber
2) Nakashima Mika - REAL

Amber is really hands down the best album of 2013 & I've waited 6 LONG years for AKIHIDE to come back to sing again . As a result , Amber is truly worth waiting for ;__;

Although I'm a BREAKERZ fan , all the while I always had preferred AKIHIDE's singing voice over DAIGO's , sorry dear :laugh

I know, right? Brilliant album in my mind. I just love Koda Kumi's versatility and the way she sounds completely genuine in every musical style she pursues.

- BENI
- Amuro Namie
- Tegomass
- ON/OFF (even though it's only a mini album)

Hopefully ...

- SPYAIR
- JASMINE (lady where's your super long overdue 2nd album D: )
- KAT-TUN
- ARASHI

I really enjoyed I Got a Boy, very good and cured work. Color the Cover was amazing, particularly in the PV department. I can't say I loved LOVE again, just because for me the only thing really good from the album release was untitled for her... story 2, the rest of the awesome stuff was from the mini-albums. So, really anticipated, but not really good release :/
And, of course, I'm so anticipating FEEL!

In no particular order

ONE OK ROCK - Jinsei x Boku =
Koda Kumi - Color The Cover
Lee Hyori - Monochrome
Sakanaction - Sakanaction
miwa - Delight
Mika Nakashima - REAL
Tohoshinki - TIME

Now I'm impatiently waiting for Namie's FEEL and hopefully a new album from VAMPS, JASMINE, Crystal Kay and mini later this year.
I'd love immi to be back with new material too, but I highly doubt that will happen :/

*high fives* :D

I agree. LOVE again's great tracks came from the mini-albums (and I think Gloria and Bye bye baby are nice). But I don't think as whole it's strong enough to be one of the best.

I'm definitely anticipating FEEL, I'm really hoping it just as good or on par with Uncontrolled and PAST < FUTURE because those albums are great from start to finish.

Top Favorite:

SHINee - Dream Girl: The Misconceptions of You/Why So Serious: The Misconceptions of Me

(Despite both title songs being horrible, I was surprisingly blown away by the quality of the tracks.) :yes

Other Favorites:

Lee Hyori - Monochrome (could never understand the hype behind her but this album impressed me.)
Zion T. - Red Light
Lee Hi - First Love
Infinite H - FLY HIGH
SNSD - I GOT A BOY (awful and horrendous title track song but interesting album)

I haven't been overly impressed with any Japanese releases for years now. Here's hoping Namie, Crystal Kay, and Kuu will change that. ;)

@Becky bookmarked your link so I can go check out music you recommended :P

Color the Cover springs straight to mind. I normally forget it's a cover album because it sounds like an original Kuu album to me haha

LOVE again was a mess for me because my fave tracks came from the minis, so that didn't leave much of an impression on me...

Excited for FEEL :heart

The best: Kalafina - Consolation

Runner-ups: Maaya Sakamoto - Singer-Songwriter
Minami Kuribayashi - Tight Knot
miwa - Delight

And Nana Mizuki would also be the best, if you consider Rockbound Neighbors "this year" like oricon does.

Ah, I'm flattered! :) Thank you.

Kalafina - Consolation
Koda Kumi - Color The Cover

I think FEEL is gonna be amazing. Just with Big Boys Cry, Contrail, and Hands on Me alone it's better than Uncontrolled, imo. I was sooo looking forward to Uncontrolled last year and it really let me down so here's to hoping FEEL exceeds all expectations! :D

Favourite:
None really.
Most likely Ayu's love again and Tommy's candy shop sugar me

Anticipating:
Namiserable's Feel
Angela Aki's unnamed album
Perfume's hopeful 5th album

Are there rumors about a fifth Perfume album? I sure hope they come out with one soon. I really like their most recent singles.

Amuro Namie - FEEL

man I know the album was going to be good but I didn't expect this good . Somemore , for her to only include 1/2 of a double A-side , it's risky but it pays off for her big time !

I so can't wait to get my copy in due time & likewise , on the release of even more albums to come such as

NEWS - NEWS
BENI - Red
JASMINE - 2nd album title tbc
ARASHI - 12th album title tbc
AKIHIDE - 2nd album title tbc

Honestly, I don't think I've listened to any 2013 albums o_o just English releases lol J-Pop has been so stale. But I'll get around to Namie's soon.