20 Gorgeous Digital album covers that actually contain bops

Now, now, now, now, now, now, nOW, NOW.

Before we get crazy, let me disclaim: this is not ALL OF THEM (enter Libby with her "she maxed out tWO SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS, Y'ALL", but she would have a point here). Consider this Round 1 of an infinite number that is not ordered from least to most stunning or least to most bop. Ask me my number one favorite of any category of anything related to eastern music and watch the panic set in; I CAN'T CHOOSE. A perfect example of this is me having drafted and outlined this post for 15 covers, but I saw a few more, couldn't stop, and ended up with 20.

Just a head's up: some of these albums are single albums, some are minis, some may even be full-length. Do the single albums work better for y'all because it's less music to dive into should you find yourself interested? 👀 I'm quite excited to find out if the correlation of (one random person's opinion of) a pretty album cover nudges towards more interest to the music it contains. Especially since I think most of us listen to our music digitally nowadays, the digital cover is important, (even if we do collect the physical albums, too) since the digital cover is the one we carry with us in our pockets all day!

With that being said, let's roll into the list!

1. Lyly's Bởi Vì Là Khi Yêu

ISN'T THIS COVER JUST?????? EVERYTHING?????? ugh. What a way to start this list, in my humble opinion. Bởi Vì Là Khi Yêu is a single album and the song is just as wonderful as the album cover. Lyly's voice is light and airy and the music is just so dreamy and floaty with the perfect boost of 808 to make it more bouncy. I just super enjoy this package together.

2. Kim Woosung's moth

I am obsessed with the bright ass saturation of orange in this cover. Woosung really delivered here. Also, I feel for him because moths must be itchy.

Album wise, this is a mini, essentially, and it is spun from the pure gold of Woosung's cursive-singing vocal cords. When I tell you the songs in this album only age like fine wine, I mean it. Dreamy tracks like "ComE dOWn" and "Side Effects (ft. SATICA)" blend and transition into more upbeat, alternative-sounding anthem-style tracks like "Phase Me" and "Modern Life". Having heard him perform this entire masterpiece live, well, it will always be a favorite and hold a special place in my soul.

3. ren's Renbrandt.

It may start to shock you less, the further you go down the list, but simple but impactful covers really get to me. ReN's digital cover for ReNBRANDT is just that: it gets to the point and does so BEAUTIFULLY. Side profile? yes. Guitar? thanks. Spotlight? you deserve it, king.

MUSICALLY, Y'ALL. THIS ALBUM? Why, as a society, don't we discuss it more? It is possibly a no-skip album for me. A FULL-LENGTH, NO-SKIP ALBUM. YEP, I SAID IT. ReN has such a welcoming and enjoyable vocal tone; he simply makes you want to engage in his music. He's so charismatic and each song has such an individual personality. I could actually wax poetry about this entire album here, but I'll spare you. For now. Because now I'm tempted to do an entire album review.

4. woo ye rin's night: yellow flowers bloom only at night of summer

Y'know, as an international fan, I can't say there is too much we get to enjoy when it comes to nuances or benefits or.. much of anything, really, when all of your faves are overseas and usually cater to their home or more local fanbases. Not that it's a bad thing, necessarily, I'm not complaining, I'm just stating facts, right? But, I do get enjoyment from little things like this: the details that reveal themselves after work and effort. Maybe it's just me, but the detail in this album cover design for what the album is titled just gets to me. And since the title is in hangul, if you don't take the extra step to translate, the meaning is lost on you.

I just really love that stuff.

And then she starts singing "Flame", the opening song on the album, and I think I transition to another level of living.

Please, do yourself a favor and listen to this album. The details are so special, but her voice alone? Unreal.

5. geeks' fireworks

Why is this cover me constantly, all the time?

Anyway.

Geeks is a duo I don't see too many people talk about, which is sad, since they are fantastic! Made up of Louie and Lil Boy (who you may better recognize as lIlBOI), Geeks is definitely for those who enjoy hip-hop, smooth rap flows, some musical surprises, and some R&B-style vocals mixed in. Fans of EPIK HIGH will likely find themselves at home with Geeks and this SUPER FULL LENGTH ALBUM is a great place to start settling in. Your head will explode if these guys are new to you, like their lovely cover suggests. 😏

6. wang xin chen (王忻辰) and su xing jie's (苏星婕) 去年花开

Now, look. I'm not sure if you're familiar with this trend lately of these incredible Chinese artists releasing INCREDIBLE singles, each with digital artwork that look like literal paintings you could have hanging in your home. Or your studio. Or your aRT GALLERY??? BUT IT'S A REAL THING AND TRYING TO PICK JUST ONE CAUSED ME SO MUCH STRESS AND ANXIETY AND IS LITERALLY THE REASON THIS POST WENT UP LATE.

