01/04/2025
Unusual K-pop Albums: From Weird to Weirdly Useful
In an era dominated by digital streaming, the K-pop industry has achieved something remarkable: making physical albums not just relevant, but highly desirable collector’s items. While the innovative packaging of K-pop albums often gets the spotlight, it’s the unusual inclusions tucked inside these packages that truly elevate the collecting experience to an art form.
From practical everyday items to bizarre novelties that leave fans scratching their heads, K-pop album inclusions and packaging have evolved into a fascinating agenda that drives sales and creates passionate collecting communities.
Table of Contents
- The Evolution of K-pop Album Inclusions: From Basic to Bizarre
The Evolution of K-pop Album Inclusions: From Basic to Bizarre
The journey of K-pop album inclusions tells a fascinating story of innovation. In the early days, K-pop albums typically came with simple inclusions like photocards and small booklets—not much different from Western music releases. But as competition in the industry intensified and physical sales became a crucial metric of success, entertainment companies began thinking outside the box.
The variety of K-pop album inclusions has expanded dramatically in recent years, with companies constantly trying to outdo each other with creative items. What started as basic photocards has evolved into an astonishing array of collectibles that range from practical to whimsical to downright strange.
Today, opening a K-pop album feels more like unwrapping a carefully curated gift box than purchasing music. This evolution reflects a deep understanding of fan culture—physical inclusions have become tangible connections between artists and fans, offering exclusive items that digital platforms simply cannot replicate.
Unusual K-pop Album Inclusions
Some K-pop albums include functional items that blur the line between merchandise and album inclusions:
NewJeans’ Debut Album: Released in a functional round bag that fans could actually wear, complete with a strap and zipper compartment
SEVENTEEN’s “Attacca”: Included a small mirror with member designs
Seventeen’s Face The Sun’s First Press has highlighters in them.
Red Velvet’s “The ReVe Festival Day 1”: Contained a magic kit with each member’s version.
Dreamcatcher’s Apocalypse: Save Us LE has a cork coaster.
PSY’s 9th album has sticky notes and band-aids.
Kim Sejong’s Door Album has door hangers in it.
Dreamcatcher’s The Dystopia: Road to Utopia has a kit that let you make your own dreamcatcher.
SEVENTEEN’s “Semicolon”: Included a DIY weaving kit that allowed fans to create their own semicolon art piece. Talk about self-producing!
BTS Map of the Soul: 7 had a coloring page.
These interactive inclusions transform the album from a passive collectible into an engaging activity, deepening the fan experience.
Unique K-pop Albums That Pushed the Boundaries of Inclusions
Some albums have become legendary for their unusual inclusions, setting new standards for creativity in the industry.
SEVENTEEN’s Subunit BSS’ Second Wind has like a set of athlete’s essentials. It literally felt like opening a whole merch box.
Taemin’s Guilty (shoebox version) had so many random inclusions at the bottom. I mean it had a false bottom with a bunch of stuff under it, like a fake candy wrapper and receipts and so much more!
STAYC had perfume samples on some of their album and even released one with a full perfume cream in it!
TXT’s The Dream Chapter: Magic album has viewer glasses inside. Also, the album cover glows under UV light!
Unique and Unusual KPOP Albums Packaging
If you think that the inclusions above are already intriguing, you might want to take a breather since we have also compiled some of your faves albums that were packaged creatively….. and securely.
Big Bang’s Alive album is literally made of steel/metal which fans complained about later on since it gets rusty.
F(x) Pink Tape is made to look like an actual VHS tape.
Zion T’s OO is packed like a vinyl although it came with a CD.
Gdragon’s kwon ji-young album came in a blood-stained USB/drive.
TVXQ’s Tense came with a collectible coin on its front cover.
Psy’s 6 Rules came to fans’ mailboxes looking like a fishbowl.
aespa’s P.O.S version of their Savage album achieved all tech-aesthetics there is.
Got7’s first ever mini-album Got it is packed in a star shaped tin can.
Red Velvet’s Chill Kill (special ver.) came in a mini tote bag. Fans can choose either fuzzy red or sleek chrome!
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The extraordinary attention to detail in each K-pop album reflects the industry’s understanding that physical albums are more than music carriers—they’re expressions of artistic vision and crucial touchpoints in fan relationships.
This approach has created a unique market position where physical albums remain highly desirable despite global trends toward digital streaming. For fans, the unboxing experience becomes a ritual, a moment of connection with their favorite artists that streaming platforms simply cannot replicate.
The innovation in K-pop album inclusions demonstrates how physical media can remain relevant and desirable in the digital age—by transforming from simple containers into experiences, art pieces, and collectibles that fans eagerly anticipate and treasure.
What’s your favorite unusual K-pop album inclusion? Have you added any weird items from albums to your collection? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
