Here are my credentials (again): basically nothing, I’m afraid. I know one song from Golden Child, and, though I do really like it, I have no idea how representative of their discography it is. But, I have a friend who’s a huge fan (a Goldenness), and so I decided to give them a try!

(Part One)

EP #4: Take A Leap

One takes inspiration from garage band and EDM with a pulsing, distorted buzzing noise throughout its verses that, unfortunately, really got on my nerves. I did enjoy the whispers and then the beautiful, drawn-out vocals in the pre-chorus, but then the great build-up is once again ruined by an anti-drop. To make things even more frustrating, I also like the post-chorus, though I wish it would be taken a bit further in an anthemic direction.

From the EP, Take A Leap, I enjoyed the precise thrumming beat of OMG, and the rising tension in Make Me Love (despite the english intro making me laugh).

Single #3: Pump It Up

Pump It Up is a return to Golden Child’s peppy, bright roots with funk undertones, and I couldn’t be happier for that. It’s got a great sense of drive underneath it with strong percussion and feels genuine and encouraging in a way that not many songs do. I’m also glad to say that the music video maintained the band’s unique sense of humor, and finally made me laugh again.

EP #5: Burn It

Burn It starts with an interesting whistle-like hook, a deceptively light beat, and some incredibly elegant dance moves. Though I complained about their darker tracks so far, I think that this one does a great job having build-up and pay-off, and managing to tell a great story. It’s cinematic and strong and had me hooked from the first moment. I admit it, the MV really made me feel something, and had my eyes stuck on the screen while I was supposed to be typing. Please go watch the “Drama full version” of the song, because it really is like a mini-movie about having hope in the darkness and helping someone through difficult times. I don’t know if it was meant to be a reference to the pandemic or not, but either way, it’s genuinely beautiful. 

After the emotional rollercoaster that was Burn It, I’m both relieved and a little disappointed that Breathe, the other single from this EP, is so lighthearted and bright with its twinkling piano and return to the school-boy concept. On the one hand, I need a break from such a heavy, powerful track, but on the other, I kind of hoped that they would continue the trend of making mini-movies, since the last one was so good. I did like the volleyball storyline of the MV, though; it was very encouraging.

From the rest of the EP, I liked the somewhat traditional string of the intro Yes, the icy confidence of Cool Cool and the contemplative, somewhat nostalgic feel of Milky Way (which I liked way more than I was expecting to).

Single #4: Ra Pa Pam

Ra Pa Pam is also set in what seems like a post-apocalyptic world, but goes down a spacier and more fantasy-driven route, with some hints of tropical pop and (possibly) reggaeton? The song itself isn’t my favorite of theirs, but thankfully does have a pretty decent build-up and pay-off, with a post-chorus that really saves it. Sidenote: I loved the little hints of tango in the choreography; I don’t think I’ve seen that in many other k-pop MVs.

Album #2: Ddara

Ddara makes the choice to start on a-capella and then crisp synths with an equally crisp choreography. It’s light and seems to kind of tip-toe along, and overall it doesn’t leave much of an impact. It’s not the song’s fault, exactly; it’s great for the kind of track it is, but that kind of track isn’t for me.

From the album, Ddara, I enjoyed the gentleness and building warmth of Oasis, the surprisingly catchy English lyrics of the synthy Bottom Of The Ocean, and the dramatic touches of Fanfare. They were also separated into duos for unit songs, which is a super interesting idea; my favorites of those were the swingy Game (Tag & Jibeom) and the reserved yet jazzy That Feeling (Seungmin, Donghyun, & Jaehyun).

EP #6: Aura

Replay, to its credit, doesn’t waste any time announcing itself, starting with a burst of energy that would normally be reserved for a chorus. I did really enjoy its build up and chorus, though I wished the pay-off was a little stronger than how it ended up. I also liked the interpolation of harsher rock and distortion, which did a good job at elevating what could’ve been average.

From the EP, Aura, I enjoyed the striking distortion of its intro, the percussive and youthful energy of 3!6!5! (my hidden gem), and the brightness of Purpose.

Single #5: Feel Me

Feel Me is the track I’d heard from Golden Child before, which is kind of funny since it’s the most recent one. It’s a perfect example of how to do a maturation in sound, though, retaining the anthemic quality and nostalgic feeling that’s been a part of their tracks since the beginning and marrying it with a slightly melancholy edge and a strong guitar underlying the chorus. I enjoyed it the first time, but in context with the rest of their work, I feel like I can appreciate its meaning more. I also liked Blind Love, a b-side from the single.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this! I had a lot more fun than I anticipated, got to know the members of Golden Child better than what was pretty minimal knowledge at first, and overall, found a lot of exciting, catchy, feel-good songs to add onto my ever-expanding playlists. Plus, a tiny short film to rewatch whenever I need a good cry.

My Top 5 songs are Feel Me, DamDaDi, YTMOB, Burn It, and Let Me, with Eyes On Me and Fanfare as honorable mentions. Golden Child gets an 8.5 out of 10 from me, quite strong overall with a few too many disappointments and not enough emotional investment on my end for me to put them in the 8.75-9.25 category. But, who knows? I’m definitely open to that changing in the future.

Next time, we’ll be back with another girl group. Tschüss!