But the song just made me decide on this one. But let me stress. PLEASE GO DOWN THAT RABBIT HOLE. Or I can do it for you. If you want me to, let me know and I'll make a post of these singles I think are the most worth your time because there are actually so many by so many insanely talented artists, it's actually overwhelming.

7. bich phuong's bùa yêu

I grabbed the single album's cover. I COULDN'T RESIST, LOOK AT THE BLUE AND THE YELLOW CONTRAST. I'm in love. Also she looks????? SO stunning? Those nails? That blush? Her eyes? Passing out. This song is on her album, Dramatic, and that cover is also so pretty, but it's more muted in color palette and this one really snatched my face off.

The song is SO FUN. Snap tracks make me an instant fan when they're done right and Bich Phuong really accomplished that mission. So catchy, so pop-y, this song will get stuck in your head QUICK, and you won't wanna shake it loose.

8. ha dong qn's polygon

This cover makes me wish I was capable of creating art like this. The swirls of colors, the blending, the simplicity, the depth. Inspired.

Most of y'all know about my chronic migraines. As that is a hard battle for me to have, being such an avid music listener, some days I really just need softer, soothing music. This album does this beautifully for me. Plus, his vocal tone is so unique and with how he recorded this album, especially tracks like "Beautiful Things" and "The Maze of Reality", it sounds like you're getting a private concert right in your home. Also, I'm a Ho for ballads.

9. Jeff satur's แค่เงา (hide)

SPEAKING OF BALLADS. HI, JEFF. HI, STUNNING COVER. HI, STUNNING VOCALS. HI, SNAP TRACK. HI, BALLAD WITH A BEAT.

Similar to ReN's cover, but way more dangerous. Whereas ReN is being soft and existing in his music, Jeff is being hard and existing in your pain. Because his voice will cause tears of joy at the SHEER beauty of it. And so will his face.

I live for Jeff's ballads. He always makes them more modern. Like I mentioned (read: screamed) above, this ballad is definitely more on the R&B style of things. There is a snap track, them falsettos, his voice in general is just pure smoothness, and he absolutely hits you in the face with a real snazzy beat to jam to. Love Jeff. I will always be happy to provide more music for Jeff.

10. dreamcatcher's end of nightmare

Y'all knew that at least one Dreamcatcher album would be on here, right? They might be the most well-known in the game for stunning covers, especially in terms of physical albums. End of Nightmare is, hands down, my favorite design they gave us. The line art is so satisfying and clean and whew.

Fortunately, two of my favorite Dreamcatcher tracks are also on this album. "Piri" and "And there was no one left" are stand outs on this album for me! "Daydream" is such a gorgeous song, vocally, but the dynamic instrumentals throughout both "Piri" and "And there was no one left" and their chorus really seal the deal for me.

11. weeekly's play game: awake

As soon as I saw the album concepts and cover, I yelled at Libby. CELESTIAL BEAUTY. The gateway to the new world is here, and Weeekly delivered.

This album's title, "Ven para", definitely started a more mature era for them, aesthetically, choreographically, and audibly. While the song is good, "Solar" absolutely ripped my face off with the beat, the rap, the harmonies, the wHISPERING, AND THE BELTING. Y'ALL. SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE TITLE TRACK. And "Where Is My Love?" is a great little R&B number. This is a solid single album, and makes me excited for more.

12. henry's monster

This hodgepodge, scrapbooker's fantasy of an album cover. YES, HENRY. The text overlay of the context of what a monster is? Y E S. I could actually stare at this cover all day.

Henry gives us his single, "Monster", in three languages: English, Korean, and Chinese. All three are absolutely wonderful in their own right. Of course, for me, English is the easiest to understand, but Chinese sounds the most pleasing to my ear. The very beginning of the song is so wheezy somehow but in the best and smoothest way possible and the song just builds on that super cool energy. I love when lyrics flow together so well without a pause and this song is a prime example of that.

13. taeyeon's i

Why does the barcode make this album extra pretty to me? The design of this album just really speaks to me. The palest of pale pinks, the greyscale shot of Taeyeon (who looks like a straight up garden fairy???), the shadowing and lighting of the shot, the simplicity of the design. I love this.

