PlayAsia #5: End of Summer Albums

Unfortunately, the school year has started. Fortunately, the end of summer has left Asian music lovers with a treasure trove of new albums. Whether the beginning of the school year brings you immeasurable joy or fills you with dread, PlayAsia #5 hopes to bring some extra happiness with some of our favorite recent releases. 

puffette - pami

Pam Sooksawee, known by the stage name pami, is a Thai indie singer-songwriter who also debuted as an actress and C-pop singer. Her extensive experience in the entertainment industry manifests in her versatile debut album puffette (2025). Despite her status as a T-pop artist, she sings entirely in English, conveying lucid narratives with her sweet and soft voice.

The album starts off strong with “kiss me blue” and “pity dirty,” her most popular singles, capturing the appeal of her minimalistic yet interesting style. puffette is a seamless Frankenstein of indie pop and city pop (or Shibuya-kei) with an ambient touch reminiscent of the popular Korean R&B genre. While Asian indie music tends to be more understated instrumentally, city-pop is energetic, optimistic, and funky. “kiss me blue” is cute with its dreamy bass-driven instrumental, ethereal synths, and whimsical touches. In the chorus, she sings, “Kiss, kiss, kiss me blue / You know that's all I’ll ever / Need, need, need from you, babe,” while switching up her delivery throughout the song—a simple choice that cleverly avoids monotony. “pity dirty” features a similar set of instruments, yet creates a more mellow and eerie atmosphere. The album’s citypop influence shines through on tracks like “silly nature” and “covent garden,” with upbeat choruses and mostly electronic soundscapes. Meanwhile, “lie” and “highway” lean more into the distinctive indie sound reminiscent of bands like wave to earth or the Marías, who utilize a more simplistic soundscape behind hazy and calming vocals. Overall, puffette is a strong album with its particular and consistent sound that is sure to please fans of indie music. 

TASTE - HAECHAN

After nearly 10 years in the K-pop industry, HAECHAN, or Lee Dong-hyuck, has finally made his highly anticipated solo debut with the full length album TASTE (2025). A part of the boy group NCT since 2016, HAECHAN—known for his uniquely raspy, tenor vocal tone and equal proficiency in dance—has established himself as a well-rounded artist since pre-debut. The idol has expressed his admiration for artists like Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake, and this album incorporates their influence with many stylistic nods. However, HAECHAN puts his own spin on it and makes it work, from the choreography and concept to the quality of production and pure artistry that exudes from TASTE.

HAECHAN channels his personal tastes and signature “neo” (or experimental) vibe that is often used to describe NCT’s music into a hot-pink R&B and Soul album. HAECHAN utilizes everything from blues pianos to electronic effects to elevate the album’s atmosphere. From the beginning, “Camera Lights” transitions into a slow, pulsing R&B beat, ending with impressive vocal agility as well as copious amounts of adlibs. “CRZY” features Latin-inspired guitar and sultry lyrics like “날 가둬줘 네 시선에 (Lock me up in your eyes), yeah / Baby, you drive me crazy tonight / 오늘 밤 우리 둘의 실루엣은 밤새 (All night long, our silhouette will be crazy).” Unfortunately, it is also the weakest track in comparison to the rest due to its messy production and uninteresting dynamic that ultimately makes it more forgettable. The choreography is where Michael Jackson’s influence shines the most, including his iconic spins and silhouettes with immense attention to detail. HAECHAN embodies Michael Jackson’s groove with his own elegance and class. Other standout tracks include “Roll With Me” and “Should Be” with their earworm choruses and layered jazz-inspired instrumentals. The album maintains its momentum until the very end, with each song not only being over three minutes long but also including an intermission and an outro that comes full circle as the beat to “Camera Lights” fades into the background. 

TASTE’s sonic originality, quality, and ability to go beyond common K-pop genres are what set it apart from other releases. This album is a passionate reflection of HAECHAN’s artistic identity, pouring soul and impressive levels of musicality into each track. With its blending of beloved genres like jazz and R&B, this album truly has something to offer for everyone.

null - JUNNY

Born in South Korea but raised in Canada, JUNNY, or Kim Hyeong-Jun, is a Canadian-Korean singer-songwriter and producer. An expert in creating earworm-R&B, JUNNY has produced many K-pop classics like “Hot Sauce” by NCT as well as creating official soundtracks for K-dramas such as “Second Shot at Love” (2025). JUNNY has also released his own music, with null (2025) being his fourth full-length album and a 41-minute experience of epic harmonies and catchy tunes. 

null has many layers: it opens with the soft “No Morning” that introduces the relationship that the rest of the album documents: “Love, so blinded by it / Was it all for us just to say adieu?.” JUNNY specializes in creating memorable songs that subvert listeners’ expectations: this is best shown in “Energy,” which features a catchy and melodically-mind-bending chorus with a groovy bass line and playful vocals that seem to float using JUNNY’s falsetto, setting it apart from other songs in the R&B genre. Additionally, the album showcases JUNNY’s amazing vocals— “limbo (Feat. Colde)” being a particular standout—as he effortlessly conquers complicated vocal runs while maintaining a clear timbre when he sings “Tell me, do you know what your heart desires? / I’m just playin’ this game you like.” An expertly-crafted amalgamation of synth, bass, and vocal harmonies, null is the album for anyone tired of the persistent-drum-beat, soft-vocal monotony that popular K-R&B sometimes falls into.