It says "what was everyone's favorite listens this year?" so I'm just gonna base it on that and not on releases this year:
Ayumi Hamasaki - Remember You (2023) Great album overal. Especially love the Nonfiction remix, but there are many good songs on the album.
Koda Kumi - Heart (2022) Great comeback for Koda. While I do dig her beat-trap stuff I was quite into this album as well.
Epica - The Phantom Agony (2003) & The Divine Conspiracy (2007) Somehow got really into Epica this year, especially the older stuff. I was really into metal as I was young, especially (underground) black. But somehow the last few years it changed to mainly Asian pop music. Every now and then I still turn on some metal album. This year it mainly seemed to be (older) symphonic stuff. Some other mentionables are Within Temptation's Enter & The Dance and some older Nightwish.
Bruce Springsteen I just listen to a lot of different albums and songs depending on my mood. Can´t go wrong with the boss. That being said, I wasn´t too big on the latest release (Only The Strong Survive, 2022).
Kpop, I listen to way too many artists here. Mainly girlgroups and mostly 2nd and 3rd gen. There are a few newer groups I was quite happy with like Ive and Le Sserafim, but I find much of the new stuff isn´t my jam. Some of my favourites have been 2NE1, SNSD, T-ARA, Nine Muses, Jewelry, Psy, Afterschool, KARD, Blackpink, Botopass, Chung Ha, CL, CLC, Dal Shabet, D.Holic, Everglow, EXID, Hot Issue, Itzy, Jessi, Loona, Mimiirose, Pocket Girls, Rainbow, Six Bomb, Sonamoo, U-Know Yunho, Seunngri and Badkidz. In no particular order.
Otherwise been listening to quite some Jpop, mainly Chanmina, Faky, Tomomi Itano, Mika Nakashima, Namie Amuro, Nana Tanimura, TeddyLoid, XG, and Happiness. Also some Vietnamese artists have been on replay a lot, mainly Toc Tien, Dong Nhi, Huang Thuy Linh, Chi Pu, and Min (please forgive my lack of Vietnamese characters). According to my Last.FM account Britney Spears and Weird Al Yankovic also score good this year. Western pop party anthems type songs with some upbeat EDM music are also something appreciated this year.