Do.. do I need to mention the music on this album? Isn't it kind of a cult classic at this point? Her first mini was iconic, containing title track "I" with Verbal Jint, "Gemini", "Farewell", and "U R". She just stretched her vocal prowess over the industry and made us all fall in love with her all over again. This album continues to be a favorite.

14. han seung yun's lovender

The blur. The yellow against the purple actually put me in a grave. I really can't explain in human words and language how and why I love this cover so much.

CAN YOU HEAR ME SCREAMING ALL THE WAY TO WHEREVER YOU ARE? BECAUSE I AM. I WILL ACTUALLY NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT THIS ALBUM. "Moon Driver" is still TOP of 2022, okay, and this album came out in February. It fucked me up sO EARLY IN THE YEAR. Han Seung Yun's voice is maybe one of my top favorite voices ever. This is a no-skip album, y'all. I beg and plead, with tears in my eyes, for y'all to listen to this album and come talk to me about it. Each song is a different vibe, a different energy, a different personality, a different soul. Please, I will come unglued, I love this album so much.

15. chanmina's harenchi

A real-live queen in the modern world. The neon light is everything and honestly suits her so well. The pink is her signature and I love how she gives us a different look at Chanmina with each cover she provides, showing all of the sides to her as an artist as she progresses on this journey.

This album is such a requirement for Chanmina fans. Some of my favorite songs can be found here such as "Picky", "BIJIN", "Sun", "Period", "Morning mood", and "Firework". With just the songs I listed, you'll find a variety of genre, vocal range, and vocal ability that proves Chanmina is more than just a rapper who calls out shit when she sees it.

16. seventeen's teen, age

oh. oh, um. Yes, Seventeen made it. BUT I'LL BE REAL, I wouldn't classify many of their digital albums as "stunning" or "gorgeous". But this one is. The gradient, the shattering, the simple imagery, but the story it tells.

I love Seventeen. No skip album. Please don't make me write more about their music, I may cry.

More posts to come. 👀

17. Maddox's color blind

Blindfold imagery will always get me. ALWAYS. Call it Color Blind, make the blindfold red, one of the colors that color blind people either traditionally struggle with OR can only see, and I'm a bit tickled. Also, I want his sweater.

I'm sure it's obvious by now, but I love me a good R&B jam and Maddox delivers that with "Color Blind". It's a single album, so only one song you need to hunt down for this one, but it's got a good beat and the guy has some really nice vocals. I love when artists harmonize with themselves.

18. solar's spit it out

LOVELY. KNOCKOUT. This cover is SO perfect and everything I didn't know I wanted until I saw it. The bright orange, the bright red lip, the snarl, the aggression, the space buns, the dark purple against the orange. It's a beautiful cover. And it perfectly matches the energy of "Spit It Out".

"Spit It Out" wants you to stand up and punch something soft and un-alive in the face. It wants you to know your power and your spirit and your truth and stand in it. Fast-paced, high energy, lyrics that spit; I love everything about this package.

19. a.c.e's hjzm: the butterfly phantasy

A traditional Korean-style painting. I'm absolutely in love with the texture you can see in the clouds and in the moon. uGH, another cover I would have as an art piece and put on my wall as a painting.

I am a huge fan of juxtaposed things. We have this serene, gorgeous scene on the cover of this package of music. And then we open it. And, maybe expecting something softer and gentle and full of serenity, like the cover would lead you to believe, you get bangers. Hard-hitting bangers like "Golden Goose" and "Goblin (Favorite Boys)", a softer-hitter like "Clover". Make it make sense.

20. onewe's memory: illusion

LOOK. AT. IT. This fAIRY FORST OF FANTASTICAL DREAMS COME TO LIFE. ONEWE is an auto-preorder group for me, but when I saw this cover I was like, "NOPE, DON'T CARE, NEED IT" and how can you blame me, really? Fortunately, the music inside is also lovely.

"TRAUMA (Aquarium)" actually has no right to be as good as it is. The guitar, the vocals, the build ups and downs? The chorus is unfairly catchy and beautifully layered. But then they take "A book in Memory", the book from the actual cover of the album, and write this incredibly beautiful song, it's almost haunting. Listening to this song while looking at the cover is actually one of my favorite things to do, as stupid as it sounds, because it just creates a whole new experience for me; like there's more to the story.

What did you guys think? Do you disagree with me? Agree? LET'S TALK ABOUT IT. I made a poll for y'all to answer (no pressure, but I'll check it at least 13 times a day), and I'm excited to see what the results end up being! I'm also excited we discovered I can count up to 20 together; math is not my strong suit.

Until next time,

✨Ash